TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: TOYOTA, Model Year: 2023, Model line: RAV4, Model: TOYOTA RAV4 2023Pages: 574, PDF Size: 17.31 MB
Page 311 of 574

3114-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
Eco drive mode indicator illumi-
nates on the multi-information dis-
play.
2Normal mode
Suitable for normal driving.
The driving mode returns to normal 
mode if the switch is pressed while 
in Eco drive mode or sport mode.
3Sport mode
Controls the steering feeling and 
engine to create an acceleration 
response that is su itable for sporty 
driving. Suitable for when crisp 
handling is desired, such as when 
driving on mountainous roads.
When the switch is pressed while 
not in sport mode, the system 
switches to sport mode and the 
sport mode indicator illuminates on 
the multi-inform ation display.
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring 
AWD vehicles
1 Eco drive mode
Suitable for driving to improve fuel  economy by more 
smoothly gener-
ating torque in response to acceler-
ator pedal operations compared to 
normal mode and restraining air 
conditioning system operations 
(heating/cooling).
When the switch is pressed while 
not in Eco drive mode, the system 
switches to Eco drive mode and the 
Eco drive mode i ndicator illumi-
nates on the multi-information dis-
play.
2 Normal mode
Suitable for n ormal driving.
The driving mode returns to normal 
mode if the switch i s pressed while 
in Eco drive mode or sport mode.
3 Sport mode
Controls the steering feeling and 
engine to create an acceleration 
response that is suitable for sporty 
driving. Suitable  for when crisp 
handling is desired, such as when 
driving on mountainous roads.
When the switch is pressed while 
not in sport mode, the system 
switches to sport mode and the 
sport mode indicat or illuminates on 
the multi-information display.
■When the driving mode is 
changed
●The background color of the multi-
information display changes 
according to the selected driving 
mode.
●When the speedometer is set to 
analog display, the speedometer 
display color also changes. (For 
vehicles with the 7-inch multi-
information di splay only)
●Switches to AWD control suitable 
for the selected mode. (For 
Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD 
vehicles only) 
Page 312 of 574

