air condition TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Service Manual

3425-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
1Press the “AUTO” switch.
The dehumidification function
begins to operate. Air outlets and
fan speed are automatically
adjusted according to the tempera-
ture setting and humidity.
2 Adjust the temperature set-
ting.
3 To stop the operation, press
the “OFF” switch.
If the fan speed setting or air
flow modes are operated, the
automatic mode indicator goes
off. However, automatic mode
for functions other than that
operated is maintained.
■Using automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automati-
cally according to the temperature
setting and the ambient conditions.
Therefore, the fan may stop for a
while until warm or cool air is ready
to flow immediately after the auto-
matic mode switch is pressed.
This function automatically con-
trols the air conditioning airflow
so that priority is given to the
front seats. Unnecessary air
conditioning is suppressed, con-
tributing to increased fuel effi-
ciency.
Front seat concentrated airflow
mode operates in the following
situations. 
No passengers are detected
in the rear seats
 The windshield defogger is
not operating
While operating, illumi-
nates.
■Manually turning front seat
concentrated airflow mode
on/off
In front seat concentrated air-
flow mode, directing airflow to
the front seats only and to all
seats can be switched via switch
operation. When the mode has
been switched manually, auto-
matic airflow control stops oper-
ating.
Press on the air condition-
ing operation panel and switch
the airflow.
 Indicator illuminated: Airflow
to the front seats only
 Indicator off: Airflow to all the
seats
■Operation of automatic airflow
control
●In order to maintain a comfortable
interior, airflow may be directed to
seats without passengers immedi-
ately after the engine is started
and at other times depending on
the outside temperature.
●After the engine is started, if pas-
sengers move around inside or
enter/exit the vehicle, the system
cannot accurately d etect the pres-
ence of passengers and auto-
matic airflow control will not
Using automatic mode
Front seat concentrated
airflow mode (S-FLOW)

3435-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
operate.
■Operation of manual airflow
control
Even if the function is manually
switched to directing airflow to only
the front seats, whe n a rear seat is
occupied, it may automatically direct
airflow to all seats.
■To return to auto matic airflow
control
1 With the indicator off, turn the
engine switch to OFF.
2 After 60 minutes or more elapse,
turn the engine switch to ON.
This feature is used to prevent
ice from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
Press the switch to turn the sys-
tem on/off.
The indicator comes on when the
system is on.
The windshield wiper de-icer will
automatically turn o ff after a period
of time.
■Location of air outlets
The air outlets and air volume
change according to the
selected air flow mode.
■Adjusting the air flow direc-
tion and opening/closing
the air outlets
Front
1 Direct air flow to the left or
right, up or down
2 Open the vent
*
Windshield wiper de-icer
(if equipped)
WARNING
■To prevent burns
Do not touch the glass at lower
part of the windshield or to the
side of the front p illars when the
windshield wiper deicer is on.
Air outlet layout and oper-
ations

3445-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
3Close the vent*
*: If equipped (center air outlets
only)
Rear
1 Direct air flow to the left or
right, up or down
2 Open the vent
3 Close the vent*: If equipped
WARNING
■To not interrupt the wind-
shield defogger from operat-
ing
Do not place anything on the
instrument panel which may cover
the air outlets. Otherwise, air flow
may be obstructed, preventing the
windshield defoggers from defog-
ging.
Heated steering
wheel*/seat heat-
ers*/seat ventilators*
 Heated steering wheel
Warm up the grip of the steer-
ing wheel
 Seat heaters
Warm up the seat upholstery
 Seat ventilators
Maintain good ventilation by
pulling air through the seat
upholstery
WARNING
■To prevent minor burn inju-
ries
Care should be taken if anyone in
the following categories comes in
contact with the steering wheel or
seats when the heater is on:
●Babies, small children, the
elderly, the sick and the physi-
cally challenged
●Persons with sensitive skin
●Persons who are fatigued
●Persons who have taken alco-
hol or drugs that induce sleep
(sleeping drugs, cold remedies,
etc.)

