engine TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3865-5. Using the other interior features
HIGHLANDER_U
■To prevent battery discharge
If the vanity light s remain on when
the engine switch is turned off, the
lights will go off automatically after
20 minutes.
1 Push the lid.
2 Push the lid back up half way.
■To use the overhead console
from the conversation mirror
state
Fully close the lid, then open it
again. ( P.369)
1 Pull the tab up.
2 Hook the sunshade on to the
anchors.
To lower the sunshade, pull the tab
up slightly to unhook the shade
from the anchors, and lower it
slowly.
NOTICE
■To prevent the battery from
being discharged
Do not leave the vanity lights on
for extended periods while the
engine is off.
Conversation mirror
Rear door sunshades (if
equipped)
NOTICE
■To ensure normal operation
of the sunshades
●Do not put anyth ing in an area
where it may int erfere with the
operation of a rear door sun-
shade.
●To prevent damage to the rear
door sunshades, do not apply
excessive load or attach items
to the rear door sunshades.

395
6
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
Maintenance and care
.6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 396
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 399
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements.................................. 402
General maintenance.. 404
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams ........................ 406
6-3. Do-it-yourself mainte- nance
Do-it-yourself service pre- cautions ..................... 408
Hood ........................... 410
Positioning a floor jack .................................. 411
Engine compartment ... 412
Tires ............................ 419
Tire inflation pressure.. 431
Wheels ......... ...............433
Air conditioning filter .... 434
Electronic key battery.. 436
Checking and replacing fuses.......................... 438
Headlight aim .............. 440
Light bulbs................... 441

3976-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_Uapproximately 5% solution of neu-
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.
WARNING
■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.
Off
AUTO
●When the upper part of the
windshield where the raindrop
sensor is located is touched by
hand
●When a wet rag or 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 ra indrop 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 equipped)
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

4026-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
6-2.Maintenance
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine
Toyota parts be used for repairs to
ensure performanc e of each sys-
tem. If non-Toyota parts are used in
replacement or if a repair shop other
than a Toyota dealer performs
repairs, confirm the warranty cover-
age.
■Allow inspection and repairs to
be performed by a Toyota
dealer
●Toyota technicians are
well-trained specialists and are
kept up to date with the latest ser-
vice information. They are well
informed about the operation of all
systems on your vehicle.
●Keep a copy of the repair order. It
proves that the maintenance that
has been performed is under war-
ranty coverage. If any problem
should arise while your vehicle is
under warranty, your Toyota
dealer will promptly take care of it.
General maintenance should be
performed on a daily basis. This
can be done by yourself or by a
Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should
be performed at specified inter-
vals according to the mainte-
nance schedule.
For details about maintenance
items and schedules, refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance require-
ments
To ensure safe and econom-
ical driving, day-to-day care
and regular maintenance
are essential. It is the
owner’s responsibility to
perform regular checks.
Toyota recommends the fol-
lowing maintenance:
WARNING
■If your vehicle is not properly
maintained
Improper maintenance could
result in serious damage to the
vehicle and possible death or seri-
ous injury.
■Handling of the battery
●Engine exhaust, some of its
constituents, and a wide variety
of automobile components con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects and
other reproductive harm. Work
in a well ventilated area.
●Oils, fuels and fluids contained
in vehicles as well as waste pro-
duced by component wear con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Avoid
exposure and wash any
affected area immediately.
●Battery posts, terminals and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds which are
known to cause brain damage.
Wash your hands after han-
dling. ( P.416)
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance

4046-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
General maintenance
Listed below are the general
maintenance items that
should be performed at the
intervals specified in the
“Owner’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement/Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide”. It
is recommended that any
problem you notice should
be brought to the attention
of your Toyota dealer or
qualified service shop for
advice.
WARNING
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure
that there is adequate ventilation
before performing maintenance
checks.
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connec-
tions. ( P.416)
Brake fluid
Is the brake fluid at
the correct level?
( P.416)
Engine coolant
Is the engine cool-
ant at the correct
level? ( P.415)
Engine oil
Is the engine oil at
the correct level?
( P.412)
Exhaust sys-
temThere should not
be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Radiator/con-
denser
The radiator and
condenser should
be free from for-
eign objects.
( P.416)
Washer fluid
Is there sufficient
washer fluid?
( P.418)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
• The accelerator
pedal should
move smoothly
(without uneven
pedal effort or
catching).
Automatic
transmission
“Park” mecha-
nism
• When parked on a slope and the
shift lever is in P,
is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
ItemsCheck points

