2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Owners Manual

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
5
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
Drive your vehicle with smooth accel-
eration and deceleration.
While driving, energy is recovered
through the regenerative brake as the
vehicle decelerates. However, for effi-
cient use, do not accelerate or deceler-
ate your vehicle more than necessary.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and decelera-
tion.
The power of the traction battery can
be checked on the multi−information
display or the navigation system screen
(with navigation system). See “—Trac-
tion battery status” on page 4 for de-
tails. Gradual or non −abrupt accelera-
tion and deceleration will make more
effectively use of the traction motor
without having to use gasoline engine
power. When parking, be sure to put the trans-
mission into the “P” position. While
driving, put the transmission into the
“D” position.
In the “N” position, the gasoline engine
operates but electricity cannot be gen-
erated. The traction battery will be dis-
charged requiring unnecessary engine
power to recharge.
The hybrid system automatically re-
charges the traction battery when the
remaining battery power is reduced.
However, the traction battery cannot be
recharged if the transmission is in the
“N” position.
For detailed information, see “How to save
fuel and make your vehicle last longer” on
page 337 in Section 3.
INFORMATION
The gasoline engine starts and stops
automatically. (It stops during a low
load driving, deceleration or when the
vehicle is stopped.)
As long as the “READY” light remains
on, you can start your vehicle using
the electric motor even with the gaso-
line engine stopped.
The gasoline engine may not stop au-
tomatically in the following condi-
tions:
 During gasoline engine warmup
 During traction battery charging
 During low or high traction battery
temperature
Efficient use of your hybrid
vehicle

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
6
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
1. High voltage cables
2. Inverter unit
3. DC/DC converter
4. Traction battery
5. Service plug
6. Rear traction motor
(all wheel drive models only)
7. Front traction motor
8. Air conditioning compressor
The hybrid system uses high voltage up
to 650 V. High voltage components are
indicated in the illustration above. High
voltage cables are orange. The system
can be hot while and after starting. Be
careful of both the high voltage and the
high temperature.
Precautions for the use of hybrid vehicle—
—High voltage components

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
7
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
Caution label
CAUTION
The vehicle has high voltage DC and
AC systems as well as a 12volt sys-
tem. DC and AC high voltage is very
dangerous and can cause severe
burns and electric shock that may re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Never touch, disassemble, remove
or replace the high voltage parts,
cables and their connectors. High
voltage parts and cables are indi-
cated in the illustration above.
Touching, disassembling, removing
or replacing those parts and cables
can cause severe burns or electric
shock that may result in death or
serious injury.
The hybrid system uses high volt-
age and the system can be hot
while and after starting. Be careful
of both the high voltage and the
high temperature. Obey the caution
labels attached to the vehicle.
Never try to open the service plug
access hole located on the left
hand side of the rear seat base.
The service plug is used only when
the vehicle is serviced and is sub-
ject to high voltage. Touching the
service plug can cause severe
burns or electric shock that may
result in death or serious injury.

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
8
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
Be sure to put the transmission in the
“P” position when parking.
In the “N” position, the traction battery
does not recharge, even if the gasoline
engine is operating. Leaving the transmis-
sion in the “N” position for an extended
period of time may discharge the traction
battery. The vehicle cannot run if the trac-
tion battery is discharged.
When you leave your vehicle, apply the
parking brake, put the transmission in
the “P” position, be sure to carry the
key with you and lock all the doors.
If you leave the ignition in “ACC” or “ON”,
the auxiliary battery will be discharged
and the hybrid system may not start.Because the vehicle is powered by
both the gasoline engine and the trac-
tion motor, you may hear a motor
sound coming from the engine compart-
ment. However, this does not indicate
any trouble.
When the hybrid system is started or
stopped, you may hear a sound coming
from the traction battery under the rear
seats. However, this does not indicate
any trouble.
When the hybrid system is started or
stopped, or while the vehicle is idling,
you may hear a sound coming from the
transmission. However, this does not
indicate any trouble.
When applying brakes, you may hear
a sound coming from the regenerative
brakes. However, this does not indicate
any trouble.
When the gasoline engine is started or
stopped with the hybrid system on, you
may feel a vibration. However, this
does not indicate any trouble.
If the “READY” light is on, you can
start even when the gasoline engine is
off.
When you put the transmission in the
“B” position and take your foot off the
accelerator pedal, engine braking will
be applied. However, during high speed
driving you may feel that engine brak-
ing is less effective than that of ordi-
nary vehicle.
High voltage parts and cables on the
hybrid vehicles emit approximately the
same amount of electromagnetic
waves as the conventional gasoline
powered vehicles or home electronic
appliances despite of their electro-
magnetic shieldings.
Unwanted noise may occur in the re-
ception of the mobile twoway radio.
—The characteristics of the
hybrid vehicle

