2014-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
■Matching trailer ball height to
trailer coupler height
No matter wh ich class of tow hitch
applies, for a m ore safe trailer
hookup, the trailer ball setup must
be the proper height for the coupler
on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
■Before towing
Check that the fo llowing conditions
are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires
are properly inflated. ( P.511)
●Trailer tires are inflated according
to the trailer manufacturer’s rec-
ommendation.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed pri-
marily as a passen-
ger-and-load-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer can
have an adverse impact on
handling, performance,
braking, durability, and fuel
consumption. For your
safety and the safety of oth-
ers, you must not overload
your vehicle or trailer. You
must also ensure that you
are using appropriate tow-
ing equipment, that the tow-
ing equipment has been
installed correctly and used
properly, and that you
employ the requisite driv-
ing habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and
braking performance are
affected by trailer stability,
brake performance and set-
ting, trailer brakes, the hitch
and hitch systems (if
equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with
your trailer’s characteris-
tics and operating condi-
tions.
Toyota warranties do not
apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a
trailer for commercial pur-
poses.
Contact your Toyota dealer
for further information
about additional require-
ments such as a towing kit,
etc.
2094-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
This function is a ctivated when the
rated current of any of the following
trailer light circuit components is
exceeded:
●Tail lights: maximum 4.5 A
●Stop/turn signal light (right): maxi-
mum 7.8 A
●Stop/turn signal light (left): maxi-
mum 4.5 A
■When the auto current cut func-
tion is activated
If a trailer light d oes not come on
due to the activation of the auto cur-
rent cut function , the light system
will need to be reset.
Follow the reset procedure shown
below.
●If a tail light doe s not come on,
turn off the headlight switch.
●If the right-side stop/turn signal
light does not com e on, put the
turn signal in the off position or
remove foot from t he brake pedal.
●If the left-side stop/turn signal light
does not come on, put the turn
signal in the off position or remove
foot from the brake pedal.
If the emergency flashers do not
operate, press the emergency
flasher switch to turn them off.
After the light syst em is reset, oper-
ate the light switches again to see if
the lights operate normally.
If the lights do not operate normally,
have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
Your vehicle will handle differ-
ently when towing a trailer. Help
to avoid an accident, death or
serious injury, keep the following
in mind when towing:
Speed limits for towing a
trailer vary by state or prov-
ince. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
Toyota recommends that the
vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65
mph (104 km/h) on a flat,
straight, dry road. Do not
exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as
set forth in your trailer owner’s
manual, whichever is lowest.
Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed
increases. Exceeding speed
limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
Before starting out, check the
trailer lights, tires and the
vehicle-trailer connections.
Recheck after driving a short
distance.
Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer
attached in an area away
from traffic until you become
accustomed to the feel of the
vehicle-trailer combination.
Reversing with a trailer
attached is difficult and
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer
lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights.
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction.
Trailer towing tips
2334-3. Operating the lights and wipers
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
from around a curve
• When the vehicle is cut in front of by another vehicle
• When vehicles ahead cannot be detected due to repeated curves,
road dividers or roadside trees
• When vehicles ahead appear in a faraway lane on a wide road
• When the lights of vehicles ahead
are not on
●The high beams may be turned off
if a vehicle ahead that is using fog
lights without its headlights turned
on is detected.
●House lights, street lights, traffic
signals, and illumi nated billboards
or signs and other reflective
objects may cause the high
beams to change to the low
beams, or the low beams to
remain on.
●The following factors may affect
the amount of time taken for the
high beams to turn on or off:
• The brightness of the headlights, fog lights, and ta il lights of vehi-
cles ahead
• The movement and direction of vehicles ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has
operational lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead is a two-wheeled vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradi-
ent, curve, condi tion of the road
surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of luggage in the vehicle
●The high beams may turn on or off
unexpectedly.
●Bicycles or similar vehicles may
not be detected.
●In the following situations the sys-
tem may not be abl e to correctly
detect the surrounding brightness
level. This may cause the low
beams to remain on or the high
beams to flash or dazzle pedestri-
ans or vehicles ahead. In such a
case, it is necess ary to manually
switch between the high and low
beams. • When driving in inclement weather
(heavy rain, snow, fog, sand-
storms, etc.)
