warning TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Owners Manual

4196-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and careUse only Toyota wheel nuts
and wrenches designed for
use with your aluminum
wheels.
 When rotating, repairing or
changing your tires, check
that the wheel nuts are still
tight after driving 1000 miles
(1600 km).
 Be careful not to damage the
aluminum wheels when using
tire chains.
 Use only Toyota genuine bal-
ance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber ham-
mer when balancing your
wheels.
WARNING
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a dif-
ferent size from those recom-
mended in the Owner’s Manual,
as this may result in a loss of
handling control.
●Never use an inner tube in a
leaking wheel which is designed
for a tubeless tire. Doing so may
result in an accident, causing
death or serious injury.
■When installing the wheel
nuts
●Be sure to install the wheel nuts
with the tapered ends facing
inward. ( P.468) Installing the
nuts with the tapered ends fac-
ing outward can cause the
wheel to break a nd eventually
cause the wheel to come off
while driving, which could lead
to an accident resulting in death
or serious injury.
●Never use oil or grease on the
wheel bolts or wheel nuts. Oil
and grease may cause the
wheel nuts to be excessively
tightened, leading to bolt or disc
wheel damage. In addition, the
oil or grease can cause the
wheel nuts to loosen and the
wheel may fall off, causing an
accident and resulting in death
or serious injury. Remove any
oil or grease from the wheel
bolts or wheel nuts.
■Use of defective wheels pro-
hibited
Do not use cracked or deformed
wheels.
Doing so could cause the tire to
leak air during driving, possibly
causing an accident.
NOTICE
■Replacing tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters
(vehicles with tire pressure
warning system)
●Because tire repair or replace-
ment may affect the tire pres-
sure warning valves and
transmitters, make sure to have
tires serviced by your Toyota
dealer or other qualified service
shop. In additio n, make sure to
purchase your tire pressure
warning valves and transmit-
ters at your To yota dealer.
●Ensure that only genuine
Toyota wheels are used on your
vehicle.
Tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters may not work
properly with non-genuine
wheels.
Aluminum wheel precau-
tions

4276-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
the cover damaged.
To prevent damage to the key,
cover the tip of the flathead screw-
driver with a rag.
3 Remove the depleted battery
using a small flathead screw-
driver.
When removing the cover, the elec-
tronic key module may stick to the
cover and the battery may not be
visible. In this case, remove the
electronic key module in order to
remove the battery.
When removing the battery, use a
screwdriver of an appropriate size.
Insert a new battery with the “+” ter-
minal facing up.
4When installing, reverse the
steps listed.
WARNING
■Battery precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
●Do not swallow the battery.
Doing so may cause chemical
burns.
●A coin battery or button battery
is used in the electronic key. If a
battery is swa llowed, it may
cause severe chemical burns in
as little as 2 hours and may
result in death or serious injury.
●Keep away new and removed
batteries from children.
●If the cover cannot be firmly
closed, stop using the electronic
key and stow the key in the
place where children cannot
reach, and then contact your
Toyota dealer.
●If you accidentally swallow a
battery or put a battery into a
part of your b ody, get emer-
gency medical attention imme-
diately.
■To prevent battery explosion
or leakage of flammable liq-
uid or gas
●Replace the battery with a new
battery of the same type. If a
wrong type of battery is used, it
may explode.
●Do not expose batteries to
extremely low pr essure due to
high altitude or extremely high
temperatures.
●Do not burn, bre ak or cut a bat-
tery.

4306-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■After a fuse is replaced
●When installing the lid, make sure
that the tab is installed securely.
●If the lights do not turn on even
after the fuse has been replaced,
a bulb may need replacement.
(  P.432)
●If the replaced fuse blows again,
have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer.
■If there is an overload in a cir-
cuit
The fuses are designed to blow,
protecting the wiring harness from
damage.
WARNING
■To prevent system break-
downs and vehicle fire
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may cause dam-
age to the vehicle, and possibly a
fire or injury.
●Never use a fuse of a higher
amperage rating than that indi-
cated, or use any other object in
place of a fuse.
●Always use a genuine Toyota
fuse or equivalent.
Never replace a fuse with a
wire, even as a temporary fix.
●Do not modify the fuses or fuse
boxes.
NOTICE
■Before replacing fuses
Have the cause of electrical over-
load determined and repaired by
your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
■To prevent damage to the
engine compartment fuse box
cover
When opening the fuse box, com-
pletely release the claw locks
before lifting up the cover. Other-
wise, the claws may be damaged.

4386-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
WARNING
■Replacing light bulb
●Turn off the light. Do not attempt
to replace the bulb immediately
after turning off the light.
The bulb become very hot and
may cause burns.
●Do not touch the glass portion
of the light bulb with bare
hands. When it is unavoidable
to hold the glass portion, use
and hold with a clean dry cloth
to avoid getting moisture and
oils on the bulb.
Also, if the bulb is scratched or
dropped, it may blow out or
crack.
●Fully install light bulb and any
parts used to secure it. Failure
to do so may result in heat dam-
age, fire, or water entering the
light unit. This may damage the
light or cause condensation to
build up on the lens.
●Do not attempt t o repair or dis-
assemble light bulbs, connec-
tors, electric circuits or
component parts.
Doing so may result in death or
serious injury due to electric
shock.
■To prevent damage or fire
●Make sure bulb is fully seated
and locked.
●Check the wattage of the bulb
before installing to prevent heat
damage.

