2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER tires

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2472003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
If you are a skilled doityourself mechan-
ic, the Toyota service manuals are recom-
mended. Please be aware that doityour-
self maintenance can affect your warranty
coverage. See “Owner ’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment” for the details. Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ade-
quate ventilation can be obtained if
you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be performed
from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See
page 267 in Section 72 for additional
information.Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See page 268 in Sec-
tion 72 for additional information. When
checking the tires, make sure no nuts are
missing, and check the nuts for loose-
ness. Tighten them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires according to the
maintenance schedule. (For scheduled
maintenance information, please refer to
the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.) See page
270 in Section 72 for additional
information.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has
been parked for a while. If you smell fuel
fumes or notice any leak, have the cause
found and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all side doors and back door
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is released.
General maintenance

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2592003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level 260
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Checking the engine coolant level 263
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Checking the radiator and condenser 264
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Checking brake fluid 264
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Checking power steering fluid 265
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Checking and replacing the air conditioning filter 266
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Checking tire pressure 267
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Checking and replacing tires 268
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Rotating tires 270
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Installing snow tires and chains 270
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Replacing wheels 272
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Aluminum wheel precautions 273
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SECTION 7 2

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2682003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
CAUTION
Keep your tire pressure properly.
Otherwise, the following conditions
may occur and cause an accident re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Low tire pressure (underinflation)—
Excessive wear
Uneven wear
Poor handling
Possibility of blowouts from over-
heated tire
Poor sealing of the tire bead
Wheel deformation and/or tire sepa-
ration
High tire pressure (overinflation)—
Poor handling
Excessive wear at the center of the
tire tread
A greater possibility of tire damage
from road hazards
The following instructions for checking
tire pressure should be observed:
The pressure should be checked only
when the tires are cold. If your ve-
hicle has been parked for at least 3
hours and has not been driven for
more than 1.5 km or 1 mile since, you
will get an accurate cold tire pressure
reading.
Always use a tire pressure gauge.
The appearance of a tire can be mis-
leading. Besides, tire pressures that
are even just a few pounds off can
degrade ride and handling.
Do not bleed or reduce tire pressure
after driving. It is normal for the tire
pressure to be higher after driving.
Never exceed the vehicle capacity
weight. The passenger and luggage
weight should be located so that the
vehicle is balanced.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation
valve caps. Without the valve caps,
dirt or moisture could get into the valve
core and cause air leakage. If the caps
have been lost, have new ones put on
as soon as possible.
Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tire tread for the tread wear
indicators. If the indicators show, re-
place the tires.
The tires on your Toyota have builtin
tread wear indicators to help you know
when the tires need replacement. When
the tread depth wears to 1.6 mm (0.06
in.) or less, the indicators will appear. If
you can see the indicators in two or more
adjacent grooves, the tire should be re-
placed. The lower the tread, the higher
the risk of skidding.
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost
if the tread wears down below 4 mm
(0.16 in.).
Checking and replacing tires

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2692003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
If you have tire damage such as cuts,
splits, cracks deep enough to expose
the fabric, or bulges indicating internal
damage, the tire should be replaced.
If a tire often goes flat or cannot be prop-
erly repaired due to the size or location
of a cut or other damage, it should be
replaced. If you are not sure, consult with
your Toyota dealer.
If an air loss occurs while driving, do not
continue driving with a deflated tire. Driv-
ing even a short distance can damage a
tire beyond repair.
Any tires which are over 6 years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This also applies to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use. REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use a tire of the
same size and construction, and the
same or greater load capacity as the
originally installed tires. Also, on four
wheel drive models, all the tires must
be the same brand and have the same
tread patterns.
Using any other size or type of tire may
seriously affect handling, ride, speedome-
ter/odometer calibration, ground clearance,
and clearance between the body and tires
or snow chains.
CAUTION
Observe the following instructions.
Otherwise, an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
biasply tires on your vehicle, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control.
Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size,
as this may cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics resulting in
loss of control.
Fourwheel drive models:
Do not use tires of different brands,
sizes, construction or tread pat-
terns, as this may cause dangerous
handling characteristics resulting in
loss of control.
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at
least both front or rear tires be re-
placed as a set.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page 220
in Section 4 for tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Wheels can get out
of balance with regular use and should
therefore be balanced occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the air
valve should also be replaced with a
new one.

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2702003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
To equalize tire wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that you
rotate your tires according to the main-
tenance schedule. (For scheduled main-
tenance information, please refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.) Howev-
er, the most appropriate timing for tire
rotation may vary according to your
driving habits and road surface condi-
tions.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page 220
in Section 4 for tire change procedure. When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is usu-
ally caused by incorrect tire pressure, im-
proper wheel alignment, outofbalance
wheels, or severe braking.
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select tires of
the same size, construction and load
capacity as the originally installed tires.
Also, on fourwheel drive models, all
the tires must be the same brand and
have the same tread patterns.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
CAUTION
Observe the following instructions.
Otherwise, an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Do not use snow tires other than
the manufacturer ’s recommended si-
ze, as this may cause dangerous
handling characteristics resulting in
loss of control.
Rotating tires
Installing snow tires and
chains

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2712003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
Fourwheel drive models:
Do not use snow tires of different
brands, sizes, construction or tread
patterns, as this may cause danger-
ous handling characteristics result-
ing in loss of control.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the front w heels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires, which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure
to install them in the same direction when
replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
Side chain
Cross chain
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use the tire chains of correct size.
Use the following type chains. mm (in.)
A Diameter of side chain 3 (0.12)
B Width of side chain 10 (0.39)
C Length of side chain 30 (1.18)
D Diameter of cross chain 4 (0.16)
E Width of cross chain 14 (0.55)
F Length of cross chain 25 (0.98)
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of road, so always check them
before installing chains.
NOTICE
If the wrong combination of tire and
chain is used, the chains could dam-
age the vehicle body.
CHAIN INSTALLATION
Install the chains on the front tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tire
chains on the rear tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5—1.0 km
(1/4—1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, care-
fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
If wheel covers are used, they will be
scratched by the chain band, so remove
the covers before putting on the chains.

’03 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0208)
2732003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
When installing aluminum w heels,
check that the wheel nuts are tight
after driving your vehicle the first 1600
km (1000 miles).
If you have rotated, repaired, or
changed your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving
1600 km (1000 miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only the Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.
Aluminum wheel precautions

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2852003 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM48441U)
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions and weight 286
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Engine 286
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Fuel 287
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Service specifications 287
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Tires 289
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Fuses 290
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SECTION 8