TOYOTA RAV4 2006 XA30 / 3.G Owners Manual

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To secure your luggage, use the rear
cargo net. You can also put loads on
the net.
See “—Stowage precautions” on page 301
in Section 2 for precautions when loading
luggage.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or sudden stop,
make sure the net is secured in
place.
Do not climb on or hang on the
net.
To prevent cargo and luggage from
sliding forward during braking, do
not place anything on the net high-
er than the rear seatbacks. Other-
wise, such items may be thrown
about and possibly injure people in
the vehicle during sudden braking
or an accident.
NOTICE
Do not place breakable items on the
net.
 Do not place anything heavier than
10 kg (22.1 lb.) on the net.
Rear cargo net

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USING CARGO NET
To use the net, insert the right end of the
pipe into the hole.Compress the left end of the pipe, and fit
it into the hole on the other side of the
luggage compartment.
Vehicles with third seat: When sitting in
the third seat, you cannot use the rear
cargo net. Make sure to remove the rear
cargo net.
When using the rear cargo net, stow the
third seat (For detailed information, see
“—Stowing third seats for luggage space”
on page 45 in Section 1−3).

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STOWING REAR CARGO NET (without
third seat)1. Open the deck board.
2. Remove the deck side cover.3. Insert the right end of the rear cargo net into the luggage storage box as
shown.

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4. Compress the left end of the rearcargo net, and fit it into the other
side of the luggage storage box.
CAUTION
Make sure the rear cargo net is sure-
ly stowed.
When you stow the rear cargo net and
luggage cover together, stow the rear
cargo net first and then the luggage
cover. (See “Luggage cover” on page
264 in this section.)
Place the front portion of the luggage
cover (2) on the stowed rear cargo net
and then place the rear portion of the
luggage cover (1) over the rear cargo
net. Otherwise, the deck board may not
close securely.The roof luggage carrier consists of
roof rails (1) attached to the roof and
sliding cross rails (2).
To adjust the positions of cross rails, do
this.
1. Turn the knobs counterclockwise to loosen the cross rails.
2. Slide the cross rails to the desired position for loading the luggages of
various sizes.
3. After adjusting, be sure to tighten the cross rails by turning knobs clockwise.
Follow the manufacture’s instructions and
precautions when installing the attach-
ments or their equivalent.
Roof luggage carrier

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CAUTION
When you load cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier, observe the following:
Place the cargo so that its weight
is distributed evenly between the
front and rear axles.
If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width. (See “Dimensions and
weights” on page 392 in Section 8
for information on your vehicle
overall length and width.)
Before driving, make sure the cargo
is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then dur-
ing the trip to make sure the cargo
remains in its place.
Do not exceed 46.2 kg (102.6 lb.)
cargo weight on the roof luggage
carrier.
NOTICE
When loading the luggages, be careful
not to scratch the surface of the
moon roof.
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the vehicle carpet and floor mat have
two holes, then they are designed for use
with two locking clips. Attach the floor mat
to the vehicle carpet using the clips. Lock
the clips into the holes in the vehicle
carpet.
Floor mat

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CAUTION
Make sure the floor mat is properly
placed on the vehicle carpet. If the
floor mat slips and interferes with the
movement of the pedals during driv-
ing, it may cause an accident.

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your TOYOTA
Utility vehicle precautions276
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Break −in period 277
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Fuel 277
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Fuel pump shut off system 279
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Operation in foreign countries 279
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Three −way catalytic converters 280
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Engine exhaust cautions 281
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Facts about engine oil consumption 282
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Iridium −tipped spark plugs 283
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Brake system 283
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 287
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Electric power steering system 287
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Rear step bumper 289
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Your Toyota’s identification 289
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Theft prevention labels 291
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Suspension and chassis 291
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Tire information 292
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Vehicle load limits 300
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Cargo and luggage 301
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Types of tires 303
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SECTION 2

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This vehicle belongs to the utility ve-
hicle class, which has higher ground
clearance and narrower tread in relation
to the height of its center of gravity to
make it capable of performing in a wide
variety of offroad applications. Specific
design characteristics give it a higher
center of gravity than ordinary passen-
ger cars. This vehicle design feature
causes this type of vehicle to be more
likely to rollover. And, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems. It is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as ordinary passenger cars any
more than lowslung sports cars de-
signed to perform satisfactorily under
offroad conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds may cause
rollover.CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:
In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. Therefore, the driver and all
passengers should fasten their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover causing death or serious
injury.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
Utility vehicle precautions

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Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your ve-
hicle is more sensitive to side
winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to
have better control.
When driving offroad or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar offroad ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break−in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles). FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix
−ups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5 −M93
in Canada.NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
Breakin period Fuel

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OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research
Octane Number 91) or higher.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating or research octane number lower
than stated above will cause persistent
heavy knocking. If it is severe, this will
lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, occasionally, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This is normal
and there is no need for concern.
GASOLINE CONTAINING DETERGENT
ADDITIVES
Toyota recommends the use of gasoline
that contains detergent additives to
avoid buildup of engine deposits.
However, all gasoline sold in the U.S.
contains detergent additives to keep clean
and/or clean intake systems.QUALITY GASOLINE
Automotive manufacturers in the U.S.,
Europe and Japan have developed a
specification for quality fuel named
WorldWide Fuel Charter (WWFC) that
is expected to be applied world wide.
The WWFC consists of four categories
that depend on required emission lev-
els. In the U.S., category 4 has been
adopted. The WWFC improves air quali-
ty by providing for better emissions in
vehicle fleets, and customer satisfaction
through better vehicle performance.
CLEANER BURNING GASOLINE
Cleaner burning gasoline, including re-
formulated gasoline that contains oxy-
genates such as ethanol or MTBE is
available in many areas.
Toyota recommends the use of cleaner
burning gasoline and appropriately blended
reformulated gasoline. These types of gas-
oline provide excellent vehicle perfor-
mance, reduce vehicle emissions, and im-
prove air quality.
OXYGENATES IN GASOLINE
Toyota allows the use of oxygenate
blended gasoline where the oxygenate
content is up to 10% ethanol or 15%
MTBE. If you use gasohol in your
Toyota, be sure that it has an octane
rating no lower than 87.
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasoline containing methanol.
GASOLINE CONTAINING MMT
Some gasoline contain an octane en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl).
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasoline that contains MMT. If fuel con-
taining MMT is used, your emission con-
trol system may be adversely affected.
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp on the in-
strument cluster may come on. If this hap-
pens, contact your Toyota dealer for ser-
vice.