engine overheat TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLANDER_U
Emission inspection and mainte-nance (I/M) programs....... 406
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precau-tions ................................. 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
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers ........... 450
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency .............. 450
If the vehicle is trapped in rising water ................................ 451
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed......................................... 453
If you think something is wrong ......................................... 456
Fuel pump shut off system ......................................... 457
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds .... 458
If a warning message is dis- played .............................. 468
If you have a flat tire ........... 472
If the engine will not start ... 486
If you lose your keys .......... 487If the fuel filler door cannot be
opened ............................. 488
If the electronic key does not operate properly............... 489
If the vehicle battery is dis- charged ............................ 491
If your vehicle overheats .... 495
If the vehicle becomes stuck ......................................... 497
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) .................................. 500
Fuel information ................. 509
Tire information .................. 511
8-2. Customization Customizable features ....... 521
8-3. Initialization Items to initialize ................ 533
9-1. For owners Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners ............................. 536
Seat belt instructions for Cana- dian owners (in French) ... 536
SRS airbag instructions for Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 538
Headlight aim instructions for Canadian owners (in French)
........ ................................. 545
What

to do if... (Troubleshooting)
......................................... 548
Alphabetical Index.............. 551
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications
9For owners
Index

14Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_UPrecautions for winter seas
on.............................................. P.327
To prevent freezing (windshiel d wiper de-icer) ............. P.338, 343
Precautions for car wash
*.................................................... P.397
Fuel filler door ............................................... ..................... P.227
Refueling method ............................................... .................. P.227
Fuel type/fuel tan k capacity ................................... .............. P.501
Tires.......................................................... ........................... P.419
Tire size/inflation pressure ................................... ........ P.419, 505
Winter tires/tire chains ....................................... .................. P.327
Checking/rotation/tire pressur e warning system ..................P.419
Coping with flat tires......................................... .................... P.472
Hood ........................................................... ......................... P.410
Opening ............................................................................... P.410
Engine oil ..................................................... ........................ P.502
Coping with overheating ...................................................... P.495
Warning messages ............................................... ............... P.468
Front turn signal lights/parking lights
*................... P.210P.216
Parking lights
*............................................................... ..... P.216
Headlights/daytime running lights
*.................................. P.216
Headlights..................................................... ...................... P.216
Daytime running lights .. .................................................... P.216
Front side marker lights ....................................... ............. P.216
Parking lights
*/daytime running lights*........................... P.216
Front fog lights
*............................................................... ... P.222
Stop/tail lights ............................................... ..................... P.216
Tail lights.................................................... ......................... P.216
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R ................................................... P.206
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.441, Watts: P.507)

832-1. Instrument cluster
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
HIGHLANDER_U
■Display items
 Odometer
Displays the total distance the vehi-
cle has been driven.
Trip meter A/trip meter B
Displays the distan ce the vehicle
has been driven si nce the meter
was last reset. Trip meters A and B
can be used to record and display
different distances independently.
 Distance until next engine oil
change
Displays the distan ce the vehicle
can be driven until an oil change is
necessary.
■Changing the display
Each time the “ODO TRIP”
switch is pressed, the displayed
item will be changed. When the
trip meter is displayed, pressing
and holding the switch will reset
the trip meter.
■Pop-up display
In some situations the following
will be temporarily displayed:
Distance until next engine oil
change
Displays the distance until the next
engine oil change. This display will
be displayed in the following situa-
tions:
 When the engine switch is
turned to ON.
 When a warning message
indicating that oil mainte-
nance should be performed
soon or is required is dis-
played.
The brightness of the instrument
panel lights can be adjusted.
NOTICE
●The engine may be overheating
if the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge is in the red zone
(H). In this case, immediately
stop the vehicle in a safe place,
and check the engine after it
has cooled completely.
(  P.495)
Odometer and trip meter
display
Changing the instrument
panel light brightness

1834-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the shift lever is in any posi-
tion other than P or N, the vehi-
cle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, causing an
accident.
●In order to prevent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away,
always keep depressing the
brake pedal while the engine is
running, and apply the parking
brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always
depress the brake pedal and
securely apply the parking
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the
engine.
Running the engine at high
speed while the vehicle is
stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could
result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette
lighters, spray cans, or soft
drink cans in the vehicle when it
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic
lenses and plastic material of
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray
over the interior of the vehicle,
and may also cause a short cir-
cuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter
is in a place such as the glove
box or on the floor, it may be lit
accidentally when luggage is
loaded or the se at is adjusted,
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to
the windshield or windows. Do
not place containers such as air
fresheners on the instrument
panel or dashboard. Adhesive
discs or containers may act as
lenses, causing a fire in the
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window
open if the curved glass is
coated with a metallized film
such as a silver-colored one.
Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
engine and loc k the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.
If the vehicle is parked with the
shift lever in P but the parking
brake is not set, the vehicle may
start to move, possibly leading
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes
while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the
engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

