check oil TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID 2021 Owners Manual

13Pictorial index
Precautions against winter season ................................................. P.445
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)*1............................. P.457
Precautions against car wash ................................... ...................... P.489
Replacing the wiper insert..................................... .......................... P.539
Fuel filler door ............................................... ................................ P.342
Refueling method ............................................... ............................. P.342
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity ................................... ......................... P.620
Charging port .................................................. .............................. P.105
Charging method ................................................ ............................ P.127
Tires .......................................................... ..................................... P.509
Tire size/inflation pressure .............................................................. P.624
Winter tires/tire chain ........................................ .............................. P.445
Checking/rotation/tire pressu re warning system ............................. P.509
Coping with flat tires......................................... ....................... P.582, 593
Hood ........................................................... .................................... P.498
Opening ........................................................ .................................. P.498
Engine oil ..................................................... ................................... P.621
Coping with overheat ........................................... ........................... P.611
Warning messages ............................................... .......................... P.578
Headlights/front position lights/daytime running lights ........ ... P.332
Turn signal lights ............................................. ............................. P.325
Front fog lights............................................... ............................... P.337
Tail lights .................................................... ................................... P.332
Tail lights .................................................... ................................... P.332
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R .................................. ............................ P.321
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.548, Watts: P.626)
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M

1703-1. Instrument cluster
Warning lights inform the driver of
malfunctions in the indicated vehi -
cle’s systems.
*1: These lights turn on when the power
switch is turned to ON to indicate
that a system check is being per -
formed. They will turn off after the
hybrid system is on , or after a few
seconds. There may be a malfunc-
tion in a system if the light does not
come on, or turn off. Have the vehi -
cle inspected by any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer.
Warning lights
(Red)
Brake system warning
light*1 ( →P.568)
(Yellow)
Brake system warning
light*1 ( →P.568)
Charging system warn -
ing light*1 ( →P.569)
High coolant temperature
warning light*2 ( →P.569)
Hybrid system overheat
warning light*2 ( →P.569)
Low engine oil pressure
warning light*2 ( →P.569)
Malfunction indicator
lamp*1 ( →P.570)
SRS warning light*1
( →P.570)
ABS warning light*1
( →P.570)
(Red/yellow)
Electric power steering
system warning light*1
( →P.570)
(Flashes or illu- minates)
PCS warning light*1 (if
equipped) ( →P.571)
(Orange)
LTA indicator (if
equipped) ( →P.571)
Toyota parking assist-
sensor OFF indicator*3 ( i f
equipped) ( →P.572)
PKSB OFF indicator*1 (if
equipped) ( →P.572)
BSM OFF indicator*1 (if
equipped) ( →P.573)
RCTA OFF indicator*1 (if
equipped)
( →P.573)
Slip indicator light*1
( →P.573)
Brake Override Sys -
tem/Drive-Start Con -
trol/PKSB (if equipped)
warning light*2 ( →P.574)
(Flashes)
Brake hold operated indi-
cator*1 ( →P.574)
(Flashes)
Parking brake indicator
( →P.574)
Tire pressure warning
light*1 ( →P.575)
Low fuel level warning
light ( →P.575)
Driver’s and front pas -
senger’s seat belt
reminder light ( →P.575)
Rear passengers’ seat
belt reminder lights
( →P.576)

3065-1. Before driving
NOTICE
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is
flooded, be sure t o have any autho- rized Toyota retailer or Toyota autho -
rized repairer, or any reliable repairer
check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of
oil and fluid used for the engine, hybrid transaxle (front and rear),
etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings
and suspension joints (where possi -
ble), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the park ing brake, and
shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do
so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
if the accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed.
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage pre -
cautions, cargo capacity and
load.
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried
in the luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the luggage compartment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so m ay prevent the ped-
als from being depressed properly, may block the driver’s vision, or may
result in items hitting the driver or
passengers, possibly causing an acci - dent.
●Stow cargo and l uggage in the lug-
gage compartment whenever pos - sible.
●Do not stack anything in the lug - gage compartment higher than the
seatbacks.
●When you fold down the rear seats,
long items should not be placed
directly behind the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not designed for passengers. They
should ride in their seats with their
seat belts properl y fastened. Other- wise, they are much more likely to
suffer death or serious bodily injury,
in the event of sudden braking, sud - den swerving or an accident.

449
5
5-6. Driving tips
Driving
cautions to ensure your driving
enjoyment and to help prevent the
closure of areas to off-road vehi -
cles:
 Drive your vehicle only in areas
where off-road vehicles are per -
mitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before enter -
ing private property.
 Do not enter areas that are
closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads. When
conditions are wet, driving tech -
niques should be changed or
travel delayed to prevent dam -
age to roads.
WARNING
■Off-road drivin g precautions
Always observe the following precau -
tions to minimize the risk of death, serious injury or damage to your vehi -
cle:
●Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands
and especially your thumbs on the
outside of the rim.
●Always check your b rakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand, mud, water or snow.
●After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, ri vers, etc., check
that there is no g rass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped on the underbody. Clear off
any such matter from the under -
body. If the vehi cle is used with these materials trapped or adhering
to the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.
NOTICE
■To prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety measures
to ensure that wat er damage to the hybrid battery (tr action battery),
hybrid system or other components
does not occur.
●Water entering the engine compart -
ment may cause severe damage to
the hybrid system.
●Water entering the hybrid transmis -
sion will cause deterioration in transmission quality. The malfunc -
tion indicator may come on, and the
vehicle may no t be drivable.
●Water can wash the grease from
wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature fa ilure, and may
also enter the h ybrid transaxle
case, reducing the gear oil’s lubri - cating qualities.