439
7
7
When trouble arises
When trouble arises
7-1. Essential informationEmergency flashers .... 440
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency.................................. 440
If the vehicle is submerged or water on the road is ris-
ing ............................. 441
7-2. Steps to take in an emer- gency
If your vehicle needs to be towed......................... 443
If you think something is wrong ........................ 447
Fuel pump shut off system .................................. 448
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds.................................. 449
If a warning message is dis- played........................ 459
If you have a flat tire.... 463
If the engine will not start .................................. 472
If you lose your keys ... 474
If the electronic key does not operate properly (vehi-
cles with smart key sys-
tem) ........................... 474
If the vehicle battery is dis- charged ..................... 476
If your vehicle overheats .................................. 480If the vehicle becomes
stuck .......................... 482

4417-1. Essential information
7
When trouble arises
Vehicles with smart key sys-
tem
Press and hold the engine switch
for 2 consecutive seconds or more,
or press it briefly 3 times or more in
succession.
5Stop the vehicle in a safe
place by the road. 
If the door can be opened,
open the door and exit the
vehicle.
 If the door can not be opened,
open the window using the
power window switch and
ensure an escape route.
 If the window can be opened,
exit the vehicle through the
window.
 If the door and window cannot
be opened due to the rising
water, remain calm, wait until
the water level inside the
vehicle rises to the point that
the water pressure inside of
the vehicle equals the water
pressure outside of the vehi-
cle and then open the door
after waiting for the rising
water to enter the vehicle, and
exit the vehicle. When the
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned
off while driving
●Power assist for the brakes and
steering wheel will be lost, mak-
ing the brake pedal harder to
depress and the steering wheel
heavier to turn. Decelerate as
much as possible before turning
off the engine.
●Vehicles without smart key sys-
tem: Never attempt to remove
the key, as doing so will lock the
steering wheel.
If the vehicle is sub-
merged or water on
the road is rising
This vehicle is not designed
to be able to drive on roads
that are deeply flooded with
water. Do not drive on roads
where the roads may be
submerged or the water
may be rising. It is danger-
ous to remain in the vehicle,
if it anticipated that the vehi-
cle will be flooded or set a
drift. Remain calm and fol-
low the following.

4427-1. Essential information
outside water level exceeds
half the height of the door, the
door cannot be opened from
the inside due to water pres-
sure.
■Water level exceeds the floor
When the water level exceeds the
floor and time has passed, the elec-
trical equipment will get damaged,
the power windows will not operate,
the engine stops, and the vehicle
may not be able to get moving.
■Using an emergency escape
hammer*
Laminated glass is used in the wind-
shield on this vehicle. Laminated
glass cannot be shattered with an
emergency hammer
*. Tempered
glass is used in the windows on this
vehicle.
*: Contact your Toyota dealer or
aftermarket accessory manufac-
turer for further information about
an emergency hammer.
WARNING
■Caution while driving
Do not drive on roads where the
roads may be submerged or the
water may be rising. Otherwise
the vehicle may be damaged and
cannot move, as well as become
flooded and set a drift, which may
lead to death.

4447-2. Steps to take in an emergency
When using a flat-bed truck to
transport the vehicle, use tire
strapping belts. Refer to the
owner’s manual of the flat-bed
truck for the tire strapping
method.
In order to suppress vehicle
movement during transporta-
tion, set the parking brake and
turn the engine switch to off.
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle
with the front wh eels raised or
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the front wh eels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and
related parts may be damaged.
AWD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires contacting the
ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehi-
cle may fly off the truck.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when t owing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Vehicles without smart key sys-
tem: Do not tow the vehicle from
the rear when the engine switch
is in the “LOCK” position or the
key is removed. The steering
lock mechanism is not strong
enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■Towing with a sling-type
truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
Using a flatbed truck

4467-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Type B
4 Tighten down the towing eye-
let securely using a wheel nut
wrench or hard metal bar.
Type A
Type B
5 Securely attach cables or
chains to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehi-
cle body.
6Enter the vehicle being towed
and start the engine.
Turn off the Parkin g Support Brake function (if equipped):
P.299
If the engine does not start, turn the
engine switch to ON.
Vehicles with Stop & Start system:
Before towing the ve hicle, turn the
engine switch to OFF once, and
then start the engine.
7 Shift the shift lever to N and
release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.215)
When the shift lever cannot be
shifted:  P.210
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not function, making
steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench (if equipped)
Wheel nut wrench is installed in the
tool bag in luggage compartment.
(  P.464)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■While towing
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Vehicles without smart key sys-
tem: Do not turn the engine
switch to the “LOCK” position.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.

4477-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air
conditioning after use is nor-
mal.)
 Flat-looking tires or uneven
tire wear
 Engine coolant temperature
gauge needle continually
points higher than normal.
 Changes in exhaust sound
 Excessive tire squeal when
cornering
 Strange noises related to the
suspension system
 Pinging or other noises
related to the engine
 Engine missing, stumbling or
running roughly
 Appreciable loss of power
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one
WARNING
■Installing towi ng eyelets to
the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely. If not securely
installed, towing eyelets may
come loose during towing.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle during emergency
towing
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■When towing the vehicle
(vehicles with Stop & Start
system)
If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground,
perform the following procedure
before towing the vehicle, in order
to protect t he system.
Turn the engine switch to OFF
and then start the engine or turn
the engine switch to ON.
If you think something
is wrong
If you notice any of the fol-
lowing symptoms, your
vehicle probably needs
adjustment or repair. Con-
tact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms