snow TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2018 Owners Manual (in English)

21Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)VSC OFF switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 333
“SNOW” button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 228
“DAC” switch
*2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 337
All-wheel drive lock switch
*2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 330
Seat heater/ventilator switches
*2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 456
Seat heater switches
*2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 4 56
*1: For vehicles with Entune Premium Audio or Entune Audio Plus, refer to
“NAVIGATION AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL”.
*2: If equipped
Type A
Type B
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471-1. For safe use
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For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
● If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked , have
them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
● Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger’s weight, which prevents t he sensor
from detecting the passenger’s weight properly. As a result, th e SRS front
airbags for the front passenger may not deploy in the event of a collision.
■ Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications
without consulting your Toyota dealer. The SRS airbags may malfunction or
deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
● Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbag s
● Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel,
instrument panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, s ide and rear
pillars or roof side rails
● Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper or s ide of the
occupant compartment
● Installation of a grille guard (bull bars, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow plows,
winches or roof luggage carrier
● Modifications to the vehicle’s suspension system
● Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radio s and CD
players
● Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disa bility

791-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)
Exhaust gas precautions
Harmful substance to the human body is included in exhaust
gases if inhaled.
WARNING
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause exhaust gases enter the vehicle and may lead to
an accident caused by light-headedness, or may lead to death or a serious
health hazard.
■ Important points while driving
● Keep the back door and glass hatch closed.
● If you smell exhaust gases in the vehicle even when the back do or and
glass hatch are closed, open the windows and have the vehicle i nspected
at your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
■ When parking
● If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area or a closed area, such as a
garage, stop the engine.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the engine on for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an o pen space
and ensure that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior .
● Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it
is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.
■ Exhaust pipe
The exhaust system needs to be checked periodically. If there is a hole or
crack caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be
sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Toyota dealer.

902. Instrument cluster
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)
*1: These lights turn on when the engine switch is turned to the “ON” position
(vehicles without a smart key system) or the engine switch is turned to
IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a smart key system), to indicat e that a
system check is being performed. They will turn off after the engine is
started, or after a few seconds. There may be a malfunction in a system if
a light does not come on, or turn off. Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
*2: If equipped
*3: Refer to “NAVIGATION AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM OWNER’S MAN- UAL”.
*4: This light flashes to indicate that the system is operating.
*5: The light comes on when the system is turned off.
*2“PWR MODE” indicator
(P. 229)*2, 5Stop & Start cancel indi-
cator ( P. 297)
Snow mode indicator
( P. 228)
*1, 8
(U.S.A.)
“AIR BAG ON/
OFF” indicator
(P. 53)
*2
Stop & Start indicator
(P. 297)
*1, 8
(Canada)
“AIR BAG ON/
OFF” indicator
(P. 53)

1303-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)
WARNING
■Operating the back door
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause parts of the body to be caught, resu lting in death
or serious injury.
● Remove any heavy loads, such as snow and ice, from the back doo r
before opening it. Failure to do so may cause the back door to suddenly
shut again after it is opened.
● When opening or closing the back door, thoroughly check to make sure
the surrounding area is safe.
● If anyone is in the vicinity, make sure they are safe and let t hem know that
the back door is about to open or close.
● Use caution when opening or closing the back door in windy weat her as it
may move abruptly in strong wind.
● Vehicles without a power back door:
The back door may suddenly shut if it is
not opened fully. It is more difficult to
open or close the back door on an
incline than on a level surface, so
beware of the back door unexpectedly
opening or closing by itself. Make sure
that the back door is fully open and
secure before using the luggage com-
partment.
● When closing the back door, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc. from
being caught.
● Vehicles without a power back door:
When closing the back door, make sure
to press it lightly on its outer surface. If
the back door handle is used to fully
close the back door, it may result in
hands or arms being caught.

1383-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■Before driving
● Make sure that the glass hatch is fully closed. If the glass ha tch is not fully
closed, it may open unexpectedly while driving and hit near-by objects or
luggage in the luggage compartment may be thrown out, causing a n acci-
dent.
● Do not allow a child to open or close the glass hatch.
Doing so may cause the glass hatch to move unexpectedly, or cau se the
child’s hands, head, or neck to be caught by the closing glass hatch.
■ Operating the glass hatch
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause parts of the body to be caught, resu lting in death
or serious injury.
● Remove any heavy loads, such as snow and ice, from the glass ha tch
before opening it. Failure to do so may cause the glass hatch t o suddenly
shut again after it is opened.
● When opening or closing the glass hatch, thoroughly check to ma ke sure
the surrounding area is safe.
● If anyone is in the vicinity, make sure they are safe and let t hem know that
the glass hatch is about to open or close.
● Use caution when opening or closing the glass hatch in windy we ather as
it may move abruptly in strong wind.

