Toyota RAV4 (XA50) 2019-2026 Owners Manual: Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior

Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime condition:

Cleaning instructions

• 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.
• Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a chamois.
• For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thoroughly with water.
• Wipe away any water.
• Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.

If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle body is cool.

■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.

• Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface, parts (wheel, etc.) and harm your vehicle's paint.
• Rear spoiler may not be washable in some automatic car washes.

  There may also be an increased risk of damage to vehicle.

■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.

■Note for a smart key system (if equipped)

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 procedures to wash the vehicle:

• 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.)
• Set the electronic key to battery-saving mode to disable the smart key system.

■Wheels and wheel ornaments (vehicles without matte painted wheels)

• Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent.
• Wash detergent off with water immediately after use.
• To protect the paint from damage, make sure to observe the following 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.

■Wheels and wheel ornaments (vehicles with matte painted wheels)

A different set of care is necessary for matte painted wheels and wheel ornaments.

Contact your Toyota dealer for details.

• Remove dirt using water as early as possible.

  If the wheels are excessively dirty, use diluted neutral detergent.

• When using detergent, make sure to rinse it off with water immediately.

  Then use a soft cloth to wipe off the water.

• Use a sponge or soft cloth to remove the dirt by hand.
• To prevent the matte paint from being damaged or glossy, make sure to observe the following precautions:
  • Do not apply any coatings or wax.
  • Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergents.
  • When using tire cleaners or tire wax, do not allow them to be applied to the wheels.
  • Do not scrub or polish the wheels using a brush or dry cloth, etc.
  • When using an automatic car wash, do not select the wheel brush function.
  • Do not use a high pressure washer or steam cleaner.
  • Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, such as after driving or parking in hot weather.

■Brake pads and calipers

Rust may form if the vehicle is parked with wet brake pads or disc rotors, causing them to stick. Before parking the vehicle after it is washed, drive slowly and apply the brakes several times to dry the parts.

■Bumpers

Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.

■Plated portions

If dirt cannot be removed, clean the parts as follows:

• Use a soft cloth dampened with an approximately 5% solution of neutral detergent and water to clean the dirt off.
• Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining moisture.
• To remove oily deposits, use alcohol wet wipes or a similar product.

WARNING

■When washing the vehicle

Do not apply water to the inside of the engine compartment. Doing so may cause the electrical components, etc. to catch fire.

■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 unexpectedly in the following situations, and may result in hands being caught or other serious injuries and cause damage to the wiper blades.

1. Off
2. AUTO

• When the upper part of the windshield where the raindrop sensor is located is touched by hand
• When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor
• If something bumps against the windshield
• If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps into the raindrop sensor

■Precautions regarding the exhaust pipes

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.

■Precaution regarding the rear bumper

If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped or scratched, the following systems may not function correctly.

If this occurs, consult your Toyota dealer.

• BSM (if equipped)
• RCTA (if equipped)
• PKSB (if equipped)
• Intuitive parking assist (if equipped)

NOTICE

■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and components (aluminum wheels, etc.)

• Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
  • After driving near the sea coast
  • After driving on salted roads
  • 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 contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron powder or chemical substances
  • If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
  • If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
• If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
• To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place with low humidity when storing the wheels.

■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.

• Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.

  Wax may cause damage to the lenses.

■When using an automatic car wash (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield wipers)

Set the wiper switch to off position.

If the wiper switch is in "AUTO", the wipers may operate and the wiper blades may be damaged.

■When using a high pressure car wash

• When washing the vehicle, do not let water from the high-pressure 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.
• Do not spray water directly on the radar which is equipped behind the radar sensor cover.

  Otherwise it may cause the device to be damaged.

• Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured cover), or connectors or the following parts.

  The parts may be damaged if they come into contact with high-pressure water.

  • Traction related parts
  • Steering parts
  • Suspension parts
  • Brake parts
• 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 continuously hold the nozzle in the same place.
• 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.
• Do not wash the underside of the vehicle using a high pressure car washer.