towing TOYOTA RAV4 2008 XA30 / 3.G Owners Manual

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
CAUTION
Do not fold the rear seatback when
the rear passengers sit on the rear
seats or the luggage is placed on the
seat. Make sure that no passengers
or luggage are on the rear seats.
RETURNING SEATBACKS
Raise the seatback until it locks.
CAUTION
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the folded seat or in the luggage
compartment while driving; use the
seat in its normal position.
When returning the seatback to the
upright position, observe the follow-
ing precautions in order to prevent
serious injury in a collision or sud-
den stop:
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Failure to do so will prevent the
seat belt from operating properly.
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.
BEFORE FOLDING DOWN THIRD SEATS1. Stow the third seat belt buckles as shown in the illustration.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the seat belt
buckles, they must be stowed before
you fold down the seatback.
—Stowing third seats for
luggage space

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
2. Pass the third seat belts through thehangers.
This prevents the shoulder belt from being
damaged.
CAUTION
The seat belt must be removed from
the hanger when the seat belt is in
use.
STOWING THIRD SEATS 1. Lower the head restraint to the low- est position.2. Pull the seatback lock release strapto fold down the seatback. Make
sure it is locked securely.

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
RETURNING THIRD SEATS1. Pull and hold the seat lock release strap, then lift up the seat forward.
Push the seat down. Push the seat
on the rear side against the floor
and push the seat on the front side.
Make sure it is locked securely.
If the seat does not lift up when the seat
lock release strap is pulled, lock the seat-
back again.
To lock the seatback, lift the seatback by
pulling the seatback lock release strap
and push the seatback down.2. Pull the seatback lock release strap and raise the seatback.
CAUTION
When stowing or returning the seat,
observe the following precautions in
order to prevent death or serious in-
jury:
Make sure the seat is free of people
or luggage. Then, hold the seat and
slowly move it. Otherwise, people
may be injured or luggage may be
damaged if the seat hits them.
Be careful not to get your hands or
feet pinched in the seat.
Do not stow and return the seats
when you are inside the vehicle in
order to prevent pinching your
hands or feet in the seat. Be sure
to stow and return the seats from
outside the vehicle.

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Rear/second seat belt buckles
Third seat belt buckles
The rear seat belt buckles can be
stowed when not in use.
The seat belt buckles must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.
CAUTION
Before using the seat belt, pull out
the buckle and make sure the belt is
not twisted.
STOWING THE REAR/SECOND CENTER
SEAT BELT
Insert the tabs of the center seat belt
into the cover as shown above. Make
sure the tabs are securely locked in the
cover.
The seat belt must be stowed before you
fold the seatback.
NOTICE
Stow the rear/second center seat belt
when not in use.
—Stowing the rear seat belt
buckles—Stowing the rear/second
center seat belt

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Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop−and− go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
 Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See “If your ve-
hicle overheats” on page 360 in
Section 4.
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm (revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. Odometer—Shows the total distance the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip meters—Show two different distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
Tachometer Odometer and two trip meters

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(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 342 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
the “P” or “N” position.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to the
“D” position.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low, the transmis-
sion will not shift into the overdrive gear
even in the “D” position.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. (c) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear and
engine braking will be enabled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
173 km/h (108 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
164 km/h (102 mph)
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
113 km/h (70 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
107 km/h (66 mph)
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
56 km/h (35 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
53 km/h (33 mph)
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift from the “D” to “3”
position, engine braking will not be en-
abled because the cruise control is not
cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 168 in this
Section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.

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(d) Using the “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in the “2” or “L”
position, you can start the vehicle in mo-
tion as with the lever in the “D” position.
With the selector lever in the “2” position,
the vehicle will start in first gear and au-
tomatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in the “L” position,
the transmission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
Twowheel drive models“2” 126 km/h (78 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 70 km/h (43 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models “2” 120 km/h (74 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 67 km/h (41 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, the “3” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into the “P” position under any
circumstances while the vehicle is
moving. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “3” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the “D” position.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 342 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
the “P” or “N” position.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to the
“D” position.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low, the transmis-
sion will not shift into the overdrive gear
even in the “D” position.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. (c) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the “4” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to fourth gear
and engine braking will be enabled.
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 161 km/h (100 mph),
and stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 99 km/h (62 mph), and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 42 km/h (26 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift from the “D” to “4”
position, engine braking will not be en-
abled because the cruise control is not
cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 168 in this
Section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
(d) Using the “3”, “2” and “L” posi-
tions
The “3”, “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in the “3”, “2” or
“L” position, you can start the vehicle in
motion as with the lever in the “D” posi-
tion.
With the selector lever in the “3” or “2”
position, the vehicle will start in first gear
and automatically shift to third gear or
second gear.
With the selector lever in the “L” position,
the transmission is engaged in first gear.

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
“3” 175 km/h (109 mph). . . . . . . .
“2” 113 km/h (70 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 63 km/h (39 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“3”, “2” or “L” position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-
sion damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, the “4” posi-
tion should be used in hill climbing
or hard towing.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into the “P” position under any
circumstances while the vehicle is
moving. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between fourth gear and
overdrive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “4” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the “D” position.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.

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Front door
Rear door
The bottle holders are designed to hold
bottles securely.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to use the holder for
any other purpose for which it was
intended. Inappropriately sized or
shaped objects may be thrown about
in the compartment and possibly in-
jure people in the vehicle during a
sudden braking or an accident.
NOTICE
Do not put a cup or open bottle in
the bottle holder because the con-
tents may spill when the door opens
or closes.
To secure your luggage, use the tiedown
hooks as shown above.
See “—Stowage precautions” on page 336
in Section 2 for precautions when loading
luggage.
Vehicles with third seat: When using the
tie−down hooks, stow the third seat (For
detailed information, see “—Stowing third
seats for luggage space” on page 47 in
Section 1 −3).
CAUTION
To avoid personal injury, keep the tie
down hooks stored when not in use.
Bottle holders Tiedown hooks