OVERVIEW
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SAFETY AND EMERGENCY FEATURES
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VSC helps prevent loss of traction during cornering by reducing engine power and
applying brake force to selected wheels.
Toyota’s VSC monitors steering angle and the direction your vehicle is traveling.
When it senses that the front or rear wheels begin to lose traction, VSC reduces
engine power and applies braking to selected wheels. This helps restore traction
and vehicle control.
ABS helps prevent brakes from locking up by “pulsing” brake pressure to each
wheel. This limits brake lockup and helps provide directional control for the
current road conditions.
Toyota’s ABS sensors detect which wheels are locking up and limits wheel lockup
by “pulsing” each wheel’s brakes independently. Pulsing releases brake pressure
repeatedly for fractions of a second. This helps the tires attain the traction that
current road conditions will allow, helping you to stay in directional control. Brake Assist is designed to detect sudden or “panic” braking, and then add braking
pressure to help decrease the vehicle’s stopping distance. When there’s only a
split second to react, Brake Assist can add additional brake pressure more quickly
than just the driver alone can. VSC helps prevent loss of traction during cornering by reducing engine power, and
Traction Control helps maintain traction on loose gravel and wet, icy, or uneven
surfaces by applying brake force to the spinning wheel(s).
Toyota’s TRAC sensors are activated when one of the drive wheels starts to slip.
TRAC limits engine output and applies the brakes to the spinning wheel. This
transfers power to the wheels that still have traction to help keep you on track.
Toyota’s ABS technology has Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) to help
maintain control and balance when braking. Abrupt stops can cause a vehicle
to tilt forward, reducing the braking power of the rear wheels. EBD responds to
sudden stops by redistributing brake force to enhance the braking effectiveness of
all four wheels.
There are two types of Toyota floor mats: carpeted and all-weather. Each vehicle
has model-specific floor mats. Installation is easy.
To keep your floor mat properly positioned, follow these steps:
• Only use floor mats designed for your specific model.
• Use only one floor mat at a time, using the retaining hooks to keep the mat in
place.
• Install floor mats right side up.
Floor mat installation
SAFETY AND EMERGENCY FEATURES
All new Toyota vehicles come standard with the Star Safety SystemTM, which
combines Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock
Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA)
and Smart Stop Technology (SST).Smart Stop Technology automatically reduces engine power when the accelerator
and brake pedals are pressed simultaneously under certain conditions.
SST engages when the accelerator is depressed first and the brakes are applied
firmly for longer than one-half second at speeds greater than five miles per hour.
SST doesn’t engage if the brake pedal is depressed before the accelerator pedal,
allowing vehicles to start on a steep hill and safely accelerate without rolling
backward.
Smart Stop Technology (SST)
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This Quick Reference Guide is a summary of basic vehicle
operations. It contains brief descriptions of fundamental operations
so you can locate and use the vehicle’s main equipment quickly
and easily.
The Quick Reference Guide is not intended as a substitute for the
Owner’s Manual located in your vehicle’s glove box. We strongly
encourage you to review the Owner’s Manual and supplementary
manuals so you will have a better understanding of your vehicle’s
capabilities and limitations.
Your dealership and the entire staff of Toyota Motor Sales,
U.S.A., Inc. wish you many years of satisfied driving in your new
Highlander.
A word about safe vehicle operations
This Quick Reference Guide is not a full description of Highlander
operations. Every Highlander owner should review the Owner’s
Manual that accompanies this vehicle.
Pay special attention to the boxed information highlighted in
color throughout the Owner’s Manual. Each box contains safe
operating instructions to help you avoid injury or equipment
malfunction.
All information in this Quick Reference Guide is current at the
time of printing. Toyota reserves the right to make changes at
any time without notice.
2013
Highlander
OVERVIEW
FEATURES/OPERATIONS
SAFETY AND EMERGENCY FEATURES
33
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