cooling TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3154-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_Udriving on roads with many curves.
When Sport mode is selected,
Sport mode indicator comes on.
3
Eco drive mode
Helps the driver a ccelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve
fuel economy through moderate
throttle characteri stics and by con-
trolling the operation of the air con-
ditioning system (heating/cooling).
When Eco drive mode is selected,
Eco drive mode indicator comes
on.
■When changing to a driving
mode other than normal mode
Switches to AWD control suitable for
the selected mode. (for Dynamic
Torque Vectoring AWD vehicles
only)
■Air conditioning system opera-
tion in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, heating/cooling
operations and the fan speed is con-
trolled to improve fuel efficiency.
Perform the following procedures to
increase the air conditioning perfor-
mance.
●Vehicle with a 12.3-inch display:
Turn eco air conditioning mode off
(  P.349)
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.336,
342)
●Cancel Eco drive mode
■Canceling a driving mode
●Sport mode is automatically can-
celed and the driving mode
returns to normal mode when the
engine switch is turned off.
●Normal mode and Eco drive mode
are not canceled until another
driving mode is sel ected. (Even if
the engine switch is turned off,
normal mode and Eco drive mode
will not be automatically can-
celed.)
Multi-terrain Select
(AWD vehicles)
Multi-terrain Select is a sys-
tem that improves drivabil-
ity in off-road situations.
When driving over muddy,
sandy or rough road sur-
faces, the system selects a
suitable driving mode to
switch AWD, brake and
drive force control to per-
form control suitable for the
road condition.
WARNING
■Before using Multi-terrain
Select
Make sure to observe the follow-
ing precautions. Failure to
observe these precautions may
result in an unexp ected accident.
●Check that the Mud & Sand and
Rock & Dirt indicators are illumi-
nated before driving. Multi-ter-
rain Select will not operate
when the indicators are off.
●Do not rely solely upon the
Multi-terrain Select. This func-
tion is not inten ded to expand
the limits of the vehicle. If the
system is continuously used for
a long period of time, the load
on related parts increases and
the system may be unable to
operate normally, which may
lead to an accident. Thoroughly
check the road conditions and
driving route before driving, and
drive with caution.

3375-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_UPressing the on/off switch turns off
the fan.
When the fan is o
ff, pressing the
on/off switch or turning the fan
speed control switch will turn on the
fan.
■Change the airflow mode
Press the airflow mode control
switch.
1 Upper body
2 Upper body and feet
3 Feet
4 Feet and the windshield
defogger operates
■Switching between outside
air and recirculated air
modes
Press the outside/recirculated
air mode switch.
The mode switches between
outside air mode and recircu-
lated air mode each time the
switch is operated.
When recirculated air mode is
selected, the indicator illuminates
on the outside/recirculated air
mode switch.
■Set cooling and dehumidifi-
cation function
Press the “A/C” switch.
When the function is on, the indica-
tor illuminates on the “A/C” switch.
■Defogging the windshield
Defoggers are used to defog the
windshield and front side win-
dows.
Press the windshield defogger
switch.
Set the outside/recirculated air
mode switch to outside air mode if
the recirculated air mode is used.
To defog the windshield and the
side windows quickly, turn the air
flow and temperature up.
To return to the previous mode,
press the windshield defogger
switch again when the windshield is
defogged.
When the windshield defogger
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield defogger
switch.
■Defogging the rear window
and outside rear view mir-
rors
Defoggers are used to defog the
rear window, and to remove
raindrops, dew and frost from
the outside rear view mirrors.
Press the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror
defoggers switch.
When the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror defog-
gers switch is on, the indicator illu-

