4937-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
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
5017-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
12-volt batteryCheck the battery connections. (→P. 517)
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly
(without uneven pedal effort or catching).
Hybrid transmission
“Park” mechanism• When parked on a slope and the shift lever isin P, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clear-ance from the floor? ( →P. 645)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of free play? ( →P. 645)
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when
the brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes are applied.
Head restraints• Do the head restraints move smoothly andlock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function prop-
erly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake move smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Seat belts• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correctamount of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds com- ing from the steering wheel.
5027-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
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 hybrid system is operating
Turn the hybrid system off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation
before performing maintenance checks.
5247-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a warning light. ( →P. 570)
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pr essure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID
codes registered by your Toyota dealer. ( →P. 526)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
● When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when chang-
ing traveling speed or load weight.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system
5267-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter, it is necessary to register the ID code. Have the ID code
registered by your Toyota dealer.
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not reg-
istered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driv-
ing for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even
if it has seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■Proper storage of the spare tire
As an improperly stored spare tire may cause damage to the wire cable
that holds it, check that the spare tire is stored properly on a daily basis.
• If the spare tire is slanted, the hoist assembly may be stuck in the wheel opening. If the spare tire rattles while driving, it may not be fully
raised. Lower the spare tire to the ground and make sure that the
hoist assembly is perpendic ular to the wheel opening.
• Raise the tire slowly and steadily until a click is heard and the jack handle skips.
• If the spare tire cannot be lowered, the wire cable may be severed.
Have the vehicle inspected at your Toyota dealer.
●If the stored spare tire is slanted or
causes a rattle while driving, properly
store the spare tire by following the
tire change procedure correctly
( → P. 597).
5277-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)■
Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks. Make su
re to check tire inflation pressure as part of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the number given by dividing the maximum load by 1.10 of the
replacement tire is greater than 1/ 2 of the Gross Axle Weight Ratings
(GAWR) of either the front axle or the rear axle, whichever is greater.
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway
driving under dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy ro ads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When install-
ing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
●All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most winter conditions as well as for use
year-round. All season tires, however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also, all
season tires fall short in acceleration and handling performance com-
pared with summer tires in highway driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using
snow tires. If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load capacity as the or iginally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations fo r possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels. ( →P. 337)
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tire s as snow tires is lost.
For the GAWR, see the Certification
Label. For the maximum load of the tire,
see the load limit at maximum cold tire
inflation pressure mentioned on the
sidewall of the tire. (
→P. 653)
5287-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)■
Situations in which the tire pressure warning system may not oper-
ate properly
●In the following cases, the tire pr
essure warning system may not operate
properly.
• If non-genuine Toyota wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original Equip- ment) tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains etc. are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run- flat tire is equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the radio wave signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, particularly around the wheels or wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is extremely higher than the specified level.
• If the spare tire is in a location subject to poor radio wave signal
reception.
*
• If a large metallic object which ca n interfere with signal reception is
put in the luggage compartment.
*
*
: Vehicles with a full- size spare tire only
●Performance may be affected in the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station, large
display, airport or other facility that generates strong radio waves or
electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or
other wireless communication device
●When the vehicle is parked, the time taken for the warning to start or go
off could be extended.
●When tire inflation pressure declines rapidly for example when a tire has
burst, the warning may not function.
5317-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing tires, wheels, tire pressure warning valves,
transmitters and tire valve caps
●When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters, contact your Toyota dealer as the tire pres-
sure warning valves and transmitters may be damaged if not handled
correctly.
●Make sure to install the tire valve caps. If the tire valve caps are not
installed, water could enter the tire pressure warning valves and the
tire pressure warning valves could be bound.
●When replacing tire valve caps, do not use tire valve caps other than
those specified. The cap may become stuck.
■To avoid damage to the tire pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters
When a tire is repaired with liquid sealants, the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter may not operate properly. If a liquid sealant is
used, contact your Toyota dealer or other qualified service shop as soon
as possible. Make sure to replace the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter when replacing the tire. ( →P. 524)
■Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on roads with loose surfaces or pot-
holes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire inflation pressure, reducing
the cushioning ability of the tires. In addition, driving on rough roads
may cause damage to the tires themselves, as well as the vehicle’s
wheels and body.
■If tire inflation pressure of e ach tire becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires and/or wheels may be ruined.