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7Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U7-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 502
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 506
7-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 509
General maintenance........ 512
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs......................... 515
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ..................... 516
Hood ................................. 518
Positioning a floor jack ...... 520
Engine compartment ......... 521
Tires .................................. 533
Tire inflation pressure ....... 544
Wheels .............................. 547
Air conditioning filter.......... 549
Wireless remote control/ electronic key battery ...... 551
Checking and replacing fuses ............................... 554
Light bulbs......................... 558
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5057-1. Maintenance and care
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Maintenance and care
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NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration an d 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 presen t 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 pai nt surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediat ely.
● 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 h ard 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 wi nd-
shield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may operate and th e wiper
blades may be damaged.
■ When using a high pressure car wash
Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin man ufactured
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
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5087-1. Maintenance and care
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NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
● Do not use the following types of detergent, as they may discol or the vehi-
cle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces:
• Non-seat portions: Organic substances such as benzene or gasol ine,
alkaline or acidic solutions, dye, and bleach
• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solutions, such as thinner, benzene, and alco-
hol
● Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel’s or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
■ Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces:
● Remove any dust or dirt from leather surfaces immediately.
● Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended perio ds of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
● Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or containing wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats
up significantly.
■ Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if wate r comes
into contact with electrical components such as the audio syste m above or
under the floor of the vehicle. Water may also cause the body to rust.
■ When cleaning the inside of the windshield
Do not allow glass cleaner to contact the lens. Also, do not to uch the lens.
( P. 281)
■ Cleaning the inside of the rear window and the rear quarter win dows
● Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window and the rear quarter
windows, as this may cause damage to the rear window defogger heater
wires or antenna. Use a cloth dampened with lukewarm water to g ently
wipe the window clean. Wipe the window in strokes running paral lel to the
heater wires or antenna.
● Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or antenna .
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5137-2. Maintenance
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Maintenance and care
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Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly(without uneven pedal effort or catching).
Automatic 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. 661)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of free play? ( P. 661)
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.
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7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself ser vice precautions
If you perform maintenance by yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condition
( P. 5 2 9 )• Warm water• Baking soda• Grease
• Conventional wrench (for terminal clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level
( P. 5 2 8 )• FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703 brake fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine coolant
level ( P. 526)
• “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or a similar high
quality ethylene glycol-based non-silicate, non-
amine, non-nitrite and non-borate coolant with long-
life hybrid organic acid technology
For U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed with
50% coolant and 50% deionized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed with
55% coolant and 45% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding engine coolant)
Engine oil level
( P. 5 2 3 )• “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( P. 554)• Fuse with same amperage rating as original
Light bulbs
( P. 5 5 8 )
• Bulb with same number and wattage rating as origi-
nal
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver• Wrench
Radiator and con-
denser (
P. 527)
Tire inflation
pressure
( P. 544)• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid
( P. 5 3 2 )• Water or washer fluid containing antifreeze (for win-
ter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water or washer fluid)
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5187-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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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.
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5287-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN”
lines on the tank.
■Adding fluid
Make sure to check the fluid ty
pe and prepare the necessary ite m.
■Brake fluid can absorb moisture from the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid can cause a dangerous loss o f braking effi-
ciency. Use only newly opened brake fluid.
Brake fluid
Fluid typeFMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703 brake fluid
ItemClean funnel
WARNING
■ When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your hands and eyes and damag e
painted surfaces.
If fluid gets on your hands or in your eyes, flush the affected area with clean
water immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a doctor.
NOTICE
■ If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go down slightly as t he brake pads
wear out or when the fluid level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent refilling, there may be a serio us problem.
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5307-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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After recharging/reconnecting the battery (vehicles with a smar t key sys-
tem)
The engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initial ize 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 possi ble 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 e ngine will
operate normally from the second attempt.
● The engine switch mode is recorded by the vehicle. If the batte ry is discon-
nected and reconnected, the vehicle will return the engine swit ch 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 car e when con-
necting the battery if the engine switch mode prior to the batt ery 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 ri sk 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 tool s.
● 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.
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