How to change the oil in a Toyota Rav 4 engine: video, photo, instructions

Every vehicle requires periodic replacement of lubricants. In fact, regularly changing engine oil and oil filters is one of the most important operations during the entire life of a vehicle. It is performed by contacting a car service, or independently. The latter option allows you not only to save on maintenance, but also to guarantee that the replacement will be done correctly and accurately, which is why even owners of expensive cars use it. Moreover, changing the Toyota Rav 4 oil will not take much time, and it should be done at least once a quarter.

How to choose oil and filter

To change the lubricant in the engine, you will need about 5 liters of new oil with a viscosity rating of 0W20, 0W30, 5W40, 15W40, depending on the temperature in the region of operation. The best choice for RAV4 is branded oils from the vehicle manufacturer, such as Toyota Motor Oil.

When replacing filters, the following models are suitable:

The process of replacing lubricants in a Toyota Rav4 engine

The process of replacing the oil filter and lubricant in the Rav4 crossover engine includes the following steps:

Placing an empty container (basin or bucket) near the drain hole;
Unscrew the plug, which must be adhered to so that the oil does not splash. In addition, it is advisable to take care that the hot oil does not come into contact with the performer's skin;
Visually check the oil for abrasive inclusions;
Wipe the cork with a dry, clean cloth or sponge;
Replacing the sealing element and screwing the plug;
Replacing the oil filter.

Access to the filter is possible either from the top (if the car was manufactured before 2001) or from the bottom (for newer cars). In order to loosen the oil filter, you should use a special wrench, and then complete the unscrewing manually. When the part is removed, it is turned to the position with the flange up, avoiding oil spillage.

The next stage, installing a new filter, requires preliminary checking that there are no leaks of used lubricant and remnants of the old oil filter on the engine body. If they are found, the part must be wiped with a clean sponge or scraper. Replacing the filter is completed by lubricating the new element with engine oil, which will be poured into the tank, and screwing it in first until it stops, and then another 3/4 turn.

When to replace

It is recommended to change the oil in the RAV4 every 12 months or after 10 thousand km. mileage _ The manufacturer notes additional factors, the presence of which reduces the operating time of the lubricant in the power unit:

Use of low-quality fuel;
Finding the car in an environment with a high content of dust and dirt;
Frequent use by the driver of extreme driving modes associated with sudden acceleration and braking, overtaking, driving at maximum speed, prolonged engine operation at high speeds;
Regular off-road driving or traveling with a trailer.

The presence of these factors is the reason for reducing the resource to 5 thousand km. mileage

Changing the oil on RAV 4

Warm up the engine for about 5 minutes. Cold oil causes poor flow from the engine; as a result, a lot of dirty oil may remain, which you will eventually mix with new oil. This will degrade the performance of the new oil.
To access the bottom of the car, it would be ideal to have an inspection hole, but in the absence of one, a regular jack with stands will do. Some models may have engine crankcase “protection” installed. It needs to be removed to access the drain plug.
For a better “drain” of waste fluid from the crankcase, unscrew the filler plug of the neck and you can also pull out the dipstick. The oil drains faster if there is a through hole.
We substitute a basin or any other container that can hold 5 liters of waste.
We unscrew the drain plug with a wrench (it is better if the ratchet wakes it up). It is best to immediately expect that the oil will be hot. At this stage of work you need to be most careful.
After completely draining the old dirty oil, which is black in color, remove the basin to the side.
An optional item is flushing the engine with a special flushing liquid. You will be surprised at the black oil that comes out with this liquid. This liquid is very easy to use. We fill it into the engine, after tightening the drain plug of course. We start the car for 3-5 minutes. At the same time, we drive and heat our liquid on an old oil filter. Afterwards, we turn it off and pour it into a free container.
We replace the oil filter with a new one. Before installing the new filter, pour about 100 g of fresh oil into it and also lubricate the rubber O-ring on it.
Fill in new oil. Having made sure that the drain plug is screwed in and a new oil filter is installed, we can begin to fill in new oil using the dipstick as a guide. The level should be between the minimum and maximum marks. Also, you need to remember that after the first start of the engine, some oil will leave and the level will drop.
Recheck the oil level using the dipstick after the first start. Let the engine idle for about 10 minutes.

Filling volumes and oil selection

Since the introduction of the first RAV4 , Toyota has launched several generations of this car on the market, differing in the types and characteristics of the power unit. For all RAV4 , it is recommended to use Toyota Genuine Motor Oil lubricants appropriate for the engine type. When using lubricants from other manufacturers, more detailed recommendations should be studied.

2nd generation

For the engine of this car, oils of type SJ or SL are used according to API and have the additional marking “Energy Conserving”. Oil viscosity requirements : W20, 0W-30, 5W-40, 15W-40.

Lubrication system volume: 4.9 and 4.2 liters (with/without replacement of the filter element).

3rd generation

All recommendations for the 1AZ-FE correspond to similar data for the second generation Toyota RAV4.

For the 2AZ-FE , lubricants with ILSAC certificate or corresponding to API categories EC, SL are used. Viscosity values should correspond to 5W-30 or 0W-30 , depending on the temperature.

