TOYOTA RAV4 2019 Owners Manual (in English)
Manufacturer: TOYOTA, Model Year: 2019, Model line: RAV4, Model: TOYOTA RAV4 2019Pages: 728, PDF Size: 21.09 MB
Page 201 of 728

2014-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
will not be canceled.
●While driving in S mode, down-
shifting to 7, 6, 5, or 4. (P.201)
●When switching the driving mode 
to sport mode while driving in D. 
( P.352)
■If “High Transmission Fluid 
Temp See Owner’s Manual” is 
displayed on the multi-informa-
tion display (AWD models)
Make sure to return to D position 
driving and reduce speed by easing 
off the accelerator pedal. Stop the 
vehicle in a safe place, shift the shift 
lever to P and let the engine idle 
until the warning message goes out.
When the warning message goes 
out, the vehicle can be driven again.
If the warning message does not go 
out after waiting a while, have your 
vehicle inspected by your Toyota 
dealer.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
 P. 1 7 2
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically selects 
the suitable gear according to driver 
performance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically oper-
ates when the shi ft lever is in D. 
(Shifting the shift lever to S cancels 
the function.)
 While the engine switch 
is in ON and the brake pedal 
depressed
*, shift the shift lever 
while pushing the shift release 
button on the shift knob.
 Shift the shift lever while 
pushing the shift release button 
on the shift knob.
 Shift the shift lever nor-
mally.
When shifting the shift lever 
between P and D, make sure that 
the vehicle is completely stopped.
*: For the vehicle to be able to be  shifted from P, the brake pedal 
must be depressed before the 
shift release button is pushed. If 
the shift release button is pushed 
WA R N I N G
■When driving on slippery 
road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears 
suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine brak-
ing may cause the vehicle to spin 
or skid, resulting in an accident.
Shifting the shift lever 
Page 202 of 728

2024-2. Driving procedures
first, the shift lock will not be 
released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to 
prevent accidental operation of the 
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P 
only when the engine switch is in 
ON, the brake pedal is depressed 
and the shift release button is 
pushed.
■If the shift lever cannot be 
shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal 
is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted 
even though the brake pedal is 
depressed and the shift release but-
ton is pushed, there may be a prob-
lem with the shift lock system. Have 
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota 
dealer immediately. 
The following steps may be used as 
an emergency measure to ensure 
that the shift lev er can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Pull the parking brake switch to 
check that the parking brake is 
set. ( P.204)
2 Turn the engine  switch to OFF.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Pry the cover up with a flathead 
screwdriver or equivalent tool. 
To prevent damage to the cover, 
cover the tip of the screwdriver 
with a rag.
5 Press and hold the shift lock 
override button and then push 
the button on the shift knob.  The shift lever can be shifted 
while both buttons
 are pressed.
P.352, 358
When the shift lever is in the S 
position, the shift lever can be 
operated as follows:
WA R N I N G
■To prevent an accident when 
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock 
override button, m ake sure to set 
the parking brake and depress the 
brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed instead of the 
brake pedal when the shift lock 
override button is pressed and the 
shift lever is shifted out of P, the 
vehicle may suddenly start, possi-
bly leading to an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving 
mode and snow mode (if 
equipped)
Changing shift ranges in 
S mode 
Page 203 of 728

