2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID engine overheat

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2006 HIGHLANDER (Hybrid) from Mar. ’05 Prod. (OM48530U)
Low fuel level
warning light
The gauge indicates the approximate
quantity of fuel remaining in the tank
when the ignition switch is on.
Nearly full—Needle at “F”
Nearly empty—Needle at “E”
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
The needle moves when braking, acceler-
ating or making turns. This is caused by
the movement of the fuel in the tank.
If the fuel level approaches “E” or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible. On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the ignition switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Fuel gauge
Engine coolant temperature
gauge

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Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
 Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See “If your ve-
hicle overheats” on page 343 in
Section 4.
The power meter indicates the instanta-
neous output from the hybrid system in
approximate kilowatts.
While the hybrid system is regenerating
energy, the meter indicates negative.
Power meter

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Resetting the system
The system must be reset after the en-
gine oil replacement. Reset the system
by the following procedure.
1. Turn the ignition key to the “LOCK” position with the odometer reading
shown.
For details, see “—Odometer and two trip
meters” on page 154 in this Section. 2. Turn the ignition key to the “ON” posi- tion while holding down the trip meter
reset knob. A message “MAINT REQD
RESET MODE” will appear on the dis-
play.
3. Hold down the knob at least 5 sec- onds. A message “COMPLETE” will ap-
pear and a beep will sound.
(e)
This message is to remind the driver
that the washer fluid level is low.
If the washer fluid level is low, the mes-
sage appears with the master warning
light and warning tone when the ignition
is on. If the message appears, fill the washer
tank as soon as possible. For instruc-
tions, see “Adding washer fluid” on
page 403 in Section 73.
(f)
This message is to warn the driver that
the vehicle stability control (VSC) func-
tion of the vehicle dynamics integrated
management (VDIM) is malfunctioning.
If a malfunction is detected, the message
appears with the master warning light and
warning tone when the ignition is on.
If the message appears, the functions
of VDIM listed below may not work pro-
perly. Have the vehicle checked by a
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
Traction control function
Vehicle stability control function
(g)
This message is to warn the driver that
the engine oil pressure is too low.
If the engine oil pressure is too low, the
message appears with the master warning
light and warning tone when the ignition
is on.
If the message appears, turn the hybrid
system off as soon as possible and
contact a Toyota dealer.
(h)
This message is to warn the driver that
the hybrid system is almost overheat-
ing.
If the coolant temperature is too high, the
message appears with the master warning
light and warning tone when the ignition
is on.

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If the message appears, stop the ve-
hicle as soon as possible and check
the engine compartment. For detailed
instructions, see “If your vehicle over-
heats” on page 343.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the cooling system as this may
cause the hybrid system to over-
heat. The thermostat is designed to
control the flow of coolant to keep
the temperature of the engine with-
in the specified operating range.
 Continued driving with the message
displayed could result in the over-
heating of the hybrid system.
(i)
This message is to warn the driver that
the hybrid system is malfunctioning.
If a malfunction of the hybrid system is
detected, the message appears with the
master warning light and warning tone
when the ignition is on.
If the message appears, stop the ve-
hicle as soon as possible and contact
a Toyota dealer.
(j)

(All wheel drive models only)
This message is to warn the driver that
the all wheel drive system is malfunc-
tioning.
If a malfunction of all wheel drive system
is detected, the message appears with the
master warning light and warning tone
when the ignition is on.
If the message appears, have the ve-
hicle checked by a Toyota dealer as
soon as possible. (k)
This message is to remind the driver
that the moonroof is open.
If the moonroof is open with the ignition
off, the message appears with the master
warning light and warning tone when the
driver opens the door.
If the message appears, close the
moonroof.
(l)
This message is to warn the driver that
the transmission is not in the “P” posi-
tion when leaving the vehicle.
If the transmission is not in the “P” posi-
tion with the ignition on, the message ap-
pears with the master warning light and
warning tone when the driver ’s door is
opened.
If the message appears, put the trans-
mission in the “P” position.

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The threeway catalytic converter is an
emission control device installed in the
exhaust system.
The purpose is to reduce pollutants in the
exhaust gas.
CAUTION
Keep people and combustible mate-
rials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The
exhaust gas is very hot.
Do not idle or park your vehicle
over anything that might burn easi-
ly such as grass, leaves, paper or
rags.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the threeway catalytic
converter may cause it to overheat
and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe the
following precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
 Do not drive with an extremely low
fuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-
ing an excessive load on the three
way catalytic converter.
 Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
 Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel systems could cause an ex-
tremely high threeway catalytic
converter temperature.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a checkup as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyota
dealer knows your vehicle and its
threeway catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
 To ensure that the threeway cata-
lytic converter and the entire emis-
sion control system operate proper-
ly, your vehicle must receive the
periodic inspections required by the
Toyota Maintenance Schedule. For
scheduled maintenance information,
refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment”.
 Do not apply a coating agent such
as an antirust undercoating to the
exhaust pipe.
Threeway catalytic converters

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Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30C [85 F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to “If
your vehicle overheats” on page 343 in
Section 4.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in “P”. Avoid park-
ing on a slope with a trailer, but if it
cannot be avoided, do so only after
performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un- der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into “P” and turn off the hybrid system. When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in the “P” posi- tion, start the hybrid system. Be sure
to keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blo cks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.

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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
391 in Section 7 −2 for instructions.
Do not carry unnecessary weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the hybrid system,
causing greater fuel consumption.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts.
Avoid continuous changes of speed.
Stop −and− go driving wastes electric
power and 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.
When parking, be sure to put the
transmission into the “P” 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.
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.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting curbs and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the hybrid system, which, in turn,
wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer

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If your hybrid system stalls while driv-
ing...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Turn the ignition key to “ACC” or “LOCK”, and try starting the hybrid
system again.
If the hybrid system will not start, see “If
your vehicle will not start”.
CAUTION
When the hybrid system is not oper-
ating, the power assist for the brakes
and steering will not work, so steer-
ing and braking will be much more
difficult than usual.
Any of the following may indicate that
the hybrid system has overheated:
The engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating.
A “WATER TEMP” warning message
appears on the multiinformation
display.
A loss of power is experienced.
A loud knocking or pinging noise is
heard.
If the hybrid system overheats, follow
the procedures below: 1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the hybrid transmission in
“P” and apply the parking brake. Turn
off the air conditioning if it is being
used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the hybrid
system. Wait until the steam subsides
before opening the hood. If there is no
coolant boiling over or steam, leave the
ignition turned on and make sure the
electric cooling fan is operating. If it is
not, turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the hybrid system is on, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the hy-
brid system immediately. Call a Toyota
dealer for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the hy-
brid system is on. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, see “Coolant type
selection” on page 389 in Section 7 −2.
If your hybrid system stalls
while driving If your vehicle overheats