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
9
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
CAUTION
The driver should pay special atten-
tion to pedestrians when the vehicle
is powered only by the traction mo-
tor. Because there is no engine
noise, the pedestrians may mis-
judge the vehicle’s movement.
When you leave your vehicle, be
sure to turn off the hybrid system.
Be sure to put the transmission in
the “P” position because the ve-
hicle can move when the “READY”
light is on even if the engine is
stopped. When the “READY” light is
on, do not leave your vehicle in a
shift position other than the “P”
and “N” positions. The vehicle will
creep and start abruptly if the ac-
celerator pedal is depressed by
mistake. This may cause death or
serious injury.
The multiinformation display
The navigation system screen
If you open the door with the hybrid
system turned on and the transmission
is not in the “P” position, a message
appears on the multiinformation dis-
play and navigation system screen (for
vehicles with navigation system).
When you leave your vehicle, or stop
or park for a while, put the transmis-
sion in the “P” position.
Charging the traction battery while driv-
ing is important. In the “N” position,
the traction battery will not be charged.
Do not leave the transmission in the
“N” position. The motor generator oper-
ates in the “P”, “R”, “D” and “B” posi-
tions. When you drive, put the trans-
mission in the “D” or “B” position and
depress the accelerator pedal. When
driving in a traffic jam, operate the
vehicle in the “D” position to prevent
the traction battery from being dischar-
ged.

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
10
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
Traction battery air vents
Air vents are located in the lower part
of the rear seats to cool the traction
battery. If the vents are covered, the
battery will overheat resulting in re-
duced output performance of the hybrid
system.
You may hear a noise of the cooling fans
from the air vents. For vehicle repairs or maintenance, be
sure to consult your Toyota dealer.
If your vehicle is beyond repair, contact
your Toyota dealer for assistance. Do
not attempt to dispose of your vehicle
by yourself.
CAUTION
Your vehicle contains a sealed Nick-
elMetal hydride battery. If disposed
of improperly, it is hazardous to the
environment and there is a risk of
severe burns and electrical shock that
may result in death or serious injury.
NOTICE

Do not put foreign objects over the
air vent. The traction battery may
be overheated and damaged.
 Do not load a large amount of wa-
ter such as an aquarium into the
vehicle. If water spills over the trac-
tion battery, the battery may be
damaged.
 Do not wet the air vent. This may
adversely affect or damage the trac-
tion battery.
 Clean the air vent regularly to pre-
vent the traction battery from over-
heating.

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
11
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
CAUTION
Pull your vehicle off the road, put
the transmission in the “P” posi-
tion, apply the parking brake, turn
the hybrid system off and remove
the key.
In order to avoid personal injuries,
do not touch high voltage wiring,
connectors or high voltage parts
(inverter unit, traction battery and
etc.).
If exposed electric wires are pro-
truding inside or outside of your
vehicle, an electric shock may oc-
cur. Never touch the electric wires.
If fluid leaks or gets into some
parts of the vehicle, never touch it
because it may be strong alkaline
electrolyte from the traction battery.
If it contacts your skin or eyes,
wash it off immediately with a large
amount of water or if possible, bo-
ric acid solution. Get immediate
medical attention in order to help
avoid serious injury.
If a fire occurs in the hybrid ve-
hicle, leave the vehicle as soon as
possible. Never use a fire extin-
guisher that is not meant for elec-
tric fires. Using a small amount of
water may be also dangerous.
If your vehicle needs to be towed,
do it with the front wheels raised
(front wheel drive models) or all
four wheels raised (all models). If
the wheels with the traction motor
are on the ground when towing, the
motor may continue to generate
electricity. This may cause the elec-
tricity leakage. Depending on the
severity of the damage, electricity
leakage may cause fire. See “If your
vehicle needs to be towed” on page
354 in Section 4.
The emergency shut off system blocks
off the high voltage current and stops
the fuel pump to minimize the risk of
the electric leakage and the fuel leak-
age when a certain level of impact is
detected by the impact sensor. If the
system activates, your vehicle will not
restart. To restart the hybrid system,
contact a Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
Check to see if there are exposed
high voltage parts and cables. Nev-
er touch the parts and cables. See
“—High voltage components” on
page 6 in this Section for the loca-
tions of the high voltage parts and
cables.
Inspect the ground under the ve-
hicle. If you find that liquid has
leaked onto the ground, the fuel
system may have been damaged.
Leave the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
Road accident cautions— —Emergency shut off system

’06 HIGHLANDER HB_U (L/O 0503)
12
2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
1. Side defroster outlets
2. Instrument cluster
3. Center vents
4. Electric moonroof switch and personal
lights
5. Garage door opener
6. Auxiliary boxes
7. Side vents
8. Power door lock switches
9. Power window switches
10. Glove box
11. Transmission selector lever
12. Ashtrays
13. A/V input adapter
14. Power outlet (115 VAC)
15. Cup holder
16. Container
17. Power outlet (12 VDC)
18. Audio remote control switches
19. Hood lock release lever
20. Fuel filler door switch
21. Parking brake pedal
22. Window lock switch
Instrument panel overview
 Vehicles with rear seat entertainment system (view A)