[Tazio Nuvolari]

Here is the explanation from my '21 owners manual and I think your '23 is the same. You have to look at the footnotes. The oil can warning light only turns on with a message or warning--it is footnoted "2". It does not turn on to test when you start the RAV--those warning lights are footnoted "1."

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

These new cars are just magic I guess.

Before your post I never carefully looked at all those warning lights that come on to test when you start the RAV. I too am disappointed that the oil light does not come on unless there is a malfunction. All my prior cars would turn on the oil light on start or in accessory. There are two oil sensors on our ICE. There is the usual oil pressure sensor AND an oil level sensor. I think if the ECM (computer) gets a malfunction input from either sensor it will BOTH turn on that oil can warning light and send a warning message to the MID. Again from the '21 owners manual here are the two warnings you get on the MID screen for oil pressure or oil level.

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

In the hybrids and the '23 RAV4 ICE with auto start/stop, is the oil pump engine driven or a separate electric motor driven pump? Doesn't make sense to have a pressure warning light if the oil pump is ICE driven.

The variable pressure oil pump is chain driven and controlled by the ECM through the oil pressure control valve. It is the same pump on both gas and hybrid models of 5th gen RAVs.

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

So it makes no sense to have a low oil pressure warning light on the hybrids since the ICE is not always running? Or perhaps the light is disabled when the ICE is not running? Ditto for the start/stop cars?

I disagree. The oil light should ALWAYS come on in ANY car when you first start or when it's in accessory mode on the ignition switch. This is the standard test to insure the bulb or LED is not burnt out and that its wiring or fuses are OK and the oil pressure sending unit or sensor is OK. I understand the issue that in auto stop/start cars or hybrids when you are driving and the ICE shuts off then the oil light would come on. In hybrids that would be very annoying because it would be on for extended periods in hybrids when the ICE is off and it's using the electric motors. I still think Toyota could have programmed the oil light to just come on at the INITIAL start up or in accessory as a test of the warning system. After all, in the gas models there is a battery or alternator light that comes on when ignition is on and engine is stopped so that is similar to the oil light.

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

I served my apprenticeship on the scoop oil system. Then we got good old-fashioned pumps that did the job for years and years and years. Now we have I guess variable vein pumps or something. I'm not feeling a whole lot better than my 53 Chevy.

I once had a '51 chevy with the straight six. At least our 5th gen RAVs have 12 volt batteries and not the Chevs little 6 volt.

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

Just thought of something. Could you get 200,000 or 300,000 miles on a 1953 Chevy?

Not without several engine rebuilds, clutch and trans synchro replacements, and suspension and brake replacements. Not to mention multiple carb, fuel pump and generator (no alternators back then) rebuilds or replacements. All those late 1940s and early 1950 cars with the GM inline 6 and the Ford Flathead V8 were running on NON DETERGENT straight weight oil and had very primitive filter systems. In classic cars the rings were sometimes iron--not steel. The main and rod bearings were sometimes just lead. These late 40s-early 50s cars usually went to maybe 60K miles when the engine was shot.