1463-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)●
If the electronic key is inside the vehicle and a door handle b ecomes wet
during a car wash, a message may be shown on the multi-informat ion dis-
play and a buzzer will sound outside the vehicle. To turn off t he alarm, lock
all the doors.
● The lock sensor may not work properly if it comes into contact with ice,
snow, mud, etc. Clean the lock sensor and attempt to operate it again, or
use the lock sensor on the lower part of the door handle.
● A sudden handle operation or a handle operation immediately aft er entering
the effective range may prevent the doors from being unlocked. Touch the
door unlock sensor and check that the doors are unlocked before pulling the
door handle again.
● Unlocking the vehicle may take more time if another electronic key is within
the effective range.
■ When the vehicle is not driven for extended periods
●To prevent theft of the vehicle, do not leave the electronic ke y within 6 ft. (2
m) of the vehicle.
● The smart key system can be deactivated in advance. ( P. 680)
■ To operate the system properly
Make sure to carry the electronic key when operating the system. Do not get
the electronic key too close to the vehicle when operating the system from the
outside of the vehicle.
Depending on the position and holding condition of the electron ic key, the key
may not be detected correctly and the system may not operate pr operly. (The
alarm may go off accidentally, or the door lock prevention func tion may not
operate.)
■ If the smart key system does not operate properly
●Locking and unlocking the doors: Use the mechanical key. ( P. 635)
● Starting the engine: P. 636
■ Customization
Settings (e. g. smart key system) can be changed.
(Customizable features: P. 680)
■ If the smart key system has been d eactivated in a customized setting
● Locking and unlocking the doors:
Use the wireless remote control or mechanical key. ( P. 116, 635)
● Starting the engine and changing engine switch modes: P. 636
● Stopping the engine: P. 222

2284-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)
*1: Shifting the shift lever to D allows the system to select a gear suitable for
the driving conditions.
Setting the shift lever to D is recommended for normal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of the possible
gear ranges, controls engine braking force, and prevents unnece ssary
upshifting.
■
Snow mode
Use snow mode for accelerating and driving on slippery road sur -
faces, such as on snow.
Press the “SNOW” button to
select snow mode.
The “SNOW” indicator will be
displayed on the multi-informa-
tion display.
Press the button again to cancel
snow mode.
Shift position purpose
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 ( P. 229)
Selecting the driving mode

2304-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)■
Shift ranges and their functions
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking forces
than a higher
shift range.
■ Message displays
Message illustrations used in this section are intended as exam ples, and may
differ from the image that is actually displayed on the multi-information dis-
play.
■ S mode
●8-speed models: When the shift range is 7 or lower, holding the shift lever
toward “+” sets the shift range to 8.
6-speed models: When the shift range is 5 or lower, holding the shift lever
toward “+” sets the shift range to 6.
● To prevent excessive engine speed, a function was adopted that automati-
cally selects a higher shift range before engine speed becomes too high.
● To protect the automatic transmission, a function is adopted that automati-
cally selects a higher shift range when the fluid temperature i s high.
■ Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting ope ration may
sometimes be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting ma y not be
possible even when the shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■ Deactivation of snow mode
Snow mode will be canceled if the engine is turned off after dr iving in snow
mode.
■ Deactivation of power mode (if equipped)
Power mode will be canceled if the engine is turned off after d riving in power
mode.
■ If both snow mode and power m ode (if equipped) are selected
Snow mode will be selected and power mode will be suspended unt il snow
mode is canceled.
■ When driving with dynamic radar cruise control activated
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of e nabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate while driving in S mo de and down-
shifting to 5 or 4 because dynamic radar cruise control will no t be canceled.
( P. 285)
Meter displayFunction
S2 - S8
(8-speed models)A gear in the range between 1 and the selected
gear is automatically chosen depending on vehicle
speed and driving conditions
S2 - S6
(6-speed models)
S1Setting the gear at 1

2424-3. Operating the lights and wipers
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E031U)• When driving in inclement weather (heavy rain, snow, fog, sand
storms,
etc.)
• When the windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or damaged
• When the camera sensor is deformed or dirty
• When the temperature of the camera sensor is extremely high
• When the surrounding brightness level is equal to that of head lights, tail
lights or fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of vehicles ahead are turned off, dirty, changing color, or not aimed properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water, snow, dust, etc. from a prec eding vehi-
cle
• When driving through an area of intermittently changing brightness and
darkness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving ascending/descending roads, or roads with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces (such as stone-paved
roads, gravel roads, etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a w inding
road
• When there is a highly reflective object ahead of the vehicle, such as a sign or mirror
• When the back of a preceding vehicle is highly reflective, suc h as a con-
tainer on a truck
• When the vehicle's headlights are damaged or dirty, or are not aimed
properly
• When the vehicle is listing or titling due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• When the headlights are changed between the high beams and low beams repeatedly in an abnormal manner
• When the driver believes that the high beams may be flashing or dazzling
pedestrians or other drivers
■ Temporarily lowering sensor sensitivity
The sensitivity of the sensor can be temporarily lowered.
Turn the engine switch off while the following conditions are m et.
• The headlight switch is in or .
• The headlight switch lever is in the high beam position.
• Automatic High Beam switch is on.
Turn the engine switch to the “ON” position (vehicles without a smart key
system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a smart key system).
Within 30 seconds after , repeat pulling the headlight switch l ever to the
original position then pushing it to the high beam position qui ckly 10 times,
then leave the lever in the high beam position.
If the sensitivity is changed, the Automatic High Beam indicato r will turn on
and off 3 times.
Automatic High Beam (headlights) may turn on even when the vehicle is
stopped.
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