tires TOYOTA RAV4 2008 XA30 / 3.G Owners Manual

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
74
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The curtain shield airbags may not acti-
vate if the vehicle is subjected to a
collision from the side at certain
angles, or a collision to the side of the
vehicle body other than the passenger
compartment as shown in the illustra-
tion.
The curtain shield airbags are designed to
inflate when the passenger compartment
area suffers a severe impact from the
side or vehicle rollover.
Always wear your seat belts properly.
The angle of
vehicle tip−up
is marginal Skidding vehicle
hitting a curb
stone
The curtain shield airbags may inflate
if the angle of vehicle tipup is margin-
al or if the skidding vehicle’s tires hit
a curb stone laterally as shown in the
illustration.
Collision from
the front
Collision from
the rear
Pitch end over end
The curtain shield airbags are not gen-
erally designed to inflate if the vehicle
is involved in a front or rear collision,
if it pitches end over end, or if it is
involved in a lowspeed side collision.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
79
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Do not disassemble or repair the
front, center and roof side garnish
containing the curtain shield air-
bags. Such changes may disable
the system or cause the curtain
shield airbags to inflate accidental-
ly, resulting in death or serious in-
jury.
Do not modify or change the sus-
pension system. Such changes may
cause the curtain shield airbags to
inflate accidentally, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer ’s recom-
mended size. Such a use may cause
the curtain shield airbags to inflate
accidentally, which could result in
death or serious injury. For details,
see “Checking and replacing tires”
on page 410 in Section 72.
Do not place luggage heavier than
specified on the roof luggage carri-
er. Such luggage may cause the
curtain shield airbags to inflate ac-
cidentally, which could result in
death or serious injury. For details,
see “Roof luggage carrier” on page
303 in Section 110.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
Consult your Toyota dealer about any
repair and modification.
If you wish to modify your vehicle for
a person with physical disability, con-
sult your Toyota dealer. It may dan-
gerously interfere with the SRS side
airbags and curtain shield airbags op-
eration.NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS side airbag and curtain shield
airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
 Modification of the side structure of
the passenger compartment
 Repairs made on or near the con-
sole or front seat

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
136
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The SRS warning light and “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator light will come on if there
is a malfunction in the front passenger
occupant classification system.
(k) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem-perature Warning Light
This light warns that the automatic trans-
mission fluid temperature is too high.
If this light comes on while you are driv-
ing, slow down and pull off the road. Stop
the vehicle at a safe place and put the
selector lever in “P”. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the
light goes off, you can start the vehicle
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
NOTICE
Continued driving with the warning
light on may damage the automatic
transmission.
(l) “VSC” Warning Light
The light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the following.
Enhanced vehicle stability control sys-
tem
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Downhill assist control system
Hill− start assist control system
The light will come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position and
will go off after a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, all the
above systems will not work. In such a
case, the brakes will operate when applied
(no electronic assistance will be avail-
able), and it will be possible to continue
driving the vehicle.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
The warning light remains on after the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing. (m) Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the tire pressure of
one or more of your tires (including the
spare tire) is low. The light comes on
when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position. It goes off after a few sec-
onds. This indicates that the tire pressure
warning system is functioning properly.
If the warning light comes on while you
are driving, the tire pressure of one or
more of your tires (including the spare
tire) is low. The light goes off after the
tire inflation pressure is adjusted to the
proper pressure.
If the warning light blinks, the tire pres-
sure warning system may be malfunction-
ing. Contact your Toyota dealer.
For details, see “Tire pressure warning
system” on page 163 in Section 1
−7.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
152
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of the
front wheels (twowheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (fourwheel drive models)
when the vehicle is started or acceler-
ated on slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the system automatically
turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the front wheels (twowheel
drive models) or 4 wheels (fourwheel
drive models) cannot be maintained,
even though the traction control sys-
tem is in operation. Do not drive the
vehicle under any speed or maneuver-
ing conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. If the
road surface is covered with ice or
snow, your vehicle should be fitted
with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at a speed that is appropriate
for the present road conditions.
A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction. When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels (two
−wheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (four −wheels drive mod-
els). At this time, the slip indicator light
blinks.
The vehicle may vibrate or make a
noise due to brake operation. This indi-
cates the system is functioning proper-
ly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to the “ON” position. If the indicator light
does not come on when the engine switch
is turned to the “ON” position, contact
your Toyota dealer.
Traction control system

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
155
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
If the light comes on while driving, all the
above systems will not work. In such a
case, the brakes will operate when applied
(no electronic assistance will be avail-
able), and it will be possible to continue
driving the vehicle.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
The warning light remains on after the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
such systems as the antilock brake,
brake assist, traction control, engine
control, electric power steering. This
system automatically controls the
brakes, engine and power steering to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road sur-
face or operating steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
This system activates when the vehicle
speed exceeds about 15 km/h (9 mph).
A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self
−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid death or serious injury. Reck-
less driving will result in an unex-
pected accident. If the slip indicator
light flashes, and an alarm sounds,
special care should be taken while
driving.
Use only tires of the specified size.
The size, manufacturer, brand and
tread pattern for all 4 tires should
be the same. If you use the tires
other than specified, or different
type or size, the vehicle stability
control system may not function
correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Toyota deal-
er. (See “Checking and replacing
tires” on page 410 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
Enhanced vehicle stability
control system
(twowheel drive vehicles)