2034-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
1Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to 
S8 will be display ed on the multi-
information display.
The initial shift range in S mode 
is set automatically to 4, 5 or 6 
according to vehicle speed. 
However, the initial shift range 
may be set to 3 if AI-SHIFT has 
operated while the shift lever 
was in the D position. ( P.200)
■S mode
●You can choose from 8 levels of 
accelerating force and engine 
braking force.
●A lower shift ra nge will provide 
greater accelerating force and 
engine braking force than a higher 
shift range, and t he engine revolu-
tions will also increase.
●To prevent the e ngine from over-
revving, upshifti ng may automati-
cally occur.
●To protect the automatic transmis-
sion, a function is adopted that 
automatically selec t s  a  h i g h e r  s h i f t  
range when the fluid temperature 
is high.
●When the shift range is 7 or lower, 
holding the shift lever toward “+” 
sets the shift range to 8.
■Downshifting restriction warn-
ing buzzer
To help ensure sa fety and driving 
performance, dow nshifting opera-
tion may sometimes be restricted. In 
some circumstances, downshifting 
may not be possible even when the 
shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will 
sound twice.)
■If the “S” indi cator does not 
come on or the “D” indicator is 
displayed even after shifting the 
shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in 
the automatic transmission system. 
Have the vehicle inspected by your 
Toyota dealer imme diately. (In this 
situation, the tran smission will oper-
ate in the same manner as when the 
shift lever is in D.) 
Page 204 of 728

2044-2. Driving procedures
1Right turn
2 Lane change to the right 
(move the lever partway and 
release it)
The right hand signals will flash 3 
times.
3Lane change to the left 
(move the lever partway and 
release it)
The left hand signals will flash 3 
times.
4Left turn
■Turn signals can be operated 
when
The engine switch is in ON.
■If the indicator flashes faster 
than usual
Check that a light  bulb in the front or 
rear turn signal  lights has not  burned out.
■If the turn signals stop flashing 
before a lane change has been 
performed
Operate the lever again.
■To discontinue flashing of the 
turn signals during a lane 
change
Operate the lever in the opposite 
direction.
Tur n signal lever
Operating instructions 
Page 205 of 728

2054-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■Using the manual mode
The parking brake can be set 
and released manually.
Parking brake indicator light 
(U.S.A.)
Parking brake indicator light 
(Canada)
Parking brake lamp
1 Pull the switch to set the 
parking brake
The parking brake indicator light 
and parking brake lamp will turn on.
Pull and hold the parking brake 
switch if an emergency occurs and 
it is necessary to  operate the park-
ing brake while driving.
2 Push the switch to release 
the parking brake
• Operate the parking brake switch 
while depressing the brake pedal.
• Parking brake automatic release  function ( P.205)
Make sure that the parking brake 
indicator light and parking brake 
lamp turn off.
If the parking brake indicator 
light and parking brake lamp 
flashes, operate the switch 
again. ( P.628)
■Turning the automatic 
mode on
While the vehicle is stopped, 
pull and hold the parking brake 
switch until a buzzer sounds and 
a message is shown on the 
multi-information display.
When the automatic mode is 
turned on, the parking brake 
operates as follows.
 When the shift position is 
shifted from P, the parking 
Parking brake
The parking brake can be 
set or released automati-
cally or manually. In auto-
matic mode, the parking 
brake can be set or released 
automatically according to 
shift lever operation. Also, 
even in automatic mode, the 
parking brake can be set or 
released manually.
Operating instructions
A
B
C 
Page 206 of 728

