TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID 2021 Owners Manual

309
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
Check the allowable towing capac -
ity, GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass),
MPAC (Maximum Permissible Axle
Capacity), and permissible drawbar
load before towing. ( →P.618)
Toyota recommends the use of the
Toyota hitch/bracke t for your vehi-
cle. Other products of a suitable
nature and comparable quality may
also be used.
For vehicles where the towing
device blocks any of the lights or
license plate, the fo llowing shall be
observed:
 Do not use towing device that
cannot be easily removed or
repositioned.
 Towing devices must be
removed or repositioned when
not in use.
Please consult a ny authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer
when installing tra iler lights, as
incorrect installa tion may cause
damage to the vehicle’s lights.
Please take care to comply with
your state’s laws when installing
trailer lights.
■Total trailer weight and per -
missible drawbar load
Total trailer weight
WARNING
●Do not use dynamic radar cruise
control with full- speed range (if
equipped) or cruise control (if equipped) when trailer towing.
■Vehicle speed in towing
Observe the legal maximum speeds
for trailer towing.
■Before descending hills or long declines
Reduce speed and downshift. How -
ever, never downshift suddenly while descending steep or long downhill
grades.
■Operation of the brake pedal
Do not hold the brake pedal
depressed often or for long periods of time.
Doing so may result in the brake over -
heating or reduce braking effects.
Weight limits
Towing hitch/bracket
Connecting trailer lights
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical sys - tem and cause a malfunction.
Important points regarding
trailer loads
A

3105-1. Before driving
Weight of the trailer itself plus the trailer
load should be within the maximum
towing capacity. Exceeding this weight
is dangerous. ( →P.618)
When towing a trailer, use a friction
coupler or friction st abilizer (sway con-
trol device).
Permissible drawbar load
Allocate the trailer load so that the
drawbar load is g reater than 25 kg
(55.1 lb.) or 4% of the towing capacity.
Do not let the draw bar load exceed the
indicated weight. ( →P.618)
■Information tag (manufac-
turer’s label)
Gross vehicle mass
The combined weight of the driver, pas -
sengers, luggage, towing hitch, total
curb mass and drawbar load should not
exceed the gross vehicle mass by more
than 100 kg (220.5 lb.). Exceeding this
weight is dangerous.
Maximum permissible rear axle
capacity
The weight borne by the rear axle
should not exceed the maximum per -
missible rear axle capacity by 15% or
more. Exceeding this weight is danger -
ous.
The values for towing capacity were
derived from testing conducted at sea
level. Take note t hat hybrid system out-
put and towing capacity will be reduced
at high altitudes.
B
A
B
WARNING
■When the gross vehicle mass or
maximum permissible axle capacity is exceeded
Failing to observe this precaution may
lead to an accident causing death or
serious injury.
●Add an additional 20.0 kPa (0.2
kgf/cm2 or bar, 3 psi) to the recom -
mended tire inflation pressure
value. ( →P.624)
●Do not exceed the established
speed limit for towing a trailer in built-up areas or 100 km/h (62
mph), whichever is lower.

311
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
458 mm (18.0 in.)
461 mm (18.1 in.)
536 mm (21.1 in.)
Installation positions for the towing hitch/bracket and hitch
ball
A
B
C

3125-1. Before driving
537 mm (21.1 in.)
537 mm (21.1 in.)
536 mm (21.1 in.)
461 mm (18.1 in.)
458 mm (18.0 in.)
D
E
F
G
H

313
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
2 mm (0.07 in.)
13 mm (0.5 in.)
28 mm (1.1 in.)
A
B
C

3145-1. Before driving
34 mm (1.3 in.)
412 mm (16.2 in.)
332 mm (13.1 in.)
370 mm (14.6 in.)
570 mm (22.4 in.)
601 mm (23.7 in.)
1073 mm (42.2 in.)
Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. In order to
avoid accident, d eath or serious
injury, keep the following in mind
when towing:
■Checking connections
between trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the
operation of the connection
between the trailer and lights after
driving for a brief period as well as
before starting off.
■Practicing driving with a cou -
pled trailer
 Get the feel for turning, stopping
and reversing with the trailer
coupled by practicing in an area
with no or light traffic.
 When reversing with a coupled
trailer, hold the section of the
steering wheel nearest to you
and rotate clockwise to turn the
trailer left or co unterclockwise to
turn it right. Always rotate a little
at a time to prevent steering
error. Have someone guide you
when reversing to lessen the risk
of an accident.
■Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle
distance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the
distance to the vehicle running
ahead of you should be equivalent
to or greater th an the combined
length of you r vehicle and trailer.
Avoid sudden braking that may
cause skidding. Otherwise, the
vehicle may spin out of control. This
is especially true when driving on
wet or slippery road surfaces.
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
NOTICE
■When the rear bumper strength -
ening material is aluminum
Ensure the steel bracket part does not
come directly in contact with that
area.
When steel and aluminum come into
contact, there is a reaction similar to
corrosion, which will weaken the sec - tion concerned and may result in
damage. Apply a rust inhibitor to parts
that will come in contact when attach - ing a steel bracket.
Guidance

