TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2008 XU40 / 2.G Owners Manual

430 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Battery■ Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps.
Te r m i n a l s
Hold-down clamp
■ Checking battery condition
Check the battery condition using the indicator color.
Red: Not working properly,
have the battery checked by
your Toyota dealer.
Blue: Good condition
White: Charging is necessary.
Have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer.
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable
and explosive. Therefore, before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to discon-
nect the ground cable.
● Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connecting and
disconnecting the charger cables to the battery.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■
Chemicals in the battery
A battery contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce
hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death
or serious injury, take the following precautions while working on or near bat-
tery:
● Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.
● Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
● Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
● Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
● Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
● Keep children away from the battery.
■ Where to safety charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a
garage or closed room where there is not sufficient ventilation.
■ How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less). The battery may explode if
charged at a quicker rate.
■ Emergency measures regarding electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention. If possible, continue to apply water with a sponge or
cloth while traveling to the nearest medical facility.
● If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you feel pain or burning, get medical
attention immediately.
● If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your skin. Immediately take off the cloth-
ing and follow the procedure above if necessary.
● If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk. Follow with milk of magnesia,
beaten raw egg or vegetable oil. Get emergency medical attention immedi-
ately.

432 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Washer fluidAdd washer fluid in the following
situations.
●Any washer does not work.
● The low washer fluid warning
light comes on (vehicles with-
out multi-information display).
● The warning message
appears on the multi-informa-
tion display (vehicles with
multi-information display).
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all
accessories are turned off.
CAUTION
■When refilling the washer fluid
Do not refill the washer fluid when the engine is hot or running, as the
washer fluid contains alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on the engine etc.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine antifreeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the vehicle’s painted surfaces.
■ Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as necessary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the washer fluid tank.

433
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
■Checking tires
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Worn tread
The location of treadwear
indicators is shown by the
“TWI” or “ ” marks, etc.,
molded on the sidewall of
each tire.
Check spare tire condition
and inflation pressure if not
rotated.
■Tire rotation
Vehicles without compact spare tire
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and
extend tire life, Toyota recom-
mends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same inter-
val as tire inspection.
Front

434 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Vehicles with compact spare tireRotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and
extend tire life, Toyota recom-
mends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same inter-
val as tire inspection.
■The tire pressure warning system
Your Toyota 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. ( P. 492,
498)
Vehicles with compact spare tire : The compact spare tire is not
equipped with the tire pressure warning valve and transmitters.
Front

435
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed. Tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters can be installed in any of the following three ways:
● Tire pressure warning valves and transmitters can be removed
from the old wheels and installed on the new wheels.
● When replacing only the tire, the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter already installed on the wheel does not need to be
replaced.
● Replacing both a wheel and its tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are installed,
new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes must be regis-
tered in the computer and tire pressure warning system must be initial-
ized.
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
● When tire pressure warning valv es and transmitters are replaced.
● When driving with the tires inflated to a higher than standard tire
pressure.
When the tire pressure warning syst em is initialized, the current tire
pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.
■ How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the engine.
While the vehicle is moving, in itialization is not performed.
Adjust the tire pressure to the specified pressure. (P. 534)
STEP1
STEP2

436 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Start the engine.
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified level. The
tire pressure warning system will operate based on this pressure
level.
Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch for at least
3 seconds.
The tire pressure warning light
will flash 3 times to indicate that
initialization has started.
Wait a few minutes, and turn the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch or the engine switch OFF.
Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter, it is necessary to regi ster the ID code of tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter. Have the ID code registered by your
Toyota dealer.
If the ID code is not registered , the system will not work properly.
After more than 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks to
indicate a system malfunction.
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Maintenance and care
■When to replace your vehicle's tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric or bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or c
annot 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 they have seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■If the tread wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm) on snow tires
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost.
■If the tire pressure warning reset switch is pressed while the vehi-
cle is moving
Initialization will not be performed. Be fore performing initialization, stop
the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the engine. ( P. 435)
■If you push the tire pressure reset switch accidentally
If initialization is performed, adjust t he tire inflation pressure to the speci-
fied level and initialize the system again.
■When the initialization of the tire pressure warning system has
failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the follow-
ing cases, the settings have not b een recorded and the system will not
operate properly. If repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure
settings are unsuccessful, have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
●When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pres-
sure warning light does not flash.
●After driving for a certain period of time since the initialization has
been completed, the warning light flashes.

438 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■When the tire pressure warning valves and transmitter are removed
from the wheel on occasions such as when replacing tires
The tire inflation pressure data updated before servicing is retained.
■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.
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the re placed 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.
As for the maximum load of the tire, see the load limit at maximum cold
tire inflation pressure mentioned on the sidewall of the tire, and as for the
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) , see the Certification Label.
(  P. 443, 542).

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
■Tire types
1 Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway
driving under dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tire s, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When
installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2 All season tires All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most winter conditions, as well as for use
year round. All season tires, however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also,
all season tires fall short in acceleration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway driving.
3Snow 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 or iginally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible restriction. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels. ( P. 224)
■Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the tires with the tire inflat ion pressure adjusted to the specified
level.