2023 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HYBRID engine

1914-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
WARNING
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always
depress the brake pedal and
securely apply the parking
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the
engine.
Running the engine at high
speed while the vehicle is
stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could
result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette
lighters, spray cans, or soft
drink cans in the vehicle when it
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic
lenses and plastic material of
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray
over the interior of the vehicle,
and may also caus e a short cir-
cuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter
is in a place such as the glove
box or on the floor, it may be lit
accidentally when luggage is
loaded or the seat is adjusted,
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to
the windshield or windows. Do
not place containers such as air
fresheners on the instrument
panel or dashboard. Adhesive
discs or containers may act as
lenses, causing a fire in the
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window
open if the curved glass is
coated with a metallized film
such as a silver-colored one.
Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
hybrid system and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave the vehicle
unattended while the hybrid
system is operating.
If the vehicle is parked with the
shift lever in P but the parking
brake is not set, the vehicle may
start to move, possibly leading
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes
while the “READY” indicator is
illuminated or immediately after
turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
●4WD models: If the shift lever is
moved before the “4L” indicator
turns on/off, the transfer mode
may not be shifted completely.
The transfer mode disengages
both the front and rear drivesh-
afts from the p owertrain and
allows the vehicle to move
regardless of the shift position.
(At this time, the indicator blinks
and the buzzer sounds.)
Therefore, the vehicle is free to
roll even if the automatic trans-
mission is in P. You or someone
else could be seriously injured.
You must complete the shifting
of the transfer mode. ( P.369)

1934-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
When the following unusual
operation is performed with the
accelerator pedal depressed,
the hybrid system output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted to R
*.
• When the shift lever is shifted
from P or R to forward drive
shift position such as D
*.
When the system o perates, a mes-
sage appears on the multi-informa-
tion display. Read the message and
follow the instruction.
*: Depending on the situation, the shift position may not be
changed.
■Drive-Start Control (DSC)
When the TRAC is turned off
(  P.384), sudden start restraint
control also does not operate. If
your vehicle have trouble escaping
from the mud or fr esh snow due to
sudden start restraint operation,
deactivate TRAC ( P.384) so that
the vehicle may become able to
escape from the mud or fresh snow.
Also, sudden start restraint control
will not operate in the following con-
ditions:
●When the front-wheel drive control
switch is in “4H” or “4L” position.
(4WD models only)
●When AUTO LSD mode, the drive
start control does not operate. (if
equipped)
●When Multi-terrain Select is
selected. (if equipped)
NOTICE
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause
the following situations. Hold the
steering wheel firmly and gradu-
ally depress the brake pedal to
slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your
vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnor-
mally.
Information on what to do in case
of a flat tire ( P.523)
■When encountering flooded
roads
Do not drive on a road that has
flooded after heavy rain, etc.
Doing so may cause the following
serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by
water immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road an d the vehicle
becomes flooded or stuck in mud
or sand, be sure to have your Toy-
ota dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality
of oil and fluid used for the
engine, transmission, transfer
(4WD vehicles), differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the pro-
peller shaft, bearings and sus-
pension joints (where possible),
and the function of all joints,
bearings, etc.
Sudden start restraint
control (Drive-Start Con-
trol [DSC])

2104-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating,
immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull
your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. (P.543)
 Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Apply the parking
brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid park-
ing on a slope, but if unavoid-
able, do so only after
performing the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.
3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Apply the parking brake
firmly.
5 Shift into P and turn off the
hybrid system.
 When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the hybrid system. Be
sure to keep the brake pedal
pressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R. 3
If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.222)
4 Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, transmis-
sion, transfer [4WD models], rear
differential or wheel bearing), Toyota
recommends that y ou 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 fr equent mainte-
nance due to the additional load.
(See “Owner’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Scheduled Main-
tenance Guide” / “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 600 miles (1000
km) of tra iler 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.

2174-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
*1: Shifting to the D position allows the system to select a gear suit-
able for the driving conditions.
Setting the shift lever to the D
position is recommended for nor-
mal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of
the possible gear ranges, con-
trols engine brak ing force, and
prevents unnecessary upshifting.
■Driving on a downhill
On declines, there may be case
where the vehicle shifts down auto-
matically to obtain engine braking.
As a result of the downshifting, the engine speed may increase.
■To protect the a
utomatic trans-
mission
●If the tires spin continually when
the vehicle becomes stuck in mud,
dirt or snow, or if the accelerator
pedal is depressed and released
repeatedly while driving, the auto-
matic transmission temperature
may become too high and the
automatic transmission may be
damaged.
To avoid damaging the automatic
transmission, the system may
temporarily lock the gear. If the
automatic transmission tempera-
ture falls, the gear locking is can-
celed and the automatic
transmission is returned to the
normal operation.
●If the automatic tr ansmission fluid
temperature is high, “Transmis-
sion Oil Temp. High Stop in a Safe
Place and See Owner’s Manual”
will be displayed on the multi-
information display. Immediately
stop the vehicle in a safe place,
shift the shift lever to P and wait
until the warning message go off.
If the warning message go off, you
may start the vehicle again. If the
warning message do not go off,
contact your Toyota dealer.
■When driving with dynamic
radar cruise control with full-
speed range activated
Even when perform ing the following
actions with the intent of enabling
engine braking, engine braking will
not activate because dynamic radar
cruise control with full-speed range
will not be canceled.
●While driving in S mode, down-
shifting to 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or 4.
(  P.219)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
 P.193
Automatic transmis-
sion
Select the shift position
depending on your pur-
pose and situation.
Shift position purpose
and functions
Shift posi-
tionObjective or function
P
Parking the vehi-
cle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
N
Neutral (Condition in
which the po wer is not
transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2
(  P.219)