3385-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_Uminates on the rear window
defogger and outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers switch.
The defoggers will
automatically
turn off after a while.
■Windshield wiper de-icer
This feature is used to prevent
ice from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
Press the windshield wiper
de-icer switch.
When the windshield wiper de-icer
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield wiper
de-icer switch.
The windshield wip er de-icer will
automatically turn of f after a period
of time.
■For quick cooling
Press the “MAX A/C” switch.
The air conditioning will automati-
cally turn on.
At this time, the fo llowing will occur:
●The recirculated air mode will be
set
●The windshield defogger will turn
off
●The air flow mode will change to
the upper body mode
●The fan speed will be set to high.
■Fogging up of the windows
●The windows will easily fog up
when the humidity in the vehicle is
high. Turning the “A/C” switch on
will dehumidify the air from the
outlets and defog the windshield
effectively.
●If you turn the “A/C” switch off, the
windows may fog up more easily.
●The windows may fog up if the
recirculated air mode is used.
■When driving on dusty roads
Close all windows. If dust thrown up
by the vehicle is still drawn into the
vehicle after closing the windows, it
is recommended that the air intake
mode be set to outside air mode and
the fan speed to a ny setting except
off.
■Outside/recirculated air mode
Setting to the recir culated air mode
temporarily is recommended in pre-
venting dirty air from entering the
vehicle interior and helping to cool
the vehicle when the outside air
temperature is high.
■Operation of the air condition-
ing system in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, the air condition-
ing system is controlled to prioritize
fuel efficiency by regulating the
engine speed and compressor oper-
ation to restrict the heating/cooling
capacity.
To improve air conditioning perfor-
mance, perform the following opera-
tions:
●Adjust the fan speed
●Adjust the temperature setting
●Turn off Eco drive mode ( P.314)
■When the outside temperature
is low
The dehumidification function may
not operate even when the “A/C”
switch is pressed.
■Ventilation and air conditioning
odors
●To let fresh air in, set the air condi-
tioning system to the outside air
mode.
●During use, various odors from
inside and outside the vehicle may
enter into and accumulate in the
air conditioning system. This may
then cause odor to be emitted
from the vents.
●To reduce potential odors from
occurring: It is recommended that
the air conditioning system be set

3435-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_Uselected, the indicator illuminates
on the outside/recirculated air
mode switch.
■Set cooling and dehumidifi-
cation function
Press the “A/C” switch.
When the function i s on, the indica-
tor illuminates on th e “A/C” switch.
■Defogging the windshield
Defoggers are used to defog the
windshield and front side win-
dows.
Press the windshield defogger
switch.
Set the outside/recirculated air
mode switch to outside air mode if
t h e r e c i r c u l a t e d a i r m o d e i s u s e d . ( I t
may switch automatically.)
To defog the windshield and the
side windows quickly, turn the air
flow and temperature up.
To return to the previous mode,
press the windshield defogger
switch again when the windshield is
defogged.
When the windshield defogger
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield defogger
switch.
■Defogging the rear window
and outside rear view mir-
rors
Defoggers are used to defog the
rear window and to remove rain-
drops, dew and frost from the
outside rear view mirrors.
Press the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror defoggers switch.
When the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror defog-
gers switch is on, the indicator illu-
minates on the rear window
defogger and outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers switch.
The defoggers will automatically
turn off afte
r a while.
■Windshield wiper de-icer
This feature is used to prevent
ice from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
Press the windshield wiper
de-icer switch.
When the windshield wiper de-icer
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield wiper
de-icer switch.
The windshield wiper de-icer will
automatically turn off after a period
of time.
■When the outside temperature
exceeds 75°F (24°C) and the air
conditioning system is on
●In order to reduce the air condi-
tioning power consumption, the air
conditioning system may switch to
recirculated air mode automati-
cally. This may also reduce fuel
consumption.
●Recirculated air mode is selected
as a default mode when the
engine switch is turned to ON.
●It is possible to switch to outside
air mode at any time by pressing
the outside air mode switch.
■Fogging up of the windows
●The windows will easily fog up
when the humidity in the vehicle is
high. Turning “A/C” on will dehu-
midify the air from the outlets and

