2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Owners Manual

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Your transmission has a shift lock system
to minimize the possibility of incorrect op-
eration. This means you can only shift out
of “P” position when the brake pedal is
depressed (with the ignition switch in “ON”
position and the lock release button de-
pressed).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is also displayed on the
instrument cluster.
P:Parking, hybrid system starting and key
removal
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving
B: Engine braking
Transmission
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while holding the lock
release button in. (The ignition
switch must be in “ON” position.)
Shift while holding the lock
release button in.
Shift normally. Selector lever

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(b) Normal driving
1. Start the hybrid system as instructed in “How to start the hybrid system” on
page 326 in Section 3. The transmis-
sion must be in “P”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brakepedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. (c) Using engine braking
To use engine braking intentionally, down-
shift the transmission to “B” position and
take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
During high speed driving you may feel
that engine braking is less effective than
that of ordinary vehicle.
Do not continue normal driving with the
transmission in “B” for a long time.
This may cause decreased fuel econo-
my.CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
When turning the hybrid system off, put
the transmission in the “P” position.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(f) Good driving practice
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the hybrid
system on. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.

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NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(g) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift the transmission selector
lever” on page 359 in Section 4. Vehicle dynamics integrated manage-
ment (VDIM) is designed to control ve-
hicle motion continuously using all pos-
sible functions to stabilize the motion.
It is important to keep the tires in good
condition for the system to properly
control vehicle motion. Refer to the in-
formation for tires on pages 391
through 398 in Section 72.
The system has the functions listed below.
Each function becomes operational when
the vehicle speed exceeds the speeds as
shown below.
Brake assist function
7km/h(4mph)
Anti−lock brake function
7km/h(4mph)
Traction control function 0km/h(0mph)
Vehicle stability control function
15 km/h (9 mph)
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the
VDIM. Even if the system is operat-
ing, you must always drive carefully
and attentively. Reckless driving will
result in an unexpected accident. If
the slip indicator flashes, special
care should be taken.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacturer, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use any tires other
than specified, or different types or
sizes, the VDIM may not function
correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Toyota deal-
er.
Do not modify the suspensions. If
you modify the suspensions, the
VDIM may not function correctly.
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, snow
tires or tire chains should be used.
Vehicle dynamics integrated
management

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Slip indicator light
When the ignition is turned on, the slip
indicator light comes on. It will go off
when the “READY” light comes on. If the
slip indicator light does not come on when
the ignition is turned on, contact your
Toyota dealer. While the VDIM is using its various func-
tions to stabilize vehicle motion, the slip
indicator in the instrument cluster flashes
and the buzzer sounds. Drive carefully
when you are in situations where the indi-
cator flashes. You may feel some vibra-
tions from the underbody and you may
feel some resistance when turning the
steering wheel when the VDIM is using its
various functions.
“ABS” warning light (type A)
“ABS” warning light (type B)

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“ABS” warning light
When the ignition is turned on, the
“ABS” warning light comes on. It will
go off when the “READY” light comes
on. If the “ABS” warning light does not
come on when the ignition is turned
on, contact your Toyota dealer.
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
after the ignition is turned on or if it
comes on while driving, the antilock
brake system function may not operate
properly. Although the brake system op-
erates without the function, drive care-
fully and have your vehicle checked by
a Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
For details, see “Service reminder indi-
cators and warning buzzers” on page
144 in Section 16.
Warning message “CHECK VSC SYSTEM”
If “CHECK VSC SYSTEM” appears on
the multiinformation display, the trac-
tion control and vehicle stability control
functions may not operate properly. Al-
though the brake system operates nor-
mally without these functions, drive
carefully and have your vehicle checked
by a Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
For details, see “—Warning messages”
on page 155 in Section 16. BRAKE ASSIST FUNCTION
The brake assist function is designed to
assist with emergency braking. When the
driver suddenly depresses the brake ped-
al, the device treats it as emergency brak-
ing and adds braking force.
If you slam the brakes on or apply the
brakes more firmly, more powerful braking
will be applied. At this time, you may hear
a sound in the engine compartment and
feel the vibrations of the brake pedal. This
does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
The brake assist function is not de-
signed to shorten braking distance.
Always drive at a moderate speed and
maintain a safe distance from the ve-
hicle in front of you. Depending on
road conditions, braking distance may
be longer than that of a vehicle with-
out the brake assist device. If tire
chains are used, braking distance
may become longer.

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ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FUNCTION
The anti −lock brake system function is de-
signed to help prevent lock −up of the
wheels during sudden braking or when
braking on slippery road conditions. This
assists in providing directional stability
and steering performance of the vehicle
under these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal: When the anti −lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti −lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking perfor-
mance.
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the anti −lock brake sys-
tem function. You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
just after the vehicle begins to move. This
means that the anti
−lock brake system
function is in the self −check mode, and
does not indicate a malfunction.
When the antilock brake system func-
tion is activated, the following condi-
tions may occur. They do not indicate
a malfunction of the function:
You may hear the anti −lock brake sys-
tem function operating and feel the
brake pedal pulsating and the vibra-
tions of the vehicle body and steering
wheel. You may also hear the motor
sound in the engine compartment even
after the vehicle is stopped.
At the end of the activation, the brake
pedal may move a little forward.
CAUTION
The antilock brake system function
is not designed to shorten braking
distance. Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you. De-
pending on road conditions, braking
distance may be longer than that of
a vehicle without the antilock brake
device. If tire chains are used, brak-
ing distance may become longer.

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Compared with vehicles without an
antilock brake device, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the antilock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
TRACTION CONTROL FUNCTION
The traction control function is designed to
help prevent skid of the drive wheels dur-
ing sudden acceleration on slippery road
surfaces.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against drive wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which may
cause the vehicle to lose traction
control. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at a moderate speed.
VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL
FUNCTION
The vehicle stability control function is de-
signed to help prevent skid of the wheels
while cornering on slippery road surfaces
or when turning the steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
The system controls the driving and brak-
ing forces on each tire and also controls
the power steering assistance to help the
driver to recover vehicle stability.
CAUTION
Depending on the road conditions,
the vehicle stability control function
may not be able to stabilize your ve-
hicle. Always drive at a moderate
speed.

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Ty p e A
Ty p e B
When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Fully depress the parking brake
pedal. For better holding power, first de-
press the brake pedal and hold it while
setting the parking brake.
To release: Depress the parking brake
pedal once again.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light (red
brake system warning light) in the instru-
ment panel remains on until you release
the parking brake.
A warning message “PARK BRAKE” ap-
pears on the multi−information display and
a warning tone sounds to remind you to
release the parking brake when the ve-
hicle speed rises above 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the parking brake is applied.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off.
The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40
km/h (25 mph) even with your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Within the hybrid system capabilities,
cruising speed will be maintained up or
down grades. Because speed changes will
increase in proportion to grade, cruise
control should not be used on steeper
hills.
CAUTION
To help maintain maximum control
of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snowcovered) or
winding roads.
Avoid vehicle speed increases when
driving downhill. If the vehicle
speed is too fast in relation to the
cruise control set speed, cancel the
cruise control then downshift the
transmission to use engine braking
to slow down.
Parking brake Cruise control