remote start TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

731-4. Theft deterrent system
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
*: If equipped
■Items to check before lock-
ing the vehicle
To prevent unexpected trigger-
ing of the alarm and vehicle
theft, make sure of the following:
 Nobody is in the vehicle.
 The windows, moon roof (if
equipped) and panoramic
moon roof (if equipped) are
closed before the alarm is set.
 No valuables or other per-
sonal items are left in the
vehicle.
■Setting
Close the doors and hood, and
lock all the doors. The system will be set automatically after 30
seconds.
The security indicator changes from
being on to flashing when the sys-
tem is set.
■Canceling or stopping
Do one of the following to deac-
tivate or stop the alarms:
 Unlock the doors.
 Turn the engine switch to
ACC or ON, or start the
engine. (The alarm will be
deactivated or stopped after a
few seconds.)
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a mainte-
nance-free type alarm system.
■Triggering of the alarm
The alarm may be triggered in the
following situations:
(Stopping the alarm deactivates the
alarm system.)
●A person inside the vehicle opens
a door or hood, or unlocks the
vehicle.
Alarm*
The alarm uses light and
sound to give an alert when
an intrusion is detected.
The alarm is triggered in the
following situations when
the alarm is set:
 A locked door is unlocked or
opened in any way other
than using the entry func-
tion, wireless remote control
or mechanical key. (The
doors will lock again auto-
matically.)
 The hood is opened.
Setting/canceling/stop-
ping the alarm system

1193-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■Conditions affecting the opera-
tion of the smart key system or
wireless remote control
 P. 1 3 5
■If the smart key system or the
wireless remote control does
not operate properly
Use the mechanical key to lock and
unlock the doors. ( P.489)
Replace the key battery with a new
one if it is depleted. ( P.436)
■If the battery is discharged
The doors cannot be locked and
unlocked using the smart key sys-
tem or wireless remote control. Lock
or unlock the doors using the
mechanical key. ( P.489)
■Rear seat reminder function
In order to remind you not to forget
luggage, etc. in the rear seat, when
the engine switch is turned off after
any of the following conditions are
met, a buzzer will sound and a mes-
sage will be displayed on the
multi-information di splay for approx-
imately 6 seconds.
●The engine is started within 10
minutes after opening and closing
a rear door.
●A rear door has been opened and
closed after the engine was
started.
However, if a rear door is opened
and then closed within approxi-
mately 2 seconds , the rear seat
reminder function may not operate.
The rear seat rem inder function
determines that luggage, etc. has
been placed in a rear seat based on
opening and closing of a rear door.
Therefore, depending on the situa-
tion, the rear seat reminder function
may not operate and you may still
forget luggage, etc. in the rear seat,
or it may operate unnecessarily.
The rear seat reminder function can
be enabled/disabled. ( P.521)
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.521)
WARNING
■To prevent an accident
Observe the following precautions
while driving the vehicle. Failure
to do so may result in a door
opening and an occupant falling
out, resulting in death or serious
injury.
●Ensure that all doors are prop-
erly closed and locked.
●Do not pull the inside handle of
the doors while driving.
Be especially careful for the front
doors, as the doors may be
opened even if the inside lock but-
tons are in locked position.
●Set the rear door child-protector
locks when children are seated
in the rear seats.
■When opening or closing a
door
Check the surroundings of the
vehicle such as wh ether the vehi-
cle is on an incline, whether there
is enough space for a door to
open and whether a strong wind
is blowing. When opening or clos-
ing the door, hold the door handle
tightly to prepare for any unpre-
dictable movement.

1283-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER_Uback door will lock when it is com-
pletely closed.
1
Close all of the doors, except the
back door.
2 Perform an automatic closing
operation of the power back door
and lock the doors using the
wireless remote control ( P. 1 1 7 )
or smart key system ( P.117)
while the power back door is
closing.
A buzzer sounds and the emer-
gency flashers flash to indicate that
all the doors have been closed and
locked.
●If the electronic key is placed
inside the vehicle after starting a
close operation via the door
reserve lock function, the elec-
tronic key may become locked
inside the vehicle.
●If the back door does not fully
close due to the operation of the
jam protection function, etc., while
the back door is automatically
closing after a door reserve lock
operation is performed, the door
reserve lock function is canceled
and all the do ors will unlock.
●Before leaving t he vehicle, make
sure that all the doors are closed
and locked.
■Kick sensor operating condi-
tions (vehicles with a Hands
Free Power Back Door)
●When the kick sensor operation
setting is turned on ( P.521) and
the engine switch is turned off.
●When an electronic key is carried
within the operation detection
area.
■Situations in which the Hands
Free Power Back Door may not
operate properly (if equipped)
In the following situations, the
Hands Free Power Back Door may
not operate properly:
●When a foot remains under the
rear bumper.
●If the rear bumper is strongly hit
with a foot or is touched for a
while.
If the rear bumper has been touched
for a while, wait f or a short time
before attempting to operate the
Hands Free Power Back Door
again.
●When standing excessively close
to the rear bumper.
●When an external radio wave
source interferes with the commu-
nication between the electronic
key and the vehicle. ( P.135)
●When the vehicle is parked near
an electrical noise source which
affects the sensitivity of the Hands
Free Power Back Door, such as a
pay parking spot, gas station,
electrically heated road, or fluo-
rescent light.
●When the vehicle is near a TV
tower, electric pow er plant, radio
station, large display, airport or
other facility that generates strong
radio waves or electrical noise.
●When a large amount of water is
applied to the rea r bumper, such
as when the vehicle is being
washed or in heavy rain.
●When mud, snow, ice, etc. is
attached to the rear bumper.
●When the vehicle has been
parked for a while near objects
that may move and contact the
rear bumper, such as plants.
●When an accessory i s installed to
the rear bumper.
If an accessory has been installed,
turn the kick sensor operation set-
ting off. ( P.521)
■Preventing unintentional opera-
tion of the Hands Free Power
Back Door (if equipped)
When an electronic key is in the
operation detection area, the Hands
Free Power Back Door may operate
unintentionally, so be careful in the
following situations:

