tow TOYOTA SEQUOIA HYBRID 2023 Service Manual

2044-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
Weight/Gross trailer weight x
100 = 9% to 11%)Gross trailer weight
Tongue Weight
If using a weight distributing hitch
when towing, return the front axle to
the same weight as before the
trailer connection.
If front axle weight cannot be mea-
sured directly, measure the front
fender height above the front axle
before connection. Adjust weight
distributing hitch torque until front
fender is returned to the same
height as before connection.
Do not reduce front fender height
below original measurement.
The gross trailer weight, gross axle
weight and tongue weight can be
measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing sta-
tion, building supply company,
trucking company, junk yard, etc.
Trailer hitch assemblies have
different weight capacities. Toy-
ota recommends the use of Toy-
ota hitch/bracket for your
vehicle. For details, contact your Toyota dealer.

If you wish to install a trailer
hitch, contact your Toyota
dealer.
 Use only a hitch that con-
forms to the gross trailer
weight requirement of your
vehicle.
 Follow the directions supplied
by the hitch manufacturer.
 Lubricate the hitch ball and
kingpin with a light coating of
grease.
 Remove the hitch ball when-
ever you are not towing a
trailer. Remove the trailer
hitch if you do not need it.
After removing the hitch, seal
any mounting holes in the
vehicle body to prevent entry
of any substances into the
vehicle.
Hitch
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have dif-
ferent weight capacities estab-
lished by the hitch manufacturer.
Even though the vehicle may be
physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must
determine the maximum weight
rating of the particular hitch
assembly and never exceed the
maximum weight rating specified
for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding the
maximum weight rating set by the
trailer-hitch manufacturer can
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious personal injuries.

2054-1. Before driving
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4
Driving
Use the correct trailer ball for
your application. Trailer ball load rating
Matches or exceeds the gross
trailer weight rating of the trailer.
Shank length
Protrudes beyond the bottom of the
lock washer and nut at least 2
threads.
Shank diameter
Matches the ball mount hole diame-
ter size.
Ball diameter
Matches the size of the trailer cou-
pler. Most couplers are stamped
with the required trailer ball size.
Weight carrying ball position:
57.6 in. (1463.6 mm)
*
Hitch receiver pin hole posi-
tion: 45.7 in. (1161.5 mm)
*: Depending on hitch size
■Matching trailer ball height to
trailer coupler height
No matter wh ich class of tow hitch
applies, for a mor e safer trailer
hookup, the trailer ball setup must
be the proper height for the coupler
on the trailer.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recom-
mended by your Toyota dealer.
Do not install the trailer hitch on
the bumper; this may cause body
damage.
Selecting trailer ball
Trailer classTypical trailer ball size
IV2 5/16 in.
II and III2 in.
I1 7/8 in.
Positions for towing hitch
receiver and hitch ball

2064-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_enCoupler
Trailer ball
Use the wire harness located in
the rear end of the vehicle.
The tow lighting system is
designed for 64 watts/5 amps of
electrical current per side (right
and left) for the trailer brake/turn
light functions.
Please contact your Toyota
dealer with any questions or
concerns.
■Auto current cut-off function
In case of over current, the auto cut-
off function stops the power flowing
to the trailer light s to prevent dam-
age to the vehicle’s electrical sys-
tem.
This function is ac tivated when the
rated current of any of the following
trailer light circu it components is
exceeded:
●Stop/turn signal light (right): maxi-
mum 5 A
●Stop/turn signal light (left): maxi-
mum 5 A
■When the auto current cut func-
tion is activated
If a trailer light does not come on
due to the activatio n of the auto cur-
rent cut function, the light system
will need to be reset.
Follow the reset p rocedure shown
below.
●If a tail light does not come on,
turn off the headlight switch.
●If the right-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 left-side stop/turn signal light
does not come on, put the turn
signal in the off position or remove
foot from the b rake pedal.
If the emergency flashers do not
operate, press the emergency
flasher switch to turn them off.
After the light system 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.
■Trailer lights operation check
function
Use the meter control switches to
start the function. ( P. 9 8 )
1 Press or to select .
Connecting trailer lights

2074-1. Before driving
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4
Driving
2 Press or to select “Trailer
Light Check”, and then press
.
3 Press to start the trailer light
check.
The light check operates in the cycle
of Brake lights  Left turn lights 
Right turn lights.
■The trailer light check is opera-
tional when
The trailer light check operates
when all of the following conditions
are met:
●The vehicle is stopped.
●The shift lever is shifted to P.
1 Remove the clips. 2
Pull the lower edge of the
hitch cover toward you and
remove the 10 craws.
■When installing the cover
Be sure to install the 10 claws, and
install the clips.
If a height control system is
installed in your vehicle, you
have to connect and disconnect
your trailer more carefully.
 Connecting
1 Set the height control of elec-
tronically modulated air sus-
pension system to “N” mode.
2 Turn off the hybrid system, or
set the electronically modu-
lated air suspension system
to manual mode. ( P.363)
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.
Removing hitch coverConnecting and discon-
necting a trailer (vehicles
with electronically modu-
lated air suspension)

2084-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
3Connect the trailer.
4 Restart the hybrid system.
5 Press the height control
mode select switch to cancel
the manual mode condition
that was set on step 2.
6 Check that the “MAN.” indica-
tor turns off. Set the height
control of electronically mod-
ulated air suspension sys-
tem to “N” mode.
 Disconnecting
1 Set the height control of elec-
tronically modulated air sus-
pension system to “N” mode.
2 Set the electronically modu-
lated air suspension system
to manual mode.
3 Turn off the hybrid system.
4 Set the supporting leg of the
trailer on the ground and
raise the hitch by 4 in. (100
mm).
5 Restart the hybrid system.
6 Press the height control
mode select switch to cancel
the manual mode condition
that was set on step 2.
Check that the “MAN.” indica-
tor turns off.
7 Wait until vehicle height is
stabilized.
8 Make sure the hitch is dis-
connected. If the hitch does
not disconnect, raise the
hitch higher and repeat steps
2 through 7. Move the vehi- cle forward in “LO” mode
where the hitch does not
touch anything in “N” mode.
Set the height control of elec-
tronically modulated air sus-
pension system to “N” mode.
Your vehicle will handle differ-
ently when towing a trailer. To
help 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.
Trailer towing tips

2094-1. Before driving
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4
Driving
 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
requires practice. 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
right to move the trailer to the
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
 As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making a turn. 
Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a
turn, in crosswinds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades.
Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle’s hybrid
system may overheat on hot
days (at temperatures over
85°F [30°C]) when driving up
a long or steep grade. If the

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.

2114-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead. Do not try to
control trailer swaying 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 ext reme 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.
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed
to be dinghy towed (with 4
wheels on the ground)
behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to
your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with the
four wheels on the ground.

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

2214-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
●When driving mode select or
Multi-terrain Select (if equipped) is
selected
■Differences with “TOW HAUL”
mode and “TOW+” mode
It is recommend ed to use each
mode according to the weight of the
trailer to be towed.
●“TOW HAUL” mode is used when
towing trailers that weigh less than
5000 lb. (2268 kg).
●“TOW+” mode is used when tow-
ing trailers that weigh more than
5000 lb. (2268 kg).
1 Right turn
2 Lane change to the right
(move the lever partway and
release it)
The right hand s ignals will flash 3
times.
3 Lane change to the left
(move the lever partway and
release it)
The left hand signals will flash 3
times.
4Left turn
Tur n signal lever
Operating instructions