engine TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4867-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
One of the following may be the
cause of the problem:
There may not be sufficient
fuel in the vehicle’s tank.
Refuel the vehicle.
 The engine may be flooded.
Try to restart the engine again
following correct starting pro-
cedures. ( P.202)
 There may be a malfunction
in the engine immobilizer sys-
tem. ( P. 7 1 )
One of the following may be the
cause of the problem:
 The battery may be dis-
charged. ( P.491) 
The battery terminal connec-
tions may be loose or cor-
roded. ( P.416)
The engine starting system may
be malfunctioning due to an
electrical problem such as elec-
tronic key battery depletion or a
blown fuse. However, an interim
measure is available to start the
engine. ( P.486)
One of the following may be the
cause of the problem:
 One or both of the battery ter-
minals may be disconnected.
( P.416)
 The battery may be dis-
charged. ( P.491)
 There may be a malfunction
in the steering lock system.
Contact your Toyota dealer if the
problem cannot be repaired, or if
repair procedures are unknown.
When the engine does not start,
the following steps can be used
If the engine will not
start
If the engine will not start
even though correct starting
procedures are being fol-
lowed ( P.202), consider
each of the following points:
The engine wil l not start
even though the starter
motor operates normally.
The starter motor turns
over slowly, the interior
lights and headlights are
dim, or the horn does not
sound or sounds at a low
volume.
The starter motor does
not turn over
The starter motor does
not turn over, the interior
lights and headlights do
not turn on, or the horn
does not sound.
Starting the engine in an
emergency

4877-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
as an interim measure to start
the engine if the engine switch is
functioning normally.
Do not use this starting proce-
dure except in cases of emer-
gency.
1Pull the parking brake switch
to check that the parking
brake is set. ( P.211)
Parking brake indicator will come
on.
2 Shift the shift lever to P.
3 Turn the engine switch to
ACC.
4 Press and hold the engine
switch for about 15 seconds
while depressing the brake
pedal firmly.
Even if the engine can be
started using the above steps,
the system may be malfunction-
ing. Have the vehicle inspected
by your Toyota dealer.
If you lose your keys
New genuine mechanical
keys can be made by your
Toyota dealer using another
mechanical key and the key
number stamped on your
key number plate.
Keep the plate in a safe
place such as your wallet,
not in the vehicle.
NOTICE
■When an electronic key is lost
If the electronic key remains lost,
the risk of vehicle theft increases
significantly. Visit your Toyota
dealer immediately with all
remaining electronic keys that
were provided with your vehicle.

4897-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
■When the electronic key does
not work properly
●Make sure that the smart key sys-
tem has not been deactivated in
the customization setting. If it is
off, turn the function on. (Custom-
izable features: P.521)
●Check if battery-saving mode is
set. If it is set, cancel the function.
( P.135)
■Unlocking the door
Use the mechanical key
( P.116) in order to perform the
following operations: 1
Locks all the doors
2 Unlocks all the doors
Turning the key unlocks the driver’s
door. Turning the key again unlocks
the other doors.
■Key linked functions
1 Closes the windows and the
moon roof
* (turn and hold)
2 Opens the windows and the
moon roof
* (turn and hold)
These settings mus t be customized
at your Toyota dealer.
*: If equipped
If the electronic key
does not operate prop-
erly
If communication between
the electronic key and vehi-
cle is interrupted ( P.135)
or the electronic key cannot
be used because the battery
is depleted, the smart key
system and wireless remote
control cannot be used. In
such cases, the doors can
be opened and the engine
can be started by following
the procedure below.
Locking and unlocking
the doors

4907-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
1Ensure that the shift lever is
in P and depress the brake
pedal.
2 Touch the Toyota emblem
side of the electronic key to
the engine switch.
When the electronic key is
detected, a buzzer sounds and the
engine switch will turn to ON.
When the smart key system is
deactivated in customization set-
ting, the engine switch will turn to
ACC.
3Firmly depress the brake
pedal and check that is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
4 Press the engine switch
shortly and firmly.
In the event that the engine still
cannot be started, contact your
Toyota dealer.
■Stopping the engine
Shift the shift lever to P, set the park-
ing brake, and press the engine
switch as you normally do when
stopping the engine.
■Replacing the key battery
As the above proce dure is a tempo-
rary measure, it is recommended
that the electronic key battery be
replaced immediately when the bat-
tery is depleted. ( P.436)
■Changing engine switch modes
Release the brake pedal and press
the engine switch in step 3 above.
The engine does not start and
modes will be changed each time
the switch is pressed. ( P.205)
WARNING
■When using the mechanical
key and operating the power
windows or moon roof (if
equipped)
Operate the power window or
moon roof after checking to make
sure that there is n o possibility of
any passenger having any of their
body parts caught in the window
or moon roof. Al so, do not allow
children to operate the mechani-
cal key. It is possible for children
and other passengers to get
caught in the power window or
moon roof.
Starting the engine