1353-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER_Uwireless remote control or the
mechanical key, to unlock the
doors.
■Turning an electronic key to
battery-saving mode
When battery-savi ng mode is set,
battery depletion is minimized by
stopping the electronic key from
receiving radio waves.
Press twice while pressing and
holding . Confirm that the elec-
tronic key indicator flashes 4 times.
While the battery-saving mode is
set, the smart key system cannot be
used. To cancel the function, press
any of the electronic key buttons.
■Conditions affecting operation
The smart key system uses weak
radio waves. In the following situa-
tions, the communication between
the electronic key and the vehicle
may be affected, preventing the
smart key system, wireless remote
control and engine immobilizer sys-
tem from operating properly. (Ways
of coping: P.489)
●When the electronic key battery is
depleted
●Near a TV tower, electric power
plant, gas station , radio station,
large display, airpo rt or other facil-
ity that generates strong radio
waves or electrical noise
●When the electronic key is in con-
tact with, or is covered by the fol-
lowing metallic objects
• Cards to which al uminum foil is
attached
• Cigarette boxes that have alumi- num foil inside • Metallic wallets or bags
•Coins
• Hand warmers made of metal
• Media such as CDs and DVDs
●When other wirel
ess keys (that
emit radio waves) are being used
nearby
●When carrying the electronic key
together with the following devices
that emit radio waves
• Portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or other wireless
communication devices
• Another electronic key or a wire- less key that emits radio waves
• Personal computers or personal
digital assistants (PDAs)
• Digital audio players
• Portable game systems
●If window tint wit h a metallic con-
tent or metallic objects are
attached to the rear window
●When the electronic key is placed
near a battery charger or elec-
tronic devices
●When the vehicle is parked in a
pay parking spot where radio
waves are emitted
■Note for the entry function
●Even when the electronic key is
within the effective range (detec-
tion areas), the system may not
operate properly in the following
cases:
• The electronic key is too close to the window or outside door han-
dle, near the ground, or in a high
place when the doors are locked
or unlocked.
• The electronic key is on the instru-
ment panel, luggage compart-
ment, floor, or in the door pockets
or glove box when the engine is
started or engine switch modes
are changed.
●Do not leave the electronic key on
top of the instrument panel or near
the door pockets when exiting the
vehicle. Depending on the radio
wave reception conditions, it may
be detected by the antenna out-

1363-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER_Uside the cabin and the door will
become lockable from the outside,
possibly trapping the electronic
key inside the vehicle.
●As long as the electronic key is
within the effective range, the
doors may be locked or unlocked
by anyone. However, only the
doors detecting the electronic key
can be used to unl
ock the vehicle.
●Even if the electronic key is not
inside the vehicle, it may be possi-
ble to start the engine if the elec-
tronic key is near the window.
●The doors may unlock or lock if a
large amount of water splashes on
the door handle, such as in the
rain or in a car wash when the
electronic key is w ithin the effec-
tive range. (The doors will auto-
matically be locked after
approximately 60 seconds if the
doors are not opened and closed.)
●If the wireless remote control is
used to lock the doors when the
electronic key is near the vehicle,
there is a possib ility that the door
may not be unlocke d by the entry
function. (Use the wireless remote
control to unloc k the doors.)
●Touching the door lock or unlock
sensor while wearing gloves may
prevent lock or unlock operation.
●When the lock op eration is per-
formed using the lock sensor, rec-
ognition signals will be shown up
to two consecutive times. After
this, no recogniti on signals will be
given.
●If the door handle becomes wet
while the electronic key is within
the effective ran ge, the door may
lock and unlock repeatedly. In that
case, follow the fo llowing correc-
tion procedures to wash the vehi-
cle:
• Place the electronic key in a loca- tion 6 ft. (2 m) or more away from
the vehicle. (Take care to ensure
that the key is not stolen.)
• Set the electronic key to bat- tery-saving mode to disable the
smart key system. (
P.135)
●If the electronic key is inside the
vehicle and a door handle
becomes wet during a car wash, a
message may be shown on the
multi-information display and a
buzzer will sound outside the vehi-
cle. To turn off the alarm, lock all
the doors.
●The lock sensor may not work
properly if it comes into contact
with ice, snow, m ud, 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
after entering the effective range
may prevent the doors from being
unlocked. Touch the door unlock
sensor and check that the doors
are unlocked befo re pulling the
door handle again.
●If there is another electronic key in
the detection area, it may take
slightly longer to unlock the doors
after the door handle is gripped.
■When the vehicle is not driven
for extended periods
●To prevent theft of the vehicle, do
not leave the electronic key within
6 ft. (2 m) of the vehicle.
●The smart key system can be
deactivated in advance. ( P.521)
●Setting the electronic key to bat-
tery-saving mode helps to reduce
key battery depletion. ( P.135)
■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 out side of the vehi-
cle.
Depending on the position and hold-
ing condition of the electronic key,
the key may not be detected cor-