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
157
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
such systems as the antilock brake,
brake assist, traction control, engine
control, electric power steering, active
torque control 4WD. This system auto-
matically controls the brakes, engine
and power steering as well as driving
force to all the 4 wheels to help pre-
vent the vehicle from skidding when
cornering on a slippery road surface or
operating steering wheel abruptly.
This system activates when the vehicle
speed exceeds about 15 km/h (9 mph).
A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid death or serious injury. Reck-
less driving will result in an unex-
pected accident. If the slip indicator
light flashes, and an alarm sounds,
special care should be taken while
driving.
Use only tires of the specified size.
The size, manufacturer, brand and
tread pattern for all 4 tires should
be the same. If you use the tires
other than specified, or different
type or size, the vehicle stability
control system may not function
correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Toyota deal-
er. (See “Checking and replacing
tires” on page 410 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to the “ON” position. If the indicator light
does not come on when the engine switch
is turned to the “ON” position, contact
your Toyota dealer.
Enhanced vehicle stability
control system
(fourwheel drive models)

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
164
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on even after tire inflation
pressure adjustment, it is probable
that you have a flat tire. Check the
tires. If the tire is flat, change to
the spare tire and have the flat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota deal-
er.
Avoid abrupt maneuvering and bra-
king. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel or the brakes.
The tire pressure warning light may turn
on due to natural causes such as natural
air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes
caused by temperature. In this case, ad-
justing the tire inflation pressure will turn
off the light after a few minutes.
The spare tire is also equipped with the
tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter. The tire pressure warning light will
turn on if the tire inflation pressure of the
spare tire is low. If a tire goes flat, even
though the flat tire is replaced with the
spare tire, the warning light does not turn
off. Replace the spare tire with the re-
paired tire and adjust the proper tire infla-
tion pressure. The tire pressure warning
light will turn off after a few minutes.
CAUTION
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label (tire
and load information label). (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label
(tire and load information label), you
should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your ve-
hicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS–
tire pressure warning system) that il-
luminates a low tire pressure telltale
(tire pressure warning light) when one
or more of your tires is significantly
underinflated. Accordingly, when the
low tire pressure telltale (tire pres-
sure warning light) illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a sig-
nificantly underinflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Underinflation also re-
duces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pres-
sure warning system) is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and
it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
underinflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
165
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) malfunction indicator to indi-
cate when the system is not operat-
ing properly. The TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) malfunction indicator
is combined with the low tire pres-
sure telltale (tire pressure warning
light). When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle startups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended.TPMS (tire pressure warning system)
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS (tire pressure warning sys-
tem) from functioning properly. Al-
ways check the TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that
the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) to continue to func-
tion properly.
NOTICE
Do not use liquid sealants for a flat
tire as tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter will be damaged.
 When the tires must be repaired or
replaced, have them repaired or re-
placed by the nearest Toyota dealer
or an authorized tire dealer. The
tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters will be affected by the
installation or removal of tires.
IF THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING
LIGHT COMES ON AFTER BLINKING
FOR 1 MINUTE···
If the tire pressure warning light comes
on after blinking for 1 minute when the
engine switch is in “ON” position, the
tire pressure warning system is not
working properly.
The system will be disabled in the follow-
ing conditions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the
system will work properly.)
If tires not equipped with tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters are
used.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
166
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
If the ID code on the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters is not
registered in the tire pressure warning
computer.
If the tire inflation pressure is more
than 500 kPa (5.1 kgf/cm2 or bar, 73
psi).
The system may be disabled in the follow-
ing conditions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the
system will work pr operly.)
If electronic devices or facilities using
similar radio wave frequencies are
nearby.
If a radio set at similar frequencies is
in use in the vehicle.
If a window tint that affects the radio
wave signals is installed.
If there is a lot of snow or ice on the
vehicle, in particular around the wheels
or wheel housings.
If non−genuine Toyota wheels are used.
If tire chains are used.
If the spare tire is in a location subject
to poor radio wave signal reception.
If a large metallic object which can
interfere with signal reception is put in
the luggage compartment. If the tire pressure warning light continues
to come on after blinking for 1 minute
when the engine switch is in “ON” posi-
tion, have the system checked by your
Toyota dealer.
Even if you use genuine wheels, the tire
pressure warning system may not work
properly with some types of tires.
For vehicles sold in U.S.A.
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, includ-
ing interference that may cause unde-
sired operation.
NOTICE:
This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protec-
tion against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instruc-
tions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is en-
couraged to try to correct the interfer-
ence by one or more of the following
measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving an-
tenna.
Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
167
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Connect the equipment into an outlet
on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/TV technician for help.
FCC WARNING:
Changes or modifications not ex-
pressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equip-
ment.
For vehicles sold in Canada
Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept
any interference, including interference
that may cause undesired operation of
the device.
REPLACING TIRES AND WHEELS
When replacing the tires and wheels, be
sure to install tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters. ID codes on the tire
pressure warning valves and transmitters
are registered in the tire pressure warning
computer. When replacing a tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter, it is neces-
sary to register the ID code of tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitter. Have
the ID code registered by your Toyota
dealer.
If the ID code is not registered, the sys-
tem will not work properly. After driving
about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warn-
ing light comes on after blinking for 1
minute to indicate a system malfunction.
NOTICE
When the tires or tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters must be
replaced, have them replaced by your
Toyota dealer. The tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters will be
affected by the installation or removal
of tires.
For the U.S.A.
For Canada
Parking brake