4917-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
If you have a set of jumper (or
booster) cables and a second
vehicle with a 12-volt battery,
you can jump start your vehicle
by following the steps below.
1Confirm that the electronic
key is being carried.
Vehicles with an alarm: When con-
necting the jumper (or booster)
cables, depending on the situation,
the alarm may activate and doors
locked. ( P. 7 4 )
2 Open the hood. ( P.410)
3 Connect a positive jumper cable clamp to on your vehicle and
connect the clamp on the other end of the positive cable to on
the second vehicle. Then, connect a negative cable clamp to
If the vehicle batter y
is discharged
The following procedures
may be used to start the
engine if the vehicle’s bat-
tery is discharged.
You can also call your Toy-
ota dealer or a qualified
repair shop.
Restarting the engine

4927-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
on the second vehicle and connect the clamp at the other end of
the negative cable to .
Positive (+) battery terminal (your vehicle)
Positive (+) battery terminal (second vehicle)
Negative (-) battery term inal (second vehicle)
Solid, stationary, unpainted metallic point away from the batte ry
and any moving parts as shown in the illustration
4 Start the engine of the sec-
ond vehicle. Increase the
engine speed slightly and
maintain at that level for
approximately 5 minutes to
recharge the battery of your
vehicle.
5 Open and close any of the
doors of your vehicle with the
engine switch OFF.
6 Maintain the engine speed of
the second vehicle and start
the engine of your vehicle by
turning the engine switch to
ON.
7 Once the vehicle’s engine
has started, remove the
jumper cables in the exact reverse order from which
they were connected.
Once the engine starts, have the
vehicle inspected at your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible.
■Starting the engine when the
battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started by
push-starting.
■To prevent bat tery discharge
●Turn off the headlights and the
audio system while the engine is
stopped. (Vehicles with Stop &
Start system: Except when the
engine is stopped by the Stop &
Start system.)
●Turn off any unnecessary electri-
cal components when the vehicle
is running at a low speed for an
extended period, such as in heavy

4937-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_Utraffic.
■When the battery is removed or
discharged
●Information stor
ed in the ECU is
cleared. When the battery is
depleted, have the vehicle
inspected at you r Toyota dealer.
●Some systems may require initial-
ization. ( P.533)
■When removing the battery ter-
minals
When the battery terminals are
removed, the information stored in
the ECU is cleared . Before remov-
ing the battery terminals, contact
your Toyota dealer.
■Charging the battery
The electricity stor ed in the battery
will discharge gradu ally even when
the vehicle is not i n use, due to nat-
ural discharge and the draining
effects of certain electrical appli-
ances. If the vehicle is left for a long
time, the battery may discharge,
and the engine ma y be unable to
start. (The battery recharges auto-
matically during driving.)
■After jump starting the vehicle
(Vehicles with Stop & Start sys-
tem)
Be sure to disable the Stop & Start
system so that the battery can be
charged. ( P.273)
■When recharging or replacing
the battery
●In some cases, i t may not be pos-
sible to unlock the doors using the
smart key system when the bat-
tery is discharged. Use the wire-
less remote control or the
mechanical key to lock or unlock
the doors.
●The engine may not start on the
first attempt after the battery has
recharged but will start normally
after the se cond attempt. This is
not a malfunction.
●The engine switch mode is memo- rized by the vehicle. When the
battery is reconnected, the system
will return to the mode it was in
before the bat
tery was dis-
charged. Before disconnecting the
battery, turn the engine switch off.
If you are unsure what mode the
engine switch wa s in before the
battery discharged, be especially
careful when reconnecting the
battery.
●Vehicles with power back door:
The power back door must be ini-
tialized. ( P.129)
●Vehicles with Stop & Start system:
The Stop & Start system may not
automatically stop the engine for
up to an hour.
■When replacing the battery
●Use a Central Degassing type bat-
tery (European Regulations).
●Vehicles with Stop & Start system:
Use a genuine battery specifically
designed for use with the Stop &
Start system or a battery with
equivalent specifications to a gen-
uine battery. If an unsupported
battery is used, Stop & Start sys-
tem functions may be restricted to
protect the battery.
Also, battery per formance may
decrease and the engine may not
be able to restart. Contact your
Toyota dealer for details.
●Vehicles without Stop & Start sys-
tem: Use a battery that the case
size is same as the previous one
(LN3), 20 hour rate capacity
(20HR) is equivalent (70Ah) or
greater, and per formance rating
(CCA) is equivalent (603A) or
greater.
Vehicles with Stop & Start system:
Use a battery that the case size is
same as the previous one (LN3), 20
hour rate capacity (20HR) is equiva-
lent (65Ah) or greater, and perfor-
mance rating (CCA) is equivalent
(603A) or greater.
• If the sizes differ, the battery can- not be properly secured.

