2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER spare tire

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2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
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 “—Required tools and spare tire”
on page 330 in this Section.)3. Tighten the front towing eyelet securelyby a wheel nut wrench.
CAUTION
When installing the eyelet on the ve-
hicle, be sure to tighten the front
eyelet securely. If the eyelet is loose,
it may come off when being towed
and result in death or serious injury.
—Installing front towing eyelet

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2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
Keep your tire inflation pressures
at the proper level.
The recommended cold tire inflation
pressures, tire sizes and the com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
(vehicle capacity weight) are de-
scribed on page 398 and 402. They
are also on the tire and loading infor-
mation label.
You should check the tire inflation
pressure every two weeks, or at least
once a month. And do not forget the
spare! The following instructions for
checking tire inflation pressure
should be observed:
 The pressure s hould be
checked only when the tires are
cold. If your vehicle 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 inflation pres-
sure reading.
 Always use a tire pressure
gauge. The appearance of a tire
can be misleading. Besides, tire
inflation pressures that are even
just a few pounds off can degrade
ride and handling.
 Do not bleed or reduce tire
inflation pressure after driving.
It is normal for the tire inflation
pressure to be higher after driving.
 Never exceed the vehicle capac-
ity weight. The passenger and
luggage weight should be located
so that the vehicle is balanced.Tire pressure gauge
INSPECTION AND ADJUSTMENT
PROCEDURE 1. Remove the tire valve cap.
2. Press the tip of the tire pressure gauge to the tire valve.
3. Read the pressure using a gradua- tion of the gauge.
4. In case that the tire inflation pres- sure is not within the prescribed
range, insert the compressed air
from the valve. In case of applying
too much air, press the center of
t he valv e and releas e the air to ad-
just.

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2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tires tread for the tread
wear indicators. If the indicators
show, replace the tires. The loca-
tion of the tread wear indicators is
shown by the “TWI” or “
Δ” marks,
etc., molded on the sidewall of
each tire. The tires on your Toyota have built
−in
tread wear indicators to help you
know when the tires need replace-
ment. When the tread depth wears to
1.6 mm (0.06 in.) or less, the indica-
tors will appear. If you can see the
indicators in two or more adjacent
grooves, the tire should be replaced.
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.).
If you have tire damage such as
cuts, splits, cracks deep e nough to
expose the fabric, or bulges indi-
cating internal damage, the tire
should be repl aced.
If a tire often goes flat or cannot be
properly 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. Driving even a short distance can
damage a tire beyond repair.
An y ti res wh i ch are over 6 years
old must be checked by a qualified
technician even if damage is not
obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This applies also to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
Checking and replacing tires