3445-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_Udefog the windshield effectively.
●If you turn “A/C” o
ff, the windows
may fog up more easily.
●The windows may fog up if the
recirculated air mode is used.
■When driving on dusty roads
Close all windows. If dust thrown up
by the vehicle is still drawn into the
vehicle after closing the windows, it
is recommended that the air intake
mode be set to outside air mode and
the fan speed to any setting except
off.
■Outside/recirculated air mode
●Setting to the r ecirculated air
mode temporarily is recom-
mended in preventing dirty air
from entering the vehicle interior
and helping to c ool the vehicle
when the outside air temperature
is high.
●Outside/recirculated air mode may
automatically switch depending on
the temperature setting or the
inside temperature.
■Operation of the air condition-
ing system in Eco drive mode
●In Eco drive mode, the air condi-
tioning system is controlled as fol-
lows to prioritize fuel efficiency:
• Engine speed and compressor operation controlled to restrict
heating/cooling capacity
• Fan speed restr icted when auto-
matic mode is selected
●To improve air co nditioning perfor-
mance, perform the following
operations:
• Adjust the fan speed
• Turn off Eco drive mode ( P.314)
■When the outside temperature
is low
The dehumidification function may
not operate even when the “A/C”
switch is pressed.
■Ventilation and air conditioning
odors
●To let fresh air in, set the air condi- tioning system to the outside air
mode.
●During use, various odors from
inside and outside the vehicle may
enter into and accumulate in the
air conditioning system. This may
then cause odor
to be emitted
from the vents.
●To reduce potential odors from
occurring:
• It is recommended that the air conditioning system be set to out-
side air mode prior to turning the
vehicle off.
• The start timing of the blower may be delayed for a short period of
time immediately after the air con-
ditioning system is started in auto-
matic mode.
●When parking, the system auto-
matically switches to outside air
mode to encourage better air cir-
culation throughout the vehicle,
helping to reduce odors that occur
when starting the vehicle.
■Air conditioning system opera-
tions when the engine is
stopped due to the Stop & Start
system (vehicles with Stop &
Start system)
When the engine is stopped due to
Stop & Start system operations, the
automatic air conditioning cooling,
heating and dehumidification func-
tions turn off and the fan speed is
decreased according to the outside
temperature etc. or air blowing
stops. To stop the air conditioning
system from turning off, press the
Stop & Start cancel switch and
refrain from using the Stop & Start
system.
■When the windshield is fogged
up and the engine is stopped
due to the Stop & Start system
(vehicles with Stop & Start sys-
tem)
Press the windshield defogger
switch to restart the engine and
defog the windshield.
If the windshield continuously fogs

3475-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_UWhen the windshield defogger
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield defogger
switch.
■Defogging the rear window
and outside rear view mir-
rors
Defoggers are used to defog the
rear window and to remove rain-
drops, dew and frost from the
outside rear view mirrors.
Press the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror
defoggers switch.
When the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror defog-
gers switch is on, t he indicator illu-
minates on the rear window
defogger and outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers switch.
The defoggers will automatically
turn off after a while.
■Air conditioning system opera-
tions when the engine is
stopped due to the Stop & Start
system
When the engine is stopped due to
Stop & Start system operations, the
automatic air conditioning cooling,
heating and dehumidification func-
tions turn off and the fan speed is
decreased according to the outside
temperature etc. or air blowing
stops. To stop the air conditioning
system from turnin g off, press the
Stop & Start cancel switch and
refrain from using the Stop & Start
system.
■When the windshield is fogged
up and the engine is stopped
due to the Stop & Start system
Press the windshield defogger
switch to restart the engine and defog the windshield.
If the windshield continuously fogs
up, press the Stop & Start cancel
switch and refrain from using the
Stop & Start system.
■When an odor comes from the
air conditioning system while
the engine is stopped due to the
Stop & Start system
Press the Stop & Start cancel switch
to restart the engine.
■Air conditioning filter
 P.434
■Air conditioning system refrig-
erant
●A label regarding the refrigerant of
the air conditioning system is
attached to the h ood at the loca-
tion shown in the following illustra-
tion.
●The meaning of each symbol on
the label are as follows:
Caution
Air conditioning sys-
tem
Air conditioning sys-
tem lubricant type
Requires registered
technician to service
air conditioning sys-
tem
Flammable refrigerant

3495-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_U
Set eco air conditioning
mode
The air conditioning is controlled
with low fuel consumption priori-
tized such as reducing fan speed,
etc.
Set cooling and dehumidifi-
cation function
If “A/C” switch is not pressed, the
system will blow ambient tempera-
ture air or heated air.
■Option control screen
Select “Option” to display the
option control screen.
The functions can be switched on
and off.
When the function i s on, the indica-
tor illuminates on the screen.
Select to display the previous
screen.
Select front seat concen-
trated airflow mode
(S-FLOW) ( P.350)
■When the outside temperature
exceeds 75°F (24°C) and the air
conditioning system is on
●In order to reduce the air condi-
tioning power consumption, the air
conditioning system may switch to
recirculated air mode automati-
cally. This may also reduce fuel consumption.
●Recirculated air mode is selected
as a default mode when the
engine switch is turned to ON.
●It is possible to switch to outside
air mode at any time by pressing
the outside air mode switch.
■Fogging up of the windows
●The windows will
easily fog up
when the humidity in the vehicle is
high. Turning “A/C” on will dehu-
midify the air from the outlets and
defog the windshield effectively.
●If you turn “A/C” off, the windows
may fog up more easily.
●The windows may fog up if the
recirculated air mode is used.
■When driving on dusty roads
Close all windows. If dust thrown up
by the vehicle is still drawn into the
vehicle after closing the windows, it
is recommended that the air intake
mode be set to outside air mode and
the fan speed to a ny setting except
off.
■Outside/recirculated air mode
●Setting to the recirculated air
mode temporarily is recom-
mended in preventing dirty air
from entering the vehicle interior
and helping to c ool the vehicle
when the outside air temperature
is high.
●Outside/recirculated air mode may
automatically switch depending on
the temperature setting or the
inside temperature.
■Eco air conditioning mode
When Eco drive mode is selected
using the driving mode select
switch, eco air conditioning mode
turns on.
When a drive mode other than Eco
drive mode is sele cted, eco air con-
ditioning mode may turn off.

3505-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_U
■Operation of the air condition-
ing system in Eco drive mode
●In Eco drive mode, the air condi-
tioning system is controlled as fol-
lows to prioritize fuel efficiency:
• Engine speed and compressor operation controlled to restrict
heating/cooling capacity
• Fan speed restr icted when auto-
matic mode is selected
●To improve air co nditioning perfor-
mance, perform the following
operations:
• Adjust the fan speed
• Turn off Eco drive mode ( P.314)
• Turn off Eco air conditioning mode
●When the driving mode is set to
Eco driving mode, the air condi-
tioning eco mode will be turned on
automatically. Even in this case,
the air conditioning eco mode can
be turned off by pressing the Eco
air conditioning mode switch.
■When the outside temperature
is low
The dehumidification function may
not operate even when “A/C” is
pressed.
■Ventilation and air conditioning
odors
●To let fresh air in, set the air condi-
tioning system to the outside air
mode.
●During use, various odors from
inside and outside the vehicle may
enter into and a ccumulate in the
air conditioning system. This may
then cause odor to be emitted
from the vents.
●To reduce potential odors from
occurring:
• It is recommended that the air conditioning system be set to out-
side air mode prior to turning the
vehicle off.
• The start timing of the blower may
be delayed for a short period of
time immediately after the air con-
ditioning system is started in auto-
matic mode.
●When parking, the system auto-
matically switches to outside air
mode to encourage better air cir-
culation throughout the vehicle,
helping to reduce odors that occur
when starting the vehicle.
1 Press the automatic mode
switch.
The dehumidification function
begins to operate. Air outlets and
fan speed are automatically
adjusted according to the tempera-
ture setting and humidity.
2Adjust the temperature set-
ting.
3 To stop the operation, press
the “OFF” switch.
If the fan speed setting or air
flow modes are operated, the
automatic mode indicator goes
off. However, automatic mode
for functions other than that
operated is maintained.
■Using automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automati-
cally according to the temperature
setting and the am bient conditions.
Therefore, the fan may stop for a
while until warm or cool air is ready
to flow immediately after the auto-
matic mode switch is pressed.
This function automatically con-
trols the air conditioning airflow
so that priority is given to the
front seats. When the front pas-
Using automatic mode
Front seat concentrated
airflow mode (S-FLOW)

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