towing TOYOTA RAV4 2001 User Guide

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1942001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
ÐStowing flat tire
9. Install the flat tire and spare tire
cover on the back door.
CAUTION
Make sure flat tire and spare tire cov-
er are securely in place in their stor-
age location to reduce the possibility
of personal injury during a collision
or sudden braking.
Install the full spare tire cover by the
following procedure:
Guides
Insert the hooks under the guides to the
upper slots. Then lower the cover and
lock the latch handle. Check that the cov-
er is securely in place.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
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ÐAfter changing wheels
10. Check the air pressure of the re-
placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designated on page 249 in Section 8. If
the pressure is lower, drive slowly to the
nearest service station and fill to the cor-
rect pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation
valve cap as dirt and moisture could get
into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible.
11. Restow all the tools and jack secure-
ly.
As soon after changing wheels as pos-
sible, tighten the wheel nuts to the torque
specified on page 249 in Section 8 with
a torque wrench. Have a technician repair
the flat tire and replace the spare tire with
it.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the
tools and jack are securely in place
in their storage location to reduce the
possibility of personal injury during a
collision or sudden braking.
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truckÐ
ÐFrom front
ÐFrom rear
(b) Using flat bed truck
Two±wheel drive models(a) Towing with wheel lift type truckÐ
ÐFrom front
ÐFrom rear
(b) Using flat bed truck
Four±wheel drive models
If your vehicle needs to be
towedÐ
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If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice. In consultation with them, have
your vehicle towed using either (a) or
(b).
Only when you cannot receive a towing
service from a Toyota dealer or com-
mercial tow truck service, tow your ve-
hicle carefully in accordance with the
instructions given in ªÐEmergency tow-
ingº on page 197 in this section.
Proper equipment will help ensure that
your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are generally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is
towed incorrectly. Although most operators
know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to
your vehicle, make sure the following pre-
cautions are observed. If necessary, show
this page to the tow truck driver.TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
Two±wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From frontÐRelease the parking brake.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to en-
sure adequate ground clearance for
towing at the opposite end of the
raised vehicle. Otherwise, the bumper
and/or underbody of the towed vehicle
will be damaged during towing.
From rearÐ

Manual transmission:
We recommend using a towing dolly
under the front wheels. If you do not
use a towing dolly, place the ignition
key in the ªACCº position and put the
transmission in neutral.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or
in the ªLOCKº position when towing
from the rear without a towing dolly.
The steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight.

Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an automatic
transmission from the rear with the
front wheels on the ground, as this
may cause serious damage to the
transmission.
(b) Using flat bed truck
Four±wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
Use a towing dolly under the wheels not
lifted by the truck.
(b) Using flat bed truck
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1972001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
(c) Towing with sling type
truck
All modelsÐ
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-
ther from the front or rear. This may
cause body damage.
ÐEmergency towing
Front
Rear (four±wheel drive models with manu-
al transmission and two±wheel drive mod-
els)
Rear (four±wheel drive models with auto-
matic transmission)
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tempo-
rarily towed by a cable or chain se-
cured to the emergency towing eyelets
under the front of the vehicle or the
left emergency towing eyelet under the
rear of the vehicle. Use extreme caution
when towing vehicle.
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NOTICE
Only use specified towing eyelet;
otherwise your vehicle may be dam-
aged.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard±surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing ve-
hicles. Avoid sudden starts or erratic
driving maneuvers which would place
excessive stress on the emergency
towing eyelet and towing cable or
chain. The eyelet and towing cable or
chain may break and cause serious
injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.
Securely fasten the cable or chain to
the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral (manu-
al) or ªNº (automatic). The key must be
in ªACCº (engine off) or ªONº (engine run-
ning).
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.

Before emergency towing, check that
the eyelet is not broken or damaged
and that the installation bolts are not
loose.

Fasten the towing cable or chain se-
curely to the eyelet.

Do not jerk the eyelet. Apply steady
and even force.

To avoid damaging the eyelet, do not
pull from the side or at a vertical
angle. Always pull straight ahead.
ÐEmergency towing eyelet
precautions
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
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CAUTION
If the emergency towing eyelet is
used to get out when your vehicle
becomes struck in mud, sand or oth-
er condition from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power, make sure to observe the pre-
cautions mentioned below. Otherwise,
excessive stress will be put on the
eyelet and the towing cable or chain
may break, causing serious injury or
damage.

If the towing vehicle can hardly
move, do not forcibly continue the
towing. Contact your Toyota dealer
or a commercial tow truck service
for assistance.

Tow the vehicle as straight ahead
as possible.

Keep away from the vehicle during
towing.
The following methods are effective to get
out when your vehicle is struck in mud,
sand or other condition from which the
vehicle cannot be driven out under its own
power. Use extreme caution when towing
vehicles. In addition, keep away from the
vehicles and towing cable or chain when
towing.

Remove the soil and sand in the front
and the back of the tires.

Place a stone or wood under the tires.
If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of ªPº position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-
pressed, use the shift lock override but-
ton as follows:
1. Turn the ignition key to ªLOCKº
position. Make sure the parking
brake is set.
2. Pry up the cover with a flat±bladed
screwdriver or equivalent.
ÐTips for towing a stuck
vehicleIf you cannot shift automatic
transmission selector lever
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
452001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
To release the concave end tab, insert the
key into the hole on buckle 1 (with light
gray buckle±release button) and allow the
belt to retract.CAUTION
Do not use the rear center seat belt
with either buckle released. Fastening
only the shoulder belt or lap belt may
cause severe personal injury in case
of sudden braking or a collision.
STOWING THE REAR CENTER SEAT
BELT
1. To stow the rear center seat belt,
pull the seat belt out of its cover a
little and insert the concave end tab
into the higher slot of the cover.
ÐStowing the rear center
seat belt
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
892001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:

Driving up a long hill on a hot day.

Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.

Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop±and±go traffic.

Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See ªIf your ve-
hicle overheatsº on page 186 in
Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm
( revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and over±revving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Odometer and two trip meters
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerÐShows the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersÐShow two different
distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The ªO/D OFFº indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The ªO/D OFFº indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see ªCruise controlº on page 103 in this
section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ªHow
to start the engineº on page 168 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
ªPº or ªNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to ªDº.
When the lever is in the ªDº position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:

Push the overdrive switch. The ªO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.

Shift into the ª2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Two±wheel drive models
108 km/h (67 mph)
Four±wheel drive models
103 km/h (64 mph)
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
992001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Shift into the ªLº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Two±wheel drive models
52 km/h (32 mph)
Four±wheel drive models
51 km/h (31 mph)
Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking is not enabled because the cruise
control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see ªCruise controlº on page 103 in this
section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using ª2º and ªLº positions
The ª2º and ªLº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in ª2º or ªLº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ªDº.
With the selector lever in ª2º, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in ªLº, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to over±rev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
Two±wheel drive models
ª2º 119 km/h (74 mph). . . . . . . . . .
ªLº 66 km/h (41 mph). . . . . . . . . . .
Four±wheel drive models
ª2º 110 km/h (68 mph). . . . . . . . . .
ªLº 61 km/h (38 mph). . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
ª2º or ªLº position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, ªDº position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with
your foot, shift the selector lever to the
ªRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
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