Page 428 of 716

4286-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
Defogging the rear window and outside rear view mirrors
Vehicles without outside rear view mirror defoggers
A defogger is used to defog the rear window.
Press .
The defogger will automatically turn off after a period of time.
Vehicles with outside rear view mirror defoggers
Defoggers are used to defog the rear window, and to remove rain-
drops, dew and frost from the outside rear view mirrors.
Press .
The defoggers will automatically turn off after a period of time.
■
Windshield wiper de-icer (if equipped)
This feature is used to prevent ice from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
Press the switch to turn the sys-
tem on/off.
The indicator comes on when
the windshield wiper de-icer is
on.
The windshield de-icer will auto-
matically turn off after a period
of time.
■
Location of air outlets
The air outlets and air volume
change according to the
selected airflow mode.
Air outlets
Page 435 of 716
4356-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
6
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
Windshield wiper de-icer (if equipped)
This feature is used to prevent ice from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
Press the switch to turn the sys-
tem on/off.
The indicator comes on when
the windshield wiper de-icer is
on.
The windshield de-icer will auto-
matically turn off after a period
of time.
■
Location of air outlets
The air outlets and air volume
change according to the
selected airflow mode.
■Adjusting the position of and opening and closing the air out-
lets
Front center outlets
Direct air flow to the left or right,
up or down.
Air outlets
Page 490 of 716

4907-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the engine compartment. Doing so may
cause the electrical components etc. to catch fire.
■ When cleaning the windshield (veh icles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
● When the upper part of the windshi eld where the raindrop sensor is
located is touched by hand
● When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor
● If something bumps against the windshield
● If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps into
the raindrop sensor
■ Precautions regarding the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has
cooled sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.
■ Precaution regarding the rear bump er with Blind Spot Monitor (if
equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped or scratched, the system may mal-
function. If this occurs, consult your Toyota dealer.
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate unexpectedly in the fol-
lowing situations, and may result in
hands being caught or other serious inju-
ries and cause damage to the wiper
blades.
Off
Page 491 of 716

4917-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
● Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
● To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■ Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
● Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■ When using an automatic car wash (vehicles with rain-sensing wind-
shield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may operate and the wiper
blades may be damaged.
■ When using a high pressure car wash
Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following parts. The parts may be damaged if they
come into contact with high-pressure water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
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.