tow TOYOTA RAV4 2008 XA30 / 3.G Workshop Manual

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(b) Using flat bed truck
Fourwheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
Use a towing dolly under the wheels not
lifted by the truck.
(b) Using flat bed truck(c) Towing with slingtype truck
All models—
(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.
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
on the front of the vehicle. Use extreme
caution when towing vehicle.
To install the front towing eyelet, see
“—Installing front towing eyelet” described
below.
—Emergency towing

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NOTICE
Only use specified towing eyelet;
otherwise your vehicle may be dam-
aged.
 Never tow a vehicle from the rear
with four wheels on the ground.
This may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
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 “N”. The en-
gine switch must be in the “ACC” (engine
off) or the “ON” (engine running) position.
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.1. Remove the front towing eyelet cover on the front bumper, using a flathead
screwdriver which is wrapped with a
cloth.
—Installing front towing eyelet

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2. Use the front towing eyelet in the toolbag. Secure it to the hole on the
bumper by turning clockwise. (For the
tool bag location, see “—Required tools
and spare tire” on page 362 in this
Section.)3. Tighten the front towing eyelet securelyby a wheel nut wrench.
CAUTION
When installing the eyelet on the ve-
hicle, be sure to tighten the front
eyelet securely. If the eyelet is loose,
it may come off when being towed
and result in death or serious injury.
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.
—Emergency towing eyelet
precautions

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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 “P” position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-
pressed, use the shift lock override but-
ton as follows:1. Turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position. Make sure the
parking brake is applied.
2. Pry up the cover with a flathead screwdriver or equivalent.
—Tips for towing a stuck
vehicle If you cannot shift automatic
transmission selector lever

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1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Re-move any mud or road salt from the
underside of the vehicle or the wheel
wells.
2. Wash with a mild car −wash soap,
mixed according to the manufacturer ’s
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into
the wash water. Do not rub hard—let
the soap and water remove the dirt.
Fuel filler door: Do not apply water (high −
pressure car wash, for example) at or
near the fuel tank inlet with the fuel filler
door opened. If the water enters the air
vent, you may experience trouble with re-
fueling or rough engine idling.
Plastic wheel ornaments: The plastic
wheel ornaments are damaged easily by
organic substances. If any organic sub-
stances splashes an ornament, be sure to
wash them off with water and check if the
ornament is damaged.
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap
or neutral detergent.NOTICE
 Do not use corrosive chemical
based cleaners on your wheels.
(Example: hydrofluoric acid)
 Do not use steam cleaners or the
chemicals therein to clean your
wheels.
 Do not use scouring pads, wire
brushes, or coarse abrasives to
clean your wheels.
 Do not use alcohol, solvents, gaso-
line, or other nonneutral deter-
gents, because they may alter the
wheel’s appearance and resistance
to corrosion.
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper
faces are soft.
Exterior lights: Wash carefully. Do not use
organic substances or scrub them with a
hard brush. This may damage the sur-
faces of the lights. Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces.
3. Rinse thoroughly—dried soap can cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hard—you might scratch
the paint.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances
(gasoline, kerosene, benzine or
strong solvents), which may be tox-
ic or cause damage.
 Do not scrub any part of the ve-
hicle with a hard brush, which may
cause damage.

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Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cable carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
 Add only “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or similar high quality eth-
ylene glycol based nonsilicate,
nonamine, nonnitrite, and nonbo-
rate coolant with longlife hybrid
organic acid technology to fill the
radiator. “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 50% cool-
ant and 50% deionized water (for
the U.S.A.) or 55% coolant and 45%
deionized water (for Canada).
 If you spill some of the coolant, be
sure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging the parts
or paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
 Do not reuse iridiumtipped spark
plugs by cleaning or regapping.
 Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
 Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.
 Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
 When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need to perform do −it−yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Toyota parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equiva-
lent
See page 404 in Section 7− 2 for de-
tails about engine oil selection.
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or
similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non −silicate, non −amine, non− ni-
trite, and non −borate coolant with long −
life hybrid organic acid technology.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a
mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deion-
ized water (for the U.S.A.) or 55%
coolant and 45% deionized water (for
Canada).
Parts and tools

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Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant)
CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
Parts (if level is low):
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING BATTERY CONDITION
Tools:
Warm water
Baking soda
Grease
Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
CHECKING AND REPLACING FUSES
Parts (if replacement is necessary):
Fuse with same amperage rating as
original ADDING WASHER FLUID
Parts:
Water
Washer fluid containing antifreeze
(for winter use)
Tools:
Funnel
REPLACING LIGHT BULBS
Parts:
Bulb with same number and wattage
rating as original (See charts in
“Replacing light bulbs” on page 422 in
Section 7 −3.)
Tools:
Screwdriver
Front
Rear
Positioning a floor jack

