’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
11 6
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.
Daytime running light system
(on some models)
The headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty when the parking brake is released with
the engine started, even with the light
switch in the “OFF” position. They will not
go off until the ignition switch is turned
off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and
instrument panel lights, twist the knob to
the position 1.
Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
the headlights to full intensity for driving
at night.
High Low beams—For high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)—Pull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with the knob turned to “OFF”.TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to position
1.
The key must be in the “ON” position.
The lever automatically returns after you
make a turn, but you may have to return
it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position
2) and hold it.
If the turn signal indicator lights (green
lights) on the instrument panel flash faster
than normal, a front or rear turn signal
bulb is burned out. See “Replacing light
bulbs” on page 392 in Section 7 −3.
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
11 7
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
To turn on the emergency flashers,
push the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash. To turn
them off, push the switch once again.
Turn on the emergency flashers to warn
other drivers if your vehicle must be
stopped where it might be a traffic hazard.
Always pull as far off the road as pos-
sible.
The turn signal light switch will not work
when the emergency flashers are operat-
ing.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the switch on
longer than necessary when the en-
gine is not running.
To adjust the brightness of the instru-
ment panel lights, turn the knob.
Emergency flashers Instrument panel light control
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
171
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
Compact disc player
There are two scan features—You can ei-
ther scan the tracks on a specific disc or
scan the first tracks of all the discs in the
magazine.
Scanning the tracks on a disc:
Quickly push and release the “SCAN” but-
ton. “SCAN” will appear on the display
and the player will scan all the tracks on
the disc you are listening to. To stop
scanning, push this button again. If the
player has scanned all the tracks on the
disc, it will stop scanning.
With compact disc changer only—
Scanning the first tracks of all the discs
in the magazine:
Push the “SCAN” button until you hear a
beep. “
·SCAN” will appear on the dis-
play and the player will scan the first
track of the next disc. To stop scanning,
push this button again. If the player has
scanned all the di scs, it will stop scan-
ning. SEEK/TRACK (Seeking/Track up/down)
Radio
In the seek mode, the radio finds and
plays the next station up or down the
station band.
To seek the next station, quickly push and
release “
” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button. Do this again to find the
station after that.
Cassette player
Use this button to skip up or down to
locate a song or recording.
You can select up to nine recordings (in-
cluding current one).
A blank space of at least 3 seconds is
considered to be a start of a recording.
When a beginning of a tape is reached,
the player automatically resumes play.
When the end of the tape is reached, the
player automatically reverses sides and
resumes normal play.
In addition, the feature may not work well
with some spoken word, live, or classical
recordings. Compact disc player
Use this button to skip up or down to a
different track.
Push “
” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button until the number of the
track you want to listen to appears on the
display. If you want to return to the begin-
ning of the current track, quickly push the
down side of the button one time.
Vehicles with rear seat entertainment sys-
tem—
While the DVD player is in operation, the
chapter or track can be changed by push-
ing the “ ” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button.
ST (Stereo reception) display
Your radio automatically changes to stereo
reception when a stereo broadcast is re-
ceived. “ST” appears on the display. If the
signal becomes weak, the radio reduces
the amount of channel separation to prev-
ent the weak signal from creating noise.
If the signal becomes extremely weak, the
radio switches from stereo to mono recep-
tion.
TA P E
Push the “TAPE” button to play a cassette
tape.
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
178
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
Compact disc player
Use this button to skip up or down to a
different track.
Push “” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button until the number of the
track you want to listen to appears on the
display. If you want to return to the begin-
ning of the current track, quickly push the
down side of the button one time.
Vehicles with rear seat entertainment sys-
tem—
While the DVD player is in operation, the
chapter or track can be changed by push-
ing the “ ” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button.
ST (Stereo reception) display
Your radio automatically changes to stereo
reception when a stereo broadcast is re-
ceived. “ST” appears on the display. If the
signal becomes weak, the radio reduces
the amount of channel separation to prev-
ent the weak signal from creating noise.
If the signal becomes extremely weak, the
radio switches from stereo to mono recep-
tion.
TA P E
Push the “TAPE” button to play a cassette
tape. TEXT
Radio
This button is operational only in RDS
mode.
When an RDS station transmits a text
message, “MSG” will appear on the dis-
played.
To display the text message, first push
the “TEXT” button to change the radio
station display. Then push the “TEXT” but-
ton once more to display, and the mes-
sage will appear on the display.
