Toyota RAV4 2000, Owner'S Manual

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If you perform maintenance by yourself,
be sure to follow the correct procedure
given in this section.
You should be aware that improper or in-
complete servicing may result in operating
problems.
Performing do−it−yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect your
warranty coverage. Read the separate
Toyota Warranty statement for details and
suggestions.
This section gives instructions only for
those items that are relatively easy for an
owner to perform. As explained in Section
7, there are still a number of items that
must be done by a qualified technician
with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for do−
it−yourself maintenance, see "Parts and
tools".
Utmost care should be taken when work-
ing on your vehicle to prevent accidental
injury. Here are a few precautions that
you should be especially careful to ob-
serve:
CAUTION
D
With the motor switch on, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan. (Removing
rings, watches, and ties is advis-
able.)
D
Right after driving, the motor
compartmentthe traction motor,
radiator, power steering fluid reser-
voir, etc.will be hot. So be careful
not to touch them. Oil or fluids
may also be hot.
D
If the motor is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.
D
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around the batter-
ies. Their fumes are flammable.
D
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the batteries. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
D
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
D
Be sure that the traction motor is
off if you work near the electric
cooling fans or radiator grille. With
the motor switch on, the electric
cooling fans will automatically start
to run if the motor and power con-
trol unit coolant temperature is high
and/or the air conditioning is on.
D
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to fly-
ing or falling material, fluid spray,
etc.
Do−it−yourself service
precautions