2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ECU

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When stowing cargo and luggage in
the vehicle, observe the following:

Put cargo and luggage in the lug-
gage compartment when at all
possible. Be sure all items are se-
cured in place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far
forward as possible helps maintain
balance.

For better fuel economy, do not
carry unneeded weight.CAUTION

To prevent cargo and luggage
from sliding forward during
braking, do not stack anything
in the luggage compartment
higher than the seatbacks.
Keep cargo and luggage low,
as close to the floor as pos-
sible.

Never allow anyone to ride in
the luggage compartment. It is
not designed for passengers.
They should ride in their seats
with their seat belts properly
fastened. Otherwise, they are
much more likely suffer seri-
ous bodily injury, in the event
of sudden braking or a colli-
sion.

Do not place anything on the
f l at t en ed seat , or it may sl i d e
forward during braking.

Do not place anything on the
luggage cover. Such items may
be thrown about and possibly
injure people in the vehicle
during sudden braking or an
accident. Secure all items in a
safe place.

Do not drive with objects left
on top of the instrument panel.
They may interfere with the
driver's field of view. Or they
may move during sharp vehicle
acceleration or turning, and im-
pair the driver's control of the
vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occu-
pants.

Do not put objects in the con-
tainer which can shift, roll out
or be thrown out in the event
of sudden stops or accidents.
Objects which come out of the
container can create a safety
hazard due to interference with
pedal operation or driver dis-
traction.
Cargo and luggageÐ
ÐStowage precautions

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Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high- speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high- speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.

Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
When driving your vehicle off- road, please
observe the following precautions to en-
sure your driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to off- road
vehicles.
a. Drive your vehicle only in areas where
off- road vehicles are permitted to trav-
el.
b. Respect private property. Get owner 's
permission before entering private prop-
erty.
c. Do not enter areas that are closed.
Honor gates, barriers and signs that re-
strict travel.
d. Stay on established roads. When condi-
tions are wet, driving techniques should
be changed or travel delayed to pre-
vent damage to roads.
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off- road, consult
the following organizations.

State and Local Parks and Recreation
Departments

State Motor Vehicle Bureau

Recreational Vehicle Clubs

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:

Drive carefully when off the road.
Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.

Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off- road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel and
injure your hands. Keep both hands
and especially your thumbs on the
outside of the rim.

Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.

After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or
trapped on the underbody. Clear off
any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering
to the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.
Off- road driving precautions

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Never load the trailer with more
weight in the back than in the
front. About 60% of the trailer load
should be in the front half of the
trailer and the remaining 40% in the
rear.
HITCHES

If you wish to install a trailer hitch, you
should consult with your Toyota dealer.

Use only a hitch recommended by the
hitch manufacturer and the one which
conforms to the total trailer weight
requirement.

The hitch must be bolted securely to
the vehicle frame and installed accord-
ing to the hitch manufacturer 's instruc-
tions.

The hitch ball and king pin should have
a light coat of grease.

Toyota recommends removing the trail-
er hitch whenever you are not towing
a trailer to reduce the possibility of
additional damage caused by the hitch
if your vehicle is struck from behind.
After removing the hitch, seal any
mounting holes in the vehicle body to
prevent entry of pollutants such as ex-
haust fumes, dirt, water, etc.
NOTICE
Do not use axle- mounted hitches as
they can cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheels or
tires.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS

Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any applica-
ble federal and state/provincial regu-
lations.

A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should
cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping to
the ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct safety
chain procedures, follow the hitch or
trailer manufacturer 's recommenda-
tions.
CAUTION

If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes are
required.

Never tap into your vehicle's hy-
draulic system as it would lower its
braking effectiveness.

Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES

Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See page 385 in Sec-
tion 7- 2 and page 410 in Section 8 for
instructions.

The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.

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TRAILER LIGHTS

Your vehicle is equipped with a wire
harness stored in the rear end under
body. Some models are fitted with a
socket for trailer lights under the rear
bumper. Use either of them to connect
and operate the trailer lights. However,
the trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local regula-
tions. See your local recreational ve-
hicle dealer or rental agency for the
correct type of wiring and relays for
your trailer. Check for correct operation
of the turn signals and stop lights each
time you hitch up. Direct splicing may
damage your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.BREAK- IN SCHEDULE

Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE

If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the Sched-
uled Maintenance Guideº or Owner 's
Manual Supplementº.

Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.PRE- TOWING SAFETY CHECK

Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose- up or nose- down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.

Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.

Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulations. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purposes.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle-
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:

Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle- trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.

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Before removing the jack, remove the
right side deck board and unhook the
tightening strap.
After storing the jack, make sure it is
securely held by the tightening strap.To remove the jack, rotate the jack
joint by hand until the jack becomes
free.To store the jack, rotate the jack joint
until the jack is firmly secured.
This prevents the jack from flying for-
ward during a collision or sudden
stop.

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8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts fin-
ger tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end
inward) and tighten them as much as
you can by hand. Press back on the
tire back and see if you can tighten
them more.
CAUTION
Never use oil or grease on the
bolts or nuts. Doing so may lead
to overtightening the nuts and
damaging the bolts. The nuts
may loose and the wheels may
fall off, which could cause a seri-
ous accident. If there is oil or
grease on any bolt or nut, clean
it.
9. Lower the vehicle completely
and tighten the wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclock-
wise to lower the vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench and
turn it clockwise to tighten the nuts.
Do not use other tools or any addition-
al leverage other than your hands,
such as a hammer, pipe or your foot.
Make sure the wrench is securely en-
gaged over the nut.
ÐReinstalling wheel nuts ÐLowering your vehicle

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11. Check the air pressure of the re-
placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specifi-
cation designated on page 410 in
Section 8. If the pressure is lower,
drive slowly to the nearest service
station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire infla-
tion valve cap as dirt and moisture
could get into the valve core and
possibly cause air leakage. If the cap
is missing, have a new one put on as
soon as possible.
12.Restow all the tools, jack and
flat tire securely.
As soon after changing wheels as
possible, tighten the wheel nuts to the
torque specified on page 410 in Sec-
tion 8 with a torque wrench. Have a
technician repair the flat tire and re-
place the spare tire with it.
Initial adjustment of the tire pres-
sure warning system is necessary
after you have replaced your tires
or wheels. See Tire pressure
warning systemº on page 161 in
Section 1- 7.CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are se-
curely in place in their storage
location to reduce the possibility
of personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden braking.
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt
to rock the vehicle free by moving it
forward and backward.
Two- wheel drive modelsÐ
Turn off the traction control system to
become unstuck to allow the tires to
spin enough to remove the vehicle from
the obstruction. (For details, see Trac-
tion control system (two- wheel drive
models)º on page 156 in Section 1- 7.)
CAUTION
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and back-
ward if people or objects are any-
where near the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
ÐAfter changing wheels If your vehicle becomes stuck

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NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.
Securely fasten the cable or chain to
the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in Nº. The key
must be in ACCº (engine off) or ONº
(engine running).
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.1. Remove the front towing eyelet cover
on the front bumper by pushing the
outside of the cover.2. Use the front towing eyelet in the lug-
gage compartment. Secure it to the
hole on the bumper by turning clock-
wise. (For the towing eyelet location,
see ÐRequired tools and spare tireº
on page 338 in this Section.)
ÐInstalling front towing eyelet