key battery TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 (in English) User Guide

2174-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■Headlight control sensor
The sensor may not function prop-
erly if an object is placed on the sen-
sor, or anything that blocks the
sensor is affixed to the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor
detecting the level of ambient light
and may cause the automatic head-
light system to malfunction.
■Automatic light off system
●When the headlights are on: The
headlights and tail lights turn off
30 seconds after a door is opened
and closed if the engine switch is
turned to ACC or OFF. (The lights
turn off immediately if on the
key is pressed after all the doors
are closed.)
●When only the tail lights are on:
The tail lights turn off automati-
cally if the engine switch is turned
to ACC or OFF and the driver’s
door is opened.
Except for Canada: To turn the lights
on again, turn the engine switch to
ON, or turn the light switch off once
and then back to or .
For Canada: To tu rn the lights on
again, turn the engine switch to ON,
or turn the light switch to once
and then back to or .
■Automatic headlight leveling
system (if equipped)
The level of the headlights is auto-
matically adjusted according to the
number of passengers and the load-
ing condition of the vehicle to
ensure that the headlights do not interfere with other road users.
■Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer sounds when the engine
switch is turned off or turned to ACC
and the driver’s door is opened
while the lights are turned on.
■Welcome lighting
The parking lights and tail lights
automatically turn on at night when
the doors are unlocked using the
entry function or wireless remote
control if the light switch is in the
position.
■Windshield wiper linked head-
light illumination
When driving during daytime with
the headlight switch turned to , if
the windshield wipers are used, the
headlights will turn on automatically
after several se conds to help
enhance the visibility of your vehi-
cle.
■Battery-saving function
In order to prevent the battery of the
vehicle from discharging, if the
headlights and/or tail lights are on
when the engine switch is turned off
the battery saving function will oper-
ate and automatically turn off all the
lights after approximately 20 min-
utes. When the engine switch is
turned to ON, the battery-saving
function will be disabled.
When any of the following are per-
formed, the battery-saving function
is canceled once and then reacti-
vated. All the lights will turn off auto-
matically 20 minutes after the
battery-saving function has been
reactivated:
●When the headlight switch is oper-
ated
●When a door is opened or closed
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.521)

395
6
6
Maintenance and care
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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

4176-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
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Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which is flam-
mable and explosive. Therefore,
observe the following precautions
before recharging:
●If recharging with 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 mo de prior to the
battery being disconnected is
unknown.
If the system will no t start even after
multiple attempts, contact your Toy-
ota dealer.
WARNING
■Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and
corrosive sulfuric 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.

4366-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
■If the electronic key battery is
depleted
The following symptoms may occur:
●The smart key system and wire-
less remote control will not func-
tion properly.
●The operational range will be
reduced.
 Flathead screwdriver
 Small flathead screwdriver
 Lithium battery CR2032
■Use a CR2032 lithium battery
●Batteries can be purchased at
your Toyota dealer, local electrical
appliance shops or camera stores.
●Replace only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by
the manufacturer.
●Dispose of used batteries accord-
ing to the local laws.
1 Release the lock and remove
the mechanical key.
2 Remove the key cover.
To prevent damage to the key,
cover the tip of the flathead screw-
driver with a rag.
3Remove the depleted battery.
When removing the cover, the elec-
tronic key module may stick to the
cover and the battery may not be
visible. In this case, remove the
electronic key module in order to
remove the battery.
When removing the battery, use a
screwdriver of an appropriate size.
Insert a new battery with the “+” ter-
Electronic key batter y
Replace the battery with a
new one if it is depleted.
You will need the follow-
ing items:
Replacing the battery

4376-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_Uminal facing up.
WARNING
■Battery precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
●Do not swallow the battery.
Doing so may cause chemical
burns.
●A coin battery or button battery
is used in the electronic key. If a
battery is swallowed, it may
cause severe chemical burns in
as little as 2 hours and may
result in death or serious injury.
●Keep away new and removed
batteries from children.
●If the cover cannot be firmly
closed, stop using the electronic
key and stow the key in the
place where children cannot
reach, and then contact your
Toyota dealer.
●If you accidentally swallow a
battery or put a battery into a
part of your body, get emer-
gency medical attention imme-
diately.
■To prevent battery explosion
or leakage of flammable liq-
uid or gas
●Replace the battery with a new
battery of the same type. If a
wrong type of battery is used, it
may explode.
●Do not expose batteries to
extremely low pressure due to
high altitude or extremely high
temperatures.
●Do not burn, break or cut a bat-
tery.
NOTICE
■For normal operation after
replacing the battery
Observe the following precautions
to prevent accidents:
●Always work with dry hands.
Moisture may cause the battery
to rust.
●Do not touch or move any other
component inside the remote
control.
●Do not bend either of the battery
terminals.

449
7
7
When trouble arises
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When trouble arises
.7-1. Essential informationEmergency 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 emer- gency
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 ... 487
If 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 .................................. 495If the vehicle becomes stuck
.................................. 497

4867-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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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 will 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

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 must 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 procedure 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 no possibility of
any passenger having any of their
body parts caught in the window
or moon roof. Also, 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 cl amp to on your vehicle and
connect the clamp on the other end of the positive cable to on
the second vehicle. Then, connec t 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