2064-2. Driving procedures
brake will be released, and 
the parking brake indicator 
light and parking brake lamp 
will turn off.
 When the shift position is 
shifted to P, the parking brake 
will be set, and the parking 
brake indicator light and park-
ing brake lamp will turn on.
Operate the shift lever with the 
vehicle stopped and the brake 
pedal depressed.
■Turning the automatic 
mode off
While the vehicle is stopped and 
depressing the brake pedal, 
press and hold the parking 
brake switch until a buzzer 
sounds and a message is 
shown on the multi-information 
display.
■Parking brake operation
●When the engine switch is not in 
ON, the parking brake cannot be 
released using the parking brake 
switch.
●When the engine switch is not in 
ON, automatic mode (automatic 
brake setting and releasing) is not 
available.
■Parking brake automatic 
release function
The parking brake  will be released 
automatically when the accelerator 
pedal is slowly depressed under the 
following conditions:
●The driver’s door is closed
●The driver is wearing the seat belt
●The shift lever is in a forward or 
reverse position.
●The malfunction in dicator lamp or 
brake system warning light is not 
illuminated
If the automatic release function 
does not operate, release the park-
ing brake manually.
■If “Parking Brake Temporarily 
Unavailable” is displayed on 
the multi-info rmation display
If the parking brake is operated 
repeatedly over a short period of 
time, the system may  restrict opera-
tion to prevent ove rheating. If this 
happens, refrain from operating the 
parking brake. Normal operation will 
return after about 1 minute.
■If “Parking Brake Unavailable” 
is displayed on  the multi-infor-
mation display
Operate the parking brake switch. If 
the message does not disappear 
after operating the switch several 
times, the system may be malfunc-
tioning. Have the vehicle inspected 
by your Toyota dealer.
■Parking brake operation sound
When the parking brake operates, a 
motor sound (whirr ing sound) may 
be heard. This does not indicate a 
malfunction.
■Parking brake indicator light
●Depending on the engine switch 
position/mode, the parking brake 
indicator light will turn on and stay 
on as described below:
ON: Comes on until the parking 
brake is released. 
Page 207 of 728

2074-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Not in ON: Stays on for approxi-
mately 15 seconds.
●When the engine switch is turned 
off with the parking brake set, the 
parking brake indicator light will 
stay on for about 15 seconds. This 
does not indicate a malfunction.
■When the parking brake switch 
malfunctions
Automatic mode (automatic brake 
setting and releas ing) will be turned 
on automatically.
■Parking the vehicle
 P. 1 7 1
■Parking brake engaged warning 
buzzer
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is 
driven with the parking brake 
engaged. “Parking Brake ON” is dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play (with the v ehicle reaching a 
speed of 5 km/h [3 mph]).
■If the brake system warning 
light comes on
 P. 6 2 2
■Usage in winter time
 P. 3 6 8
WA R N I N G
■When parking the vehicle
Do not leave a child in the vehicle 
alone. The parking brake may be 
released unintentionally and there 
is the danger of the vehicle mov-
ing that may lead to an accident 
resulting in death or serious injury.
■Parking brake switch
Do not set any o bjects near the 
parking brake switch. Objects 
may interfere with the switch and 
may lead the parking brake to 
unexpectedly operate.
NOTICE
■When parking the vehicle
Before you leave the vehicle, shift 
the shift position to P, set the park-
ing brake and make sure that the 
vehicle does not move.
■When the system malfunc-
tions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place 
and check the warning messages.
■When the parking brake can-
not be released due to a mal-
function
Driving the vehicle with the park-
ing brake set will  lead to brake 
components overheating, which 
may affect braking performance 
and increase brake wear. Have 
the vehicle inspected by your Toy-
ota dealer immediately if this 
occurs. 
Page 208 of 728

2084-2. Driving procedures
Press the brake hold switch to 
turn the brake hold system on
The brake hold standby indicator 
(green)   comes on. While the 
system is holding the brake, the 
brake hold operated indicator (yel-
low)   comes on.
■Brake hold system operating 
conditions
The brake hold system cannot be 
turned on in the following condi-
tions:
●The driver’s doo r is not closed.
●The driver is not wearing the seat 
belt.
If any of the cond itions above are 
detected when the brake hold sys-
tem is enabled, the system will turn 
off and the brake hold standby indi-
cator light will go off. In addition, if 
any of the conditions are detected 
while the system is  holding the 
brake, a warning  buzzer will sound 
and a message will be shown on the 
multi-information  display. The park-
ing brake will then be set automati-
cally.
■Brake hold function
●If the brake pedal is left released 
for a period of about 3 minutes 
after the system has started hold-
ing the brake, the parking brake 
will be set automatically. In this 
case, a warning buzzer sounds 
and a message is shown on the 
multi-information display.
●To turn the system off while the 
system is holding the brake, firmly 
depress the brake pedal and 
press the button again.
●The brake hold function may not 
hold the vehicle when the vehicle 
is on a steep incline. In this situa-
tion, it may be ne cessary for the 
driver to apply the brakes. A warn-
ing buzzer will sound and the 
multi-information display will 
inform the driver of this situation. If 
a warning message is shown on 
the multi-information display, read 
the message and follow the 
instructions.
■When the parking brake is set 
automatically while the system 
is holding the brakes
Perform any of the following opera-
tions to release the parking brake:
●Depress the accelerator pedal. 
(The parking brake will not be 
released automatically if the seat 
belt is not fastened.)
●Operate the parkin g brake switch 
with the brake pedal depressed.
Brake Hold
The brake hold system 
keeps the brake applied 
when the shift lever is in D, 
S or N with the system on 
and the brake pedal has 
been depressed to stop the 
vehicle. The system 
releases the brake when the 
accelerator pedal is 
depressed with the shift 
lever in D or S to allow 
smooth start off.
Enabling the system
A
B 
Page 209 of 728