4947-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U• If the 20 hour rate
capacity is low,
even if the time period where the
vehicle is not used is a short time,
the battery may discharge and the
engine may not be able to start.
For details, consult your Toyota
dealer.
WARNING
■When removing the battery
terminals
Always remove the negative (-)
terminal first. If the positive (+) ter-
minal contacts any metal in the
surrounding area when the posi-
tive (+) terminal is removed, a
spark may occur, l eading to a fire
in addition to electrical shocks
and death or serious injury.
■When disconnecting the bat-
tery
Do not disconnect the negative (-)
terminal on the body side. The
disconnected negative (-) terminal
may touch the positive (+) termi-
nal, which may cause a short and
result in death or serious injury.
■Avoiding battery fires or
explosions
Observe the following precautions
to prevent accidentally igniting the
flammable gas that may be emit-
ted from the battery:
●Make sure each jumper cable is
connected to the correct termi-
nal and that it is not unintention-
ally in contact with any other
than the intended terminal.
●Do not allow the other end of
the jumper cable connected to
the “+” terminal to come into
contact with any other parts or
metal surfaces in the area, such
as brackets or unpainted metal.
●Do not allow the + and - clamps
of the jumper cables to come
into contact with each other.
●Do not smoke, use matches,
cigarette lighter s or allow open
flame near the battery.
■Battery precautions
The battery contains poisonous
and corrosive acidic electrolyte,
while related parts contain lead
and lead compounds. Observe
the following precautions when
handling the battery:
●When working with the battery,
always wear safety glasses and
take care not to allow any bat-
tery fluids (acid) to come into
contact with skin, clothing or the
vehicle body.
●Do not lean over the battery.
●In the event that battery fluid
comes into contact with the skin
or eyes, immediately wash the
affected area with water and
seek medical attention. Place a
wet sponge or cloth over the
affected area until medical
attention can be received.
●Always wash your hands after
handling the battery support,
terminals, and other bat-
tery-related parts.
●Do not allow children near the
battery.
■When replacing the battery
●When the vent plug and indica-
tor are close to the hold down
clamp, the battery fluid (sulfuric
acid) may leak.
●For information regarding bat-
tery replacement, contact your
Toyota dealer.

4957-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
1Stop the vehicle in a safe
place and turn off the air con-
ditioning system, and then
stop the engine.
2 If you see steam:
Carefully lift the hood after
the steam subsides.
If you do not see steam:
Carefully lift the hood.
3 After the engine has cooled
down sufficiently, inspect the
NOTICE
■When handling jumper cables
When connecting the jumper
cables, ensure that they do not
become entangled in the cooling
fan or engine drive belt.
If your vehicle over-
heats
The following may indicate
that your vehicle is over-
heating.
 The needle of the engine
coolant temperature gauge
( P.81) enters the red zone
or a loss of engine power is
experienced. (For example,
the vehicle speed does not
increase.)
 “Engine Coolant Temp High
Stop in a Safe Place See
Owner’s Manual” is shown
on the multi-information dis-
p l a y.
 Steam comes out from
under the hood.
Correction procedures

4967-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
hoses and radiator core (radi-
ator) for any leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fan
If a large amount of coolant leaks,
immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.
4 The coolant level is satisfac-
tory if it is between the
“FULL” and “LOW” lines on
the reservoir.
Reservoir
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
Radiator cap
5 Add coolant if necessary.
Water can be used in an emer- gency if coolant is unavailable.
6
Start the engine and turn the
air conditioning system on to
check that the radiator cool-
ing fan operates and to check
for coolant leaks from the
radiator or hoses.
The fan operates when the air con-
ditioning system is turned on imme-
diately after a cold start. Confirm
that the fan is operating by check-
ing the fan sound and air flow. If it is
difficult to check these, turn the air
conditioning system on and off
repeatedly. (The fan may not oper-
ate in freezing temperatures.)
7If the fan is not operating:
Stop the engine immediately
and contact your Toyota
dealer.
If the fan is operating:
Have the vehicle inspected at
the nearest Toyota dealer.
8 Check if “Engine Coolant
Temp High Stop in a Safe
Place See Owner's Manual”
is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display.
If the message does not disappear:
Stop the engine and contact your
Toyota dealer.
If the message is not displayed:
Have the vehicle inspected at the
nearest Toyota dealer.