• When the windshi eld is obscured
by fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or
damaged
• When the camera sensor is deformed or dirty
• When the temperature of the cam- era sensor is extremely high
• When the surrounding brightness
level is equal to that of headlights,
tail lights or fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of
vehicles ahead are turned off,
dirty, changing color, or not aimed
properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water,
snow, dust, etc. from a preceding
vehicle
• When driving through an area of intermittently changing brightness
and darkness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving ascending/descending
roads, or roads with rough, bumpy
or uneven surfaces (such as
stone-paved roads, gravel roads,
etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a wind-
ing road
• When there is a h ighly reflective
object ahead of the vehicle, such
as a sign or mirror
• When the back of a preceding vehicle is highly reflective, such as
a container on a truck
• When the vehicle’s headlights are damaged or dirty, or are not aimed
properly
• When the vehicle is listing or titling due to a flat tire, a trailer being
towed, etc.
• When the headlights are changed between the high beams and low
beams repeatedly in an abnormal
manner
• When the driver believes that the high beams may be flashing or
dazzling pedestrians or other driv-
ers
2514-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
■Enabling/disabling the
pre-collision system
The pre-collision system can be
enabled/disabled on ( P.98,
107) of the multi-information dis-
play.
The system is automatically
enabled each time the power
switch is turned to ON.
If the system is disabled, the
PCS warning light will turn on
and a message will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
■Changing the pre-collision
warning timing
The pre-collision warning timing
can be changed on ( P. 9 8 ,
107) of the multi-information dis-
play.
The warning timing setting is
retained when the power switch is
turned OFF. However, if the pre-col-
lision system is disabled and
re-enabled, the ope ration timing will
return to the default setting (mid-
dle).
WA R N I N G
●When your vehicle is towing
another vehicle
●When transporting the vehicle
via truck, boat, train or similar
means of transportation
●When the vehicle is raised on a
lift with the hybrid system on
and the tires are allowed to
rotate freely
●When inspecting the vehicle
using a drum tester such as a
chassis dynamometer or speed-
ometer tester, or when using an
on vehicle wheel balancer
●When a strong impact is applied
to the front bumper or front
grille, due to a n accident or
other reasons
●If the vehicle cannot be driven in
a stable manner, such as when
the vehicle has been in an acci-
dent or is malfunctioning
●When the vehicle is driven in a
sporty manner or off-road
●When the tires are not properly
inflated
●When the tires are very worn
●When tires of a size other than
specified are installed
●When tire chains are installed
●When a compact spare tire or
an emergency tire puncture
repair kit is used
●If equipment (snow plow, etc.)
that may obstruct the radar sen-
sor or front camera is temporar-
ily installed to the vehicle
Changing settings of the
pre-collision system
2564-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U• When driving through steam or
smoke
• When the surrounding area is dim,
such as at dawn or dusk, or while
at night or in a t unnel, making a
detectable object appear to be
nearly the same color as its sur-
roundings
• When driving in a place where the
surrounding brightness changes
suddenly, such as at the entrance
or exit of a tunnel
• After the hybrid system has started the vehicle has not been
driven for a certain amount of time
• While making a left/right turn and for a few seconds after making a
left/right turn
• While driving on a curve and for a
few seconds after driving on a
curve
• If your vehicle is skidding
• If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered
• If the wheels are misaligned
• If a wiper blade is blocking the front camera
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely high speeds
• When driving on a hill
• If the radar sensor or front camera is misaligned
●In some situations such as the fol-
lowing, sufficient braking force
may not be obtained, preventing
the system from performing prop-
erly:
• If the braking functions cannot operate to their full extent, such as
when the brake parts are
extremely cold, extremely hot, or
wet
• If the vehicle is not properly main- tained (brakes or tires are exces- sively worn, imprope
r tire inflation
pressure, etc.)
• When the vehicle is being driven
on a gravel road or other slippery
surface
■If VSC is disabled
●If VSC is disabled ( P.321), the
pre-collision br ake assist and
pre-collision brakin g functions are
also disabled.
●The PCS warning light will turn on
and “VSC Turned OFF Pre-Colli-
sion Brake System Unavailable”
will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
2584-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WA R N I N G
●Vehicle is driven in a construc-
tion zone.
●A spare tire, tire chains, etc. are
equipped.
●When the tires have been
excessively worn, or when the
tire inflation pressure is low.
●When tires of a size other than
specified are installed.
●Vehicle is driven in traffic lanes
other than that highways and
freeways.
●When your vehicle is towing a
trailer or during emergency tow-
ing.
■Preventing LTA system mal-
functions and operations per-
formed by mistake
●Do not modify the headlights or
place stickers, etc. on the sur-
face of the lights.
●Do not modify the suspension
etc. If the suspension etc. needs
to be replaced, contact your
Toyota dealer.
●Do not install or place anything
on the hood or gr ille. Also, do
not install a gr ille guard (bull
bars, kangaroo bar, etc.).
●If your windshield needs
repairs, contact your Toyota
dealer.