2094-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Make sure that the parking brake 
indicator light goes off. ( P.204)
■When an inspection at your 
Toyota dealer is necessary
When the brake hold standby indi-
cator (green ) does not illuminate 
even when the brake  hold switch is 
pressed with the brake hold system 
operating conditions met, the sys-
tem may be malfunctioning. Have 
the vehicle inspected at your Toyota 
dealer.
■If “Brake Hold Malfunction 
Press Brake to Deactivate Visit 
Your Dealer” or “Brake Hold 
Malfunction Visit Your Dealer” 
is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
The system may be malfunctioning. 
Have the vehicle inspected by your 
Toyota dealer.
■Warning messages and buzzers
Warning messages and buzzers are 
used to indicate a system malfunc-
tion or to inform  the driver of the 
need for caution. If a warning mes-
sage is shown on th e multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and 
follow the instructions.
■If the brake hold operated indi-
cator flashes
 P. 6 2 7
WA R N I N G
■When the vehicle is on a 
steep incline
When using the brake hold sys-
tem on a steep in cline, exercise 
caution. The brake hold function 
may not hold the vehicle in such a 
situation.
■When stopped on a slippery 
road
The system cannot stop the vehi-
cle when the gripping ability of the 
tires has been exceeded. Do not 
use the system w hen stopped on 
a slippery road.
NOTICE
■When parking the vehicle
The brake hold system is not 
designed for use when parking 
the vehicle for a long period of 
time. Turning the engine switch off 
while the system is holding the 
brake may release the brake, 
which would cause the vehicle to 
move. When operating the engine 
switch, depress the brake pedal, 
shift the shift lever to P and set 
the parking brake. 
Page 210 of 728

2104-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4-3.Operating the lights and wipers
Operating the   switch 
turns on the lights as follows:
Ty p e AU.S.A.
Canada
1  The side marker, parking, 
tail, license plate, instrument 
panel lights, and daytime run-
ning lights ( P.209) turn on.
2  The headlights and all 
lights listed above (except 
daytime running lights) turn 
on.
3  The headlights, daytime 
running lights ( P.209) and 
all the lights listed above turn  on and off automatically.
4  (U.S.A.) Off   (Can-
ada) The daytime running 
lights turn on. ( P.209)
Type B
U.S.A.
Canada
1  The side marker, parking, 
tail, license plate, instrument 
panel lights, and daytime run-
ning lights ( P.209) turn on.
2  The headlights and all 
lights listed above (except 
daytime running lights) turn 
on.
3  The daytime running 
lights turn on. ( P.209)
4  Off
■AUTO mode can be used when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Daytime running light system
●Vehicles without projector head-
lights: The daytime running lights 
illuminate using the same lights as 
Headlight switch
The headlights can be oper-
ated manually or automati-
cally.
Turning on the headlights
A
B
A
B