ECU TOYOTA RAV4 2021 (in English) Service Manual

1253-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
WARNING
■Back door closer
●In the event that the back door
is left slightly open, the back
door closer will automatically
close it to the fully closed posi-
tion. It takes several seconds
before the back door closer
begins to operate. Be careful
not to catch fingers or anything
else in the back door, as this
may cause bone fractures or
other serious injuries.
●Use caution when using the
back door closer as it still oper-
ates when the power back door
system is canceled.
■Power back door
Observe the following precautions
when operating the power back
door.
Failure to do so may cause death
or serious injury.
●Check the safety of the sur-
rounding area to make sure
there are no obstacles or any-
thing that could cause any of
your belongings to get caught.
●If anyone is in the vicinity, make
sure they are safe and let them
know that the back door is
about to open or close.
●If the power back door system is
turned off while the back door is
operating automatically, the
automatic operation is stopped.
The back door then has to be
operated manually. Take extra
care when on an incline, as the
back door may open or close
unexpectedly.
●If the operating conditions of the
power back door are no longer
met, a buzzer may sound and
the back door may stop opening
or closing. The ba ck door then
has to be operated manually.
Take extra care when on an
incline, as the back door may
open or close abruptly.
●On an incline, the back door
may suddenly shut after it
opens. Make sure the back door
is fully open and secure.
●In the following si tuations, the
power back door may detect an
abnormality and automatic
operation may be stopped. In
this case, the back door has to
be operated manually. Take
extra care when on an incline,
as the back door may open or
close abruptly.
• When the back door contacts an obstacle
• When the battery voltage sud- denly drops, such as when the
engine switch is turned to ON or
the engine is started during
automatic operation
●If a bicycle carr ier or similar
heavy object is attached to the
back door, it may suddenly shut
again after being opened, caus-
ing someone’s hands, head or
neck to be caught and injured.
When installing an accessory
part to the back door, using a
genuine Toyota part is recom-
mended.

1313-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
tact with, or is covered by the fol-
lowing metallic objects
• Cards to which al uminum foil is
attached
• Cigarette boxes that have alumi- num foil inside
• Metallic wallets or bags
• Coins
• Hand warmers made of metal
• Media such as CDs and DVDs
●When other wireless key (that
emits radio waves) is being used
nearby
●When carrying the electronic key
together with the following devices
that emit radio waves
• Portable radio, cellular phone,
cordless phone or other wireless
communication devices
• Another vehicle’s electronic key or a wireless key that emits radio
waves
• Personal computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs)
• Digital audio players
• Portable game systems
●If window tint with a metallic con-
tent or metallic objects are
attached to the rear window
●When the electronic key is placed
near a battery charger or elec-
tronic devices
●When parking in a coin-operated
parking lot (Radio waves used to
detect vehicles may affect the
smart key system.)
■Note for the entry function
●Even when the electronic key is
within the effective range (detec-
tion areas), the system may not
operate properly in the following
cases:
• The electronic key is too close to the window or outside door han-
dle, near the ground, or in a high
place when the doors are locked
or unlocked.
• The electronic key is on the instru-
ment panel, luggage cover or
floor, or in the door pockets or
glove box when the engine is started or engine switch modes
are changed.
●Do not leave the electronic key on
top of the instrument panel or near
the door pockets when exiting the
vehicle. Depending on the radio
wave reception conditions, it may
be detected by the antenna out-
side the cabin and the door will
become lockable from the outside,
possibly trapping the electronic
key inside the vehicle.
●As long as the electronic key is
within the effective range, the
doors may be locked or unlocked
by anyone. However, only the
doors detecting the electronic key
can be used to unlock the vehicle.
●Even if the electro
nic key is not
inside the vehicle, it may be possi-
ble to start the engine if the elec-
tronic key is near the window.
●The doors may unlock if a large
amount of water splashes on the
door handle, such as in the rain or
in a car wash when the electronic
key is within the effective range.
(The doors will au tomatically be
locked after approximately 60 sec-
onds if the doors are not opened
and closed.)
●If the wireless remote control is
used to lock the doors when the
electronic key is near the vehicle,
there is a possib ility that the door
may not be unlocked by the entry
function. (Use the wireless remote
control to unlock the doors.)
●Touching the door lock sensor
while wearing gloves may delay or
prevent lock operation. Remove
the gloves and touch the lock sen-
sor again.
●When the lock operation is per-
formed using the lock sensor, rec-
ognition signals will be shown up
to two consecutive times. After
this, no recognition signals will be
given.
●If the door handle becomes wet
while the electronic key is within