■Conditions in which functions
may not operate properly
In the following s ituations, the
functions may not operate prop-
erly and the vehicle may depart
from its lane. Drive safely by
always paying careful attention to
your surroundings and operate
the steering wheel to correct the
path of the vehicle without relying
solely on the functions.
●When the follow- up cruising dis-
play is displayed (P.262) and
the preceding vehicle changes
lanes. (Your vehicle may follow
the preceding vehicle and also
change lanes.)
●When the follow- up cruising dis-
play is displayed (
P.262) and
the preceding vehicle is sway-
ing. (Your vehicle may sway
accordingly and depart from the
lane.)
●When the follow- up cruising dis-
play is displayed (P.262) and
the preceding vehicle departs
from its lane. (Y our vehicle may
follow the preceding vehicle and
depart from the lane.)
●When the follow- up cruising dis-
play is displayed (
P.262) and
the preceding vehicle is being
driven extremely close to the
left/right lane line. (Your vehicle
may follow the preceding vehi-
cle and depart from the lane.)
●Vehicle is being driven around a
sharp curve.
3234-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
WA R N I N G
●When driving on d irt, gravel or
snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the
road
●When driving over roads with
potholes or uneven surfaces
■TRAC/VSC may not operate
effectively when
Directional control and power may
not be achievable while driving on
slippery road surfaces, even if the
TRAC/VSC system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in con-
ditions where st ability and power
may be lost.
■Active Cornering Assist does
not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on Active
Cornering Assist. Active Corner-
ing Assist may not operate
effectively when accelerating
down slopes or driving on slip-
pery road surfaces.
●When Active Cornering Assist
frequently operates, Active Cor-
nering Assist may temporarily
stop operating to ensure proper
operation of the brakes, TRAC
and VSC.
■Hill-start assist control does
not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on hill-start
assist control. Hill-start assist
control may not operate effec-
tively on steep inclines and
roads covered with ice.
●Unlike the parking brake,
hill-start assist control is not
intended to hold the vehicle sta-
tionary for an extended period
of time. Do not attempt to use
hill-start assist control to hold
the vehicle on an incline, as
doing so may lead to an acci-
dent.
■When the
TRAC/ABS/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control is activated
The slip indicator light flashes.
Always drive carefully. Reckless
driving may cause an accident.
Exercise particula r care when the
indicator light flashes.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Trailer
Sway Control systems are
turned off
●Be especially careful and drive
at a speed appropriate to the
road conditions. As these are
the systems to help ensure
vehicle stability and driving
force, do not turn the
TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems off unless neces-
sary.
●Trailer Sway Control is part of
the VSC system and will not
operate if VSC is turned off or
experiences a malfunction.
■Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the
specified size, brand, tread pat-
tern and total load capacity. In
addition, make sure that the tires
are inflated to the recommended
tire inflation p ressure level.
The ABS, TRAC, Trailer Sway
Control and VSC systems will not
function correctly if different tires
are installed on the vehicle.
Contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther information when replacing
tires or wheels.
3264-6. Driving tips
HIGHLANDER HV_U
gently release the brake pedal
to allow the vehicle to move for-
ward slightly while avoiding
overuse of the accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control
excessive gasoline consump-
tion.
Control and maintain the vehicle
at a constant speed. Before
stopping at a toll booth or simi-
lar, allow plenty of time to
release the accelerator and gen-
tly apply the brakes. A greater
amount of electrical energy can
be regenerated when slowing
down.
Use the air conditioning only
when necessary. Doing so can
help reduce excessive gasoline
consumption.
In summer: When the ambient
temperature is high, use the
recirculated air mode. Doing so
will help to reduce the burden on
the air conditioning system and
reduce fuel consumption as
well.
In winter: Because the gasoline
engine will not automatically cut
out until it and the interior of the
vehicle are warm, it will con-
sume fuel. Also, fuel consump-
tion can be improved by
avoiding overuse of the heater.Make sure to check the tire infla-
tion pressure frequently.
Improper tire inflation pressure
can cause poor fuel economy.
Also, as snow tires can cause
large amounts of friction, their
use on dry roads can lead to
poor fuel economy. Use tires
that are appropriate for the sea-
son.
Carrying heavy luggage will lead
to poor fuel economy. Avoid car-
rying unnecessary luggage.
Installing a large roof rack will
also cause poor fuel economy.
Since the gasoline engine starts
up and cuts out automatically
when cold, warming up the
engine is unnecessary. More-
over, frequently driving short
distances will cause the engine
to repeatedly warm up, which
can lead to excess fuel con-
sumption.
Highway driving
Air conditioning
Checking tire inflation
pressure
Luggage
Warming up before driv-
ing