2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER engine overheat

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NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the three- way catalytic
converter may cause it to overheat
and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe the
following precautions:

Use only unleaded gasoline.

Do not drive with an extremely low
fuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-
ing an excessive load on the three-
way catalytic converter.

Do not allow the engine to run at
idle speed for more than 20 min-
utes.

Avoid racing the engine.

Do not push- start or pull- start your
vehicle.

Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.

Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel systems could cause an ex-
tremely high three- way catalytic
converter temperature.

If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a check- up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyota
dealer knows your vehicle and its
three- way catalytic converter sys-
tem best.

To ensure that the three- way cata-
lytic converter and the entire emis-
sion control system operate proper-
ly, your vehicle must receive the
periodic inspections required by the
Toyota Maintenance Schedule. For
scheduled maintenance information,
refer to the Scheduled Maintenance
Guideº or Owner 's Manual Supple-
mentº.
CAUTION

Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.

Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.

Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.

Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.
Engine exhaust cautions

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NOTICE

Do not crank for more than 30 se-
conds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.

Do not race a cold engine.

If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.

Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.

Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp- edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage such
as a tire burst.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or travelling on a bumpy road. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.

When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in Pº. If necessary, block the
wheels.

Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
CAUTION

Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.

Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.

Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.

To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.

Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking, could cause
the vehicle to skid or spin.
Tips for driving in various
conditions

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Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer.) Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle- to- vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.

Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.

Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.

Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.

Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.

In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, do not use overdrive.

Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30C [85F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to If
your vehicle overheatsº on page 336 in
Section 4.

Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in Pº. Avoid park-
ing on a slope with a trailer, but if it
cannot be avoided, do so only after
performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into Pº and turn off the engine.

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When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in Pº position,
start the engine. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.CAUTION

Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle-
trailer combination usually in-
creases as the speed increases, ex-
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.

Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts.

Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking effi-
ciency.
Improving fuel economy is easyÐjust take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:

Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
385 in Section 7- 2 for instructions.

Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.

Avoid lengthy warm- up idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
drivingÐbut gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.

Keep the automatic transmission
overdrive turned on when engine
braking is not required. Driving with
the overdrive off will reduce the fuel
economy. (For details, see Automatic
transmissionº on page 147 in Section
1- 7.)

Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer

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Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.

Avoid engine lugging or over- rev-
ving. Use a gear position suitable for
the road on which you are travelling.

Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop- and- go driving
wastes fuel.

Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.

Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.

Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal. This causes premature wear,
overheating and poor fuel economy.

Maintain a moderate speed on high-
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.

Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.

Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.

Keep your vehicle tuned- up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease,brakes not adjusted, etc. all
lower engine performance and contrib-
ute to poor fuel economy. For longer
life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance.
(For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the Scheduled
Maintenance Guideº or Owner 's Manu-
al Supplementº.)
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering and
brake booster will not function with-
out the engine running. Also, the
emission control system operates
properly only when the engine is run-
ning.

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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
In case of an emergency
If your vehicle will not start332 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your engine stalls while driving335 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you cannot increase engine speed336 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle overheats336 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you have a flat tire337 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle becomes stuck348 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle needs to be towed349 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you cannot shift automatic transmission selector lever354 . . . . . . . .
If you lose your keys355 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you lose your wireless remote control transmitter355 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 4

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Before making these checks, make sure
you have followed the correct starting pro-
cedure given in How to start the engineº
on page 318 in Section 3 and that you
have sufficient fuel. If your vehicle is
equipped with the engine immobilizer sys-
tem, also check whether the other keys
will start the engine. If they work, your
key may be broken. Have the key
checked at your Toyota dealer. If none of
your keys work, there may be a malfunc-
tion in the immobilizer system. Call your
Toyota dealer. (See Keys (with engine
immobilizer system)º on page 14 in Sec-
tion 1- 2.)
If the engine is not turning over or is
turning over too slowlyÐ
1. Check that the battery terminals are
tight and clean.
2. If the battery terminals are O.K., switch
on the interior light.
3. If the light is out, dim or goes out
when the starter is cranked, the battery
is discharged. You may try jump start-
ing. See (c) Jump startingº on page
333 for further instructions.
If the light is O.K., but the engine still will
not start, it needs adjustment or repair.
Call a Toyota dealer or qualified repair
shop.NOTICE
Do not pull- or push- start the ve-
hicle. It may damage the vehicle or
cause a collision when the engine
starts. Also the three- way catalytic
converter may overheat and become a
fire hazard.
If the engine turns over at its normal
speed but will not startÐ
1. Turn the ignition key to ACCº or
LOCKº and try starting the engine
again.
2. If the engine will not start, the engine
may be flooded because of repeated
cranking. See (b) Starting a flooded
engineº on page 332 for further instruc-
tions.
3. If the engine still will not start, it needs
adjustment or repair. Call a Toyota
dealer or qualified repair shop.If the engine will not start, your engine
may be flooded because of repeated
cranking.
If this happens, turn the key to STARTº
with the accelerator pedal fully depressed.
Keep the key and accelerator pedal in
these positions for 15 seconds and re-
lease them. Then try starting the engine
with your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If the engine does not start after 15 se-
conds of cranking, release the key, wait
a few minutes and try again.
If the engine still will not start, it needs
adjustment or repair. Call a Toyota dealer
or qualified repair shop for assistance.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 se-
conds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
If your vehicle will not startÐ
(a) Simple checks(b) Starting a flooded engine

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If engine speed does not increase when
the accelerator pedal is depressed, there
may be a problem somewhere in the elec-
tronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. Howev-
er, if you depress the accelerator pedal
more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the ignition key is turned to ACCº or
LOCKº position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve-
hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in Pº
and apply the parking brake. Turn off
the air conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from the
radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check
the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, see Coolant type
selectionº on page 383 in Section 7- 2.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
If you cannot increase engine
speedIf your vehicle overheats