1373-3. Adjusting the seats
3
Before driving
■Before folding down the
seatbacks
1 Park the vehicle in a safe
place.
Apply the parking brake ( P.205)
and shift the shift lever to P.
(  P.202)
2 Adjust the position of the
front seat and the angle of
the seatback. ( P.135)
Depending on the position of the
front seat, if the seatback is folded
backward, it may interfere with the
operation of the rear seat.
3 Lift up and push down the
head restraints of the rear
outboard seats, and lower
the head restraint of the rear
center seat. ( P.141)
4 Stow the armrest of the rear
seat if it is pulled out.
( P.555)
This step is not necessary when
operating the left side seat only.
■Folding down the seat-
backs
While pulling the seatback angle
adjustment lever , fold the
seatback down.
■Returning the rear seat-
backs
To avoid trapping the seat belt
between the seat and the inside
of the vehicle, pass the seat belt
outside the seat belt guide
and then return the seatback
securely to the locked position.
WARNING
●After adjusting the seat, make
sure that the seat is locked in
position.
If the seatback is not securely
locked, the red marking will be
visible. Make sure that the red
marking is not visible.
Folding down the rear
seatbacks
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may result in
death or serious injury.
A
A

1383-3. Adjusting the seats
*: If equipped
■Recording procedure
1 Check that the shift lever is in
P.
2 Turn the engine switch to
ON.
3 Adjust the driver’s seat to the
desired positions.
4 While pressing the “SET” but-
ton, or within 3 seconds after
the “SET” button is pressed,
press button “1” or “2” until
the buzzer sounds.
If the selected button has already
been preset, the previously
recorded positio n will be overwrit-
WARNING
■When folding the rear seat-
backs down
●Do not fold the seatbacks down
while driving.
●Stop the vehicle on level
ground, set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to P.
●Do not allow anyo ne to sit on a
folded seatback or in the lug-
gage compartment while driv-
ing.
●Do not allow child ren to enter
the luggage compartment.
●Do not operate the rear seat if it
is occupied.
●Be careful not to get feet or
hands caught in the moving
parts or joints of the seats
during operation.
●Do not allow children to operate
the seat.
■After returning the rear seat-
back to the upright position
●Make sure that the seatback is
securely locked in position by
lightly pushing it back and forth.
If the seatback is not securely
locked, the red marking will be
visible. Make sure that the red
marking is not visible.
●Check that the seat belts are
not twisted or caught in the
seatback.
Driving position mem-
ory*
This feature automatically
adjusts the driver’s seat to
suit your preferences.
Your preferred driving posi-
tion (the position of the
driver’s seat) can be
recorded and recalled by
pressing a button.
Two different driving posi-
tions can be recorded into
memory.
Each electronic key can be
registered to recall your pre-
ferred driving position.
Recording/recalling a
driving position

1443-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
3-4.Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
1Hold the steering wheel and
push the lever down.
2 Adjust to the ideal position by
moving the steering wheel
horizontally and vertically.
After adjustment, pull the lever up
to secure the steering wheel.
To sound the horn, press on or
close to the mark.
Steering wheel
Adjustment procedure
WARNING
■Caution while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Doing so may cause the driver to
mishandle the vehicle and cause
an accident, resul ting in death or
serious injury.
■After adjusting the steering
wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel
is securely locked.
Otherwise, the steering wheel
may move suddenly, possibly
causing an accident, and resulting
in death or serious injury. Also,
the horn may not sound if the
steering wheel is not securely
locked.
Sounding the horn

1754-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always
depress the brake pedal and
securely apply the parking
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the
engine.
Running the engine at high
speed while the vehicle is
stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could
result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette
lighters, spray cans, or soft
drink cans in the vehicle when it
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic
lenses and plastic material of
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray
over the interior of the vehicle,
and may also caus e a short cir-
cuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter
is in a place such as the glove
box or on the floor, it may be lit
accidentally when luggage is
loaded or the seat is adjusted,
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to
the windshield or windows. Do
not place containers such as air
fresheners on the instrument
panel or dashboard. Adhesive
discs or containers may act as
lenses, causing a fire in the
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window
open if the curved glass is
coated with a metallized film
such as a silver-colored one.
Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
engine and loc k the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.
If the vehicle is parked with the
shift lever in P but the parking
brake is not set, the vehicle may
start to move, possibly leading
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes
while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the
engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the
vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Other-
wise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the acceler-
ator pedal, this could cause an
accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the
vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may
collect and enter the vehicle, lead-
ing to death or a serious health
hazard.