3455-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
Turns the heated steering wheel
on/off
The indicator light comes on when
the heated steering wheel is oper-
ating.
■Operation condition
The engine switch is in ON.
Front
Turns the seat heaters on/off 1
High temperature
2 Low temperature
When the seat heater is on, the
indicator illuminates on the seat
heater switch.
When not in use, put the switch
in the neutral position. The indi-
cator will turn off.
Rear
Turns the seat heaters on/off
The indicator light comes on
when the seat heater is operat-
ing.
■Operation condition
The engine switch is in ON.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
seat heaters and seat ventila-
tors
Do not put heavy objects that
have an uneven surface on the
seat and do not stick sharp
objects (needles, nails, etc.) into
the seat.
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not use the functions when the
engine is not running.
Heated steering wheel
Operating the seat heat-
ers

3465-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Turns the seat heaters and ven-
tilators on/off
The level indicators come on
during operation.
Each time the switch is pressed,
the operation condition changes as
follows.
Hi (3 segments lit)  Mid (2 seg-
ments lit)  Lo (1 segment lit) 
Off
1 Turns the seat heater on
The level indicators come on
yellow during operation.
2Turns the seat ventilator on
The level indicators come on
green during operation.
■Operation condition
The engine switch is in ON.
■Air conditioning system-linked
control mode
When a seat ventilator is set to Hi,
the fan speed of the seat ventilator
may increase according to the fan
speed of the air conditioning sys-
tem.
WARNING
■To prevent causes of over-
heating and minor burn inju-
ries
Observe the following precautions
when using a seat heater:
●Do not cover the seat with a
blanket or cushion when using
the seat heater.
●Do not use seat heater more
than necessary.
Seat heaters and ventila-
tors
A
A
A
WARNING
■To prevent causes of over-
heating and minor burn inju-
ries
Observe the following precautions
when using a seat heater:
●Do not cover the seat with a
blanket or cushion when using
the seat heater.
●Do not use seat heater more
than necessary.

379
6
6
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 380
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 384
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements.................................. 387
General maintenance.. 389
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams ........................ 391
6-3. Do-it-yourself mainte- nance
Do-it-yourself service pre- cautions ..................... 393
Hood ........................... 395
Positioning a floor jack 396
Engine compartment ... 398
Tires ............................ 405
Tire inflation pressure . 416
Wheels ......... ...............418
Air conditioning filter .... 420
Wiper insert replacement .................................. 422
Wireless remote con- trol/electronic key battery.................................. 425
Checking and replacing fuses.......................... 428
Headlight aim .............. 431
Light bulbs................... 432

3836-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■When using an automatic car
wash (vehicles with rain-
sensing windshield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to off posi-
tion.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”,
the wipers may operate and the
wiper blades may be damaged.
■When using a high pressure
car wash
●When washing the vehicle, do
not let water from the high-pres-
sure washer directly hit the
camera or the area around the
camera. Due to th e shock from
the high pressure water, it is
possible that the device may not
operate normally.
●Do not spray water directly on
the radar which is equipped
behind the radar sensor cover.
Otherwise it may cause the
device to be damaged.
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close
to boots (rubber or resin manu-
factured cover), or connectors
or the following parts.
The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with
high-pressure water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at
least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from
the vehicle body. Otherwise
resin section, such as moldings
and bumpers, may be deformed
and damaged. Also, do not con-
tinuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of
the windshield continuously. If
water enters the air conditioning
system intake located near the
lower part of the windshield, the
air conditioning system may not
operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of
the vehicle using a high pres-
sure car washer.

