How to Access the Spare Tire on a RAV4
by Cristina Garcia
Spare tires are often stored in the trunk of a vehicle. However, the Toyota RAV4 spare tire is rear-mounted on all models except on the Sport models, which are equipped with run-flat tires. In the RAV4, the spare tire is typically protected by a cover to safeguard it from the elements.Two types of covers can be found on the RAV4: a full-size spare tire cover or a half-size spare tire cover.
Cover Removal
Step 1
Park the vehicle on a level surface and turn off its ignition. Unhook the latch handle located under the full-size spare tire's cover. Grasp the tire cover on either side of the latch handle base. Pull the cover up.
Step 2
Remove a half-size spare tire cover with the wheel-nut wrench. Place the wrench under the center cover and pry it off, which will uncover a bolt. Place the wrench on the bolt and loosen it by turning the wrench counterclockwise. Remove the bolt.
Step 3
Pull the tire cover off to remove it.
Spare Tire Removal
Step 1
Loosen one of the spare wheel nuts with the wheel-nut wrench, turning it counterclockwise. Loosen the remaining wheel nuts with the wheel-nut wrench.
Step 2
Remove the spare wheel nuts and place them somewhere safe as you will need them later to fasten the damaged tire.
Step 3
Pull off the spare tire.
Tips
- Remove the cover occasionally to clean the spare tire. Dust and rain water can leak in and damage your spare tire.
Things You'll Need
- Wheel-nut wrench
Warnings
- Do not attempt to access the spare tire while the car is stopped on a steep hill.
Writer Bio
Cristina Garcia has been a freelance writer since 2009 when she published her first travel ebook. She is a zoologist and has several years of wildlife research experience studying wild canid ecology and behavior. She holds a master's degree in geographical information science from the University of Edinburgh in the U.K., specializing in satellite remote sensing techniques for ecology.