4887-1. Maintenance and care
7-1.Maintenance and care
Working from top to bottom, lib-
erally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside
of the vehicle to remove any dirt
and dust.
 Wash the vehicle body using a
sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
 For hard-to-remove marks, use
car wash soap and rinse thor -
oughly with water.
 Wipe away any water.
 Wax the vehicle when the water-
proof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean sur -
face, apply wax when the vehicle body
is cool.
■Before car washes
Check that the fuel filler door and charging port lid on your vehicle are
closed properly.
■Automatic car washes
●Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power back door (if equipped)
Start washing from t he front of the vehi-
cle. Make sure to extend the mirrors
before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car
washes may scratch the vehicle sur - face, parts (wheel, etc.) and harm
your vehicle’s paint.
●Rear spoiler may not be washable in
some automatic c ar washes. There
may also be an increased risk of dam - age to vehicle.
■High pressure car washes
As water may enter the cabin, do not
bring the nozzle tip near the gaps around the doors or perimeter of the
windows, or spray th ese areas continu-
ously.
■Note for a smart e ntry & start sys- tem
If the door handle becomes wet while
the electronic key is within the effective range, the door may lock and unlock
repeatedly. In that c ase, follow the fol-
lowing correction procedures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 2 m (6 ft.) or more separate from the vehicle
while the vehicle is being washed.
(Take care to ensur e that the key is not stolen.)
●Set the electronic key to battery-sav - ing mode to disable the smart entry &
start system. ( →P.224)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
●Remove any dirt immediately by using
a neutral detergent.
●Wash detergent of f with water imme-
diately after use.
●To protect the paint from damage,
make sure to observe the following
precautions. • Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive
detergent.
• Do not use hard brushes.
• Do not use deterg ent on the wheels when they are hot, such as after driv -
ing or parking in hot weather.
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior
Perform the following to pro -
tect the vehicle and maintain it
in prime condition:
Cleaning instructions

501
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
Fuse boxes (→P.545)
Engine oil filler cap ( →P.502)
Engine oil level dipstick ( →P.501)
Radiator ( →P.504)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( →P.504)
Power control unit coolant reservoir ( →P.504)
Washer fluid tank ( →P.505)
Engine coolant reservoir ( →P.503)
■12-volt battery
→ P.506
With the engine at operating tem-
perature and turned off, check the
Engine compartment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Checking and adding the
engine oil

5027-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
oil level on the dipstick.
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level
ground. After warming up the
engine and turning off the hybrid
system, wait more than 5 min -
utes for the oil to drain back into
the bottom o f the engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out.
3 Wipe the dipstick clean.
4 Reinsert the dipstick fully.
5 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out and check
the oil level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dip stick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6 Wipe the dipstick and reinsert it
fully.
■Checking the oil type and pre -
paring the items needed
Make sure to check the oil type and
prepare the items needed before
adding oil.
 Engine oil selection
→P.621
Oil quantity (Low → Full)
1.5 L (1.6 qt., 1.3 Imp. qt.)
Item
Clean funnel
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near the
low level mark, add engine oil of the
same type as that already in the
engine.
1 Remove the oil filler cap by turn-
ing it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, checking
the dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by turning
it clockwise.
A
B
C

503
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount o f engine oil will be
consumed while driving. In the following
situations, oil consumption may increase, and engine oil may need to be
refilled in between oil maintenance inter -
vals.
●When the engine is new, for example
directly after purchasing the vehicle or after replacing the engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inappropri - ate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine speeds or with a heavy load , when towing, or
when driving while accelerating or
decelerating frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a
long time, or when driving frequently through heavy traffic
The coolant level is satisfactory if it
is between the “ FULL” and “LOW”
lines on the reservoir when the
hybrid system is cold.
■Engine coolant reservoir
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains poten -
tially harmful contaminants which may cause skin di sorders such as
inflammation and skin cancer, so
care should be taken to avoid pro - longed and repeated contact. To
remove used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
●Dispose of used oi l and filters only in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil -
ters in household trash, in sewers or onto the ground. Call any autho -
rized Toyota ret ailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer, service station or auto
parts store for in formation concern-
ing recycling or disposal.
●Do not leave used e ngine oil within
the reach of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine dam -
age
Check the oil level on a regular basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil on the vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
●Check the oil leve l on the dipstick
every time you refill the vehicle.
●Be sure the engine oil filler cap is
properly tightened.
■If oil is spilled on the engine
cover
To prevent the engine cover from
being damaged, remove any engine
oil from the engine cover as soon as possible using a neutral detergent. Do
not use an organic solvent such as
brake cleaner.
Checking the coolant
A
B

531
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
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 1600 km (1000 miles).
 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 hammer when
balancing your wheels.
WARNING
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a differ -
ent size from those recommended in the Owner’s Manual, as this may
result in a loss of handling control.
●Never use an inner tube in a leak -
ing wheel which is designed for a
tubeless tire. Doing so may result in
an accident, causing death or seri - ous injury.
■When installing the wheel nuts
●Be sure to install the wheel nuts
with the tapered ends facing
inward. ( →P.597) Installing the nuts with the tapered ends facing out -
ward can cause the wheel to break
and 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 defecti ve wheels prohib- ited
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 warning
valves and transmitters
●Because tire repair or replacement may affect the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters, make sure
to have tires serviced by any autho - rized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer or other qualified service
shop. In addition, make sure to pur - chase your tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters at any
authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
●Ensure that only genuine Toyota
wheels are used on your vehicle.
Tire pressure war ning valves and transmitters may not work properly
with non-genuine wheels.
Aluminum wheel precau -
tions

557
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
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 damage, fire, or water entering the light unit. This
may damage the light or cause con -
densation to build up on the lens.
●Do not attempt to repair or disas -
semble light bul bs, connectors, 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.