1373-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER_Urectly and the system may not oper-
ate properly. (The alarm may go off
accidentally, or the door lock pre-
vention may not operate.)
■If the smart key system does
not operate properly
If the doors cannot be
locked/unlocked using the smart key
system, lock/unlock the doors by
performing any of the following:
●Bring the electronic key close to
either front door handle and oper-
ate the entry function.
●Operate the wireless remote con-
trol.
If the doors cannot be
locked/unlocked using the above
methods, use the mechanical key. (
 P.489)
If the engine cannot be started using
the smart key system, refer to
P.490.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.521)
■If the smart key system has
been deactivated in a custom-
ized setting
●Locking and unlocking the doors:
Use the wireless remote control or
mechanical key. ( P.117, 489)
●Starting the engi ne and changing
engine switch modes: P. 4 9 0
●Stopping the engine: P. 2 0 3
■Certification for the smart key system
For vehicles sold in the U.S.A.

1683-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof
HIGHLANDER_Upushing the switch in the
one-touch opening direction, and
hold it there for a
pproximately 4
seconds or more.
6 Pull and hold the power window
switch in the one-touch closing
direction again. After the door
window is completely closed,
continue holding the switch for a
further 1 second or more.
If you release the switch while the
window is moving, start again from
the beginning.
If the window reverses and cannot
be fully closed or opened, have the
vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
■Door lock linked window opera-
tion
●The power windows can be
opened and closed using the
mechanical key.
* (  P.489)
●The power windows can be
opened using the wireless remote
control.
* ( P. 1 1 7 )*: These settings must be custom-
ized at your Toyota dealer.
■Power windows open warning
buzzer
A buzzer sounds and a message is
shown on the multi -information dis-
play when the engine switch is
turned off and the driver’s door is
opened with the power windows
open.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.521)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failing to do so may result in
death or serious injury.
■Closing the windows
●The driver is responsible for all
the power window operations,
including the operation for the
passengers. In order to prevent
accidental operation, especially
by a child, do not let a child
operate the power windows. It is
possible for children and other
passengers to have body parts
caught in the power window.
Also, when ridin g with a child, it
is recommended to use the win-
dow lock switch. (
P.169)
●Check to make sure that all pas-
sengers do not have any part of
their body in a pos ition where it
could be caught when a window
is being operated.
●When using the wireless remote
control or mechanical key and
operating the power windows,
operate the power window after
checking to make sure that
there is no possibility of any
passenger having any of their
body parts caug ht in the win-
dow. Also do not let a child
operate window by the wireless
remote control or mechanical
key. It is possib le for children
and other passengers to get
caught in the power window.
●When exiting the vehicle, turn
the engine switch off, carry the
key and exit the vehicle along
with the child. There may be
accidental operation, due to
mischief, etc., that may possibly
lead to an accident.

4176-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, t he battery pro-
duces hydrogen ga s which is flam-
mable and explosive. Therefore,
observe the following precautions
before recharging:
●If recharging wi th the battery
installed on the vehicle, be sure to
disconnect the ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on
the charger is off when connecting
and disconnecting the charger
cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting
the battery
The engine may not start. Follow the
procedure below to initialize the sys-
tem.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close any of the doors.
3 Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the
smart key system may not be pos-
sible immediately after reconnect-
ing the battery. If this happens,
use the wireless remote control or
the mechanical key to lock/unlock
the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine
switch in ACC. The engine may
not start with the engine switch
turned off. However, the engine
will operate normally from the sec-
ond attempt.
●The engine switch mode is
recorded by the vehicle. If the bat-
tery is disconnected and recon-
nected, the vehicle will return the
engine switch mode to the status it
was in before the battery was dis-
connected. Make sure to turn off
the engine before disconnecting
the battery. Take extra care when
connecting the battery if the
engine switch mode prior to the
battery being disconnected is
unknown.
If the system will not start even after
multiple attempts, contact your Toy-
ota dealer.
WARNING
■Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and
corrosive sulfur ic acid and may
produce hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. To
reduce the risk of death or serious
injury, take the following precau-
tions while working on or near the
battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touch-
ing the battery terminals with
tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match
near the battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin
and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electro-
lyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses
when working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the
battery.

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

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.