Starting and driving -> How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer for Your Toyota Rav4 SUV Third Generation (2006-2012)

’07 Rav4_U (L/O 0701)  
How to save fuel and make  
your vehicle last longer  
When restarting out after parking on a  
slope:  
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:  
D Slow down and downshift before  
descending steep or long downhill  
grades. Do not make sudden down-  
shifts.  
1. With the transmission in “P” position,  
start the engine. Be sure to keep the  
brake pedal depressed.  
D Avoid holding the brake pedal down  
too long or too frequently. This  
could cause the brakes to overheat  
and result in reduced braking effi-  
ciency.  
D Keep your tires inflated at the cor-  
rect pressure. Underinflation causes  
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page  
402 in Section 72 for instructions.  
2. Shift into gear.  
3. Release the parking brake and brake  
pedal. Slowly pull or back away from  
the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your  
brakes.  
D Do not carry unneeded weight in  
your vehicle. Excess weight puts  
a
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.  
heavier load on the engine, causing  
greater fuel consumption.  
CAUTION  
D Avoid lengthy warm−up idling. Once  
the engine is running smoothly, begin  
driving—but gently. Remember, howev-  
er, that on cold winter days this may  
take a little longer.  
D Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or  
the posted towing speed limit,  
whichever is lower. Because insta-  
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle−  
D Put the selector lever into the “D”  
when engine braking is not required.  
Driving with the select lever in “3”  
(4speed) or “4” (5speed) will reduce  
the fuel economy. (For details, see  
“Automatic transmission” on page 141  
or 145 in Section 17.)  
trailer  
combination  
usually  
in-  
creases as the speed increases, ex-  
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may  
cause loss of control.  
D Accelerate slowly and smoothly.  
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high  
gear as quickly as possible.  
347  
2007 RAV4 from Dec. ’06 Prod. (OM42662U)  
’07 Rav4_U (L/O 0701)  
D Avoid long engine idling. If you have  
a long wait and you are not in traffic,  
it is better to turn off the engine and  
start again later.  
D Keep the front wheels in proper  
CAUTION  
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and  
slow down on rough roads. Improper  
alignment not only causes faster tire  
wear but also puts an extra load on  
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.  
Never turn off the engine to coast  
down hills. Your power steering and  
brake booster will not function with-  
out the engine running. Also, the  
emission control system operates  
properly only when the engine is run-  
ning.  
D Avoid engine lugging or over−rev-  
ving. Use a gear position suitable for  
the road on which you are travelling.  
D Keep the bottom of your vehicle free  
from mud, etc. This not only lessens  
weight but also helps prevent corro-  
sion.  
D Avoid continuous speeding up and  
slowing down. Stopandgo driving  
wastes fuel.  
D Keep your vehicle tuned−up and in  
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-  
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil  
and grease,brakes not adjusted, etc. all  
lower engine performance and contrib-  
ute to poor fuel economy. For longer  
life of all parts and lower operating  
costs, keep all maintenance work on  
schedule, and if you often drive under  
severe conditions, see that your vehicle  
receives more frequent maintenance.  
(For scheduled maintenance informa-  
tion, please refer to the “Scheduled  
Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manu-  
al Supplement”.)  
D Avoid unnecessary stopping and  
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try  
to time the traffic signals so you only  
need to stop as little as possible or  
take advantage of through streets to  
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-  
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-  
den braking. This will also reduce wear  
on your brakes.  
D Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams  
whenever possible.  
D Do not rest your foot on the brake  
pedal. This causes premature wear,  
overheating and poor fuel economy.  
D Maintain a moderate speed on high-  
ways. The faster you drive, the greater  
the fuel consumption. By reducing your  
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-  
sumption.  
348  
2007 RAV4 from Dec. ’06 Prod. (OM42662U)