TOYOTA RAV4 2005 XA30 / 3.G Owners Manual

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CAUTION

Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.

Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.

Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.

Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.

To allow proper operation of your
vehicle's ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.

Keep the back door closed while
driving. An open or unsealed back
door may cause exhaust gases to
be drawn into the vehicle.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open and the back door closed.
Have the cause immediately located
and corrected.
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.

Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.

Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
Engine exhaust cautionsFacts about engine oil
consumption

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The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high- speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
Oil consumption: Max. 1.0 L per 1000
km (1.1 qt./600 miles, 0.9 Imp. qt./600
miles)
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds. IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine troubledue to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see Checking the engine oil levelº on
page 286 in Section 7- 2.
Your engine is fitted with iridium- tipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridium- tipped spark plugs
and do not adjust gaps for your en-gine performance and smooth drive-ability.
Iridium- tipped spark plugs

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The tandem master cylinder brake system
is a hydraulic system with two separate
sub- systems. If either sub- system should
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will increase. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power- assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserved
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
CAUTION

Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.

Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
ANTI- LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(with ABSº warning light)
The anti- lock brake system is designed
to help prevent lock- up of the wheels
during a sudden braking or braking on
slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steer-
ing performance of the vehicle under
these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal: When the anti- lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti- lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking performan-
ce.
The anti- lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the anti- lock brake sys-
tem.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle begins to move. This means
that the anti- lock brake system is in the
self- check mode, and does not indicate a
malfunction.
Brake system

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When the anti- lock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:

You may hear the anti- lock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
engine compartment even after the ve-
hicle is stopped.

At the end of the anti- lock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the anti- lock
brake system: Although the anti- lock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the anti-
lock brake system on.
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the anti- lock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
Anti- lock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
anti- lock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:

Driving on rough, gravel or snow-
covered roads.

Driving with tire chains installed.

Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.

Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The anti- lock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels' turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.

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Ty p e A
Ty p e B
ABSº warning light (vehicles without
vehicle stability control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. If the anti-
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.If either of the following conditions oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components 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 ONº 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 ABSº 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.

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ABSº warning light (vehicles with
vehicle stability control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. If the anti-
lock brake system and the brake assist
system work properly, the light turns off
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if the
system malfunctions, the light comes on
again.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system, the brake assist
system, the traction control system and
the vehicle stability control system do not
operate, but the brake system still oper-
ates conventionally.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the components moni-
tored by the warning light. 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 ONº 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 ABSº 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.
DRUM- IN- DISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM (vehicles with vehicle stability
control system)
Your vehicle has a drum- in- disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds bedding- down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding- down.
BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM (vehicles with
vehicle stability control system)
When you slam the brakes on, the
brake assist system judges as an emer-
gency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold
down the brake pedal firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more pow-
erful braking will be applied. At this time,
you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibrations of the
brake pedal. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
The brake assist system becomes opera-
tive after the vehicle has accelerated to
a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).

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For an explanation of this system's warn-
ing light, see Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzersº on page 109 in Sec-
tion 1- 6.
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.Your Toyota is equipped with a limited- slip
center differential (transfer). If one wheel
begins to spin, the limited- slip center dif-
ferential (transfer) is designed to aid trac-
tion by automatically transmitting driving
force to the wheels on the other drive
axle. It transmits driving force to the front
wheels if a rear wheel spins, and to the
rear wheels if a front wheel spins.
Some models are also equipped with a
limited- slip rear differential. If one rear
wheel begins to spin, the limited- slip rear
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.
Brake pad wear limit
indicators
Limited- slip differential
(four- wheel drive models)

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NOTICE
Use only a spare tire of the samebrand, size, construction and load ca-pacity as the original tires on yourToyota because damage to the lim-
ited- slip differential could possiblyoccur with another tire type.
Under the right front seat
Top left of the instrument panel
The vehicle identification number (VIN)
is the legal identifier for your vehicle.
This number is stamped under the right
front seat and top left of the instrument
panel where it can be seen through the
windshield from the outside.
This is the primary identification number
for your Toyota. It is used in registering
the ownership of your vehicle.
Your Toyota's identificationÐ
ÐVehicle identification
number

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The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
also on the Certification Regulation Label.The engine number is stamped on the
engine block as shown.Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 47
mm (1.85 in.) by 12 mm (0.47 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by fac
ilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing the integrity of the label. Transferring
these labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.NOTICE
You should not attempt to remove the
theft prevention labels as it may vio-late certain state or federal laws.
ÐEngine number Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada)

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CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of control.
Suspension and chassis