Toyota RAV4 EE Owner's Manual page 442

432
STARTING AND DRIVING
When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in "P" position
(automatic transmission or Multidrive)
or the clutch pedal depressed (manual
transmission), start the engine. (With
an automatic transmission, be sure to
keep the brake pedal depressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot
brake on automatic transmission or
Multidrive vehicles) and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel blocks. Stop
and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
CAUTION
Observe the legal maximum speeds
D
for trailer towing.
Slow down and downshift before
D
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
Avoid holding the brake pedal down
D
too long or too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking effi-
ciency.
Do not use cruise control when you
D
are towing.
Do not tow the vehicle when the
D
tire installed is repaired with the
emergency tire puncture repair kit.
RAV4_EE
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer
Improving fuel economy is easy—just take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
D
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
518 in Section 7−2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
D
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm−up idling. Once
D
the engine is running smoothly, begin
driving—but gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.
Put the shift lever into the "D" when
D
engine braking is not required. Driv-
ing with the shift lever in a position
other than "D" will reduce the fuel
economy. (For details, see "Automatic
transmission" on page 238 or "Multi-
drive" on page 249 in Section 1−7.)
Accelerate slowly
D
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
D
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.
Avoid engine lugging or over−rev-
D
ving. Use a gear position suitable for
the road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
D
slowing down. Stop−and−go driving
wastes fuel.
Finish
and smoothly.