For the 2GR-FE , it is permissible to use motor lubricants that have passed ILSAC certification with a viscosity index of 5W-30 at temperatures from -18ºС to +38ºС. For other temperature ranges, the instructions on the engine oil packaging must be followed.

Capacities of gasoline engines (with/without replacement of the filter element):

2AZ-FE: 4.2 / 4.0 l.;
2GR-FE: 4.3 / 4.1 l.

For diesel engines, the lubricant must meet the following parameters:

ACEA classification - B1;
lubricants of categories CF, CF-4 according to API (use of CE, CD oils is acceptable).

Capacities of diesel units (with/without replacement of the filter element):

2AD-FHV: 5.5 l. / 5.9 l.;
2AD-FHV: 5.7 l. / 6.1 l.

4th generation

Gasoline engines use:

motor oils of categories SM, SL according to API and marked “Energy Conserving”;
ILSAC certified oil with viscosity index 15W-40;
motor oils of category SN according to API and marked “Resource-Conserving”.

For the all-season version, a lubricant with a viscosity value of 0W-20 or 5W-30 is used.

Capacities of gasoline engines (with/without replacement of the filter element):

3ZR-FE: 4.2 and 3.9 l. ;
3ZR-FAE: 4.4 and 4.0 l.

For diesel engines, motor oil of category C2 according to the ACEA classification is used, with a viscosity of 0W-30 or 5W-30 for all-season operation.

Capacities of diesel power plants (with/without replacement of the filter element):

2AD-FTV: 5.9 and 5.5 l.;
2AD-FHV: 5.2 and 4.7 l.

5th generation

In gasoline engines, it is necessary to use synthetic lubricants of group SN according to API. For all-season use, products with a viscosity index of 5W-50, 10W-50 . More detailed information on the correspondence of viscosity to temperature can be found from the markings on the lubricant packaging.

It is recommended to fill diesel power plants only with synthetic oil of group CJ-4 according to API.

Capacity volumes (with/without replacement of the filter element): 4.65 l. without changing the oil filter, 4.4 - with changing .

Which filter to choose for Toyota RAV 4

Toyota's regulations for replacing consumable components are very strict. The oil filter must be changed every 10,000 km during standard operation or after 5,000 km in regions with difficult environmental conditions. If the car is driven on dirt roads, in industrial zones or in dusty places, then consumable parts need to be changed as soon as possible.

Quite popular filter models on the Russian market are the products of the following companies:

Company manufacturer	Product code	Approximate cost, rub.
SK SpeedMate	SMOFJ043	210
Denckermann	A210032	180
SK SpeedMate	SMOFG001	160
Parts-Mall	PBF-006	155
Denckermann	A210379	175
Kraft Automotive	1703725	200

Note! For Japanese manufacturers, the quality of parts comes first - installing the wrong spare part can seriously reduce the service life of the vehicle. That is why, before purchasing a non-original filter for RAV 4, it is important to check its compatibility - this can be done by checking the vehicle VIN number and part number on the official manufacturer’s website.

What to consider when choosing oil

You should always pay attention to the correspondence of the oil viscosity value to the current temperature in the area where the car is used. Using the wrong engine lubricant in cold weather makes it very difficult to start the engine and increases fuel consumption. When choosing the type of motor oil, you should remember that the most preferable option is synthetic . Semi-synthetics have an optimal price/quality ratio. Mineral lubricants are considered relatively thick and are not recommended for use in Toyota RAV4.

Another important indicator is the oil manufacturer. Products from:

Shell;
Liqui Moly;
Mobil;
ZIC;
Castrol;
Total;
Luk.

Materials for changing engine fluid

Before you start changing the oil in Toyota Rav 4 vehicle , you need to prepare the materials and tools that will be required to successfully drain and fill the used fluid.

oil 0W20, for more northern latitudes 5W30 is used. The latter can remain liquid at 30 degrees below zero. This means that in northern latitudes, in winter, there will be no need to push start the car;
oil filter with Toyota catalog number 04152-YZZA-1. Any other may not fit in thread and size;
gaskets for threads and on the oil filter cover;
seal for drain plug;
socket wrenches, preferably a set;
oil filter puller diameter 64 mm;
container for draining used liquid;
torque wrench. Oil Engine Oil 5W30 Oil filter Drain plug seal Oil filter gasket Oil filter puller Torque wrench

Having prepared all these tools and materials, you can start changing the fluid in the car.

What is a transfer case and gearbox?

RK Rav 4 3rd generation
Transfer case (transfer case), being an element of the transmission of cars with all-wheel drive, allows the driver to distribute power from the internal combustion engine to the axles in different modes. Structurally, the Rav 4 transfer case consists of two devices (a multiplier and a splitter) placed in a housing. The multiplier expands the power capabilities of the installed transmission, and the splitter divides one output stream into two.

The operation of the Rav 4 transfer case as an independent unit is not adjusted by the gearbox (gearbox). The unit is also dismantled separately. The connection to the gearbox is via a driveshaft; sometimes the transfer case is connected to the rear of the gearbox. The material for making the transfer case housing is silumin.