Toyota RAV4 Owners Manual: If you have a flat tire

Your vehicle is equipped with a spare tire. The flat tire can be replaced with the spare tire.

For details about tires

Caution

If you have a flat tire

Do not continue driving with a flat tire.

Driving even a short distance with a flat tire can damage the tire and the wheel beyond repair, which could result in an accident.

Before jacking up the vehicle

• Stop the vehicle on a hard, flat surface.
• Set the parking brake.
• Shift the shift lever to p.
• Stop the engine.
• Turn on the emergency flashers.

Location of the spare tire, jack and tools

1. Tool bag
2. Jack
3. Spare tire

Caution

Using the tire jack

Observe the following precautions.

Improper use of the tire jack may cause the vehicle to suddenly fall off the jack, leading to death or serious injury.

• Do not use the tire jack for any purpose other than replacing tires or installing and removing tire chains.
• Only use the tire jack that comes with this vehicle for replacing a flat tire.

  Do not use it on other vehicles, and do not use other tire jacks for replacing tires on this vehicle.

• Put the jack properly in its jack point.
• Do not put any part of your body under the vehicle while it is supported by the jack.
• Do not start the engine or drive the vehicle while the vehicle is supported by the jack.
• Do not raise the vehicle while someone is inside.
• When raising the vehicle, do not put an object on or under the jack.
• Do not raise the vehicle to a height greater than that required to replace the tire.
• Use a jack stand if it is necessary to get under the vehicle.
• Stop the vehicle on firm, flat and level ground, firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to p. Block the wheel diagonally opposite to the one being changed if necessary.
• When lowering the vehicle, make sure that there is no-one near the vehicle. If there are people nearby, warn them vocally before lowering.

Taking out the jack

1. Remove the cover.

2. Take out the jack.

1. For loosening
2. For tightening

Taking out the spare tire

1. Remove the rear deck board.

2. Loosen the center fastener that secures the spare tire.

Caution

When storing the spare tire

Be careful not to catch fingers or other body parts between the spare tire and the body of the vehicle.

Replacing a flat tire

1. Chock the tires.

2. For vehicles with full wheel ornament, remove the wheel ornament using the wrench.

   To protect the wheel ornament, place a rag between the wrench and the wheel ornament.

3. Slightly loosen the wheel nuts (one turn).

4. Turn the tire jack portion by hand until the notch of the jack is in contact with the jack point.

   The jack point guides are located under the rocker panel. They indicate the jack point positions.

5. Assemble the jack handle extension.

6. Raise the vehicle until the tire is slightly raised off the ground.

7. Remove all the wheel nuts and the tire.

   When resting the tire on the ground, place the tire so that the wheel design faces up to avoid scratching the wheel surface.

Caution

Replacing a flat tire

• Do not touch the disc wheels or the area around the brakes immediately after the vehicle has been driven.

  After the vehicle has been driven the disc wheels and the area around the brakes will be extremely hot. Touching these areas with hands, feet or other body parts while changing a tire, etc. May result in burns.

• Failure to follow these precautions could cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the tire to fall off, resulting in death or serious injury.

• Have the wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench to 76 ft•lbf (103 n•m, 10.5 Kgf•m) as soon as possible after changing wheels.
• When installing a tire, only use wheel nuts that have been specifically designed for that wheel.
• If there are any cracks or deformations in the bolt screws, nut threads or bolt holes of the wheel, have the vehicle inspected by your toyota dealer.
• When installing the wheel nuts, be sure to install them with the tapered ends facing inward.

Replacing a flat tire for vehicles with power back door (if equipped)

In cases such as when replacing tires, make sure to turn off the power back door main switch („_p. 126). Failure to do so may cause the back door to operate unintentionally if the power back door switch is accidentally touched, resulting in hands and fingers being caught and injured.

Installing the spare tire

1. Remove any dirt or foreign matter from the wheel contact surface.

   If foreign matter is on the wheel contact surface, the wheel nuts may loosen while the vehicle is in motion, causing the tire to come off.

2. Install the spare tire and loosely tighten each wheel nut by hand by approximately the same amount.

   When replacing a steel wheel with a steel wheel, tighten the nuts until the tapered portion comes into loose contact with the disc wheel seat.

When replacing an aluminum wheel with a steel wheel, tighten the wheel nuts until the tapered portion comes into loose contact with the disc wheel seat.

