Page 501 of 716
5017-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors• Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock system work prop-erly?
Fluid leaks• There should not be any signs of fluid leakageafter the vehicle has been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or exces-sively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the
maintenance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers/rear
window wiper
• The wiper blades should not show any signs
of cracking, splitting, wear, contamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/
rear window without streaking or skipping.
WARNING
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.
Page 505 of 716
5057-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Pull up the auxiliary catch lever
and lift the hood.
Hold the hood open by inserting
the support rod into the slot.
Hood
Release the lock from the inside of the vehicle to open the hood.
1
2
3
Page 506 of 716
5067-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
WARNING
■Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed and locked.
If the hood is not locked properly, it may open while the vehicle is in motion
and cause an accident, which may result in death or serious injury.
■ After installing the support rod into the slot
Make sure the rod supports the hood securely preventing it from falling
down onto your head or body.
NOTICE
■When closing the hood
Be sure to return the support rod to its clip before closing the hood. Closing
the hood with the support rod not clipped could cause the hood to bend.
Page 511 of 716

5117-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near the low level mark, add engine oil of
the same type as that
already in the engine.
Make sure to check the oil type and prepare the items needed
before adding oil. Remove the oil filler cap by turning it counterclockwise.
Add engine oil slowly, checking the dipstick.
Install the oil filler cap by turning it clockwise.
■ Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will be consumed while driving. In the following
situations, oil consumption may increase, and engine oil may need to be
refilled in between oil maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for example directly after purchasing the vehicle or
after replacing the engine
● If low quality oil or oil of an inappropriate viscosity is used
● When driving at high engine speeds or with a heavy load, when towing, or
when driving while accelerating or decelerating frequently
● When leaving the engine idling for a long time, or when driving frequently
through heavy traffic
2.7 L 4-cylinder (1AR-FE)
engine3.5 L V6 (2GR-FE) engine
Engine oil selection P. 642
Oil quantity
(Low Full) 1.6 qt. (1.5 L, 1.3 Imp. qt.)
Items
Clean funnel
1
2
3
Page 517 of 716

5177-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
After recharging/reconnecting the ba ttery (vehicles with a smart key sys-
tem)
The engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initialize the system.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Open and close any of the doors.
Restart the engine.
● Unlocking the doors using the smart key system may not be possible imme-
diately after reconnecting the battery. If this happens, use the wireless
remote control or the mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
● Start the engine with the engine switch in ACCESSORY mode. The engine
may not start with the engine switch turned off. However, the engine will
operate normally from the second attempt.
● The engine switch mode is recorded by the vehicle. If the battery is discon-
nected and reconnected, the vehicle will return the engine switch mode to
the status it was in before the battery was disconnected. Make sure to turn
off the engine before disconnecting the battery. Take extra care when con-
necting the battery if the engine switch mode prior to the battery being dis-
connected is unknown.
If the system will not start even after multiple attempts, contact your Toyota
dealer.
WARNING
■ Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce
hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death
or serious injury, take the following precautions while working on or near the
battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.
● Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
● Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
● Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
● Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
● Keep children away from the battery.
1
2
3
Page 523 of 716

5237-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn the engine switch to the
“LOCK” position (vehicles without a smart key system) or off
(vehicles with a smart key system).
Initialization cannot be performed while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire inflation
pressure level. ( P. 648)
Make sure to adjust the tire pressu re to the specified cold tire infla-
tion pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will operate
based on this pressure level.
Turn the engine switch to the “ON” position (vehicles without a
smart key system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a smart
key system).
Press and hold the tire pres-
sure warning reset switch
until the tire pressure warn-
ing light blinks slowly 3 times.
Vehicles without a smart key syst em: Wait for a few minutes with
the engine switch in the “ON” position and then turn the engine
switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system: Wait for a few minutes with the
engine switch in IGNITION ON mode and then turn the engine
switch off.
1
2
3
4
5
Page 527 of 716

5277-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
The initialization operation
●Make sure to carry out in
itialization after adjusting the tire inflation pres-
sure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold be fore carrying out initialization or tire
inflation pressure adjustment.
●If you have accidentally turned the engine switch to the “LOCK” position
(vehicles without a smart key system) or off (vehicles with a smart key
system) during initialization, it is no t necessary to press the reset switch
again as initialization will restart aut omatically when the engine switch
has been turned to the “ON” position (vehicles without a smart key sys-
tem) or IGNITION ON mode (vehic les with a smart key system) for the
next time.
●If you accidentally press the reset s witch when initialization is not neces-
sary, adjust the tire inflation pressu re to the specified level when the
tires are cold, and conduct initialization again.
■When initialization of the tire pr essure warning system has failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the following
cases, the settings have not been recorded and the system will not oper-
ate properly. If repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings
are unsuccessful, have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
●When operating the tire pressure wa rning reset switch, the tire pressure
warning light does not blink 3 times.
●After carrying out the initialization procedure, the tire pressure warning
light blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving for 20 minutes.
Page 536 of 716
5367-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
Vehicles without a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch off.
Open the glove box. Slide off
the damper.
Push in the glove box on the
vehicle’s outer side to discon-
nect the claws. Then pull out
the glove box and disconnect
the lower claws.
Pull down the cover.
Air conditioning filter
The air conditioning filter must be changed regularly to maintain
air conditioning efficiency.
Removal method
1
2
3
4