engine TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Owners Manual

2104-2. Driving procedures
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 depresse d before the
shift release button is pushed. If
the shift release button is pushed first, the shift lock will not be
released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock syste m is a system to
prevent accidental operation of the
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P
only when the engi ne 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, the re 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.213)
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.
Shifting the shift lever

2114-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
The shift lever can be shifted
while both buttons are pressed.
 P.310, 315
When the shift lever is in the S
position, the shift lever can be
operated as follows: 1
Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to
S8 will be displayed 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.209)
■S mode
●You can choose from 8 levels of
accelerating force and engine
braking force.
●A lower shift range 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, upshifting may automati-
cally occur.
●To protect the automatic transmis-
sion, a function is adopted that
automatically selects a higher shift
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.
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock
override button, make 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

2124-2. Driving procedures
■Downshifting restriction warn-
ing buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving
performance, downshifting opera-
tion may sometimes b e restricted. In
some circumstances, downshifting
may not be possible even when the
shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will
sound twice.)
■If the “S” indicator 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 tra nsmission system.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer imme diately. (In this
situation, the transmission will oper-
ate in the same manner as when the
shift lever is in D.)
1 Right turn
2 Lane change to the right
(move the lever partway and
release it)
The right hand s ignals will flash 3
times.
3 Lane 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
Turn signal lever
Operating instructions

2144-2. Driving procedures
1Pull the switch to set the
parking brake.
The parking brake indicator light
and the parking brake switch indi-
cator 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.
2Press the switch to release
the parking brake.
• Operate the parking brake switch
while depressing the brake pedal.
• Using the parking brake auto- matic release function, the park-
ing brake can be released by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
When using this function, slowly
depress the accelerator pedal.
( P.215)
Make sure that t he parking brake
indicator light and the parking brake
switch indicator turn off.
If the parking brake indicator
light and the parking brake
switch indicator flash, operate
the switch again. ( P.454)
■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 lever is shifted
from P, the parking brake will
be released, and the parking
brake indicator light and the
parking brake switch indica-
tor will turn off.
 When the shift lever is shifted
to P, the parking brake will be
set, and the parking brake
indicator light and the parking
brake switch indicator will turn
on.
Operate the shift lever with the
vehicle stopped and the brake
pedal depressed.
The auto function may not oper-
ate if the shift lever is moved
extremely quickly or the brake
pedal is not firmly depressed.
In this situation, apply the park-
ing brake manually. ( P.213)
 When the engine is off, the
parking brake will be set, and
the parking brake indicator
light and the parking brake
switch indicator turn on.

2154-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■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
When all of the follo wing conditions
are met, the parking brake can be
released by depressing the acceler-
ator pedal.
●The driver’s door is closed
●The driver is wearing the seat belt
●The shift lever is in a forward driv-
ing position or reverse driving
position
●The malfunction in dicator lamp or
brake system warning light is not
illuminated
When depressing the accelerator
pedal, depress it slowly. If the parking brak
e is not released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed, release the parking
brake manually.
When the shift lever is shifted from
P, the parking brake will be released
automatically.
■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 Toyo ta 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
and Parking brake switch indi-
cator
●Depending on the engine switch
position / mode, the parking brake
indicator light and the parking
brake switch indicator will turn on
and stay on as described below:
ON: Comes on until the parking
brake is released.
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 and
the parking brake switch indicator
will stay on for abo ut 15 seconds.

2184-2. Driving procedures
■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 the multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and
follow the instructions.
■If the brake hold operated indi-
cator flashes
 P.454
WARNING
■When the vehicle is on a
steep incline
Take care when using the brake
hold system on a steep incline,
exercise caution. The brake hold
function may not hold brakes in
such situations.
Also, the system may not activate
depending on the angle of the
slope.
■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.

2204-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Canada
1 The side marker, park-
ing, tail, license plate, instru-
ment panel lights, and
daytime running lights
( P.220) turn on.
2 The headlights and all
lights listed above (except
daytime running lights) turn
on.
3 The headlights, daytime
running lights ( P.220) and
all the lights listed above turn
on and off automatically.
■AUTO mode can be used when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Daytime runni ng light system
●Vehicles with multi-LED head-
lights and LED projector head-
lights with bulb type front turn
signal lights: The daytime running
lights illuminate u sing the same
lights as the low beam headlights
and illuminate d immer than the
low beam headlights.
●Vehicles with LED projector head-
lights with LED type front turn sig-nal lights: The daytime running
lights illuminate using the same
lights as the parking lights and illu-
minate brighter than the parking
lights.
●To make your vehicle more visible
to other drivers
during daytime
driving, the daytime running lights
turn on automatically when all of
the following conditions are met.
(The daytime running lights are
not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running
• The parking brake is released
• For the U. S. A.: The headlight
switch is in the , or
*
position
• For Canada: The headlight switch
is in the or
* position
*: When the surroundings are bright
The daytime running lights remain
on after they illumi nate, even if the
parking brake is set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running
lights can be turned off by operat-
ing the switch.
●Compared to turning on the head-
lights, the daytime running light
system offers greater durability
and consumes less electricity, so
it can help improve fuel economy.
■Headlight control sensor (if
equipped)
The sensor may not function prop-
erly if an object is placed on the sen-
sor, or anything that blocks the
sensor is affixed to the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor
detecting the level of ambient light
and may cause t he automatic head-
light system to malfunction.

