TOYOTA RAV4 2020 Owners Manual (in English)

5717-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
1Pull the hood lock release
lever.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2Push the aux i li ary catc h l ever
to the left and lift the hood. 3
Hold the hood open by insert-
ing the supporting rod into
the slot.
Hood
Release the lock from the
inside of the vehicle to open
the hood.
Opening the hood
WA R N I N G
■Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed
and locked.
If the hood is not locked properly,
it may open while the vehicle is in
motion and cause an accident,
which may result i n death or seri-
ous injury.
■After installing the support
rod into the slot
Make sure the rod supports the
hood securely fro m falling down
on to your head or body.
■When closing the hood
When closing the hood, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc.
from being caught.

5727-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Front
NOTICE
■When closing the hood
Be sure to return the support rod
to its clip before closing the hood.
Closing the hood without return-
ing the support rod properly could
cause the hood to bend.
Positioning a floor
jack
When using a floor jack, fol-
low the instructions in the
manual provided with the
jack and perform the opera-
tion safely.
When raising your vehicle
with a floor jack, position
the jack correctly.
Improper placement may
damage your vehicle or
cause injury.
Location of the jack point

5737-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Rear

5747-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Fuse boxes (P.607)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.575)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.574)
Battery ( P.579)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.577)
Radiator ( P.577)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( P.577)
Washer fluid tank ( P.580)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.576)
With the engine at operating
temperature and turned off, check the oil level on the dip-
stick.
Engine compar tment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
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5757-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level
ground. After warming up the
engine and turning off the
engine, wait more than 5
minutes for the oil to drain
back into the bottom of the
engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out.
3 Wipe the dipstick clean.
4 Reinsert the dipstick fully.
5 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out and
check the oil level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dipstick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6Wipe the dipstick and reinsert
it fully.
■Checking the oil type and
preparing the items needed
Make sure to check the oil type
and prepare the items needed
before adding oil.
 Engine oil selection
P.666
 Oil quantity (Low  Full)
1.6 qt. (1.5 L, 1.3 Imp. qt.)
 Item
Clean funnel
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near
the low level mark, add engine
oil of the same type as that
already in the engine.
1 Remove the oil filler cap by
turning it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, check-
ing the dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by
turning it clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will
be consumed while driving. In the
following situatio ns, oil consump-
A
B
C

5767-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
tion may increase, and engine oil
may need to be refilled in between
oil maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for
example directly after purchasing
the vehicle or after replacing the
engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inap-
propriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine
speeds or with a heavy load,
when towing, or when driving
while accelerating o r decelerating
frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for
a long time, or wh en driving fre-
quently through heavy traffic
The coolant level is satisfactory
if it is between the “FULL” and
“LOW” lines on the reservoir
when the engine is cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL”
line. ( P.659)
WA R N I N G
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants
which may cause skin disorders
such as inflammation and skin
cancer, so care should be taken
to avoid prolonged and
repeated contact. To remove
used engine oil from your skin,
wash thoroughly with soap and
water.
●Dispose of used oil and filters
only in a safe an d acceptable
manner. Do not dispose of used
oil and filters in household trash,
in sewers or onto the ground.
Call your Toyota dealer, service
station or auto parts store for
information concerning recy-
cling or disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil
within the rea ch of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine
damage
Check the oil level on a regular
basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil
on the vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
●Check the oil level on the dip-
stick every time you refill the
vehicle.
●Be sure the engin e oil filler cap
is properly tightened.
■If oil is spilled on the engine
cover
To prevent the engine cover from
being damaged, remove any
engine oil from the engine cover
as soon as possi ble using a neu-
tral detergent. Do not use an
organic solvent such as brake
cleaner.
Checking the coolant
A
B
C

