ECU TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID 2023 Repair Manual

2925-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Avoid revving or racing the engine. Running the engine at high speed
while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust system to over-heat, which could result in a fire if
combustible material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehicle when it is in the
sun. Doing so may result in the follow-ing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of glasses to
deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, caus- ing the contents to spray over the
interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle’s electrical components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded or the seat
is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the
windshield or windows. Do not place containers such as air fresh-eners on the instrument panel or
dashboard. Adhesive discs or con- tainers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated
with a metallized film such as a sil- ver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause the glass to act as a
lens, causing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the hybrid system and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat- tended while the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever in P but the parking brake is not set, the vehicle may start to
move, possibly leading to an acci- dent.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the “READY” indicator is illu-minated or immediately after turn-
ing the hybrid system off. Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move
the shift lever or depress the acceler- ator pedal, this could cause an acci-dent or fire due to hybrid system
overheating. Additionally, if the vehi- cle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and
enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause one side of the vehicle to
brake differently than the other side. Also, the parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled brake system does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual.
Also, the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.

295
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the luggage cover (if equipped)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment.
■Load and distribution
●Do not overload your vehicle.
●Do not apply loads unevenly.
Improper loading may cause deterio-
ration of steering or braking control which may cause death or serious injury.
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier (if equipped)
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is distributed evenly between the front
and rear axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or width. ( P.584)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof lug-gage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of grav-
ity of the vehicle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover due to failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly and result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough roads, or at high speeds, stop the vehicle now and then
during the trip to make sure the cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 80 kg (176.4 lb.) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier (if equipped)
Be careful not to scratch the surface
of the panoramic moon roof (if equipped).

2965-1. Before driving
■Tire information
●Increase the tire inflation pressure to
20.0 kPa (0.2 kgf/cm2 or bar, 3 psi)
greater than the recommended value
when towing. (P.590)
●Increase the air pressure of the trailer tires in accordance with the total
trailer weight and according to the val-
ues recommended by the manufac-
turer of your trailer.
■Safety checks before towing
●Check that the maximum load limit for
the towing hitch/bracket and hitch ball
is not exceeded. Bear in mind that the
coupling weight of the trailer will add
to the load exerted on the vehicle.
Also make sure that the total load
exerted on the vehicle is within the
range of the weight limits. (P.298)
●Ensure that the trailer load is secure.
●Supplementary outside rear view mir-
rors should be added to the vehicle if
the traffic behind cannot be clearly
seen with standard mirrors. Adjust the
extending arms of these mirrors on
both sides of the vehicle so that they
always provide maximum visibility of
the road behind.
■When towing a trailer
Disable the following systems, as the
systems may not operate properly.
●LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) (if
equipped) (P.353)
●Dynamic radar cruise control with full-
speed range (if equipped) (P.368)
●Cruise control (if equipped) (P.381)
●PKSB (Parking Support Brake) (if
equipped) (P.403)
●BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) (if
equipped) (P.386)
●Toyota parking assist-sensor
(P.395)
●RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) func-
tion (if equipped) (P.386)
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed pri-
marily as a passenger carry-
ing vehicle. Towing a trailer
will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, brak-
ing, durability, and fuel con-
sumption. Your safety and
satisfaction depend on the
proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious driving hab-
its. For your safety and the
safety of others, do not over-
load the vehicle or trailer.
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with the
trailer’s characteristics and
operating conditions.
Toyota warranties do not apply
to damage or malfunction
caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes.
Ask your local authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reli-
able repairer for further details
before towing, as there are
additional legal requirements
in some countries.

3085-1. Before driving
is especially true when driving on
wet or slippery road surfaces.
■Sudden acceleration/steering
input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing
may result in the trailer colliding
with your vehicle. Decelerate well in
advance when approaching turns
and take them slowly and carefully
to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding
turning
The wheels of the trailer 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.315)
■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.578)
■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 factors (crosswinds, pass-
ing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can

