Page 231 of 732

2314-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the engine under any circumsta nces.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious in jury.
■ Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lo ck or open the
doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activ ation of the
steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, res ulting in
death or serious injury.
■ Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving th e vehicle,
press and hold the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or pr ess it briefly
3 times or more in succession. ( P. 575)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or
braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost. This will
make it more difficult to steer and brake, so you should pull o ver and stop
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Page 236 of 732

2364-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER_U■
Shift ranges and their functions
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking forces
than a higher
shift range.
■ Message displays
Message illustrations used in this section are intended as exam ples, and may
differ from the image that is actually displayed on the multi-information dis-
play.
■ S mode
●8-speed models: When the shift range is 7 or lower, holding the shift lever
toward “+” sets the shift range to 8.
6-speed models: When the shift range is 5 or lower, holding the shift lever
toward “+” sets the shift range to 6.
● To prevent excessive engine speed, a function was adopted that automati-
cally selects a higher shift range before engine speed becomes too high.
● To protect the automatic transmission, a function is adopted that automati-
cally selects a higher shift range when the fluid temperature i s high.
■ Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting ope ration may
sometimes be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting ma y not be
possible even when the shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■ Deactivation of snow mode
Snow mode will be canceled if the engine is turned off after dr iving in snow
mode.
■ Deactivation of power mode (if equipped)
Power mode will be canceled if the engine is turned off after d riving in power
mode.
■ If both snow mode and power m ode (if equipped) are selected
Snow mode will be selected and power mode will be suspended unt il snow
mode is canceled.
■ When driving with dynamic radar cruise control activated
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of e nabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate while driving in S mo de and down-
shifting to 5 or 4 because dynamic radar cruise control will no t be canceled.
( P. 291)
Meter displayFunction
S2 - S8
(8-speed models)A gear in the range between 1 and the selected
gear is automatically chosen depending on vehicle
speed and driving conditions
S2 - S6
(6-speed models)
S1Setting the gear at 1
Page 238 of 732

2384-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER_U■
If the automatic transmission fl uid temperature warning message is dis-
played
When the warning message goes out, the vehicle can be driven ag ain.
If the warning message does not go out after waiting a while, h ave your vehi-
cle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
■ AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to driver per-
formance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the
shift lever to S cancels the function.) If the automatic transmission fluid tem-
perature warning message is displayed
while driving, make sure to return to D
position driving and reduce speed by eas-
ing off the accelerator pedal. Stop the
vehicle in a safe place, shift the shift lever
to P and let the engine idle until the warn-
ing message goes out.
WARNING
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid,
resulting in an accident.
■ To prevent an accident when releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override button, make sure to se t the parking
brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed instead of t he brake pedal
when the shift lock override button is pressed and the shift le ver is shifted
out of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, possibly leading to a n accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
Page 240 of 732
2404-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER_U
To set the parking brake, fully
depress the parking brake pedal
with your left foot while depress-
ing the brake pedal with your right
foot.
(Depressing the pedal again
releases the parking brake.)
*1: For U.S.A.
*2: For Canada
■Parking the vehicle
P. 192
■ Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
P. 596
■ Usage in winter time
P. 346
Parking brake
Operating instructions
*1*2
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to bra ke components
overheating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake
wear.
Page 245 of 732
2454-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
Push the lever away from you
with the headlight switch in the
or position.
Press the Automatic High
Beam switch.
The Automatic High Beam indica-
tor will come on when the system
is operating.
Automatic High Beam
The Automatic High Beam uses a camera sensor located behind
the upper portion of the windshi eld to assess the brightness of
the lights of vehicles ahead, streetlights, etc., and automatic ally
turns the high beams on or off as necessary.
WARNING
■Limitations of the Automatic High Beam
Do not overly rely on the Automatic High Beam. Always drive saf ely, taking
care to observe your surroundings and turning the high beams on or off
manually if necessary.
■ To prevent incorrect operation o f the Automatic High Beam syste m
Do not overload the vehicle.
Activating the Automatic High Beam
1
2
Page 253 of 732

2534-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Caution regarding the use of wind shield wipers in “AUTO” mode (vehi-
cles with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
The windshield wipers may operate unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or
the windshield is subject to vibration in “AUTO” mode. Take car e that your
fingers etc. do not become caught in the windshield wipers.
■ Caution regarding the use of washer fluid
When it is cold, do not use the washer fluid until the windshie ld becomes
warm. The fluid may freeze on the windshield and cause low visi bility. This
may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■ When the windshield is dry
Do not use the wipers, as they may damage the windshield.
■ When the washer fluid tank is empty
Do not operate the switch continually as the washer fluid pump may over-
heat.
■ When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact your Toyota dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other object. The nozzle w ill be damaged.
Page 257 of 732

2574-4. Refueling
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■When refueling the vehicle
Observe the following precautions while refueling the vehicle. Failure to do
so may result in death or serious injury.
● After exiting the vehicle and before opening the fuel door, tou ch an
unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity. It is important to
discharge static electricity before refueling because sparks re sulting from
static electricity can cause fuel vapors to ignite while refuel ing.
● Always hold the grips on the fuel tank cap and turn it slowly t o remove it.
A whooshing sound may be heard when the fuel tank cap is loosen ed.
Wait until the sound cannot be heard before fully removing the cap. In hot
weather, pressurized fuel may spray out the filler neck and cause injury.
● Do not allow anyone that has not discharged static electricity from their
body to come close to an open fuel tank.
● Do not inhale vaporized fuel.
Fuel contains substances that are harmful if inhaled.
● Do not smoke while refueling the vehicle.
Doing so may cause the fuel to ignite and cause a fire.
● Do not return to the vehicle or touch any person or object that is statically
charged.
This may cause static electricity to build up, resulting in a p ossible ignition
hazard.
■ When refueling
Observe the following precautions to prevent fuel overflowing f rom the fuel
tank:
● Securely insert the fuel nozzle into the fuel filler neck.
● Stop filling the tank after the fuel nozzle automatically click s off.
● Do not top off the fuel tank.
NOTICE
■Refueling
Do not spill fuel during refueling.
Doing so may damage the vehicle, such as causing the emission c ontrol
system to operate abnormally or damaging fuel system components or the
vehicle’s painted surface.
Page 259 of 732
2594-4. Refueling
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
After refueling, turn the fuel tank
cap until you hear a click. Once
the cap is released, it will turn
slightly in the opposite direction.
Closing the fuel tank cap
WARNING
■When replacing the fuel tank cap
Do not use anything but a genuine Toyota fuel tank cap designed for your
vehicle. Doing so may cause a fire or other incident which may result in
death or serious injury.