2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID engine

251
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
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.

260 2-5. Driving information
GCWR, TWR, Unbraked TWRConfirm that the gross trailer weight, gross combination weight, gross
vehicle weight, gross axle weight and tongue weight are all within the
limits.
■ GCWR
* and TWR*
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (453 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehicle trailering requirement of SAE Inter-
national per SAE J2807.
Model codeEngineDriving systemGCWRTWR
GVU48L-BRXNKA 3.5L V6
(2GR-FXE) engine 4WD8700 lb.
(3950 kg) 3500 lb.
(1500 kg)
GVU48L-BRXGKA 8730 lb.
(3960 kg) 3500 lb.
(1500 kg)

266 2-5. Driving information
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before mak-
ing a turn.
● Note that when making a turn, th e trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making
a wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed c an destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other v ehicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a vehi cle, do not forget the length of
your trailer, and be sure you hav e plenty of room before changing
lanes.
● To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, do not put the transmission in
D.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and
result in reduced braking efficiency.
● Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days (at temper atures over 85°F [30°C]) when
driving up a long or steep grade. If the engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air condition-
ing (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
(  P. 562)

269
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
■
Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components
(such as an engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing), Toyota rec-
ommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has been driven \
for
over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can s\
tart
towing. However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the vehicle at a
speed of less than 50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full
throttle acceleration.
■ Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance
due to the additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.)
● Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after approxi-
mately 600 miles (1000 km) of trailer towing.
■ If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can
adversely affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gradually to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle
and trailer should stabilize.

282 3-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Front side outlets
Direct air flow to the left or
right, up or down.
Turn the knob to open or close
the vent.
■Using the system in recirculated air mode
The windows will fog up more easily if the recirculated air mode is used for
an extended period.
■ Window defogger feature
Vehicles without smart key system
In order to prevent the windows from fogging up, recirculated air mode may
automatically switch to outside air mode if the ambient temperature drops.
This feature can be canceled by pushing and holding the air intake mode
switch for longer than 2 seconds. The feature will be reactivated when the
engine switch is turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with smart key system
In order to prevent the windows from fogging up, recirculated air mode may
automatically switch to outside air mode if the ambient temperature drops.
This feature can be canceled by pushing and holding the air intake mode
switch for longer than 2 seconds. The feature will be reactivated when the
“POWER” switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or OFF.

301
3-1. Using the air conditioning system
and defogger
3
Interior features
■The defogger can be operated when
Vehicles without smart key system
The engine switch is in the “ON” position.
Vehicles with smart key system
The “POWER” switch is in ON mode.
■ Outside rear view mirror defoggers (vehicles with outside rear view
mirror defoggers)
Turning the rear window defogger on will turn the outside rear view mirror
defoggers on.
CAUTION
■ Outside rear view mirror defoggers (vehicles with outside rear view
mirror defoggers)
Do not touch the outside surface of the rear view mirrors, as they can
become very hot and cause burns.

302
3-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Windshield wiper de-icer
■The de-icer can be operated when
Vehicles without smart key system
The engine switch is in the “ON” position.
Vehicles with smart key system
The “POWER” switch is in ON mode.
CAUTION
■ When the windshield wiper de-icer is on
Do not touch the lower part of the windshield or the side of the front pillars,
as the surfaces can become very hot and cause burns.
This feature is used to prevent i ce from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
On/off
Press the button to turn on the
windshield wiper de-icer. The
indicator light will come on.
The windshield wiper de-icer
will automatically turn off after
approximately 15 minutes.
: If equipped

364 3-3. Using the Bluetooth
® audio system
Press the talk switch and say “From car” or “From audio”, and
select “Confirm” using a voice command or .
Vehicles with smart key system: If “From car” is selected, the porta-
ble player will be automatically connected whenever the “POWER”
switch is in either ACCESSORY or ON mode.
Vehicles without smart key system: If “From car” is selected, the por-
table player will be automatically connected whenever the engine
switch is in either the “ACC” or “ON” position.
Changing the registered name of a portable playerSelect “Change Name” using a voice command or .
Select the name of the portable player to be changed by
either of the following methods, and select “Confirm” using a
voice command or :
a. Press the talk switch and say the name of desired portableplayer.
b. Press the talk switch and say “List audio players”. When the name of the desired portable player is read aloud, press the
talk switch.
Press the talk switch or select “Record Name” using ,
and say the new name.
Select “Confirm” using a voice command or .
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