TOYOTA RAV4 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

5717-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner.
 Wipe off any excess dirt and
dust with a soft cloth damp-
ened with diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of
approximately 5% neutral wool
detergent.
Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off all remaining traces
of detergent.
 Wipe the surface with a dry,
soft cloth to remove any
remaining moisture. Allow the
leather to dry in a shaded and
ventilated area.
■Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the
interior of the vehicle at least twice a
year to maintain the quality of the
vehicle’s interior.
 Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner.
 Wipe it off with a soft cloth
dampened with neutral deter-
gent diluted to approximately
1%.
 Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of
detergent and water.
NOTICE
■Cleaning the inside of the rear
window
●Do not use a gla ss cleaner to
clean the rear window, as this
may cause damage to the rear
window defogger heater wires.
Use a cloth dampened with
lukewarm water to gently wipe
the window clean. Wipe the win-
dow in strokes running parallel
to the heater wires.
●Be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires.
Cleaning the leather areas
Cleaning the synthetic
leather areas

5727-2. Maintenance
7-2.Maintenance
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine
Toyota parts be used for repairs to
ensure performanc e of each sys-
tem. If non-Toyota p arts are used in
replacement or if a repair shop other
than a Toyota dealer performs
repairs, confirm the warranty cover-
age.
■Allow inspection and repairs to
be performed by a Toyota
dealer
●Toyota technicians are well-
trained specialists and are kept up
to date with the latest service
information. They are well
informed about the operations of
all systems on your vehicle.
●Keep a copy of the repair order. It
proves that the maintenance that
has been performed is under war-
ranty coverage. If any problem
should arise while your vehicle is
under warranty, your Toyota
dealer will promptly take care of it.
General maintenance should be
performed on a daily basis. This
can be done by yourself or by a
Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should
be performed at specified inter-
vals according to the mainte-
nance schedule.
For details about maintenance
items and schedules, refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance require-
ments
To ensure safe and econom-
ical driving, day-to-day care
and regular maintenance
are essential. It is the
owner’s responsibility to
perform regular checks.
Toyota recommends the fol-
lowing maintenance:
WARNING
■If your vehicle is not properly
maintained
Improper maintenance could
result in serious damage to the
vehicle and possible death or seri-
ous injury.
■Handling of the battery
●Engine exhaust, some of its
constituents, and a wide variety
of automobile components con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects and
other reproductive harm. Work
in a well ventilated area.
●Oils, fuels and fluids contained
in vehicles as well as waste pro-
duced by component wear con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Avoid
exposure and wash any
affected area immediately.
●Battery posts, terminals and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds which are
known to cause brain damage.
Wash your hands after han-
dling. ( P.587)
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance

5737-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Resetting the message indicat-
ing maintenance is required
After the required maintenance is
performed according to the mainte-
nance schedule, please reset the
reminder light or message.
To reset the reminder light or mes-
sage, follow the procedure
described below:
1 Press or of the meter
control switches and select
on the multi-information display.
2 Press or of the meter
control switches and select
“Vehicle Settings”. Then press
and hold .
3 Press or of the meter
control switches and select
“Scheduled Maintenance”. Then
press .
4 Select “Yes” and press .
You can perform some mainte-
nance procedures by yourself.
Please be aware that do-it-your-
self maintenance may affect
warranty coverage.
The use of Toyota Repair Manuals
is recommended.
For details about warranty cover-
age, refer to the separate “Owner’s
Warranty Information Booklet” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Do-it-yourself mainte-
nance
General maintenance
Listed below are the general
maintenance items that
should be performed at the
intervals specified in the
“Owner’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement/Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide”. It
is recommended that any
problem you notice should
be brought to the attention
of your Toyota dealer or
qualified service shop for
advice.
WARNING
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine o ff and ensure
that there is adequate ventilation
before performing maintenance
checks.
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connec-
tions. ( P.587)
Brake fluid
Is the brake fluid at
the correct level?
( P.585)
Engine coolant
Is the engine cool-
ant at the correct
level? ( P.584)
Engine oil
Is the engine oil at
the correct level?
( P.582)

5747-2. Maintenance
Exhaust sys-
temThere should not
be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Radiator/con-
denser
The radiator and
condenser should
be free from for-
eign objects.
( P.585)
Washer fluid
Is there sufficient
washer fluid?
( P.587)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
• The accelerator
pedal should
move smoothly
(without uneven
pedal effort or
catching).
Automatic
transmission
“Park” mecha-
nism
• When parked on a slope and the
shift position is in
P, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move
smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have
appropriate
clearance from
the floor?
• Does the brake pedal have the
correct amount
of free play?
ItemsCheck points
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to
one side when
the brakes are
applied.
• The brakes should work
effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get
too close to the
floor when the
brakes are
applied.
Head
restraints
• Do the head restraints move
smoothly and
lock securely?
Indica-
tors/buzzers
• Do the indica-tors and buzzers
function prop-
erly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the park-ing brake oper-
ate normally?
• When parked on a slope and the
parking brake is
on, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
ItemsCheck points

