
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 

393
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
6
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
.6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 394
Cleaning and protecting the  vehicle interior ........... 397
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements.................................. 400
General maintenance.. 402
Emission inspection and  maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams ........................ 404
6-3. Do-it-yourself mainte- nance
Do-it-yourself service pre- cautions ..................... 406
Hood ........................... 408
Positioning a floor jack .................................. 409
Engine compartment ... 410
12-volt battery ............. 416
Tires ............................ 418
Tire inflation pressure.. 430
Wheels ......... ...............432
Air conditioning filter .... 433
Cleaning the hybrid battery  (traction battery) air intake 
vents and filter ........... 435
Electronic key battery.. 438
Checking and replacing  fuses.......................... 439
Headlight aim .............. 442Light bulbs ...................
443 

4076-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
Hybrid battery 
(traction bat-
tery) air intake 
vent ( P.435)• Vacuum cleaner, 
etc.
• Phillips screw- driver
Headlight aim 
( P.442)• Phillips-head 
screwdriver
Light bulbs 
( P.443)
• Bulb with same 
number and 
wattage rating as 
original
• Flathead screw- driver
• Wrench
Radiator and 
condenser 
(  P.414)
Tire inflation 
pressure 
( P.430)• Tire pressure 
gauge
• Compressed air  source
Washer fluid 
( P.415)
• Water or washer 
fluid containing 
antifreeze (for 
winter use)
• Funnel (used  only for adding 
water or washer 
fluid)
WA R N I N G
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.
ItemsParts and tools■When working on the engine 
compartment
●Make sure that the “ACCES-
SORY” or “IGNITION ON” on 
the multi-information display 
and the “READY” indicator are 
both off.
●Keep hands, clothing and tools 
away from the moving fan and 
engine drive belt.
●Be careful not to touch the 
engine, power control unit, radi-
ator, 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 
rags, in the engine compart-
ment.
●Do not smoke, c ause sparks or 
expose an open flame to fuel or 
the battery. Fuel and battery 
fumes are flammable.
■When working near the elec-
tric cooling fan or radiator 
grille
Be sure the power switch is off.
With the power switch in ON, the 
electric cooling fa n may automati-
cally start to run if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant 
temperature is high. ( P.414)
■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 ai r cleaner filter 
removed may cause excessive 
engine wear due to  dirt in the air. 

4196-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
etc., molded into the sidewall of 
each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear 
indicators are showing on a tire.
■When to replace your vehicle’s 
tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are 
showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as 
cuts, splits, cracks deep enough 
to expose the fabric, and bulges 
indicating internal damage.
●A tire goes flat r epeatedly or can-
not be properly repaired due to the 
size or location of a cut or other 
damage.
If you are not sure, consult with your 
Toyota dealer.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be 
checked by a qualified technician 
even if it has seldom or never been 
used or damage i s not obvious.
■Proper storage of the spare tire
As an improperly stored spare tire 
may cause damage to the wire 
cable that holds it, check that the 
spare tire is stored properly on a 
daily basis.
●If the stored spare tire appears to 
be slanted or rattl es while driving, 
the spare tire may not be properly 
stored. Store the spare tire again 
by performing the following tire 
change procedure correctly: 1
If the spare tire is slanted, the 
hoist assembly may be stuck in 
the wheel opening. If the spare 
tire rattles while driving, it may 
not be fully raised. Lower the 
spare tire to the ground and 
make sure that the hoist assem-
bly is perpendicular to the wheel 
opening.
2 Raise the tire slowly and steadily 
until a click is heard and the jack 
handle skips.
If the spare tire cannot be lowered, 
the wire cable may be severed. 
Have the vehicle inspected at your 
Toyota dealer.
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the n umber given by 
dividing the maximum load by 1.10 
of the replacement tire is greater 
than 1/2 of the Gross Axle Weight 
Ratings (GAWR) of either the front 
axle or the rear axle, whichever is 
greater.
For the GAWR, see the Certification 
Label.
For the maximum load of the tire, 
see the load limit at maximum cold 
tire inflation pressure mentioned on 
the sidewall of the tire. ( P.516)
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed perfor-
mance tires best suited to highway 
driving under dry conditions. Since 
summer tires do not have the same 
traction performance as snow tires, 
summer tires are inadequate for  

4206-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_Udriving on snow-covered or icy 
roads. For driving on snow-covered 
roads or icy roads, the use of snow 
tires is recommended. When install-
ing snow tires, be sure to replace all 
four tires.
●All season tires
All season tires are designed to pro-
vide better traction in snow and to 
be adequate for driving in most win-
ter conditions a s well as for use 
year-round. All season tires, how-
ever, do not have  adequate traction 
performance compared with snow 
tires in heavy or loose snow. Also, 
all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance com-
pared with summer tires in highway 
driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads 
or icy roads, we recommend using 
snow tires. If you need snow tires, 
select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load  capacity as the 
originally installed tires. Since your 
vehicle has radial t ires as original 
equipment, make sure your snow 
tires also have radial construction. 
Do not install stud ded tires without 
first checking local regulations for 
possible restrictions. Snow tires 
should be installed on all wheels. 
(  P.327)
■If the tread on snow tires wears 
down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as 
snow tires is lost.
WA R N I N G
■When inspecting or replacing 
tires
Observe the following precautions 
to prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause dam-
age to parts of the drive train as 
well as dangerous handling char-
acteristics, which may lead to an 
accident resulting in death or seri-
ous injury.
●Do not mix tires of different 
makes, models or tread pat-
terns.
Also, do not mix tires of remark-
ably different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other than 
those recommended by Toyota.
●Do not mix differently con-
structed tires (rad ial, bias-belted 
or bias-ply tires).
●Do not mix summer, all season 
and snow tires.
●Do not use tires  that have been 
used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not 
know how they were used previ-
ously.
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a 
compact spare tire installed.
NOTICE
■Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving 
on roads with loose surfaces or 
potholes.
These conditions may cause 
losses in tire inflation pressure, 
reducing the cush ioning ability of 
the tires. In addition, driving on 
rough roads may cause damage 
to the tires themselves, as well as 
the vehicle’s wheels and body. 

4216-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
Rotate the tires in the order 
shown. Front
To equalize tire wear and extend 
tire life, Toyota recommends that 
tire rotation is c arried out at the 
same interval as tire inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pres-
sure warning system after tire rota-
tion.
Your vehicle is equipped with a 
tire pressure warning system 
that uses tire pressure warning 
valves and transmitters to detect 
low tire inflation pressure before 
serious problems arise.
 The tire pressure detected by  the tire pressure warning sys-
tem can be displayed on the 
multi-information display. 
(
P.92, 102)
The illustration used is intended as 
an example, and may differ from 
the image that is actually displayed 
on the multi-information display.
4.2-inch display
7-inch display
If the tire pressure drops 
below a predetermined level, 
the driver is warned by a 
screen display and a warning 
light. ( P.464)
The illustration used is intended as 
an example, and may differ from 
the image that is actually displayed 
on the multi-information display.
4.2-inch display
NOTICE
■If tire inflation pressure of 
each tire becomes low while 
driving
Do not continue driving, or your 
tires and/or wheels may be 
ruined.
Tire rotation
Tire pressure warning 
system 

4226-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7-inch display
■Routine tire inflation pressure 
checks
The tire pressure warning system 
does not replace routine tire inflation 
pressure checks. Make sure to 
check tire inflation pressure as part 
of your routine of daily vehicle 
checks.
■Situations in which the tire 
pressure warning system may 
not operate properly
●In the following  cases, the tire 
pressure warning system may not 
operate properly.
• If non-genuine Toyota wheels are 
used.
• A tire has been replaced with a  tire that is not an OE (Original 
Equipment) tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a  tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains, etc. are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire  is equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the  radio wave signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on  the vehicle, particularly around the 
wheels or wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is 
extremely higher than the speci-
fied level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure 
warning valve and transmitter is 
used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure 
warning valves and transmitters is 
not registered in the tire pressure 
warning computer.
●Performance may be affected in 
the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power  plant, gas station, radio station, 
large display, airpo rt or other facil-
ity that generates strong radio 
waves or electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, 
cellular phone, cordless phone or 
other wireless communication 
device
●If tire position information is not 
correctly displayed due to the 
radio wave conditions, the display 
may be corrected by driving and 
changing the radio wave condi-
tions.
●When the vehicle is parked, the 
time taken for the warning to start 
or go off could be extended.
●When tire inflation pressure 
declines rapidly for example when 
a tire has burst, the warning may 
not function.
■Warning performance of the tire 
pressure warning system
The warning of the tire pressure 
warning system w ill change in 
accordance with  the conditions 
under which it was initialized. For 
this reason, the system may give a 
warning even if th e tire pressure 
does not reach a low enough level, 
or if the pressure is higher than the 
pressure that was  adjusted to when 
the system was initialized. 

4246-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
When new tire pressure warning 
valves and transmitters are 
installed, new ID codes must be 
registered in the tire pressure 
warning computer and the tire 
pressure warning system must 
be initialized. Have tire pressure 
warning valves and transmitter 
ID codes registered by your Toy-
ota dealer. (P.427)
■Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure 
warning valve and transmitter is not 
registered, the tire pressure warning 
system will not work properly. After 
driving for about 20 minutes, the tire 
pressure warning light blinks for 1 
minute and stays on to indicate a 
system malfunction.
■The tire pressure warning 
system must be initialized 
in the following circum-
stances:
 When the tire inflation pres-
sure is changed such as 
when changing traveling 
speed.
 When the tire inflation pres-
sure is changed such as 
when the tire size is changed.
 When rotating the tires.
 After registering the ID codes. 
( P.427)
When the tire pressure warning 
system is initialized, the current 
tire inflation pressure is set as 
the benchmark pressure.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing tires, 
wheels, tire pressure warn-
ing valves, transmitters and 
tire valve caps
●When removing or fitting the 
w he e ls, tir es  or  th e t ir e  pr es sur e  
warning valves  and transmit-
ters, contact your Toyota dealer 
as the tire pr essure warning 
valves and transmitters may be 
damaged if not handled cor-
rectly.
●Make sure to install the tire 
valve caps. If the tire valve caps 
are not installed, water could 
enter the tire pressure warning 
valves and the tire pressure 
warning valves could be bound.
●When replacing ti re valve caps, 
do not use tire valve caps other 
than those specified. The cap 
may become stuck.
■To avoid damage to the tire 
pressure warning valves and 
transmitters
When a tire is repa ired with liquid 
sealants, the tire  pressure warn-
ing valve and transmitter may not 
operate properly. If a liquid seal-
ant is used, contact your Toyota 
dealer or other qualified service 
shop as soon as possible. Make 
sure to replace the tire pressure 
warning valve and transmitter 
when replacing the tire. ( P.423)
Initializing the tire pres-
sure warning system