4066-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
The OBD system determines
that a problem exists some-
where in the emission control
system. Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test and may need
to be repaired. Contact your
Toyota dealer to service the
vehicle.
When the battery is discon-
nected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set
during ordinary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving
habits, the readiness codes may
not be completely set.
When the fuel tank cap is
loose
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors
• Do the doors
operate
smoothly?
Engine hood
• Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage
after the vehicle
has been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire infla-tion pressure
correct?
• The tires should not be damaged
or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated
according to the
maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be
loose.
Windshield
wipers/rear
window wiper
• The wiper blades should not show
any signs of
cracking, split-
ting, wear, con-
tamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield/rear
window without
streaking or skip-
ping.
Emission inspection
and maintenance (I/M)
programs
Some states have vehicle
emission inspection pro-
grams which include OBD
(On Board Diagnostics)
checks. The OBD system
monitors the operation of
the emission control sys-
tem.
If the malfunction indica-
tor lamp comes on
Your vehicle may not pass
the I/M test in the follow-
ing situations:

4086-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
6-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself ser vice
precautions
If you perform maintenance
by yourself, be sure to fol-
low the correct procedure
as given in these sections.
Maintenance
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condi-
tion (P.416)
• Warm water
• Baking soda
•Grease
• Conventional
wrench (for ter-
minal clamp
bolts)
Brake fluid
level ( P.416)
• FMVSS No.116
DOT 3 or SAE
J1703 brake fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding
brake fluid)
Engine cool-
ant level
( P.415)
• “Toyota Super
Long Life Cool-
ant” or a similar
high quality eth-
ylene gly-
col-based
non-silicate,
non-amine,
non-nitrite and
non-borate cool-
ant with long-life
hybrid organic
acid technology
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super
Long Life Cool-
ant” is pre-mixed
with 50% cool-
ant and 50%
deionized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super
Long Life Cool-
ant” is pre-mixed
with 55% cool-
ant and 45%
deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding
coolant)
Engine oil level
( P.412)
• “Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” or
equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding
engine oil)
Fuses
( P.438)• Fuse with same
amperage rating
as original
ItemsParts and tools

4096-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
Headlight aim
( P.440)• Phillips-head
screwdriver
Light bulbs
( P.441)
• Bulb with same
number and
wattage rating as
original
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screw- driver
• Wrench
Radiator and
condenser
(  P.416)

Tire inflation
pressure
( P.431)• Tire pressure
gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid
( P.418)
• Water or washer
fluid containing
antifreeze (for
winter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding
water or washer
fluid)
WARNING
The engine compartment contains
many mechanisms and fluids that
may move suddenly, become hot,
or become electrically energized.
To avoid death or serious injury,
observe the following precautions.
■When working on the engine
compartment
●Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from the moving fan and
engine drive belt.
ItemsParts and tools●Be careful not to touch the
engine, radiator, exhaust mani-
fold, etc. right a fter driving as
they may be hot. Oil and other
fluids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anything that may
burn easily, such as paper and
rags, in the engine compart-
ment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or
expose an open flame to fuel or
the battery. Fuel and battery
fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious when
working on the battery. It con-
tains poisonous and corrosive
sulfuric acid.
■When working near the elec-
tric cooling fan or radiator
grille
Be sure the engine switch is off.
With the engine switch in ON, the
electric cooling fa n may automati-
cally start to run if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant
temperature is high. ( P.416)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent
flying or falling material, fluid
spray, etc. from getting in your
eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner
filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter
removed may cause excessive
engine wear due to dirt in the air.

4126-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.415)
Fuse boxes ( P.438)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.413)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.412)
Battery ( P.416)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.416)
Washer fluid tank ( P.418)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( P.416)
Radiator ( P.416)
With the engine at operating
temperature and turned off,
check the oil level on the dip- stick.
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level
ground. After warming up the
engine and turning it off, wait
Engine compar tment
Components
Checking and adding the
engine oil

4136-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
more than 5 minutes for the
oil to drain back into the bot-
tom of the engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out.
3 Wipe the dipstick clean.
4 Reinsert the dipstick fully.
5 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out and
check the oil level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dipstick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6Wipe the dipstick and reinsert
it fully.
■Checking the oil type and
preparing the item needed
Make sure to check the oil type
and prepare the items needed
before adding oil.
 Engine oil selection
P.502
 Oil quantity (Low  Full)
1.9 qt. (1.8 L, 1.6 Imp. qt.)
 Item
Clean funnel
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near
the low level mark, add engine
oil of the same type as that
already in the engine.
1 Remove the oil filler cap by
turning it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, check-
ing the dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by
turning it clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will
be consumed while driving. In the
following situatio ns, oil consump-
tion may increase, and engine oil
may need to be refilled in between
oil maintenance intervals.