TOYOTA RAV4 2018 Owners Manual (in English)

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8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
If your vehicle needs to be towed
The following may indicate a problem with your transmission. Contact
your Toyota dealer or commercial towing service before towing.
● The engine is running but the vehicle does not move.
● The vehicle makes an abnormal sound.
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
If towing is necessary, we re commend having your vehicle
towed by your Toyota dealer or commercial towing service,
using a wheel-lift type truck or flatbed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all towing, and abide by all state/
provincial and local laws.
2WD models: If towing your vehicl e with a wheel-lift type truck
from the front, the vehicle’s rear wheels and axles must be in
good conditions. ( →P. 612, 615)
If they are damaged, use a towing dolly or flatbed truck.
AWD models: If towing your vehicle with a wheel-lift type truck,
use a towing dolly. ( →P. 612, 615)
Situations when it is necessary to contact dealers before towing
Towing with a sling-type truck

6128-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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If you use chains or cables to tie
down your vehicle, the angles
shaded in black must be 45°.
Do not overly tighten the tie
downs or the vehicle may be dam-
aged.
Towing with a wheel-lift type truck
From the front (2WD models)From the front (AWD models)
Release the parking brake. Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
Using a flatbed truck

6138-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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8
When trouble arises
If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergency
towing eyelets. This should only be attempted on hard surfaced roads
for at most 50 miles (80 km) at under 18 mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.Take out the towing eyelet. ( →P. 646)
Remove the eyelet cover using
a flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a
rag between the screwdriver and
the vehicle body as shown in the
illustration.
Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by
hand.
Emergency towing (vehicles with a towing eyelet)
Emergency towing procedure (veh icles with a towing eyelet)
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2
3

6148-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut
wrench or hard metal bar.
Securely attach cables or chains to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehicle body.
Enter the vehicle being towed and start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine switch to the “ON” position
(vehicles without smart key system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with
smart key system).
Shift the shift lever to N and release the parking brake.
When the shift lever cannot be shifted: →P. 2 1 1
■While towing (vehicles with a towing eyelet)
If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering will
not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
■ Wheel nut wrench (vehic les with a towing eyelet)
Wheel nut wrench is installed in the tool bag. ( →P. 646)
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7

6158-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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8
When trouble arises
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
■ While towing (vehicles with a towing eyelet)
● When towing using cables or chains, avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelets, cables or chains. The towing eye-
lets, cables or chains may become damaged, broken debris may hit peo-
ple, and cause serious damage.
● Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position (vehicles without
smart key system) or off (vehicles with smart key system).
There is a possibility that the steering wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated.
■ Installing towing eyelets to the vehic le (vehicles with a towing eyelet)
Make sure that towing eyelets are installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets may come loose during towing.
2WD models:
Be sure to transport the vehicle with the
front wheels raised or with all four wheels
raised off the ground. If the vehicle is
towed with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged.
AWD models:
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the drivetrain or related parts
may be damaged, the vehicle may fly off
the truck.

6168-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
● Vehicles without smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the engine switch is in the “LOCK” position or the key is removed.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● Vehicles with smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear when
the engine switch is off. The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough
to hold the front wheels straight.
● When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle wh en towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.
■ To prevent damage to the vehic le during emergency towing
Do not secure cables or chains to the suspension components.
■ Recreational towing (beh ind motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to prevent
causing serious damage to the Dynamic
Torque Control AWD system (AWD mod-
els) and transmission. (→P. 197)

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8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
If you think something is wrong
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air co nditioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● Engine coolant temperature gauge needle continually points higher
than normal.
● Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the engine
● Engine missing, stumbling or running roughly
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, spon gy feeling, pedal almost touches
the floor
If you notice any of the follow ing symptoms, your vehicle proba-
bly needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms

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8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Fuel pump shut off system
Follow the procedure below to restart the engine after the system is
activated.
Vehicles without smart key system
Turn the engine switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Restart the engine.
Vehicles with smart key system
Turn the engine switch to ACCESSORY mode or off.
Restart the engine.
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls or
when an airbag inflates upon collision, the fuel pump shut off
system stops the supply of fuel to the engine.
NOTICE
■ Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked onto the ground, the fuel system has been
damaged and is in need of repair. Do not restart the engine.
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619
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8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
If a warning light turns on or a warning
buzzer sounds
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning lights
comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but then
goes off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the
system. However, if this continues to occur, have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer.
Warning light and warning buzzer list
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)*1
Indicates that:
• The brake fluid level is low; or
• The brake system is malfunctioning This light also comes on when the parking brake is not
released. If the light turns off after the parking brake is
fully released the system is operating normally.
→ Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer. Continuing to drive the vehi-
cle may be dangerous.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Malfunction indicator lamp Indicates a malfunction in:
• The electronic engine control system;
• The electronic throttle control system;
• The electronic automatic transmission control system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
SRS warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The front passenger occupant classification system; or
• The seat belt pretensioner system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
ABS warning light Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS; or
• The brake assist system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

6208-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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Electric power steering system warning light (warning
buzzer)Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing) system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Slip indicator
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The VSC/Trailer Sway Control system;
• The TRAC system;
• The AUTO LSD function; or
• The hill-start assist control system
The light will flash when the VSC/Trailer Sway Control or
the TRAC system is operating.
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Seat belt reminder light (warning buzzer)*2
Warns the driver and/or front passenger to fasten their
seat belts
→ Fasten the seat belt.
If the front passenger’s seat is occupied, the front
passenger’s seat belt also needs to be fastened to
make the warning light (war ning buzzer) turn off.
Low fuel level warning light
Indicates that remaining fuel is approximately 2.4 gal.
(9.0 L, 2.0 Imp. gal.) or less
→ Refuel the vehicle.
(On the center panel)
Rear passengers’ seat belt reminder lights (warning
buzzer)
*2
Warn the rear passengers to fasten their seat belts
→ Fasten the seat belt.
Master warning light
A buzzer sounds and the warning light comes on and
flashes to indicate that the master warning system has
detected a malfunction.
→ P. 629
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions