2020 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID maintenance

2024-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
●All trailer lights work as required
by law.
●All lights work each time you con-
nect 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 improper
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/provin-
cial or local regu lations. If they do
not, install rear view mirrors
appropriate for towing purposes.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, hybrid
transmission, rear differential or
wheel bearing), Toyota recommends
that you do not tow a trailer until the
vehicle has been driven for over 500
miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for
over 500 miles (800 km), you can
start towing. However, for the next
500 miles (800 km), drive the vehi-
cle at a speed of less than 50 mph
(80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle
will require more f requent mainte-
nance due to the additional load.
(See “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Sup-
plement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 600 miles (1000
km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to contr ol trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabilize.
(if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can
also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.)
●After the trailer swaying has
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu- pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which trailer swaying
occurred is beyond the limit of your
particular vehicle-trailer combina-
tion. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that
swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer
increases as speed increases.

3324-6. Driving tips
HIGHLANDER HV_U
NOTICE
■To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety mea-
sures to ensure that water dam-
age to the hybrid battery (traction
battery), hybrid s ystem or other
components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine com-
partment may cause severe
damage to the hybrid system.
Water entering the interior may
cause the hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) stowed under the
rear seats to short circuit.
●Water entering the hybrid trans-
mission will cause deterioration
in transmission quality. The mal-
function indicator may come on,
and the vehicle may not be driv-
able.
●Water can wash the grease
from wheel bearings, causing
rusting and premature failure,
and may also enter the hybrid
transmission case, reducing the
gear oil’s lubricating qualities.
■When you drive through
water
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the riverbed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
■Inspection after off-road driv-
ing
●Sand and mud that has accu-
mulated in bra ke drums and
around brake di scs may affect
braking efficiency and may
damage brake system compo-
nents.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection aft er each day of
off-road driving that has taken
you through rough terrain, sand,
mud, or water. For scheduled
maintenance information, refer
to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.

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

3946-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6-1.Maintenance and care
Working from top to bottom,
liberally apply water to the
vehicle body, wheel wells and
underside of the vehicle to
remove any dirt and dust.
 Wash the vehicle body using
a sponge or soft cloth, such
as a chamois.
 For hard-to-remove marks,
use car wash soap and rinse
thoroughly with water.
 Wipe away any water.
 Wax the vehicle when the
waterproof coating deterio-
rates.
If water does not bead on a clean
surface, apply wax when the vehi-
cle body is cool.
■Automatic car washes
●Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power back door
Start washing from the front of the
vehicle. Extend the mirrors before
driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car
washes may scratch the vehicle
surface, parts (wheel, etc.) and
harm your vehicle’s paint.
●Rear spoiler may not be washable
in some automatic car washes.
There may also be an increased
risk of damage to vehicle.
■High pressure car washes
As water may enter the cabin, do
not bring the nozzle tip near the
gaps around the doors or perimeter
of the windows, or spray these
areas continuously.
■When using a car wash
If the door handle becomes wet
while the electronic key is within the
effective range, the door may lock
and unlock repeatedly. In that case,
follow the following correction pro-
cedures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2
m) or more separate from the
vehicle while the vehicle is being
washed. (Take care to ensure that
the key is not stolen.)
●Set the electronic key to bat-
tery-saving mode to disable the
smart key system. ( P.147)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
●Remove any dirt immediately by
using a neutral detergent.
●Wash detergent off with water
immediately after use.
●To protect the paint from damage,
make sure to obs erve the follow-
ing precautions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, such
as after driving or parking in hot
weather
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Plated portions
If dirt cannot be re moved, clean the
parts as follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with an
approximately 5% solution of neu-
Cleaning and protect-
ing the vehicle exte-
rior
Perform cleaning in a man-
ner appropriate to each
component and its material.
Cleaning instructions

3956-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
tral detergent and water to clean
the dirt off.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft
cloth to remove any remaining
moisture.
●To remove oily deposits, use alco-
hol wet wipes or a similar product.
WA R N I N G
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of
the engine compartment. Doing
so may cause the electrical com-
ponents, etc. to catch fire.
■When cleaning the windshield
(vehicles with rain-sensing
windshield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate unexpectedly in
the following situations, and may
result in hands being caught or
other serious injuries and cause
damage to the wiper blades.
AUTO
●When the upper part of the
windshield where the raindrop
sensor is located is touched by
hand
●When a wet rag o r similar is
held close to the raindrop sen-
sor
●If something bumps against the
windshield
●If you directly touch the raindrop
sensor body or if something
bumps into the raindrop sensor
■Precautions regarding the
exhaust pipe
Exhaust gasses cause the
exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be
careful not to touch the pipe until it
has cooled sufficiently, as touch-
ing a hot exhaust pipe can cause
burns.
■Precaution regarding the rear
bumper with Blind Spot Moni-
tor
If the paint of th e rear bumper is
chipped or scratched, the system
may malfunction.If this occurs,
consult your Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deteriora-
tion and corrosion on the
body and components (alumi-
num wheels, etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in
the following cases:
• After driving nea r 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 present on
the paint surface
• After driving in an area contami- nated with soot, oily smoke,
mine dust, iron powder or chem-
ical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with d ust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint
surface
●If the paint is chipped or
scratched, have it repaired
immediately.