3365-4. Refueling
5-4.Refuelin g
Close all the doors and windows,
and turn the power switch to
OFF.
 Confirm the type of fuel.
■Fuel types
 P.592
■Fuel tank opening for unleaded gasoline
To help prevent incorrect fueling, your vehicle has a fuel tank opening that only accommodates the special nozzle on
unleaded fuel pumps.
Opening the fuel tank
cap
Perform the following steps to
open the fuel tank cap:
Before refueling the vehicle
WARNING
■When refueling the vehicle
Observe the following precautions
while refueling the vehicle. Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
●After exiting the vehicle and before opening the fuel door, touch an unpainted metal surface to dis-
charge any static electricity. It is important to discharge static elec-tricity before refueling because
sparks resulting from static electric- ity can cause fuel vapors to ignite while refueling.
●Always hold the grips on the fuel tank cap and turn it slowly to remove it.
A whooshing sound may be heard when the fuel tank cap is loosened. Wait until the sound cannot be
heard before fully removing the cap. In hot weather, pressurized fuel may spray out of the filler neck
and cause injury.
●Do not allow anyone that has not
discharged static electricity from their body to come close to an open fuel tank.
●Do not inhale vaporized fuel.Fuel contains substances that are
harmful if inhaled.
●Do not smoke while refueling the
vehicle. Doing so may cause the fuel to ignite and cause a fire.
●Do not return to the vehicle or touch any person or object that is stati-
cally charged. This may cause static electricity to build up, result-ing in a possible ignition hazard.
■When refueling
Observe the following precautions to
prevent fuel overflowing from the fuel tank:
●Securely insert the fuel nozzle into
the fuel filler neck.
●Stop filling the tank after the fuel
nozzle automatically clicks off.
●Do not top off the fuel tank.
NOTICE
■Refueling
Do not spill fuel during refueling. Doing so may damage the vehicle,
such as causing the emission control system to operate abnormally or dam-aging fuel system components or the
vehicle’s painted surface.

391
5 5-5. Using the driving support systems
Driving
■Conditions under which the system
may not function correctly
●The BSM function may not detect
vehicles correctly in the following situ-
ations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to
a strong impact to the sensor or its
surrounding area
• When mud, snow, ice, a sticker, etc.,
is covering the sensor or surrounding
area on the rear bumper
• When driving on a road surface that is
wet with standing water during bad
weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or
fog
• When multiple vehicles are approach-
ing with only a small gap between
each vehicle
• When the distance between your vehi-
cle and a following vehicle is short
• When there is a significant difference
in speed between your vehicle and
the vehicle that enters the detection
area
• When the difference in speed
between your vehicle and another
vehicle is changing
• When a vehicle enters a detection
area traveling at about the same
speed as your vehicle
• As your vehicle starts from a stop, a
vehicle remains in the detection area
• When driving up and down consecu-
tive steep inclines, such as hills, dips
in the road, etc.
• When driving on roads with sharp
bends, consecutive curves, or uneven
surfaces
• When vehicle lanes are wide, or when
driving on the edge of a lane, and the
vehicle in an adjacent lane is far away
from your vehicle
• When an accessory (such as a bicycle
carrier) is installed to the rear of the
vehicle
• When there is a significant difference
in height between your vehicle and
the vehicle that enters the detection
area
• Immediately after the BSM func-
tion/RCTA function are turned on
• When towing a trailer
●Instances of the BSM function unnec-
essarily detecting a vehicle and/or
object may increase in the following
situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to
a strong impact to the sensor or its
surrounding area
• When the distance between your vehi-
cle and a guardrail, wall, etc. that
enters the detection area is short
• When driving up and down consecu-
tive steep inclines, such as hills, dips
in the road, etc.
• When vehicle lanes are narrow, or
when driving on the edge of a lane,
and a vehicle traveling in a lane other
than the adjacent lanes enters the
detection area
• When driving on roads with sharp
bends, consecutive curves, or uneven
surfaces
• When the tires are slipping or spinning
• When the distance between your vehi-
cle and a following vehicle is short
• When an accessory (such as a bicycle
carrier) is installed to the rear of the
vehicle
• When the vehicle throws up water or
snow behind.
■Operation of the RCTA func-
tion
The RCTA function uses radar sen-
sors to detect vehicles approaching
from the right or left at the rear of
the vehicle and alerts the driver of
the presence of such vehicles by
flashing the outside rear view mirror
indicators and sounding a buzzer.
The Rear Crossing Traffic
Alert function

