2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID window

118
1-6. Refueling
Opening the fuel tank cap
The fuel tank of your vehicle has a special structure, which requires
a reduction in fuel tank pressure before refueling. After the opener
switch has been pressed, it will take several seconds until the vehi-
cle is ready for refueling.
■ Before refueling the vehicle
Turn the “POWER” switch OFF and ensure that all the doors and
windows are closed.
■ Opening the fuel tank cap
Press the fuel filler door
opener switch.
When the message “REFUEL
READY” appears, the fuel filler
door will open.
Turn the fuel tank cap slowly
to open.
STEP1
STEP2

129
1-7. Theft deterrent system
1
Before driving
■
Items to check before locking the vehicle
To prevent unexpected triggering of the alarm and vehicle theft, make sure
of the following.
●Nobody is in the vehicle.
● The windows and moon roof are closed before the alarm is set.
● No valuables or other personal items are left in the vehicle.
■ When the battery is disconnected
Be sure to cancel the alarm system.
If the battery is disconnected before canceling the alarm, the system may be
triggered when the battery is reconnected.
■ When using the mechani cal key to unlock the doors
Deactivate the alarm.

143
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
SRS airbag precautions
●If the vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbag will deploy,
be sure to remove it.
● Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
● Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components ( →P. 134).
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
● Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
● If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do
so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
● If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have
them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
●Do not attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board, steering wheel pad or lower
portion of the instrument panel.
These items can become projectiles
when SRS driver, front passenger and
knee airbags deploy.
● Do not attach anything to areas such as
the door, windshield glass, side door
glass, front and rear pillars, roof side
rail or assist grip.
● Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and
seriously injure or kill you, should the
SRS curtain shield airbag deploy.

When driving2
167
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle............ 168
Power (ignition) switch ............................. 178
EV-Drive Mode................. 182
Transmission..................... 184
Turn signal lever .............. 186
Parking brake ................... 187
Horn ................................. 188
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ......... 189
Indicators and warning lights .............................. 191
Multi-information display............................ 195
2-3.
Operating the lights and
wipers
Headlight swi

tch ............... 205
Fog light switch ................ 209
Windshield wipers and washer ........................... 210
Rear window wiper and washer ........................... 212 2-4. Using other drivin
g
s

ystems
Cruise control ................... 213
Rear view monitor system ........................... 216
Driving assist systems ..... 220
Hill-start assist control ...... 224
2-5. Driving information Utility vehicle precautions .................... 226
Cargo and luggage .......... 231
Vehicle load limits ............ 235
Winter driving tips ............ 236
Trailer towing ................... 240
Dinghy towing .................. 250

169
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting on a steep uphill
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodi-
cally or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bedding-down.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

172 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the hybrid sys-
tem operating. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● The driver should pay attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is pow-
ered only by the electric motor (traction motor). Because there is no
engine noise, the pedestrians may misjudge the vehicle’s movement.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or st op the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
● Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving
position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the hybrid system not to operate or lead to poor
brake and steering performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the
vehicle.
● If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehi-
cle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a
serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

212
2-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Rear window wiper and washer
■The rear window wiper and washer can be operated when
The “POWER” switch is in ON mode.
NOTICE
■When the rear window is dry
Do not use the wipers, as they may damage the rear window.
Intermittent window wiper
operation
Normal window wiper oper-
ation
Washer/wiper dual opera-
tion
Washer/wiper dual opera-
tion

236
2-5. Driving information
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropri-
ate to the prevailing weather conditions.
■ Pre-winter preparations
●Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• Engine oil
• Engine/power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid
● Have a service technician inspect the level and specific grav-
ity of battery electrolyte.
● Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set
of tire chains for the front tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
■Before driving the vehicle
Observe the following according to the driving conditions.
●Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is
frozen. Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice.
Wipe away the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
● To ensure proper operation of th e climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents
in front of the windshield.
● Remove any ice that has accumu lated on the vehicle chassis.
● Periodically check for and remove any excess ice or snow
that may have accumulated in the wheel well or on the
brakes.