3124-5. Using the driving support systems
■Air conditioning system opera-
tion in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, heating/cooling 
operations and the fan speed is con-
trolled to improve fuel efficiency. 
Perform the following procedures to 
increase the air conditioning perfor-
mance.
●Vehicles with automatic air condi-
tioning system: Turn eco air condi-
tioning mode off ( P.339)
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.332, 
339)
●Cancel Eco drive mode
■Canceling a driving mode
●Sport mode is automatically can-
celed and the driving mode 
returns to normal mode when the 
engine switch is turned off.
●Normal mode and Eco drive mode 
are not canceled until another 
driving mode is sel ected. (Even if 
the engine switch is turned off, 
normal mode and Eco drive mode 
will not be automatically can-
celed.)
Select a mode that is appropri-
ate for the road condition.
■Mud & Sand mode
Suitable for driving on roads 
with increased driving resis-
tance in which tires could 
become stuck, such as sandy 
roads, muddy roads, etc.
Multi-terrain Select 
(AWD vehicles)
Multi-terrain Select is 
designed to control AWD, 
brake and driving force sys-
tems in accordance with the 
road condition. Use the sys-
tem when driving over 
muddy, sandy or rough road 
surfaces.
WARNING
■Before using Multi-terrain 
Select
Make sure to observe the follow-
ing precautions. Failure to 
observe these precautions may 
result in an unexp ected accident.
●Check that the Mud & Sand and 
Rock & Dirt indicators are illumi-
nated before driving.
●Multi-terrain Select is not 
intended to expand the limit per-
formance of the vehicle. Thor-
oughly check the road 
conditions and driving route 
before driving, and drive with 
caution.
Control in each mode 
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3134-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■Rock & Dirt mode
Suitable for driving on bumpy 
roads, such as on unpaved for-
est roads.
■Normal mode
Suitable for normal driving. Use 
Normal mode when not driving 
off-road.
■Dynamic Torque Control 
AWD vehicles (if equipped)
Pressing the switch switches the 
mode as follows:
1 Switches to Mud & Sand 
mode
2 Switches to Normal mode
3 Switches to Rock & Dirt 
mode
When the mode is switched, the 
state of the indica tor/warning light  will change a
s follows:
• Mud & Sand mode
Mud & Sand mode indicator, VSC 
OFF indicator ( P.80) and PCS 
warning light ( P.78) illuminate.
• Rock & Dirt mode
Rock & Dirt mode indicator illumi-
nates.
• Normal mode
The indicators and /or warning lights 
above turn off.
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring 
AWD vehicles (if equipped)
Operating the dial switch 
switches the mode as follows:
1 Switches to Mud & Sand 
mode
2 Switches to Normal mode
3 Switches to Rock & Dirt 
mode
When the mode is switched, the 
state of the indicator/warning light 
will change a s follows:
Changing the mode 
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3144-5. Using the driving support systems
• Mud & Sand mode
Mud & Sand mode indicator, VSC 
OFF indicator (P.80) and PCS 
warning light ( P.78) illuminate.
•Rock & Dirt mode
Rock & Dirt mode indicator illumi-
nates.
•Normal mode
The indicators and/or warning lights 
above turn off.
■Multi-terrain Select
●Multi-terrain Sele ct is intended for 
use when driving  on rough roads. 
Drive in Normal mode during nor-
mal driving.
●The Mud & Sand and Rock & Dirt 
modes control the vehicle so that 
it can maximize  the drive force 
and improve the drive force on 
rough roads. As a result, fuel effi-
ciency may diminish when com-
pared to driving in Normal mode.
■When Multi-terrain Select brake 
control is operating
The slip indicator flashes when 
Multi-terrain Selec t brake control is 
operating.
■AWD control for Mud & Sand 
and Rock & Dirt modes
If the vehicle s peed exceeds the 
speeds listed below,  the same level 
of AWD control for Normal mode is 
performed, even if Mud & Sand or 
Rock & Dirt mode is selected.
●Mud & Sand mode: Vehicle speed 
is approximately 25 mph (40 
km/h) or more
●Rock & Dirt mode: Vehicle speed 
is approximately 16 mph (25 
km/h) or more
If the vehicle speed drops below the 
above speeds, the system automati-
cally returns to the AWD control for 
each mode.
■When “Traction Control Turned 
OFF” is displaye d on the multi-
information display
Multi-terrain Select  brake control is 
temporarily stopped due to overheat 
of the brakes.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location 
as soon as possible and wait until 
the message disappears from the 
multi-informat ion display.
■When the system switches to 
Normal mode automatically
In the following situ ations, the sys-
tem switches to N ormal mode auto-
matically:
●When the driving mode is 
changed ( P.310)
●When the engine switch is turned 
off
■Sounds and vibrations when 
driving in Mud & Sand or Rock 
& Dirt mode
Any of the following conditions may 
occur when Multi-terrain Select is 
operating. None of these indicates 
that a malfunction has occurred:
●Vibrations may be felt throughout 
the vehicle or steering wheel
●Sounds may be heard from the 
engine compartment
■When the slip indicator illumi-
nates
The system may be malfunctioning. 
Have the vehicle inspected by your 
Toyota dealer immediately.
■When the indicator for each 
mode does no t illuminate
The system may be malfunctioning 
if the indicator does not illuminate 
when selecting the mode other than 
Normal mode. Have the vehicle 
inspected by your Toyota dealer 
immediately. 
Page 315 of 574

3154-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■Dynamic Torque Control 
AWD vehicles
Press the snow mode switch.
When the switch is pressed, the 
system switches to snow mode and 
the snow mode indi cator illuminates 
on the multi-information display.
When the switch is pressed again, 
the snow mode indicator turns off.
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring 
AWD vehicles
Press the snow mode switch.
When the switch is pressed, the 
system switches to snow mode and 
the snow mode indi cator illuminates 
on the multi-information display.
NOTICE
■In order to ensure that Multi-
terrain Select operates prop-
erly
Do not continuously use Multi-ter-
rain Select for a long period of 
time. Depending on the driving 
conditions, the load on related 
parts increases and the system 
may not operate properly
Snow mode switch 
(AWD vehicles)
Snow mode can be selected 
to suit the conditions when 
driving on slippery road sur-
faces, such as on snow.
System operation 
Page 316 of 574

