Winter Driving Tips - Toyota RAV4 2000 Owner's Manual

z Always perform a maintenance in-
spection after each day of off−road
driving that has taken you through
rough terrain, sand, mud, or water.
For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, refer to the Scheduled Main-
tenance Guide" or Owner's Manual
Supplement".
138

Winter driving tips

Tips for Cold Weather Driving:
When the traction battery temperature
is extremely low (such as when the am-
bient temperature is extremely low), the
power of the vehicle is limited. So the
acceleration becomes uneven, or the
maximum vehicle speed decreases. Cold
weather system such as heating and
ventilation will become less effective.
At very low traction battery tempera-
ture, this SOC meter's and traction bat-
tery voltmeter's needles tend to go
down faster than usual. So drive your
vehicle taking care of the change in the
SOC meter and traction battery voltme-
ter. Strictly observe all warning lights
on the instrument panel and stop the
vehicle in a safe place when warned to
do so. Failure to do so could result in
a sudden loss of vehicle power render-
ing the vehicle undriveable.
Make sure you have a proper freeze
protection of coolant.
Your coolant must contain ethylene−glycol
type coolant for a proper
protection of aluminum components. Use
"TOYOTA Long Life Coolant" or equivalent.
See "Checking the coolant level of the
traction motor" in Section 8−2.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
When it is extremely cold, we recommend
to use 60% solution for your Toyota, to
provide protection down to about −50_C
(−58_F). Do not use more than 70% solu-
tion for better coolant performance.
Check the condition of the auxiliary
battery and cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any auxiliary battery, so it must be in top
shape to provide enough power for winter
starting. Section 8−3 tells you how to
visually inspect the auxiliary battery. Your
EV service station and most service sta-
tions will be pleased to check the level of
charge.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de−icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing. To open
corrosion
a frozen lock, try heating the key before
inserting it.