TABLE OF CONTENTS6
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 8-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers ........... 574
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an
emergency....................... 575
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs to be towed ...................... 577
If you think something is wrong ........................... 581
Fuel pump shut off system ............................. 582
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer
sounds ............................. 583
If a warning message is displayed...................... 593
If you have a flat tire .......... 610
If the engine will not start ................................. 635
If the electronic key does not operate
properly ........................... 637
If the vehicle battery is discharged ................... 640
If your vehicle overheats......................... 646
If the vehicle becomes stuck ................................ 649
7Maintenance and care8When trouble arises
15Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_UFuel filler door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 256
Refueling method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 256
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 655
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 533
Tire size/inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . P. 662
Winter tires/tire chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 346
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system . . . . . . . . . . . P. 533
Coping with flat tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 610
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 518
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 518
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 656
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 646
Warning messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 595
Headlights/daytime running lights
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 241
Daytime running lights
* /parking lights* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 241
Front fog lights
* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 249
Front turn signal lig hts/parking lights
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 239
Stop/tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 241
Hill-start assist control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 338
Downhill assist control system
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 344
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 241
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 233
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 241
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 239
6
7
8
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P. 558, Watts: P. 665)
*: If equipped
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■ When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. ( P. 338)
■ Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the r ain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properl y.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to
meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following prec autions is recom-
mended:
● For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3
1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 233)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal sp eed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicl e has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may resu lt in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed c apability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippa ge and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads m ay prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.
1994-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When braking
● When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this ma y cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other sid e. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the brake booster device does not operate, do not follow oth er vehicles
closely and avoid hills or shar p turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal sh ould be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance wi ll increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking dist ance will
increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■ If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or
the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an a ccident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same tim e during
driving, as this may restrain driving torque.
● Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
2064-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
◆Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): P. 652
Total load capacity means the co mbined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage.
◆Seating capacity: 7 or 8 occ upants (Front 2, Rear 5 or 6)
Seating capacity means the max imum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is 1 50 lb. (68 kg) per person.
◆TWR (Trailer Weight Rating): P. 212, 652
TWR means the maximum gross trai ler weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo weight) that your vehicle is able to tow.
◆Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight
and the number o f occupants.
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading inform ation label.
( P. 544)
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capaci ty,
TWR (Trailer Weight Rati ng) and cargo capacity.
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires, but also degrade steering
and braking ability, res ulting in an accident.
2164-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
Use the wire harness stored in the
rear end under body.
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in min d when
towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted to wing speed limit.
● Toyota recommends that the vehicl e-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this li mit, the
posted towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manu al, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increa ses as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of contr ol.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck af ter driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attac hed in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the fe el
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires pra ctice.
Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the rig ht to
move the trailer to right. (This is generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Connecting trailer lights
Trailer towing tips
2194-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■ Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 662)
● Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacture r’s recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for imprope r tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors ap propriate for tow-
ing purposes.
No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
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