3164-5. Using the driving support systems
When the switch is pressed again, 
the snow mode indicator turns off.
■When changing to snow mode
The background of the multi-infor-
mation display changes.
■Canceling the snow mode
Snow mode is automatically can-
celed when the engine switch is 
turned off or Mud & Sand or Rock & 
Dirt mode is selec ted for Multi-ter-
rain Select.
*: If equipped
Press the “DAC” switch
The downhill assist control system 
indicator will come on and the sys-
tem will operate. When the system 
is in operation, the slip indicator 
light will flash, and the stop 
lights/high mounted stop lights will 
be lit. A sound may also occur 
during the operati on. This does not 
indicate a malfunction.
Downhill assist con-
trol system*
The downhill assist control 
system helps to prevent 
excessive speed on steep 
downhill slopes.
The system will operate 
when the vehicle is traveling 
under 15 mph (25 km/h) with 
the accelerator and brake 
pedals released.
WARNING
■When using downhill assist 
control system
Do not rely overmuch on the 
downhill assist control system. 
This function does not extend the 
vehicle’s performance limitations. 
Always thoroughly check the road 
conditions, and drive safely.
System operation 
Page 317 of 574

3174-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
Press the “DAC” switch while 
the system is in operation.
The downhill assist control system 
indicator will flash as the system 
gradually ceases operation, and will 
turn off when the system is fully off.
Press the “DAC” switch while the 
downhill assist control system indi-
cator is flashing to start the system 
again.
■Operating tips
The system will op erate when the 
shift lever is in a 1 range of S mode 
or R.
■If the downhill assist control 
system indicator flashes
●In the following situations, the indi-
cator flashes and the system will 
not operate:
• The shift lever is in a position  other 1 range of S mode or R.
• The accelerator or brake pedal is  depressed.
• The vehicle speed exceeds 
approximately 15  mph (25 km/h).
• The brake system overheats.
●In the following si tuation, the indi-
cator flashes to a lert the driver, 
but the system will operate:
• The “DAC” switch is turned off 
while the system is operating.
The system will gr adually ceases 
operation. The indicator will flash  during operation, 
and then go off 
when the system is fully off.
■When the downhill assist con-
trol system is operated continu-
ously
This may cause the brake actuator 
to overheat. In thi s case, the down-
hill assist control system will stop 
operating, a buzze r will sound and 
the downhill assist control system 
indicator will start flashing, and 
“Traction Contro l Turned OFF” will 
be shown on the mu lti-information 
display. Refrain from using the sys-
tem until the downhill assist control 
system indicator stays on and the 
message goes off. (The vehicle can 
be driven normally during this time.)
■Sounds and vibrations caused 
by the downhill assist control 
system
●A sound may be heard from the 
engine compartment when the 
engine is started or just after the 
vehicle begins to move. This 
sound does not indicate that a 
malfunction has occurred in down-
hill assist control system.
●Either of the following conditions 
may occur when  the downhill 
assist control system is operating. 
None of these are indicators that a 
malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the 
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after  the vehicle comes to a stop.
■System malfunction
In the following ca ses, have your 
vehicle checked by your Toyota 
dealer.
●The downhill assist control system 
indicator does not come on when 
the engine switch  is turned to ON.
●The downhill assist control system 
indicator does not come on when 
the “DAC” switch is pressed.
●The slip indicator light comes on.
Turning off the system 
Page 318 of 574

