2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER stop start

256 2-5. Driving information
Trailer towing tipsYour vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when
towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted towing speed limit.
● Toyota recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the
posted towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s man ual, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combin ation (trailer sway) increases as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reve rsing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice.
Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This is generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
● As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to-
vehicle distance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least o ne vehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet
or slippery surfaces.

257
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
●
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 can destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a vehicle, 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 temperatures over 85°F [30°C]) when
driving up a long or steep grade. If the engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, immedi ately turn off the air condition-
ing (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
(  P. 564)

258 2-5. Driving information
●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the
trailer’s wheels when parking. Ap ply the parking brake firmly, and
put the transmission in P. Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoid-
able, do so only after performing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blo cks under both the vehicle’s
and trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in place, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting after parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep
the brake pedal depressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake and also the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4

290 3-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
■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 “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION 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.

291
3-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
3
Interior features
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 “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION 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 ice 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

359
3-3. Using the Bluetooth
® audio system
3
Interior features
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 “ENGINE
START STOP” switch is in either ACCESSORY or IGNITION 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 player
Select “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 the desired por-table player.
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 .
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4

396
3-5. Using the interior lights
Interior lights list
Your Toyota is equipped with an illuminated entry system to assist in
entering the vehicle. Owing to the fu nction of the system, the lights
shown in the following illustration automatically turn on/off accord-
ing to the presence of the electro nic key (vehicles with smart key
system), whether the doors are lo cked/unlocked, whether the doors
or glass hatch (if equipped) are opened/closed, the “ENGINE START
STOP” switch mode and en gine switch position.
Outer foot lights (vehicles with smart key system)
Personal/interior lights (P. 397)
Engine switch light (vehicle s without smart key system)
Front door courtesy light
Personal/interior light or interior light ( P. 397, 398)
Interior light ( P. 398)

418 3-7. Other interior features
■The power outlet can be used when
12 V
Vehicles without smart key system:
The engine switch is in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
Vehicles with smart key system:
The “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON
mode.
120 VAC
Vehicles without smart key system:
The engine switch is in the “ON” position.
Vehicles with smart key system:
The “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION ON mode.