When replacing an aluminum wheel with an aluminum wheel, turn the wheel nuts until the washers come into contact with the disc wheel.

3. Lower the vehicle.

4. Firmly tighten each wheel nut two or three times in the order shown in the illustration.

   Tightening torque: 76 ft•lbf (103 n•m, 10.5 Kgf•m)

5. For vehicles with full wheel ornament, reinstall the wheel ornament.* Align the cutout of the wheel ornament with the valve stem as shown.

*: The wheel ornament cannot be installed on the compact spare tire.

6. Stow the flat tire, tire jack and all tools.

Stowing the flat tire (vehicles with a compact spare tire)

Type a

1. For vehicles with an aluminum wheel: before stowing the flat tire, remove the center wheel ornament by pushing from the reverse side.

2. Place the flat tire on the deck board, hook the end of the belt which is not forked to the cargo hook on the far left side.

3. Pass the belts from between the wheel spokes through the center hole.

4. Hook one end of the forked belt to the cargo hook on the far right side, and the other end to the cargo hook on the near left side.

   After stowing the flat tire, check that the tire and belts are secured.

Type b

1. For vehicles with an aluminum wheel: before stowing the flat tire, remove the center wheel ornament by pushing from the reverse side.


2. Place the flat tire on the deck board, hook one end of the belt to the cargo hook on the far left side.


3. Pass the belts from between the wheel spokes through the center hole.


4. Hook the other end of the belt to the cargo hook on the near right side.


5. Pull the belt as shown in the illustration to secure the tire.

The compact spare tire (if equipped)

• The compact spare tire is identified by the label “temporary use only” on the tire sidewall.

  Use the compact spare tire temporarily, and only in an emergency.

• Make sure to check the tire inflation pressure of the compact spare tire.

When using the compact spare tire (if equipped)

As the compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, low inflation pressure of the spare tire will not be indicated by the tire pressure warning system. Also, if you replace the compact spare tire after the tire pressure warning light comes on, the light remains on.

When the compact spare tire is equipped (if equipped)

The vehicle becomes lower when driving with the compact spare tire compared to when driving with standard tires.

If you have a flat front tire on a road covered with snow or ice (vehicles with a compact spare tire)

Install the compact spare tire on one of the rear wheels of the vehicle.

Perform the following steps and fit tire chains to the front tires:

1. Replace a rear tire with the compact spare tire.
2. Replace the flat front tire with the tire removed from the rear of the vehicle.
3. Fit tire chains to the front tires.

Caution

When using the compact spare tire (if equipped)

• Remember that the compact spare tire provided is specifically designed for use with your vehicle. Do not use your compact spare tire on another vehicle.
• Do not use more than one compact spare tire simultaneously.
• Replace the compact spare tire with a standard tire as soon as possible.
• Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shifting operations that cause sudden engine braking.

When the compact spare tire is attached (if equipped)

The vehicle speed may not be correctly detected, and the following systems may not operate correctly:

• Abs & brake assist
• Vsc
• Trac
• Cruise control
• Eps
• Lda (lane departure alert) (if equipped)
• Rear view monitor system (if equipped)
• Intuitive parking assist (if equipped)
• Entune premium audio with navigation (if equipped)

Also, not only can the following system not be utilized fully, it may actually negatively effect the drive-train components:

• Dynamic torque control awd system (awd models)

Caution

Speed limit when using the compact spare tire (if equipped)

Do not drive at speeds in excess of 50 mph (80 km/h) when a compact spare tire is installed on the vehicle.

The compact spare tire is not designed for driving at high speeds. Failure to observe this precaution may lead to an accident causing death or serious injury.

After using the tools and jack

Before driving, make sure all the tools and jack are securely in place in their storage location to reduce the possibility of personal injury during a collision or sudden braking.

When stowing the flat tire (vehicles with a compact spare tire)

• Make sure the rear seatbacks are in their original position.
• Secure it using a tire tie-down belt. Otherwise, the flat tire may fly out in case of sudden braking or an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.

Notice

Driving with tire chains and the compact spare tire (if equipped)

Do not fit tire chains to the compact spare tire.

Tire chains may damage the vehicle body and adversely affect driving performance.

When replacing the tires (vehicles with the tire pressure warning system)

When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, contact your toyota dealer as the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter may be damaged if not handled correctly.