439
6
6-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Interior features
●The outside temperature is extremely
low
●When the hybrid system is cool (for
example, after being left for a long time in low temperatures)
■Windshield defogger
When defogging the windshield using
the Remote Air Conditioning System, defogging may be insufficient due to the power being restricted more than during
normal air conditioning operation. Also, the outside of the windshield may fog up due to the outside temperature, humidity
or air conditioning set temperature.
■Using the heater via the Remote Air Conditioning System
●When the outside temperature is low, heating may feel insufficient due to restricted operation of the air condi-
tioning.
●When the outside heat exchanger
becomes frosted over, heating perfor- mance may decline due to automati-cally switching to the frost removal
operation. ( P.432)
■Security feature
Any unlocked doors will be automatically locked when the system is operating.
The emergency flashers flash to indicate that the doors have been locked or the system has been turned off.
■Conditions affecting operation
 P.254
■While the Remote Air Conditioning System is operating
●Depending on the operating condition of the Remote Air Conditioning Sys-tem, the air conditioning compressor
or cooling fan may spin and an operat- ing noise may be heard.However, this does not indicate a mal-
function.
●The air conditioning operation
switches, etc. will not operate while the Remote Air Conditioning System is operating.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.232
■When the electronic key battery is fully depleted
 P.511
■Customization
Setting (e.g. Operation using “A/C” on the wireless remote control) can be changed. (Customizable features:
 P.607)
WARNING
■Precautions for the Remote Air Conditioning System
●Do not use the system if people are in the vehicle. Even when the system is in use, the
internal temperature may still reach a high or low level due to features such as the automatic shut-off.
Children and pets left inside the vehicle may suffer heatstroke dehy-dration or hypothermia, or could
result in death or serious injury.
●Depending on the surrounding envi-
ronment, signals from the wireless switch may transmit further than expected. Pay appropriate attention
to the vehicle’s surroundings and use the switch only when neces-sary.
●Do not operate “A/C” on the wire-less remote control if the hood is
open. The air conditioning may operate unintentionally and objects may be drawn into the electrical
cooling fan.
NOTICE
■To prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery) from being dis-charged
Use “A/C” on the wireless remote control only when necessary.

449
6
6-3. Using the storage features
Interior features
Center
Vehicles with wireless charger:
 P.456
Raise the hook to use.
The cargo hooks are provided for
securing loose items.
Pull the tab and open the deck
board.
WARNING
■Items unsuitable for the open tray
Observe the following precautions when putting items in the open tray.
Failure to do so may cause items to be thrown out of the tray in the event of sudden braking or steering. In
these cases, the items may interfere with pedal operation or cause driver distraction, resulting in an accident.
●Do not store items in the tray that can easily shift or roll out.
●Do not stack items in the tray higher than the tray’s edge.
●Do not put items in the tray that may protrude over the tray’s edge.
Luggage compartment
features
Cargo hooks
WARNING
■When cargo hooks are not in use
To avoid injury, always return the hooks to their stowed positions when not in use.
Deck board

451
6
6-3. Using the storage features
Interior features
2 Pull out the luggage cover and
hook it onto the anchors.
■Removing the luggage cover
1 Release the cover from the left
and right anchors and allow it to
retract.
2 Compress the end of the lug-
gage cover and lift the luggage
cover up.
■Stowing the luggage cover
(except for vehicles with spare
tire)
1 Open the rear deck board and
remove the deck side cover.
2 Place the both ends of the lug-
gage cover into the holder.
WARNING
■Luggage cover
●When installing/stowing the lug-
gage cover, make sure that the lug- gage cover is securely installed/stowed. Failure to do so
may result in serious injury in the event of sudden braking or a colli-sion.
●Do not place anything on the lug-gage cover. In the event of sudden
braking or turning, the item may go flying and strike an occupant. This could lead to an unexpected acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.

477
7
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Maintenance and care
■Front
WARNING
■After installing the support rod into the slot
Make sure the rod supports the hood securely from falling down on to your head or body.
■When closing the hood
When closing the hood, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc. from being caught.
NOTICE
■When closing the hood
Be sure to return the support rod to its clip before closing the hood. Closing the hood without returning the support
rod properly could cause the hood to bend.
Positioning a floor jack
When using a floor jack, follow
the instructions in the manual
provided with the jack and per-
form the operation safely.
When raising your vehicle with
a floor jack, position the jack
correctly.
Improper placement may dam-
age your vehicle or cause
injury.
Location of the jack point