light TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID 2023 Manual Online

2885-1. Before driving
5- 1. B ef ore dr iv in g
■Before starting the hybrid sys-
tem
Check that the AC charging cable is
disconnected. (P.135)
■Starting the hybrid system
P.310
■Driving
1With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D.
(P.315)
2Release the parking brake.
(P.320)
If the parking brake is in automatic
mode, the parking brake will be
released automatically. (P.321)
3Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate
the vehicle.
■Stopping
1With the shift lever in D, depress
the brake pedal.
2If necessary, set the parking
brake. (P.320)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift
lever to P. (P.315)
■Parking the vehicle
1With the shift lever in D, depress
the brake pedal.
2Set the parking brake. (P.320)
Make sure the parking brake indicator
light is on.
3Shift the shift lever to P.
(P.315)
Do not press the shift release button
after shifting the shift position to P.
4Turn the power switch to OFF to
stop the hybrid system.
5Lock the door, making sure that
you have the key on your per-
son.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as
needed.
■Starting off on a steep uphill
1With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D.
(P.315)
2Pull the parking brake switch to
set the parking brake manually.
(P.320)
3Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelerator
pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
Parking brake automatic release func-
tion (P.321)
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate.
(P.416)
■For electricity-saving and fuel-effi-
cient driving
Understand the system characteristics
of the vehicle to use the functions of the
hybrid system. Also, keep in mind that
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles are sim-
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to ensure
safe driving:
Driving procedure

2905-1. Before driving
WARNING
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar
with the location of the brake and accelerator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accel- erator pedal instead of the brake pedal will result in sudden accelera-
tion that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving
posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accel-
erator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-ing in an accident.
●The driver should pay extra atten-tion to pedestrians when the vehicle
is powered only by the electric motor (traction motor). As there is no engine noise, the pedestrians
may misjudge the vehicle’s move- ment. Even though the vehicle is equipped with the Acoustic Vehicle
Alerting System, drive with care as pedestrians in the vicinity may still not notice the vehicle if the sur-
rounding area is noisy.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or
stop the vehicle near flammable materials such as leaves, paper or rags.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may cause a fire if there is
any flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid system off while driving will
not cause loss of steering or brak- ing control. However, power assist for the steering wheel may be lost
making it difficult to steer smoothly before stopping the vehicle depend-ing on the remaining charge in the
12-volt battery or usage conditions. In this situation, you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon
as it is safe to do so. In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: P.526
●Use engine braking (downshift) to
maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep hill.Using the brakes continuously may
cause the brakes to overheat and lose effectiveness. ( P.315)
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear view mirrors
while driving. Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, head or other parts of their
body are not outside the vehicle.
■When driving on slippery road
surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage
and reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine brak-ing due to shifting, or changes in engine speed could cause the vehi-
cle to skid.

291
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to
make sure that the brakes are func- tioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not func-tioning properly, steering control
may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while a forward driving position is selected, or roll forward while the
shift lever is in R. Doing so may result in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmis- sion and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmis- sion and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driv-ing position while the vehicle is
moving backward. Doing so can damage the transmis-sion and may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the hybrid system. Engine braking is not available with the hybrid system
disengaged.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unex-pected rapid acceleration of the
vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury. Doing so can damage the transmis-
sion and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap-ing noise (brake pad wear indica-tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer,
or any reliable repairer as soon as possible.Rotor damage may result if the pads
are not replaced when needed. It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake
pads and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accel-erate suddenly and unexpectedly,
causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY”
indicator is illuminated, and apply the parking brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent acci-dents caused by the vehicle rolling
forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely apply the parking brake as
needed.

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.

297
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.584)
Toyota recommends the use of the
Toyota hitch/bracket 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 following shall be
observed:
 Do not use towing devices that
cannot be easily removed or
repositioned.
 Towing devices must be
removed or repositioned when
not in use.
Please consult any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer
when installing trailer lights, as
incorrect installation may cause
damage to the vehicle’s lights.
Please take care to comply with
your state’s laws when installing
trailer lights.
WARNING
Follow all the instructions described in this section.
Failure to do so could cause an acci- dent resulting in death or serious injury.
■Trailer towing precautions
When towing, make sure that none of the weight limits are exceeded.
( P.298)
■To avoid accident or injury
●Vehicles with compact spare tire: Do not tow a trailer when the com-pact spare tire is installed on your
vehicle.
●Vehicles with emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit: Do not tow a trailer when the tire installed is repaired with the emer-
gency tire puncture repair kit.
●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

2985-1. Before driving
■Total trailer weight and per-
missible drawbar load
Total trailer weight
Weight of the trailer itself plus the trailer
load should be within the maximum
towing capacity. Exceeding this weight
is dangerous. ( P.584)
When towing a trailer, use a friction
coupler or friction stabilizer (sway con-
trol device).
Permissible drawbar load
Allocate the trailer load so that the
drawbar load is greater than 25 kg
(55.1 lb.) or 4% of the towing capacity.
Do not let the drawbar load exceed the
indicated weight. ( P.584)
■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 that hybrid system out-
put and towing capacity will be reduced
at high altitudes.
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
B
A
B

307
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
29 mm (1.1 in.)
34 mm (1.3 in.)
412 mm (16.2 in.)
348 mm (13.7 in.)
386 mm (15.2 in.)
586 mm (23.1 in.)
617 mm (24.3 in.)
1089 mm (42.9 in.)
Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. In order to
avoid accident, death 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 counterclockwise 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 than the combined
length of your vehicle and trailer.
Avoid sudden braking that may
cause skidding. Otherwise, the
vehicle may spin out of control. This
C
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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

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

3125-2. Driving procedures
tem immediately after turning the
power switch to OFF, the hybrid sys- tem may not start in some cases. After turning the power switch to OFF,
please wait a few seconds before restarting the hybrid system.
■Customization
If the smart entry & start system has
been deactivated in a customized set- ting, refer to P.572.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
( P.320)
Check the parking brake indicator is illuminated.
3 Shift the shift lever to P.
Do not press the shift lever button after shifting the shift lever to P.
4 Press the power switch shortly
and firmly.
The hybrid system will stop, and the meter display will be extinguished.
Release the shift lever when pressing the power switch.
5 Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” is not shown on
the multi-information display.
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
starting the hybrid system under any circumstances. Doing so may cause an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving (vehicles
with steering lock function)
If hybrid system failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or
open the doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in this
circumstance may lead to an acci- dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the hybrid system
If the hybrid system becomes difficult to start, have your vehicle checked by any authorized Toyota retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunc-tion with the power switch
If the power switch seems to be oper-
ating somewhat differently than usual, such as the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact
any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately.
Stopping the hybrid system

319
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
1 Right turn
2 Lane change to the right (move
the lever partway and release it)
The right hand signals will flash 3 times.
3 Lane change to the left (move
the lever partway and release it)
The left hand signals will flash 3 times.
4 Left turn
■Turn signals can be operated when
The power switch is in ON.
■If the indicator flashes faster than
usual
Check that a light bulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned
out.
■If the turn signals stop flashing
before a lane change has been per- formed
Operate the lever again.
■To discontinue flashing of the turn
signals during a lane change
Operate the lever in the opposite direc- tion.
Turn signal lever
Operating instructions