Get Maintenance and care -> Maintenance and care Guide for Toyota Rav4 SUV 2020

558

7-1. Maintenance and care

7-1.Maintenance and care

washes may scratch the vehicle

surface and harm your vehicle’s

paint.

Cleaning and protect-

ing the vehicle exte-

rior

●Rear spoiler may not be washable

in some automatic car washes.

There may also be an increased

risk of damage to vehicle.

Perform the following to

protect the vehicle and

maintain it in prime condi-

tion:

■High pressure car washes

As water may enter the cabin, do

not bring the nozzle tip near the

gaps around the doors or perimeter

of the windows, or spray these

areas continuously.

Cleaning instructions

■Note for a smart key system (if

equipped)

 Working from top to bottom,

liberally apply water to the

vehicle body, wheel wells and

underside of the vehicle to

remove any dirt and dust.

If the door handle becomes wet

while the electronic key is within the

effective range, the door may lock

and unlock repeatedly. In that case,

follow the following correction pro-

cedures to wash the vehicle:

 Wash the vehicle body using

a sponge or soft cloth, such

as a chamois.

●Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2

m) or more separate from the

vehicle while the vehicle is being

washed. (Take care to ensure that

the key is not stolen.)

 For hard-to-remove marks,

use car wash soap and rinse

thoroughly with water.

●Set the electronic key to battery-

saving mode to disable the smart

key system. (P.129)

 Wipe away any water.

■Aluminum wheels (if equipped)

 Wax the vehicle when the

waterproof coating deterio-

rates.

●Remove any dirt immediately by

using a neutral detergent.

●Wash detergent off with water

immediately after use.

If water does not bead on a clean

surface, apply wax when the vehi-

cle body is cool.

●To protect the paint from damage,

make sure to observe the follow-

ing precautions.

• Do not use acidic, alkaline or

abrasive detergent.

• Do not use hard brushes.

• Do not use detergent on the

wheels when they are hot, such

as after driving or parking in hot

weather.

■Automatic car washes

●Before washing the vehicle:

• Fold the mirrors

• Turn off the power back door (if

equipped)

Start washing from the front of the

vehicle. Make sure to extend the

mirrors before driving.

●For vehicles with 18-inch matte

painted wheels and 19-inch matte

painted wheels: The wheels are

not maintained in the same way

as normal aluminum wheels. For

●Brushes used in automatic car

559

7-1. Maintenance and care

details, contact your Toyota

dealer.

WARNING

• When washing the vehicle, use

water to wash off dirt. If the vehi-

cle is particularly dirty, use a

diluted neutral detergent and a

sponge or a soft cloth and wash

off the dirt by hand.

■When washing the vehicle

Do not apply water to the inside of

the engine compartment. Doing

so may cause the electrical com-

ponents, etc. to catch fire.

• Wash detergent off with water

immediately after use. After using

detergent, wash the detergent off

with water and wipe the vehicle

dry with a soft cloth.

■When cleaning the windshield

(vehicles with rain-sensing

windshield wipers)

Set the wiper switch to off.

If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”,

the wipers may operate unexpect-

edly in the following situations,

and may result in hands being

caught or other serious injuries

and cause damage to the wiper

blades.

●For vehicles with 18-inch matte

painted wheels and 19-inch matte

painted wheels: Make sure to

observe the following precautions

to prevent damage to the matte

paint.

• Do not polish or scrub with dry

cloths, brushes, etc.

• Do not use detergents containing

coatings or abrasives.

• If using an automatic car wash,

make sure it does not include ded-

icated wheel brushes.

• Do not use high-pressure spray

guns or steam cleaners.

• Do not use detergent on the

wheels when they are hot, such

as after driving or parking in hot

weather.

Off

AUTO

■Bumpers

●When the upper part of the

windshield where the raindrop

sensor is located is touched by

hand

Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.

■Plated portions

If dirt cannot be removed, clean the

parts as follows:

●When a wet rag or similar is

held close to the raindrop sen-

sor

●Use a soft cloth dampened with an

approximately 5% solution of neu-

tral detergent and water to clean

the dirt off.

●If something bumps against the

windshield

●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft

cloth to remove any remaining

moisture.

●If you directly touch the raindrop

sensor body or if something

bumps into the raindrop sensor

●To remove oily deposits, use alco-

hol wet wipes or a similar product.

560

7-1. Maintenance and care

WARNING

●If the paint is chipped or

scratched, have it repaired

immediately.

■Precautions regarding the

exhaust pipes

●To prevent the wheels from cor-

roding, remove any dirt and

store in a place with low humid-

ity when storing the wheels.

Exhaust gasses cause the

exhaust pipes to become quite

hot.

When washing the vehicle, be

careful not to touch the pipes until

they have cooled sufficiently, as

touching hot exhaust pipes can

cause burns.

■Cleaning the exterior lights

●Wash carefully. Do not use

organic substances or scrub

with a hard brush.

This may damage the surfaces

of the lights.

■Precaution regarding the rear

bumper with Blind Spot Moni-

tor (if equipped)

●Do not apply wax to the sur-

faces of the lights.

Wax may cause damage to the

lenses.

If the paint of the rear bumper is

chipped or scratched, the system

may malfunction. If this occurs,

consult your Toyota dealer.

■When using an automatic car

wash (vehicles with rain-

sensing windshield wipers)

NOTICE

Set the wiper switch to off posi-

tion.

If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”,

the wipers may operate and the

wiper blades may be damaged.

■To prevent paint deteriora-

tion and corrosion on the

body and components (alumi-

num wheels, etc.)