1844-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■When taking a nap in the vehi-
cle
Always turn the engine off. Other-
wise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or dep ress the acceler-
ator pedal, this could cause an
accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the
vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may
collect and enter the vehicle, lead-
ing to death or a serious health
hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes a re wet, drive
more cautiously.
Braking distance increases
when the brakes are wet, and
this may cause one side of the
vehicle to brake differently than
the other side. Also, the parking
brake may not securely hold the
vehicle.
●If the brake booster device does
not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills
or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still pos-
sible, but the brake pedal
should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if
the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal
uses up the reserve for the
power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2
individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the
other will still operate. In this
case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than
usual and the braking distance
will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
(AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, etc. This may damage
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator
and brake pedals at the same
time during driving, as this may
restrain the engine output.
●Do not use the accelerator
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on
a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake and
shift the shift lever to P. Failure to
do so may cause the vehicle to
move or the vehicle may acceler-
ate suddenly if t he accelerator
pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle
parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel
fully in either direction and hold
it there for an extended period
of time.
Doing so may damage the
power steering motor.

1994-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the
right to move the trailer to
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
 As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making turn.
 Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
 To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the M
mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or
lower. ( P.206)
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades.
Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle’s engine
may overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long

2004-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. (P.495)
 Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Put the transmission
in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a
slope, but if unavoidable, do
so only after performing the
following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.
3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Shift into P and apply the
parking brake.
5 Turn off the engine.
 When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal
depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R. 3
If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.211)
4 Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.

2034-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_Uing wheel left and right.
●To prevent the steering lock motor
from overheating, operation of the
motor may be suspended if the
engine is turned on and off repeat-
edly in a short period of time. In
this case, refrain from operating
the engine switch. After about 10
seconds, the steering lock motor
will resume functioning.
■Electronic key battery
 P. 4 3 6
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly
and firmly, the engine switch
mode may not change or the
engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine
immediately after turning the
engine switch off, the engine may
not start in some cases. After turn-
ing the engine switch off, please
wait a few seconds before restart-
ing the engine.
■Customization
If the smart key system has been
deactivated in a customized setting,
refer to P.489.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 Set the parking brake
( P.211), and shift the shift
lever to P.
Check the parking brake indicator
is illuminated.
3 Press the engine switch.
The engine will stop, and the meter
display will be extinguished.
4Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” is not shown
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the e ngine while sit-
ting in the driver’s seat. Do not
depress the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine under
any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the
vehicle is moving, do not lock or
open the doors until the vehicle
reaches a safe and complete
stop. Activation of the steering
lock in this circumstance may lead
to an accident, resulting in death
or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have
your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a mal-
function with the engine
switch
If the engine switch seems to be
operating somewhat differently
than usual, such as the switch
sticking slightly, there may be a
malfunction. Contact your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine

2264-3. Operating the lights and wipers
HIGHLANDER_U
4 Washer/wiper dual
operation
Pushing the lever operates the
wiper and washer.
The wiper will automatically operate
a couple of times after the washer
squirts.
The washer will automatically oper-
ate and clean the camera for the
Digital Rearview Mirror
*1 (  P.160)
and rear camera
*2.
*1: If equipped
*2: Refer to “NAVIGATION AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM
OWNER’S MANUAL”.
■The rear window wiper and
washer can be operated when
The engine switch is in ON.
■If no washer fluid sprays
Check that the washer nozzle is not
blocked if there is washer fluid in the
washer fluid tank.
■Reverse-linked rear window
wiper function
When the shift lever is shifted to R
when the front wipers are operating,
the rear window wiper will operate
once.
■Customization
Setting of the reverse-linked func-
tion can be changed. ( P.521)
NOTICE
■When the washer fluid tank is
empty
Do not operate the switch continu-
ally as the washer fluid pump may
overheat.

3204-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_Uoperation. The indicator will flash
during operation, and then go off
when the system is fully off.
■When the downhill assist con-
trol system is operated continu-
ously
This may cause the brake actuator
to overheat. In this case, the down-
hill assist control system will stop
operating, a buzzer will sound and
the downhill assist control system
indicator will start flashing, and
“Traction Control Turned OFF” will
be shown on the multi-information
display. Refrain from using the sys-
tem until the downhill assist control
system indicator stays on and the
message goes off. (The vehicle can
be driven normally during this time.)
■Sounds and vibrations caused
by the downhill assist control
system
●A sound may be heard from the
engine compartment when the
engine is started or just after the
vehicle begins to move. This
sound does not indicate that a
malfunction has occurred in down-
hill assist control system.
●Either of the following conditions
may occur when the downhill
assist control system is operating.
None of these are indicators that a
malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
■System malfunction
In the following ca ses, have your
vehicle checked by your Toyota
dealer.
●The downhill assist control system
indicator does not come on when
the engine switch is turned to ON.
●The downhill assist control system
indicator does not come on when
the downhill assist control switch
is pressed.
●The slip indicator comes on.
WARNING
■The system may not operate
on the following surfaces,
which may lead to an acci-
dent causing death or serious
injury
●Slippery surfaces such as wet
or muddy roads
●Icy surface
●Unpaved roads