315
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
■Sudden acceleration/steering
input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing
may result in the trailer colliding
with your vehicle. D ecelerate well in
advance when approaching turns
and take them slowly and carefully
to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding
turning
The wheels of the tr ailer will travel
closer to the inside of the curve
than the wheels of the vehicle. To
make allowance for this, take the
turns wider than you would nor -
mally do.
■Important points regarding
stability
Vehicle movement resulting from
uneven road surfaces and strong
crosswinds will affect handling. The
vehicle may also be rocked by
passing buses or large trucks. Fre -
quently check behind when moving
alongside such vehicles. As soon
as such vehicle movement occurs,
immediately start to decelerate
smoothly by slowly applying the
brakes. Always steer the vehicle
straight ahead while braking.
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length
of your vehicle and trailer and
ensure that the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance is sufficient before execut -
ing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking effi -
ciency, when using engine braking,
do not use the transmission in D.
( →P.321)
■If the hybrid system overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long,
steep incline in temperatures
exceeding 30°C (85°F) may result
in the hybrid system overheating. If
the high coolant temperature warn -
ing light indicates that the hybrid
system is overheating, turn the air
conditioning off immediately, leave
the road and stop the vehicle in a
safe place. ( →P.611)
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under
the wheels of both the vehicle and
trailer. Firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to P.
■Break-in schedule
Toyota recommends that vehicles fitted
with new power train components
should not be used for towing trailers for the first 800 km (500 miles).
■Maintenance
●Maintenance must be performed more frequently when using the vehicle for
towing due to the greater weight bur -
den placed on the vehicle compared to normal driving.
●Retighten all bolts securing the hitch - ing ball and bracket after towing for
approximately 1000 km (600 miles).
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factor s (crosswinds, pass- ing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can
adversely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing instability.

3165-1. Before driving
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by
turning the steering wheel. • Begin releasing the accelerator pedal
immediately but very gradually to
reduce speed. Do not increase speed. Do not apply
vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with
the steering or brakes, your vehicle and
trailer should stabilize (if enabled, Trailer
Sway Control can also help to stabilize
the vehicle and trailer.).
●After the trailer swaying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants
out of the vehicle. • Check the tires of t he vehicle and the
trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appro -
priate, if possible. • Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded
after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which trailer swaying occurred
is beyond the limit of your particular
vehicle-trailer combination. Drive at a
lower speed to pre vent instability.
Remember that swaying of the towing
vehicle-trailer increases as speed
increases.

317
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
5-2.Driving procedures
1 Check that the AC charging
cable is disconnected. ( →P.135)
2 Pull the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is
set. ( →P.326)
The parking brake indicator will come
on.
3 Check that the shift lever is set
in P.
4 Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be dis-
played on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed , the hybrid system
cannot be started.
5 Press the power switch shortly
and firmly.
When operating the power switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not necessary to press an d hold the switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on, the
hybrid system will operate normally.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the “READY” i ndicator is illumi-
nated.
The hybrid system c an be started from
any power switch mode.
6 Check that the “READY” indica-
tor is illuminated.
The vehicle will not move when the
“READY” indicator is off.
■Power switch illumination
According to the sit uation, the power
switch illumination operates as follows.
●When driver’s door or front passen -
ger’s door is opened, the power
switch illumination illuminates.
●When depressing the brake pedal with
carrying the electr onic key on your person, the power switch illumination
blinks.
●When the power switch is in ACC or
ON, the power switch illumination illu -
minates.
●When the power switch mode is
changed from ACC or ON to OFF, the power switch illumination illuminates
for a certain amo unt of time. After-
wards, the power switch illumination turns off.
■If the hybrid syste m does not start
●The immobilizer system may not have
been deactivated. ( →P.76) Contact any authorized Toyota retailer
or Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer.
●If a message relate d to start-up is
shown on the multi-information dis - play, read the message and follow the
instructions.
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following oper-
ations when carrying the elec -
tronic key on your person
starts the hybrid system or
changes power switch modes.
Starting the hybrid system

3185-2. Driving procedures
■When the ambient temperature is
low, such as during winter driving conditions
●When starting the hy brid system, the flashing time of the “READY” indicator
may be long. Leave the vehicle as it is
until the “READY” indicator is steady on, as steady means the vehicle is
able to move.
●When the hybrid bat tery (traction bat-
tery) is extremely cold (below approxi -
mately -30°C [-22°F]) under the influence of the outside temperature, it
may not be possible to start the hybrid
system. In this case, try to start the hybrid system again after the tem -
perature of the hybrid battery
increases due to t he outside tempera- ture increase etc.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a
hybrid vehicle
→ P.91
■If the 12-volt battery is discharged
The hybrid system cannot be started
using the smart en try & start system.
Refer to P.606 to res tart the hybrid sys- tem.
■Electronic key battery depletion
→ P.202
■Conditions affecting operation
→ P.225
■Note for the entry function
→ P.225
■Steering lock function
●After turning the power switch to OFF and opening and clos ing the doors,
the steering wheel will be locked due
to the steering lock function. Operat -
ing the power switch again automati- cally cancels the steering lock.
●When the steering lock cannot be released, “Push Power Switch while
Turning Steering Wheel in Either
Direction” will be displayed on the multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Press the power switch shortly and
firmly while turning the steering wheel
left and right.
●To prevent the st eering lock motor
from overheating, the motor may be suspended if the hybrid system is
turned on and off repeatedly in a short
period of time. In this case, refrain from operating the power switch. After
about 10 seconds, the steering lock
motor will resume functioning.
■If there is a malfunction in the smart entry & start system
If “Smart Entry & St art System Malfunc-
tion” is displayed on the multi-informa - tion display, the system may be
malfunctioning. Have the vehicle
inspected by any a uthorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or
any reliable repairer immediately.
■If the “READY” indicator does not
come on
In the event that the “READY” indicator
does not come on even after performing
the proper procedures for starting the vehicle, contact any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or
any reliable repairer immediately.
■If the hybrid system is malfunction - ing
→ P.99
■Electronic key battery
→ P.543
■Operation of the power switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and
firmly, the power switch mode may not
change or the hybri d system may not start.
●If attempting to restart the hybrid sys - tem immediately after turning the