4016-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Coolant selection
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or a similar high quality
ethylene glycol based non-silicate,
non-amine, non-nitrite, and non-
borate coolant with long-life hybrid
organic acid technology.
U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
a mixture of 50% coolant and 50%
deionized water. (Minimum tem-
perature: -31°F [-35°C])
Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
a mixture of 55% coolant and 45%
deionized water. (Minimum tem-
perature: -44°F [-42°C])
For more details about coolant, con-
tact your To yota dealer.
■If the coolant level drops within
a short time of replenishing
Visually check the radiators, hoses,
engine/power control unit coolant
reservoir caps, drain cock and water
pump.
If you cannot find a leak, have your
Toyota dealer, t est the cap and
check for leaks in the cooling sys-
tem.
Check the radiator and con-
denser, and clear away any for-
eign objects.
If either of the above parts is
extremely dirty or you are not
sure of their condition, have
your vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN”
lines on the tank.
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant
reservoir cap.
The cooling system may be under
pressure and may spray hot cool-
ant if the cap is removed, causing
serious injuries, such as burns.
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither plain water nor
straight antifreeze. The correct
mixture of water and antifreeze
must be used to provide proper
lubrication, corrosion protection
and cooling. Be sure to read the
antifreeze or coolant label.
■If you spill coolant
Be sure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging parts or
paint.
Checking the radiator and
condenser
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or con-
denser as they may be hot and
cause serious injuries, such as
burns.
■When the electric cooling fan
is operating
Do not touch the engine compart-
ment.
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. Be sure the
engine switch is off when working
near the electric cooling fan or
radiator grille.
Checking and adding the
brake fluid

4066-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
etc., molded into the sidewall of
each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear
indicators are showing on a tire.
■When to replace your vehicle’s
tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are
showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as
cuts, splits, cracks deep enough
to expose the fabric, and bulges
indicating internal damage.
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or can-
not be properly repaired due to
the size or location of a cut or
other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with your
Toyota dealer.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be
checked by a qualified technician
even if it has seldom or never been
used or damage i s not obvious.
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the number given by
dividing the maximum load by 1.10
of the replacement tire is greater
than 1/2 of the Gross Axle Weight
Ratings (GAWR) of e ither the front
axle or the rear a xle, whichever is
greater.
For the GAWR, see the Certification
Regulation Label. For the maximum
load of the tire, see the load limit at
maximum cold tire inflation pressure
mentioned on the sidewall of the
tire. ( P.499)
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed perfor-
mance tires best suited to highway
driving under dry conditions. Since
summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires,
summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy
roads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow
tires is recommended. When install-
ing snow tires, be sure to replace all
four tires.
●All season tires
All season tires are designed to pro-
vide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most win-
ter conditions as well as for use
year-round. All season tires, how-
ever, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow
tires in heavy or loose snow. Also,
all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance com-
pared with summer tires in highway
driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads
or icy roads, we recommend using
snow tires. If you need snow tires,
select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load capacity as the
originally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original
equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radi al construction.
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels.
(  P.325)

4096-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
operate properly.
• If non-genuine Toyota wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original
Equipment) tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains, etc. are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire
is equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the
radio wave signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, particularly around the
wheels or wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is extremely higher than the speci-
fied level.
• If wheels without tire pressure warning valves a nd transmitters
are used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is
not registered in the tire pressure
warning computer.
●Performance may be affected in
the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power
plant, gas station , radio station,
large display, airpo rt or other facil-
ity that generates strong radio
waves or electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or
other wireless communication
device
If tire position information is not cor-
rectly displayed due to the radio
wave conditions, the display may be
corrected by driving and changing
the radio wave conditions.
●When the vehicle is parked, the
time taken for the warning to start
or go off could be extended.
●When tire inflation pressure
declines rapidly for example when
a tire has burst, the warning may
not function.
■Warning performance of the tire
pressure warning system
The warning of the tire pressure
warning system w ill change in
accordance with the conditions
under which it was initialized. For
this reason, the system may give a
warning even if th e tire pressure
does not reach a low enough level,
or if the pressure is higher than the
pressure that was adjusted to when
the system was initialized.
When replacing tires or wheels,
tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be
installed.
When new tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be
registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire
pressure warning system must
be initialized. ( P.413)
■When replacing the tires and
wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure
warning valve and tr ansmitter is not
registered, the tire pressure warning
system will not work properly. After
driving for about 20 minutes, the tire
pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute and stays on to indicate a
system malfunction.
Installing tire pressure
warning valves and trans-
mitters (if equipped)