Toyota RAV4 2001 Owner's Manual page 144

2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●
The exhaust should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack
caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be
sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Toyota dealer.
Failure to do so may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicle, resulting in
death or a serious health hazard.
■
When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle 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 the vehicle
●
When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and 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 power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid downhills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the
pedal than usual. Braking distance may also increase.
●
Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
●
The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems: If one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and braking distance
becomes longer.
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
■
If the vehicle becomes stuck or bogged (4WD models)
Do not spin the wheels recklessly when any of the tires is up in the air, or
stuck in sand or mud etc. This may damage the drive system components or
propel the vehicle forward (or in another direction) and cause an accident.
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