2214-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
■Automatic light off system
●When the headlights are on: The
lights turn off 30 seconds after the
engine switch is turned to ACC or
OFF and a door is opened and
closed. (The lights turn off imme-
diately if on the key is
pressed after all the doors are
closed.)
●When only the tail lights are on:
The tail lights turn off automati-
cally if the engine switch is turned
to ACC or OFF and the driver’s
door is opened.
To turn the lights on again, turn the
engine switch to ON, or turn the light
switch to the , or posi-
tion once and then back to or
position.
■Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer sounds when the engine
switch is turned to OFF and the
driver’s door is opened while the
lights are turned on.
■Windshield wiper linked head-
light illumination (if equipped)
When driving during daytime with
the headlight switch turned to , if
the windshield wipers are used, the
headlights will turn on automatically
after several seconds to help
enhance the visibility of your vehi-
cle.
■Battery-saving function
In order to prevent the battery of the
vehicle from discharging, if the
headlights and/or tail lights are on
when the engine switch is turned to
OFF, the battery saving function will
operate and automatically turn off all
the lights after approximately 20
minutes.
When any of the following are per-
formed, the battery-saving function
is canceled once and then reacti-
vated. All the light s will turn off auto-
matically 20 minutes after the
battery-saving function has been
reactivated:
●When the headlight switch is oper-
ated
●When a door is opened or closed
■If “Headlight System Malfunc-
tion Visit Your Dealer” is dis-
played on the multi-information
display
The system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Customization
Settings (e.g. light sensor sensitiv-
ity) can be changed.
(Customizable features:  P.518)
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer
than necessary w hen the engine
is not running.

2244-3. Operating the lights and wipers
fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• The windshield is cracked or dam- aged
• The front camera is deformed or
dirty
• When the temperature of the front
camera is extremely high
• Surrounding brightness levels are equal to those of h eadlights, tail
lights or fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of vehicles ahead are turned off,
dirty, changing color, or not aimed
properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water,
snow, dust, etc. fr om a preceding
vehicle
• When driving thr ough an area of
intermittently changing brightness
and darkness
• When frequently and repeatedly
driving ascending/descending
roads, or roads with rough, bumpy
or uneven surfaces (such as
stone-paved roads, gravel roads,
etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly
taking curves or driving on a wind-
ing road
• There is a highly reflective object
ahead of the vehicle, such as a
sign or mirror
• The back of a vehicle ahead is
highly reflective, such as a con-
tainer on a truck
• The vehicle’s headlights are dam-
aged or dirty, or are not aimed
properly
• The vehicle is listing or tilting due
to a flat tire, a trailer being towed,
etc.
• The high beams and low beams
are repeatedly being switched
between in an abnormal manner
• The driver believes that the high
beams may be causing problems
or distress to other drivers or
pedestrians nearby
■If “Headlight System Malfunc-
tion Visit Your D ealer” is dis-
played on the multi-information
display
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Temporarily lowering sensor
sensitivity
The sensitivity of the sensor can be
temporarily lowered.
1 Turn the engine switch to OFF
while the following conditions are
met.
●The headlight switch is in or
position.
●The headlight switch lever is in
high beam position.
●Automatic High Beam switch is
on.
2 Turn the engine switch to ON.
3 Within 60 second s after step 2,
repeat pulling the headlight
switch lever to the original posi-
tion then pushing it to the high
beam position qui ckly 10 times,
then leave the lever in the origi-
nal position.
4 If the sensitivity is changed, the
Automatic High Beam indicator
is turn on and off 3 times.
Automatic High Beam (headlights)
may turn on even when the vehicle
is stopped.
■Switching to the high
beams
Push the lever away from you.
The Automatic High Beam indicator
will turn off and the headlight high
beam indicator will turn on.
Pull the lever to its original position
to activate Automatic High Beam
system again.
Turning the high beams
on/off manually

2284-3. Operating the lights and wipers
6Increases the sensitivity
7 Decreases the sensitivity
8 Washer/wiper dual
operation
Pulling the lever o perates the wip-
ers and washer.
The wipers will au tomatically oper-
ate a couple of times after the
washer squirts.
■The windshield wipers and
washer can be operated when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Effects of vehicle speed on
wiper operation
Vehicles with in termittent wind-
shield wipers
With low speed windshield wiper
operation selected, wiper operation
will be switched from low speed to
intermittent wiper operation when
the vehicle is stationary. (However,
when the wiper intervals are
adjusted to highest level, the mode will not switch.)
Vehicles with ra
in-sensing wind-
shield wipers
With low speed windshield wiper
operation selected, wiper operation
will be switched fro m low speed to
intermittent wiper operation when
the vehicle is stationary. (However,
when the sensor sensitivity is
adjusted to the highest level, the
mode will not switch.)
■Raindrop sensor (vehicles with
rain-sensing windshield wipers)
●The raindrop sensor judges the
amount of raindrops.
●If the wiper switch i s turned to the
“AUTO” position while the engine
switch is in ON, the wipers will
operate once to show that “AUTO”
mode is activated.
●If the wiper sensitivity is adjusted
to higher, the wiper may operate
once to indicate the change of
sensitivity.
●If the temperature of the raindrop
sensor is 185°F (85°C) or higher,
or 5°F (-15°C) or lower, the auto-
matic operation ma y not occur. In
this case, operate the wipers in
any mode other than “AUTO”.
■If no windshield washer fluid
sprays
Check that the washer nozzles are
not blocked if there is washer fluid in
the windshield washer fluid reser-
voir.