ECU TOYOTA RAV4 2001 Owners Manual

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1622001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.

The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ªONº posi-
tion, or remains on.

The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the ªABSº warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the anti±lock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.
Luggage stowage precautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:

Put luggage or cargo in the luggage
compartment when at all possible. Be
sure all items are secured in place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.

For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION

To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during braking,
do not stack anything in the lug-
gage compartment higher than the
seatbacks. Keep luggage or pack-
ages low, as close to the floor as
possible.

Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They should
ride in their seats with their seat
belts properly fastened. Otherwise,
they are much more likely suffer
serious bodily injury, in the event
of sudden braking or a collision.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1632001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Do not place anything on the flat-
tened seat, or it may slide forward
during braking.

Do not place anything on the lug-
gage cover. Such items may be
thrown about and possibly injure
people in the vehicle during sudden
braking or an accident. Secure all
items in a safe place.

Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver's field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver's control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified on
page 246 in Section 8.
Limited±slip differential
Some Toyotas are equipped with a lim-
ited±slip differential. If one rear wheel be-
gins to spin, the limited±slip differential is
designed to aid traction by automatically
transmitting driving force to the other rear
wheel. If you are not sure whether your
vehicle is equipped with one, you can ask
your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by a jack.
The vehicle could be driven off the
jack and could pose a danger or re-
sult in serious injury.
NOTICE
Use only a spare tire of the same
size, construction and load capacity
as the original tires on your Toyota
because damage to the limited±slip
differential could possibly occur with
another tire type.
Under the right front seat
Top left of the instrument panel
Your Toyota's identificationÐ
ÐVehicle identification
number
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1702001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high±speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high±speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.

Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Off±road driving precautions
When driving your vehicle off±road, please
observe the following precautions to en-
sure your driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to off±road
vehicles.
a. Drive your vehicle only in areas where
off±road vehicles are permitted to trav-
el.
b. Respect private property. Get owner 's
permission before entering private prop-
erty.
c. Do not enter areas that are closed.
Honor gates, barriers and signs that re-
strict travel.
d. Stay on established roads. When condi-
tions are wet, driving techniques should
be changed or travel delayed to pre-
vent damage to roads.
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off±road, consult
the following organizations.

State and Local Parks and Recreation
Departments

State Motor Vehicle Bureau

Recreational Vehicle Clubs

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:

Drive carefully when off the road.
Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.

Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off±road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel and
injure your hands. Keep both hands
and especially your thumbs on the
outside of the rim.

Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.

After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or
trapped on the underbody. Clear off
any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering
to the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1762001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
HITCHES

Use only a weight carrying hitch
designed for the total trailer weight.
Toyota does not recommend using a
weight distribution (load equalizing)
hitch.

The hitch must be bolted securely to
the vehicle frame and installed accord-
ing to the hitch manufacturer 's instruc-
tions.

The hitch ball should have a light coat
of grease.

Toyota recommends that the trailer
hitch be removed when not towing to
prevent injury and/or damage by the
hitch in event of a rear end collision.
After removing the hitch, the installa-
tion area should be sealed to prevent
entry of exhaust fumes and mud.
NOTICE
Do not use an axle±mounting hitch as
it may cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheels and/
or tires.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS

Toyota recommends trailers with brakes
that conform to any applicable federal
and state/provincial regulations.

A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should cross
under the trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the ground in
case it becomes damaged or sepa-
rated. For correct safety chain proce-
dures, follow the hitch or trailer
manufacturer 's recommendations.
CAUTION

If the total trailer weight exceeds
272 kg (600 lb.), trailer brakes are
required.

Never tap into your vehicle's hy-
draulic system as it would lower its
braking effectiveness.

Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES

Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See page 225 Section
7±2 for instructions.

The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS

Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations.
See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correct
type of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1772001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
BREAK±IN SCHEDULE

Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE

If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the ªSched-
uled Maintenance Guideº or ªOwner 's
Manual Supplementº.

Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
PRE±TOWING SAFETY CHECK

Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose±up or nose±down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.

Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.

Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulations. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle±
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:

Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle±trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle±to±vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, prevent excessive clutch
slippage by keeping engine rpm low
and not racing the engine. Always start
out in first gear.

Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.

Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer). Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.

Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1852001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Connecting point
Do not connect it to or near any part
that moves when the engine is
cranked.
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean over
the battery or accidentally let the
jumper cables or clamps touch any-
thing except the correct battery termi-
nals or the ground.
5. Start your engine in the normal way.
After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm
for several minutes with the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the
exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover
clothsÐthey may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent
plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked.
AFTER JUMP STARTING
Insert the 6 removed clips and press
down their heads to fix the battery cover.
NOTICE
After installed the battery cover, make
sure the battery cover is securely in
its original position. If it is not se-
cured, it may be damaged to your
vehicle.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1892001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
1. Get the required tools and spare
tire.
Tool bag (in the right side box of lug-
gage compartment)
Jack (under the right front seat)
Spare tire (on the back door)
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you
should familiarize yourself with the use of
the jack, each of the tools and their stor-
age locations.
To remove the jack, move the seat to the
rear±most position and turn the jack joint
by hand.
To remove: Turn the joint in direction 1
until the jack is free.
To store: Turn the joint in direction 2 until
the jack is firmly secured to prevent it
flying forward during a collision or sudden
braking.Full spare tire cover
Half spare tire cover
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1902001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
To remove the spare tire on the back
door:
1. Remove the spare tire cover.
Full spare tire coverÐUnhook the latch
handle under the cover and pull up the
cover with holding the bottom of it.
Half spare tire coverÐPry off the center
cover and loose the nut with wheel nut
wrench, then remove the spare tire cover.
2. Turn the hold±down nuts counterclock-
wise with the wheel nut wrench and
remove them.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
and secure it to prevent it from flying
forward during a collision or sudden brak-
ing.
ÐBlocking the wheel
2. Block the wheel diagonally opposite
the flat tire to keep the vehicle from
rolling when it is jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a wheel
block from the front for the front wheels
or from the rear for the rear wheels.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1932001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
ÐReinstalling wheel nuts
7. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger
tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as you
can by hand. Press back on the tire back
and see if you can tighten them more.
ÐLowering your vehicle
8. Lower the vehicle completely and
tighten the wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to
lower the vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench and turn
it clockwise to tighten the nuts. Do not
use other tools or any additional leverage
other than your hands, such as a hammer,
pipe or your foot. Make sure the wrench
is securely engaged over the nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in the
order shown. Repeat the process until all
the nuts are tight.
CAUTION
When lowering the vehicle, make sure
all portions of your body and all oth-
er persons around will not be injured
as the vehicle is lowered to the
ground.
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'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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