3966-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
NOTICE
●To prevent the wheels from cor-
roding, remove any dirt and
store in a place with low humid-
ity when storing the wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use
organic substances or scrub
with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces
of the lights.
●Do not apply wax to the sur-
faces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the
lenses.
■When using an automatic car
wash (vehicles with
rain-sensing windshield wip-
ers)
Set the wiper switch to the off
position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”,
the wipers may operate and the
wiper blades may be damaged.
■When using a high pressure
car wash
●When washing the vehicle, do
not let water of the high pres-
sure washer hit directly or the
vicinity of the camera. Due to
the shock from the high pres-
sure water, it is possible the
device may not op erate as nor-
mal.
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close
to boots (rubber or resin manu-
factured 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
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at
least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from
the vehicle body. Otherwise
resin section, s uch as moldings
and bumpers, may be deformed
and damaged.
Also, do not continuously hold the
nozzle in the same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of
the windshield continuously.
If water enters the air conditioning
system intake located near the
lower part of the windshield, the
air conditioning system may not
operate correctly.

3976-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
 Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty
surfaces with a cloth damp-
ened with lukewarm water.
 If dirt cannot be removed,
wipe it off with a soft cloth
dampened with neutral deter-
gent diluted to approximately
1%.
Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of
detergent and water.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foam-
ing-type cleaners available. Use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles. Do not
use water. Wipe di rty surfaces and
let them dry. Exce llent results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as
dry as possible.
■Handling the seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm
water using a cloth or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for
excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
Cleaning and protect-
ing the vehicle interior
Perform cleaning in a man-
ner appropriate to each
component and its material.
Protecting the vehicle
interior
WA R N I N G
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in
the vehicle, such as on the floor,
in the hybrid battery (traction
battery) air vents, and in the lug-
gage compartment.
Doing so may cause the hybrid
battery, electrical components,
etc. to malfunction or catch fire.
●Do not get any of the SRS com-
ponents or wiring in the vehicle
interior wet.
(  P. 3 4 )
An electrical ma lfunction may
cause the airbags to deploy or
not function properly, resulting
in death or se rious injury.
●Vehicles with wireless charger:
Do not let the wireless charger
( P.369) get wet. Failure to do
so may cause t he charger to
become hot and cause burns or
could cause electric shock
resulting in death or serious
injury.
■Cleaning the interior (espe-
cially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish
cleaner. The instrument panel
may reflect off the windshield,
obstructing the driver’s view and
leading to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the following types
of detergent, as they may dis-
color the vehicle interior or
cause streaks or damage to
painted surfaces:
• Non-seat portions: Organic sub- stances such as benzene or
gasoline, alkaline or acidic solu-
tions, dye, and bleach

3986-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner.
 Wipe off any excess dirt and
dust with a soft cloth damp-
ened with diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of
approximately 5% neutral wool
detergent.
Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off all remaining traces
of detergent.
 Wipe the surface with a dry,
soft cloth to remove any
remaining moisture. Allow the
leather to dry in a shaded and
ventilated area.
■Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the
interior of the vehicle at least twice a
year tomaintain the quality of the
vehicle’s interior.
NOTICE
• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solu- tions, such as thinner, benzene,
and alcohol
●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 deteriora-
tion of leather surfaces:
●Remove any dust or dirt from
leather surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to
direct sunlight for extended peri-
ods of time. Park the vehicle in
the shade, especially during
summer.
●Do not place items made of
vinyl, plastic, or containing wax
on the upholstery, as they may
stick to the leather surface if the
vehicle interior heats up signifi-
cantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water.
Vehicle systems such as the
audio system may be damaged if
water comes into contact with
electrical components such as the
audio system 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 con-
tact the lens. Also, do not touch
the lens. (
P.243)
■Cleaning the inside of the rear
window
●Do not use glass cleaner to
clean the rear window, as this
may cause damage to the rear
window defogger heater wires
or antenna. Use a cloth damp-
ened with lukewarm water to
gently wipe the window clean.
Wipe the window in strokes run-
ning parallel to the heater wires
or antenna.
●Be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires or
antenna.
Cleaning the leather areas