If the entire the message is not displayed,
“
” will appear on the display. To display
the rest of the message, push and hold
the “TEXT” button until you hear a beep.
After the entire message has been dis-
played, the message will disappear.
The message display will be canceled if
any button that affects the display is
pushed.
If no messages is received, “NO
MESSAGE” will appear on the display, and
the display returns to the previous mode.
The message display will be canceled if
you activate any function that affects the
display. Compact disc player
This button is used to change the display
for the compact disc that contains text
data.
To change the display, quickly push and
release the “TEXT” button while the com-
pact disc is playing. The display changes
in the order from the elapsed time to disc
title to track title, then back to the
elapsed time.
If this button is pushed while a compact
disc that does not contain text data is
playing, “NO TITLE” will appear on the
display.
If the entire disc or track title does not
appear on the display, push and hold the
button until you hear a beep. The rest of
the title will appear.
TRAF (Traffic)
This button turns the traffic announcement
(TA) feature on and off. This button is
operational only in FM mode.
By pushing the “TRAF” button, “TRAF
SEEK” will flash on the display and the
radio will seek a traffic program station.
After the traffic announcement program is
over, the display returns to the previous
mode.
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
184
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
The rear seat entertainment system is de-
signed for the rear passengers to enjoy
audio and DVD video separately from the
front audio system.
The rear seat entertainment system can
be operated when the ignition key is in
the “ACC” or “ON” position.
The rear passengers can enjoy all modes
(AM and FM radio, cassette tape player,
compact disc player with changer and
DVD player) on the rear seat entertain-
ment system only if a cassette tape and
a compact disc are loaded in the front
audio system.
The rear seat entertainment system can
play DVD video, audio CD, video CD, CD
text, dts−CD or DVD audio only when a
disc is loaded in the DVD player.
You can enjoy videos and sound when
your personal audio system is connected
to the input terminal adapter on the rear
console box. For details, refer to the
manufacturer ’s instructions. You can enjoy the rear seat entertainment
system with commercial hea
dphone. See
“—Headphone input ja cks” on page 233 in
this Section for details.
You can also enjoy the rear seat enter-
tainment system with a wireless head-
phone. The wireless headphone can be
used within rear seat. If the signal be-
comes weak, the headphone will mute.
For details, refer to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
With some wireless headphone generally
available in the market, it may be difficult
to catch sound properly. Toyota recom-
mends the use of Toyota genuine wireless
headphone.
You can purchase a wireless headphone
at a Toyota dealer.CAUTION
Do not drive with using the head-
phone. Otherwise, you may be hard
to hear the sound from the outside
while using the headphone and may
cause an accident.
Conversational speech on some
DVDs is recorded at a low volume
to emphasize the impact of sound
effects. If you adjust the volume
assuming that the conversations
represent the maximum volume lev-
el that the DVD will play, you may
be startled by louder sound effects
or when you change to a different
audio source. Be sure to adjust the
volume with this in mind.
Make sure the volume is not in-
creased, before you turn on the
headphone.
Finish
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
317
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
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 377 in Sec-
tion 7−2 and page 402 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.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.
Finish
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
320
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
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 easy—just 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
377 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
driving—but 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
transmission” on page 141 in Section
1 −7.)
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
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.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer
’04 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0308)
360
2004 HIGHLANDER from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM48478U)
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the “HOT” or “COLD”
range depending on the fluid temperature.
See page 377 in Section 7−2 for addition-
al information.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have
the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See “Engine exhaust cautions” on
page 287 in Section 2.)
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing periodic
services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights, and other lights
are all working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly.
Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified free play.
Be alert for changes in steering condition,
such as hard steering or strange noise. Seats
Check that all seat controls such as seat
adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. operate
smoothly and that all latches lock securely
in any position. Check that the head re-
straints move up and down smoothly and
that the locks hold securely in any latched
position. For folding
−down rear seatbacks,
check that the latches lock securely.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly and smoothly. Make sure the belt
webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or dam-
aged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance.
Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do
not pull to one side when applied. Parking brake
Check that the pedal has the proper travel
and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle
is held securely with only the parking
brake applied.
Automatic transmission “Park” mecha-
nism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your
vehicle is held securely with the selector
lever in “P” position and all brakes re-
leased.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be performed
from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
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.