Page 507 of 732

5077-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
■Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year to
maintain the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
■ Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. U se a sponge
or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not use water.
Wipe dirty surfaces and let them dry. Excellent results are obt ained by keep-
ing the carpet as dry as possible.
■ Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge . Also
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cut s.
WARNING
■Water in the vehicle
● Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle.
Doing so may cause electrical components, etc. to malfunction o r catch
fire.
● Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle i nterior wet.
( P. 42)
An electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or no t function
properly, resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Cleaning the interior (esp ecially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel m ay reflect
off the windshield, obstructing the driver’s view and leading t o an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
Page 511 of 732
5117-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■If your vehicle is no t properly maintained
Improper maintenance could result in serious damage to the vehi cle and
possible death or serious injury.
■ Handling of the battery
● Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and a wide variety of automobile
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive harm. Wor k in a
well ventilated area.
● Oils, fuels and fluids contained in vehicles as well as waste produced by
component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Califor-
nia to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive har m. Avoid
exposure and wash any affected area immediately.
● Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead a nd lead
compounds which are known to cause brain damage. Wash your hand s
after handling. ( P. 529)
Page 514 of 732
5147-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
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 inflati on 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 ventilati on before per-
forming maintenance checks.
Page 517 of 732

5177-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working on the engine compartment
● Keep hands, clothing and tools away from the moving fans and en gine
drive belt.
● Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
● Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper and r ags, in the
engine compartment.
● Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or t he bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
● Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■ When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Vehicles without a smart key system:
Be sure the engine switch is off.
With the engine switch in the “ON” position, the electric cooli ng fans may
automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the coolant tem-
perature is high. ( P. 527)
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Be sure the engine switch is off.
With the engine switch in IGNITION ON mode, the electric cooling fans may
automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the coolant tem-
perature is high. ( P. 527)
■ Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
from getting in your eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive engine wear
due to dirt in the air.
Page 519 of 732
5197-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
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 vehic le is in motion
and cause an accident, which may result in death or serious inj ury.
■ After installing the sup port 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 th e hood. Closing
the hood with the support rod not clipped could cause the hood to bend.
Page 525 of 732
![TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2019 Owners Manual (in English) 5257-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U■
If the oil is spilled on the engine cover (vehicles with 3.5 L V6 [2GR-FKS]
engine)
To prevent the engine cover from be TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2019 Owners Manual (in English) 5257-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U■
If the oil is spilled on the engine cover (vehicles with 3.5 L V6 [2GR-FKS]
engine)
To prevent the engine cover from be](/manual-img/14/42547/w960_42547-524.png)
5257-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U■
If the oil is spilled on the engine cover (vehicles with 3.5 L V6 [2GR-FKS]
engine)
To prevent the engine cover from being damaged, remove any engi ne oil
from the engine cover as soon as possible using a neutral deter gent. Do not
use an organic solvent such as brake cleaner.
WARNING
■ Used engine oil
● Used engine oil contains potentially harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as inflammation and skin cancer, so c are
should be taken to avoid prolonged and repeated contact. To remove used
engine oil from your skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
● Dispose of used oil and filters only in a safe and acceptable manner. Do
not dispose of used oil and filters in household trash, in sewe rs or onto the
ground.
Call your Toyota dealer, service station or auto parts store fo r information
concerning recycling or disposal.
● Do not leave used engine oil within the reach of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine damage
Check the oil level on a regular basis.
■ When replacing the engine oil
● Be careful not to spill engine oil on the vehicle components.
● Avoid overfilling, or the engine could be damaged.
● Check the oil level on the dipstick every time you refill the v ehicle.
● Be sure the engine oil filler cap is properly tightened.
Page 527 of 732

5277-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
Check the radiator and condenser and clear away any foreign objects.
If either of the above parts is extremely dirty or you are not sure of
their condition, have your vehic le inspected by your Toyota dea ler.
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant reservoir cap and radiator cap.
The cooling system may be under pressure and may spray hot coolant if the
cap is removed, causing serious injuries, such as burns.
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither plain water nor straight antifreeze. The cor rect mixture of
water and antifreeze must be used to provide proper lubrication , corrosion
protection and cooling. Be sure to read the antifreeze or coolant label.
■ If you spill coolant
Be sure to wash it off with water to prevent it from damaging p arts or paint.
Radiator and condenser
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser as they may be hot and c ause seri-
ous injuries, such as burns.
Page 528 of 732

5287-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U■
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.