5777-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Coolant selection
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or a similar high quality
ethylene glycol based non-silicate,
non-amine, non-nitrite, and non-
borate coolant with long-life hybrid
organic acid technology.
U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
a mixture of 50% coolant and 50%
deionized water. (Minimum tem-
perature: -31°F [-35°C])
Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
a mixture of 55% coolant and 45%
deionized water. (Minimum tem-
perature: -44°F [-42°C])
For more details about coolant, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
■If the coolant level drops within
a short time of replenishing
Visually check the radiators, hoses,
engine/power control unit coolant
reservoir caps, drain cock and water
pump.
If you cannot find a leak, have your
Toyota dealer, test the cap and
check for leaks in the cooling sys-
tem.
Check the radiator and con-
denser, and clear away any for-
eign objects.
If either of the above parts is
extremely dirty or you are not
sure of their condition, have
your vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN”
lines on the tank.
WA R N I N G
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant
reservoir cap.
The cooling system may be under
pressure and may spray hot cool-
ant if the cap is removed, causing
serious injuries, such as burns.
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither plain water nor
straight antifreeze. The correct
mixture of water and antifreeze
must be used to provide proper
lubrication, corrosion protection
and cooling. Be sure to read the
antifreeze or coolant label.
■If you spill coolant
B e s ur e to wa sh it o ff with w at er to
prevent it from damaging parts or
paint.
Checking the radiator and
condenser
WA R N I N G
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or con-
denser as they may be hot and
cause serious injuries, such as
burns.
■When the electric cooling fan
is operating
Do not touch the engine compart-
ment.
With the engine switch in ON, the
electric cooling fa n may automati-
cally start to run if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant
temperature is high. Be sure the
engine switch is off when working
near the electric cooling fan or
radiator grille.
Checking and adding the
brake fluid

5787-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Adding fluid
1 Slide and lift up the rubber
strip to partly remove it as
shown.
2 Disconnect the claws and
remove the service cover. 3
Remove the reservoir cap.
4 Add brake fluid slowly while
checking the fluid level.
Make sure to check the fluid
type and prepare the necessary
item.
■Brake fluid can absorb moisture
from the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid
can cause a dangerous loss of brak-
ing efficiency. Use only newly
opened brake fluid.
Fluid
type
FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or
SAE J1703 bra ke fluid
FMVSS No.116 DOT 4 or
SAE J1704
ItemClean funnel
WA R N I N G
■When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm
your hands and eyes and damage
painted surfaces.
If fluid gets on your hands or in
your eyes, flush the affected area
with clean water immediately.
If you still experi ence discomfort,
see a doctor.

5797-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery termi-
nals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections,
cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, t he battery pro-
duces hydrogen ga s which is flam-
mable and explosive. Therefore,
observe the following precautions
before recharging:
●If recharging wi th the battery
installed on the vehicle, be sure to
disconnect the ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on
the charger is off when connecting
and disconnecting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting
the battery (vehicles with smart
key system)
The engine may not start. Follow the
procedure below to initialize the sys-
tem.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close any of the doors.
3 Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the
smart key system may not be pos-
sible immediately after reconnect-
ing the battery. If this happens,
use the wireless remote control or
the mechanical key to lock/unlock
the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine
switch in ACC. T he engine may
not start with th e engine switch
turned off. However, the engine
will operate normally from the sec-
ond attempt.
●The engine switch mode is
recorded by the vehicle. If the bat-
tery is disconnected and recon-
nected, the vehi cle will return the
engine switch mode to the status it
was in before the battery was dis-
connected. Make sure to turn off
the engine switch before discon-
necting the battery. Take extra
care when connecting the battery
if the engine switch mode prior to
the battery being disconnected is
unknown.
If the engine will no t start even after
multiple attempts, contact your Toy-
ota dealer.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level
to go down slightly as the brake
pads wear out or when the fluid
level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent
refilling, there ma y be a serious
problem.
Checking the battery
A
B

5807-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
If any washer does not work or
the warning message appears
on the multi-information display,
the washer tank may be empty.
Add washer fluid.
WA R N I N G
■Chemicals in the battery
A battery contains poisonous and
corrosive sulfuric acid and may
produce hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. To
reduce the risk of death or serious
injury, take the following precau-
tions while working on or near the
battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touch-
ing the battery terminals with
tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match
near the battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin
and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electro-
lyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses
when working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the
battery.
■Where to safely charge the
battery
Always charge the battery in an
open area. Do not charge the bat-
tery in a garage or closed room
where there is not sufficient venti-
lation.
■Emergency measures regard-
ing electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean
water for at least 15 minutes
and get immediate medical
attention. If possible, continue
to apply water with a sponge or
cloth while traveling to the near-
est medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thor-
oughly. If you feel pain or burn-
ing, get medical attention
immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your
clothes
It can soak through clothing on
to your skin. Imm ediately take
off the clothing and follow the
procedure above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow elec-
trolyte
Drink a large quantity of water
or milk. Get emergency medical
attention immediately.
■When there is insufficient bat-
tery fluid
Do not use if there is insufficient
fluid in the battery. There is a pos-
sible danger that the battery may
explode.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while
the engine is running. Also, be
sure all accessories are turned
off.
Adding the washer fluid