3184-5. Using the driving support systems
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem)
Helps to prevent wheel lock 
when the brakes are applied 
suddenly, or if the brakes are 
applied while driving on a slip-
pery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of 
braking force after the brake 
pedal is depressed when the 
system detects a panic stop sit-
uation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Con-
trol)
Helps the driver to control skid-
ding when swerving suddenly or 
turning on slippery road sur-
faces.
WARNING
■The system may not operate 
on the following surfaces, 
which may lead to an acci-
dent causing death or serious 
injury
●Slippery surfaces such as wet 
or muddy roads
●Icy surface
●Unpaved roads
Driving assist systems
To keep driving safety and 
performance, the following 
systems operate automati-
cally in response to various 
driving situations. Be 
aware, however, that these 
systems are supplementary 
and should not be relied 
upon too heavily when oper-
ating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving 
assist systems 
Page 319 of 574

3194-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced 
Vehicle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of 
the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintai n directional 
stability when swerving on slip-
pery road surfaces by con-
trolling steering performance.
■Trailer Sway Control
Helps the driver to control trailer 
sway by selectively applying 
brake pressure for individual 
wheels and reducing driving 
torque when trailer sway is 
detected.
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power 
and prevent the drive wheels 
from spinning when starting the 
vehicle or accelerating on slip-
pery roads
■Active Cornering Assist 
(ACA)
Helps to prevent the vehicle 
from drifting to the outer side by 
performing inner wheel brake 
control when attempting to 
accelerate while turning
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward 
movement of the vehicle when 
starting on an uphill
■EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing)
Employs an electric motor to 
reduce the amount of effort  needed to turn the steering 
wheel.
■Dynamic Torque Control 
AWD system (AWD models) 
(if equipped)
Automatically controls the drive 
system such as to front-wheel 
drive or AWD (all wheel drive) 
according to various running 
conditions including normal driv-
ing, during cornering, on a 
uphill, when starting off, during 
acceleration, on a slippery roads 
due to snow or rain, thus con-
tributing to stable operability and 
driving stability.
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring 
AWD system (AWD models) 
(if equipped)
Automatically controls the drive 
system such as to front-wheel 
drive or AWD (all wheel drive) 
according to various running 
conditions including normal driv-
ing, during cornering, on a 
uphill, when starting off, during 
acceleration, on a slippery roads 
due to snow or rain, thus con-
tributing to stable operability and 
driving stability.
Also, drive torque distribution is 
precisely controlled during cor-
nering, contributing to improve-
ments in operability and 
stability.
■The Secondary Collision 
Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor  
Page 320 of 574

3204-5. Using the driving support systems
detects a collision and the sys-
tem operates, the brakes and 
brake lights are automatically 
controlled to reduce the vehicle 
speed and help reduce the pos-
sibility of further damage due to 
a secondary collision.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Multi-ter-
rain Select/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems are operating
The slip indicator  light will flash 
while the TRAC/VSC/Multi-terrain 
Select/Trailer Sway Control systems 
are operating.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt 
or snow, the TRAC system may 
reduce power from the engine to the 
wheels.
Pressing   to turn the system off 
may make it easier  for you to rock 
the vehicle in order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off, 
quickly press and release  .
The “Traction Control Turned OFF” 
will be shown on the multi-informa-
tion display. Press   again to turn the system 
back on.
■Turning off the 
TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems
To turn the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway 
Control systems of f, press and hold 
 for more than 3 seconds while 
the vehicle is stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will 
come on and the “Traction Control 
Turned OFF” will be  shown on the 
multi-informat ion display.
*
Press   again to turn the systems 
back on.
*: PCS (Pre-Collision System) will 
also be disabled (only pre-collision 
warning is available). The PCS 
warning light will come on and a 
message will be disp layed on the 
multi-information display. 
(  P.249)
■When the message is dis-
played on the multi-information 
display showing that TRAC has 
been disabled even if   has 
not been pressed
TRAC is temporary deactivated. If 
the information continues to show, 
contact your Toyota dealer.
■Operating conditions of hill-
start assist control
When all of the fo llowing conditions 
are met, the hill-star t assist control 
will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position 
other than P or N (when starting 
off forward/backward on an 
upward incline)
●The vehicle is stopped
●The accelerator pedal is not 
depressed