1764-1. Before driving
WARNING
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive
more cautiously.
Braking distance increases
when the brakes are wet, and
this may cause one side of the
vehicle to brake differently than
the other side. Also, the parking
brake may not securely hold the
vehicle.
●If the brake booster device does
not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills
or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still pos-
sible, but the brake pedal
should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if
the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal
uses up the reserve for the
power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2
individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the
other will still operate. In this
case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than
usual and the braking distance
will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
(AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, etc. This may damage
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator
and brake pedals at the same
time during driving, as this may
restrain the engine output.
●Do not use the accelerator
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on
a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle
parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel
fully in either direction and hold
it there for an extended period
of time.
Doing so may damage the
power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the
road, drive as slowly as possible
to avoid damaging the wheels,
underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause
the following situations.
●It may be difficult to control your
vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnor-
mally.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and
gradually depress the brake pedal
to slow down the vehicle.
Information on what to do in case
of a flat tire ( P.653)

1784-1. Before driving
Cargo capacity depends on the
total weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load
capacity) - (Total weight of occu-
pants)
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit 
(1) Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your
vehicle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb passen-
gers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 -
750 (5 
150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi-
cle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
( P.180)
WARNING
●Secure all items in the occupant
compartment.
●When you fold down the rear
seats, long items should not be
placed directly behind the front
seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in
the luggage compartment. It is
not designed for passengers.
They should ride in their seats
with their seat belts properly
fastened. Otherwise, they are
much more likely to suffer death
or serious bodily injury, in the
event of sudden braking, sud-
den swerving or an accident.
Capacity and distribution
WARNING
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum
axle weight rating or the total
vehicle weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occu-
pant’ weight and the cargo load
is less than the total load capac-
ity, do not apply the load
unevenly. Improper loading may
cause deterioration of steering
or braking control which may
cause death or serious injury.

1794-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Cargo capacity
Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) (P.676)
When 2 people with the com-
bined weight of A lb. (kg) are rid-
ing in your vehicle, which has a
total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) of B lb. (kg),
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity will
be C lb. (kg) as follows:
B
*2 lb. (kg) - A*1 lb. (kg) = C*3 lb.
(kg)
*1: A = Weight of people
*2: B = Total load capacity
*3: C = Available cargo and luggage load
In this condition , if 3 more passen-
gers with the combined weight of D
lb. (kg) get on, the available cargo
and luggage load will be reduced E
lb. (kg) as follows:
C lb. (kg) - D*4 lb. (kg) = E*5 lb.
(kg)
*4: D = Additional weight of people
*5: E = Available cargo and luggage load
As shown in the example above,
if the number of occupants
increases, the cargo and lug-
gage load will be reduced by an
amount that equals the
increased weight due to the
additional occupants. In other
words, if an increase in the num-
ber of occupants causes an
excess of the total load capacity
(combined weight of occupants
plus cargo and luggage load),
you must reduce the cargo and
luggage on your vehicle.
Calculation formula for
your vehicle
A
B
:$51,1*
■When loading cargo on the
roof luggage carrier (if
equipped)
Observe the following precau-
tions:
●Place the cargo so that its
weight is distributed evenly
between the front and rear
axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo,
never exceed the vehicle overall
length or width. ( P.676)
●Before driving, m ake sure the
cargo is securely fastened on
the roof luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier will make the cen-
ter of gravity of the vehicle
higher. Avoid high speeds, sud-
den starts, sharp turns, sudden
braking or abrupt maneuvers,
otherwise it may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle
correctly and result in death or
serious injury.

1824-1. Before driving
■Before towing
Check that the following conditions
are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires
are properly inflated. ( P.683)
●Trailer tires are inflated according
to the trailer manufacturer’s rec-
ommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required
by law.
●All lights work each time you con-
nect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper
height for the coupler on the
trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is
hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not
level, and check for improper
tongue weight, overloading, worn
suspension, or other possible
causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely
loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to
all applicable federal, state/provin-
cial or local regu lations. If they do
not, install rear view mirrors
appropriate for towing purposes.
Toyota warranties do not
apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a
trailer for commercial pur-
poses.
Contact your Toyota dealer for
further information about addi-
tional requirements such as a
towing kit, etc.WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the vehi-
cle in accordance with the trailer’s
characteristics and operating con-
ditions. Failure to do so could
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious injury. Vehicle
stability and brak ing performance
are affected by trailer stability,
brake setting and performance,
and the hitch. Yo ur vehicle will
handle differently when towing a
trailer.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR,
unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR
or GAWR.
●Vehicles with towing package: If
the gross trailer weight is over
2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway con-
trol device with sufficient capac-
ity is required.
●Adjust the tongue weight within
the appropriate range. Place
heavier loads as close to the
trailer axle as possible.
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104
km/h), the posted towing speed
limit or the spee d limit for your
trailer as set forth in your trailer
owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Slow down sufficiently
before making a turn, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery sur-
face, etc. to help avoid an acci-
dent. If you experience a
vehicle-trailer instability from
reducing a certain speed, slow
down and make sure you keep
your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you experience
the instability.
●Do not make jer ky, abrupt or
sharp turns.