2184-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically selects
the suitable gear according to driver
operation and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates
when the shift lever is in D or S.
While the power switch is in
ON and the brake pedal
depressed
*, shift the shift lever
while pushing the shift release
button on the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever while
pushing the shift release button on the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever normally.
When shifting the shift lever
between P and D, make sure that
the vehicle is completely stopped.
*: For the vehicle to be able to be shifted from P, the brake pedal
must be depressed before the
shift release button is pushed. If
the shift release button is pushed
first, the shift lock will not be
released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to
prevent accidental operation of the
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P
only when the power switch is in
ON, the brake pedal is depressed
and the shift release button is
pushed.
■If the shift lever cannot be
shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal
is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted
even though the brake pedal is
depressed and the shift release but-
ton is pushed, the re may be a prob-
lem with the shift lock system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as
an emergency measure to ensure
that the shift lev er can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Set the parking brake.
2 Turn the power switch off.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Pry the cover up with a flathead
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover,
cover the tip of the screwdriver
with a rag.
WARNING
■When driving on slippery
road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears
suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine brak-
ing may cause the vehicle to spin
or skid, resulting in an accident.
Shifting the shift lever

2194-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
5 Press and hold the shift lock
override button and then push
the button on the shift knob.
The shift lever can be shifted
while both buttons are pressed.
■Drive mode
 P.366 When the shift lever is in the S
position, the shift lever can be
operated as follows:
1
Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to
S10 will be displayed on the multi-
information display.
The initial shift range in S mode is
set automatically to 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8
according to vehicle speed.
However, the initial shift range may
be set to 4 if AI-SHIFT has oper-
ated while the shift lever was in the
D position. ( P.218)
■S mode
●You can choose from 10 levels of
accelerating force and engine
braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide
greater accelerating force and
engine braking force than a higher
shift range, and t he engine revolu-
tions will also increase.
●To prevent the engine from over-
revving, upshifting may automati-
cally occur.
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock
override button, make sure to set
the parking brake and depress the
brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed instead of the
brake pedal when the shift lock
override button is pressed and the
shift lever is shifted out of P, the
vehicle may suddenly start, possi-
bly leading to an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving
mode
Changing shift ranges in
S mode

2204-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
●To protect the automatic transmis-
sion, a function is adopted that
automatically select s a h i g h e r s h i f t
range when the fluid temperature
is high.
●When the shift range is 9 or lower,
holding the shift lever toward “+”
sets the shift range to 10.
■Downshifting restriction warn-
ing buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving
performance, downshifting opera-
tion may sometimes b e restricted. In
some circumstances, downshifting
may not be possible even when the
shift lever is opera ted. (A buzzer will
sound twice.)
■If the S indicator does not come
on even after shifting the shift
lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in
the automatic tra nsmission system.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
Use “TOW HAUL” or “TOW+”
mode when pulling a trailer or
hauling a heavy load. Activating
“TOW HAUL” or “TOW+” mode
is changes engine, transmis-
sion, steering, and suspension
(vehicles with AVS [adaptive
variable suspension system]) to
be more suitable when pulling a
trailer. “TOW HAUL” indicator
“TOW+” indicator
“TOW HAUL” switch
Mode select switch
1 Press the “TOW HAUL”
switch
The “TOW HAUL” indicator will
come on.
Press the switch once more to can-
cel the mode.
2Turn the mode select switch
to change between “TOW
HAUL” or “TOW+” modes.
When more towing power is
needed than is available in “TOW
HAUL” mode, use “TOW+” mode.
( P.221)
The “TOW+” indicator will come on.
■Automatic deactivation of
“TOW HAUL” and “TOW+”
mode
“TOW HAUL” and “TOW+” mode is
deactivated the following conditions:
●When the front-wheel drive control
switch is in “4L”
“TOW HAUL” switch

2404-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
■Reverse-linked function
When the shift lever is shifted to R
when the front wipers are operating,
the rear window wiper will operate
once.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(Customizable features: P.570)
NOTICE
■When the washer fluid tank is
empty
Do not operate the switch continu-
ally as the washer fluid pump may
overheat.
■When a nozzle becomes
blocked
In this case, contact your Toyota
dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or
other object. The nozzle will be
damaged.
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the wiper on longer
than necessary when the engine
is not running.