●Wash the vehicle immediately in

■When using a high pressure

the following cases:

car wash

• After driving near the sea coast

• After driving on salted roads

●When washing the vehicle, do

not let water from the high-pres-

sure washer directly hit the

camera or the area around the

camera. Due to the shock from

the high pressure water, it is

possible that the device may not

operate normally.

• If coal tar or tree sap is present

on the paint surface

• If dead insects, insect droppings

or bird droppings are present on

the paint surface

• After driving in an area contami-

nated with soot, oily smoke,

mine dust, iron powder or chem-

ical substances

●Do not bring the nozzle tip close

to boots (rubber or resin manu-

factured cover), or connectors

or the following parts.

The parts may be damaged if

they come into contact with

high-pressure water.

• If the vehicle becomes heavily

soiled with dust or mud

• If liquids such as benzene and

gasoline are spilled on the paint

surface

• Traction related parts

• Steering parts

• Suspension parts

• Brake parts

561

7-1. Maintenance and care

Cleaning and protect-

ing the vehicle interior

NOTICE

●Keep the cleaning nozzle at

least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from

the vehicle body. Otherwise

resin section, such as moldings

and bumpers, may be deformed

and damaged. Also, do not con-

tinuously hold the nozzle in the

same place.

Perform cleaning in a man-

ner appropriate to each

component and its material.

Protecting the vehicle

interior

●Do not spray the lower part of

the windshield continuously. If

water enters the air conditioning

system intake located near the

lower part of the windshield, the

air conditioning system may not

operate correctly.

 Remove dirt and dust using a

vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty

surfaces with a cloth damp-

ened with lukewarm water.

 If dirt cannot be removed,

wipe it off with a soft cloth

dampened with neutral deter-

gent diluted to approximately

1%.

Wring out any excess water

from the cloth and thoroughly

wipe off remaining traces of

detergent and water.

■Shampooing the carpets

There are several commercial foam-

ing-type cleaners available. Use a

sponge or brush to apply the foam.

Rub in overlapping circles. Do not

use water. Wipe dirty surfaces and

let them dry. Excellent results are

obtained by keeping the carpet as

dry as possible.

■Handling the seat belts

Clean with mild soap and lukewarm

water using a cloth or sponge. Also

check the belts periodically for

excessive wear, fraying or cuts.

562

7-1. Maintenance and care

WARNING

●Do not use a polish wax or pol-

ish cleaner. The instrument

panel’s or other interior part’s

painted surface may be dam-

aged.

■Water in the vehicle

●Do not splash or spill liquid in

the vehicle.

Doing so may cause electrical

components, etc., to malfunc-

tion or catch fire.

■Preventing damage to leather

surfaces

Observe the following precautions

to avoid damage to and deteriora-

tion of leather surfaces:

●Do not get any of the SRS com-

ponents or wiring in the vehicle

interior wet.

●Remove any dust or dirt from

leather surfaces immediately.

(P.34)

An electrical malfunction may

cause the airbags to deploy or

not function properly, resulting

in death or serious injury.

●Do not expose the vehicle to

direct sunlight for extended peri-

ods of time. Park the vehicle in

the shade, especially during

summer.

●Vehicles with wireless charger:

Do not let the wireless charger

(P.547) get wet. Failure to do

so may cause the charger to

become hot and cause burns or

could cause electric shock

resulting in death or serious

injury.

●Do not place items made of

vinyl, plastic, or containing wax

on the upholstery, as they may

stick to the leather surface if the

vehicle interior heats up signifi-

cantly.

■Cleaning the interior (espe-

■Water on the floor

cially instrument panel)

Do not wash the vehicle floor with

water.

Do not use a polish wax or polish

cleaner. The instrument panel

may reflect off the windshield,

obstructing the driver’s view and

leading to an accident, resulting in

death or serious injury.

Vehicle systems such as the

audio system may be damaged if

water comes into contact with

electrical components such as the

audio system above or under the

floor of the vehicle. Water may

also cause the body to rust.

NOTICE

■When cleaning the inside of

the windshield

■Cleaning detergents

●Do not use the following types

of detergent, as they may dis-

color the vehicle interior or

cause streaks or damage to

painted surfaces:

Do not allow glass cleaner to con-

tact the lens. Also, do not touch

the lens. (P.223)

• Non-seat portions: Organic sub-

stances such as benzene or

gasoline, alkaline or acidic solu-

tions, dye, and bleach

• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solu-

tions, such as thinner, benzene,

and alcohol

563

7-1. Maintenance and care

Cleaning the synthetic

leather areas

NOTICE

■Cleaning the inside of the rear

window

 Remove dirt and dust using a

●Do not use a glass cleaner to

clean the rear window, as this

may cause damage to the rear

window defogger heater wires.

Use a cloth dampened with

lukewarm water to gently wipe

the window clean. Wipe the win-

dow in strokes running parallel

to the heater wires.

vacuum cleaner.

 Wipe it off with a soft cloth

dampened with neutral deter-

gent diluted to approximately

1%.

 Wring out any excess water

from the cloth and thoroughly

wipe off remaining traces of

detergent and water.

●Be careful not to scratch or

damage the heater wires.

Cleaning the leather areas

 Remove dirt and dust using a

vacuum cleaner.

 Wipe off any excess dirt and

dust with a soft cloth damp-

ened with diluted detergent.

Use a diluted water solution of

approximately 5% neutral wool

detergent.

 Wring out any excess water

from the cloth and thoroughly

wipe off all remaining traces

of detergent.

 Wipe the surface with a dry,

soft cloth to remove any

remaining moisture. Allow the

leather to dry in a shaded and

ventilated area.

■Caring for leather areas

Toyota recommends cleaning the

interior of the vehicle at least twice a

year to maintain the quality of the

vehicle’s interior.

Maintenance and care -> Maintenance and care for Your Toyota Rav4 SUV 2020

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