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∗1: 215/70R16 tires∗2: 225/65R17 tires∗3: 235/55R18 tires∗4: With spare tire cover∗5: With over fender∗6: Unladen vehicle∗7: With third seat∗8: With roof rails∗9: 2.4 L 4 −cylinder (2AZ −FE) engine∗
10: 3.5 L V6 (2GR −FE) engine∗
11: Without towing package∗12: With towing package
Dimensions and weights
Overall length mm (in.)
Overall width mm (in.)
Overall height
∗ 6mm (in.)
Wheelbase mm (in.)
Front tread mm (in.)
Rear tread mm (in.)
Vehicle capacity weight
(occupants + luggage) kg (lb.) 1685 (66.3)
1690 (66.5)∗
7
1745 (68.7)∗8
1755 (69.1)∗7, 8
4570 (179.9)∗1
4575 (180.1)∗2
4580 (180.3)∗3
4600 (181.1)∗4
1815 (71.5)
1855 (73.0)∗5
2660 (104.7)
1560 (61.4)
1560 (61.4)
375 (825)
525 (1155)
∗7
Towing capacity
(trailer weight + cargo weight) kg (lb.) 680 (1500)∗
9
907 (2000)∗10, 11
1588 (3500)∗10, 12

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COOLING SYSTEMTotal capacity, L(qt., lmp. qt.):2.4 L 4 −cylinder (2AZ −FE) engine
6.8 (7.2, 6.0)
3.5 L V6 (2GR −FE) engine
Without towing package 8.9 (9.4, 7.8)
With towing package
9.3 (9.8, 8.2)
Coolant type:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
used in your Toyota vehicle at factory
fill. In order to avoid technical problems,
only use “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or similar high quality ethylene
glycol based non −silicate, non −amine,
non− nitrite, and non− borate coolant with
long− life hybrid organic acid technology.
(Coolant with long −life hybrid organic
acid technology consists of the combina-
tion of low phosphates and organic
acids.)
Do not use plain water alone.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for
further details. BATTERY
Open voltage
∗
at 20 C (68 F):
12.6—12.8 V Fully charged
12.2—12.4 V Half charged
11.8—12.0 V Discharged
∗: Voltage that is checked 20 minutes af-
ter the key is removed with all the lights
turned off
Charging rates: 5 A max.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
Fluid capacity (drain and refill), L (qt.,
Imp. qt.): Up to 3.5 (3.7, 3.1)
Fluid type: Toyota Genuine ATF WS
Change automatic transmission fluid only
as necessary.
Generally, it is necessary to change
automatic transmission fluid only if your
vehicle is driven under one of the Special
Operating Conditions listed in your
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”. When
changing the automatic transmission fluid,
use only “Toyota Genuine ATF WS” (ATF
JWS3324 or NWS9638) to aid in assuring
optimum transaxle performance. Notice: Using automatic transmission
fluid other than “Toyota Genuine ATF
WS” may cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission
accompanied by vibration, and ultimate-
ly damage the automatic transmission
of your vehicle.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther details.
TRANSFER
(fourwheel drive models)
Oil capacity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
0.45 (0.48 0.40)
Oil type: Hypoid gear oil API GL −5
Recommended oil viscosity: Above −18 C (0 F)
SAE 85W −90
Below −18 C (0 F)
SAE 80W −90

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ENGINE COMPARTMENT (No.1)1. SPARE 30 A: Spare fuse
2. SPARE 20 A: Spare fuse
3. SPARE 10 A: Spare fuse
4. ECUB2 7.5 A: Air conditioning sys-
tem, power windows
5. RSE 7.5 A: Rear seat entertainment
system
6. STR LOCK 20 A: No circuit
7. RAD NO.1 20 A: Audio system
8. ECUB 10 A: Wireless remote control
system, electric power steering system,
main body ECU, power door lock, front
passenger occupant classification sys-
tem, clock, audio system, meters and
gauges
9. DOME 10 A: Engine switch light, interi-
or light, vanity lights, luggage compart-
ment light, front personal lights, foot
lights
10. HEAD LH 10 A: Left−hand headlight
(high beam)
11. HEAD RH 10 A: Right−hand headlight
(high beam)
12. HEAD LL 10 A: Left−hand headlight
(low beam) 13. HEAD RL 10 A:
Right−hand headlight
(low beam)
14. AC INV 15 A: AC inverter
15. TOWING 30 A: No circuit
16. STV HTR 25 A: No circuit
17. DEICER 20 A: Windshield wiper de−
icer
18. HTR 50 A: Air conditioning system
19. PTC2 50 A: No circuit
20. PTC1 50 A: No circuit
21. HEAD MAIN 50 A: “HEAD LL”, “HEAD
RL”, “HEAD LH”, “HEAD RH” fuses
22. RDI 30 A (without towing package) or FAN2 50 A (with towing package):
Electric cooling fan
23. CDS 30 A (without towing package) or FAN1 50 A (with towing package):
Electric cooling fan
24. HLP CLN 30 A: No circuit
Fuses