TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

2014-1. Before driving
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Driving
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Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities. Toyota rec-
ommends the use of Toy ota hitch/bracket for your vehicle. For d etails,
contact your Toyota dealer.
● If you wish to install a trailer hitch, contact your Toyota dea ler.
● Use only a hitch that conforms to the gross trailer weight requ ire-
ment of your vehicle.
● Follow the directions suppli ed by the hitch manufacturer.
● Lubricate the hitch ball with a light coating of grease.
● Remove the hitch ball whenever you are not towing a trailer.
Remove the trailer hitch if you do not need it. After removing the
hitch, seal any mounting hole in the vehicle body to prevent en try of
any substances into the vehicle.
Hitch

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Use the correct trailer ball for your application.Trailer ball load rating
Matches or exceeds the gross
trailer weight rating of the trailer.
Ball diameter
Matches the size of the trailer cou-
pler. Most couplers are stamped
with the required trailer ball size.
Shank length
Protrudes beyond the bottom of the lock washer and nut by at le ast 2
threads.
Shank diameter
Matches the ball mount hole diameter size.
Selecting trailer ball
Trailer classTypical trailer ball size
IV2 5/16 in.
II and III2 in.
I1 7/8 in.

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Driving
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Hitch receiver pin hole position:
46.2 in. (1172.3 mm)
Use the wire harness stored in the
rear end under the vehicle body.
The tow lighting system is
designed for 64 watts/5 amps of
electrical current per side (right
and left) for the trailer brake/turn
light functions.
Please contact y our Toyota dealer
with any questions or concerns.
■ Service connector for towing br ake controller (with towing pack age)
Positions for towing hitch receiver and hitch ball
Connecting trailer lights
Your vehicle is equipped with a service
connector for the trailer brake controller
as shown.
Access the service connector.
Remove the scuff plate.
Remove the clip (screw type) and trim
board.

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If a height control system is installed in your vehicle, you have to con-
nect and disconnect your trailer more carefully.
● Connecting
Set the height control of electronically modulated air suspensi on
system to “N” mode.
Turn off the engine, or set the electronically modulated air su spen-
sion system to manual mode. ( P. 310)
Connect the trailer.
Restart the engine.
Press the height control mode select switch to cancel the manua l
mode condition that was set on step .
Check that the “OFF” i ndicator turns off.
Set the height control of electronically modulated air suspensi on
system to “N” mode.
● Disconnecting
Set the height control of electronically modulated air suspensi on
system to “N” mode.
Set the electronically modulat ed air suspension system to manua l
mode.
Turn off the engine.
Set the supporting leg of the trailer on the ground and raise t he
hitch by 4 in. (100 mm).
Restart the engine.
Press the height control mode select switch to cancel the manua l
mode condition that was set on step .
Check that the “OFF” i ndicator turns off.
Wait until vehicle h eight is stabilized.
Make sure the hitch is disconnected. If the hitch does not disc on-
nect, raise the hitch higher and repeat steps through .
Move the vehicle forward in “LO” mode where the hitch does not touch
anything in “N” mode.
Set the height control of electronically modulated air suspensi on system to
“N” mode.
Connecting and disconnecting a trailer (vehicles with electroni -
cally modulated air suspension)
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Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in min d when
towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted to wing speed limit.
● Toyota recommends that the vehicl e-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this li mit, the
posted towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manu al, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increa ses as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of contr ol.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck af ter driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attac hed in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the fe el
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires pra ctice.
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 rig ht to
move the trailer to right. (This is generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
● As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicl e-to
vehicle distance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least one v ehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or
slippery surfaces.
Trailer towing tips

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●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before maki ng
turns.
● Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by mak ing
a wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slipp ery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the lengt h of
your trailer, and be sure you have plenty of room before changi ng
lanes.
● To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system perfo r-
mance when using engine braking, do not put the transmission in
D.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or lo ng
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the bra kes
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 over-
heat on hot days (at temperatures over 85 °F [30 °C]) when driv ing
up a long or steep grade. If the engine coolant temperature gau ge
indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air conditionin g (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
(  P. 513)

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Driving
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●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trai ler’s
wheels when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly, and put th e
transmission in P. Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoidable , do
so only after perform ing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and
trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in pl ace, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep t he
brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake and brake pedal, and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel bloc ks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
■ Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
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No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a safer trailer hookup, the
trailer ball setup must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
STO41ADU06

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Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 529)
● Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacture r’s recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for imprope r tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors ap propriate for tow-
ing purposes.
● Depress “TOW/HAUL” button (if equipped)
■ AVS (adaptive variable suspension system) (if equipped)
The suspension can be switched for improvement in drivability. (P. 314)
■ Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train com ponents
(such as an engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing ), Toyota rec-
ommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has bee n driven for
over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start
towing. However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the veh icle at a speed
of less than 50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle
acceleration.
■ Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent m aintenance due
to the additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “ Owner’s
Manual Supplement”.)
● Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after approximately
600 miles (1000 km) of trailer towing.

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Driving
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If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can
adversely affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
● If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by turning the steering w heel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gra dually to
reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle
and trailer should stabilize. (if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can also help to
stabilize the vehicle and trailer.)
● After the trailer swaying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred
is beyond the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination.
Drive at a lower speed to prevent instability. Remember that sw aying of the
towing vehicle-trailer increases as speed increases.

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WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
● To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in accor-
dance with the trailer’s characteristics and operating conditio ns. Failure to
do so could cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury. Vehicle
stability and braking performance are affected by trailer stabi lity, brake set-
ting and performance, and the hitch. Your vehicle will handle d ifferently
when towing a trailer.
● Vehicles with electronically modulated air suspension: Set the vehicle
height to the “N” mode and turn off the rear height control air suspension
when you connect a trailer, otherwise the vehicle height may ch ange due
to the automatic leveling function, and you may catch part of your body in
the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
■ To avoid accident or injury
● Do not exceed the TWR, unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway control device
with sufficient capacity is required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weigh t distributing
hitch with sufficient capacity is required.
● Adjust the tongue weight within the appropriate range. Place he avier loads
as close to the trailer axle as possible.
● Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner ’s manual,
whichever is lowest. Slow down sufficiently before making a tur n, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery surface, etc. to help avoid an accident. If you
experience a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing a certai n speed, slow
down and make sure you keep your vehicle speed under the speed of
which you experience the instability.
● Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp turns.