5757-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be
damaged.
Seats
• Do the seat con-trols operate
properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steer-ing wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steer- ing wheel have
the correct
amount of free
play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming
from the steer-
ing wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors
• Do the doors operate
smoothly?
Engine hood
• Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage
after the vehicle
has been parked.
ItemsCheck points
Tires
• Is the tire infla-tion pressure
correct?
• The tires should not be damaged
or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated
according to the
maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be
loose.
Windshield
wipers/rear
window wiper
• The wiper blades should not show
any signs of
cracking, split-
ting, wear, con-
tamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield with-
out streaking or
skipping.
ItemsCheck points

5767-2. Maintenance
The OBD system determines
that a problem exists some-
where in the emission control
system. Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test and may need
to be repaired. Contact your
Toyota dealer to service the
vehicle.
When the battery is discon-
nected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set
during ordinary driving are
erased.
Also, depending on your driv-
ing habits, the readiness
codes may not be completely
set.
 When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator
lamp comes on indicating a
temporary malfunction and
your vehicle may not pass the
I/M test.
The error code in the OBD sys-
tem will not be cleared unless
the vehicle is driven 40 or more
times.
Contact your Toyota dealer to
prepare the vehicle for re-test-
ing.
Emission inspection
and maintenance (I/M)
programs
Some states have vehicle
emission inspection pro-
grams which include OBD
(On Board Diagnostics)
checks. The OBD system
monitors the operation of
the emission control sys-
tem.
If the malfunc tion indica-
tor lamp comes on
Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test in the fol-
lowing situations:
When the malfunction
indicator lamp still
remains on after several
driving trips
If your vehicle does not
pass the I/M test

5777-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
7-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions
If you perform maintenance
by yourself, be sure to fol-
low the correct procedure as
given in these sections.
Maintenance
ItemsParts and tools
Battery con-
dition
( P.587)•Grease
• Conventional
wrench (for termi-
nal clamp bolts)
Brake fluid
level
( P.585)
• FMVSS No.116
DOT 3 or SAE
J1703 brake fluid
• FMVSS No.116 DOT 4 or SAE
J1704
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake
fluid)
Engine cool-
ant level
( P.584)
• “Toyota Super
Long Life Cool-
ant” or a similar
high quality eth-
ylene glycol-based
non-silicate, non-
amine, non-nitrite
and non-borate
coolant with long-
life hybrid organic
acid technology
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super
Long Life Cool-
ant” is pre-mixed
with 50% coolant
and 50% deion-
ized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super
Long Life Cool-
ant” is pre-mixed
with 55% coolant
and 45% deion-
ized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding coolant)
Engine oil
level
( P.582)
• “Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” or
equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine
oil)
Fuses
( P.616)• Fuse with same
amperage rating
as original
ItemsParts and tools

5787-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Light bulbs
( P.619)
• Bulb with same
number and watt-
age rating as origi-
nal
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screw- driver
•Wrench
Radiator and
condenser
(  P.585)

Tire inflation
pressure
( P.604)• Tire pressure
gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid
( P.588)
• Water or washer
fluid containing
antifreeze (for win-
ter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water or
washer fluid)
WARNING
The engine compartment contains
many mechanisms and fluids that
may move suddenly, become hot,
or become electrically energized.
To avoid death or serious injury,
observe the following precautions.
■When working on the engine
compartment
●Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from the moving fan and
engine drive belt.
●Be careful not to touch the
engine, radiator, exhaust mani-
fold, etc., right after driving as
they may be hot . Oil and other
fluids may also be hot.
ItemsParts and tools●Do not leave anything that may
burn easily, such as paper and
rags, in the engine compart-
ment.
●Do not smoke, c ause sparks or
expose an open flame to fuel or
the battery. Fuel and battery
fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious when
working on the battery. It con-
tains poisonous and corrosive
sulfuric acid.
■When working near the elec-
tric cooling fan or radiator
grille
Be sure the engine switch is off.
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. ( P.585)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety gla sses to prevent
flying or falling material, fluid
spray, etc., from getting in your
eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner
filter
Driving with the ai r cleaner filter
removed may cause excessive
engine wear due to dirt in the air.

5797-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
1Pull the hood lock release
lever.
The hood will po p 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
WARNING
■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.

5807-3. 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