Toyota 2006 HIGHLANDER User manual

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
i
Foreword
Welcome to the growing group of value−conscious people who drive Toyotas. We are proud of the advanced engineering and
quality construction of each vehicle we build.
This Owner’s Manual explains the operation of your new Toyota. Please read it thoroughly and have all the occupants
follow the instructions carefully. Doing so will help you enjoy many years of safe and trouble−free motoring. For
important information about this manual and your Toyota, read the following pages carefully.
When it comes to service, remember that your Toyota dealer knows your vehicle very well and is interested in your complete
satisfaction. Your Toyota dealer will provide quality maintenance and any other assistance you may require.
If there is not a Toyota dealer near you, please call the following number:
U.S. OWNERS: !When traveling in the U.S. mainland or Canada:
Toyota Customer Experience Center Tol l −free:1−800−331−4331
!Hawaii:
Servco Automotive Customer Services Tol l −free:1−888−272−5515
CANADIAN OWNERS: !When traveling in Canada or the U.S. mainland:
Toyota Canada Customer Interaction Centre Tol l −free:1−888−TOYOTA−8 or 1−888−869−6828
Please leave this Owner’s Manual in this vehicle at the time of resale. The next owner will need this information also.
All information and specifications in this manual are current at the time of printing. However, because of Toyota’s policy of
continual product improvement, we reserve the right to make changes at any time without notice.
Please note that this manual applies to all models and explains all equipment, including options. Therefore, you may
find some explanations for equipment not installed on your vehicle.
Please access our websites for further information.
!The U.S. mainland www.toyota.com
!Hawaii www.toyotahawaii.com
!Canada www.toyota.ca
©2005 TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced or copied, in whole or in part, without the written permission of Toyota
Motor Corporation.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
ii
Important information about this manual
Safety and vehicle damage warnings
Throughout this manual, you will see safety and vehicle dam-
age warnings. You must follow these warnings carefully to
avoid possible injury or damage.
The types of warnings, what they look like, and how they are
used in this manual are explained as follows:
CAUTION
This is a warning against anything which may cause
injury to people if the warning is ignored. You are
informed about what you must or must not do in
order to reduce the risk of injury to yourself and
others.
NOTICE
This is a warning against anything which may cause
damage to the vehicle or its equipment if the warning
is ignored. You are informed about what you must or
must not do in order to avoid or reduce the risk of
damage to your vehicle and its equipment.
Safety symbol
When you see the safety symbol
shown above, it means: “Do not...”;
“Do not do this”; or “Do not let this
happen”.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
iii
Important information about your Toyota
Occupant restraint systems
Toyota encourages you and your family to take the time to
read Section 1−3 of this Owner’s Manual carefully. In
terms of helping you understand how you can receive the
maximum benefit of the occupant restraint systems this
vehicle provides, Section 1−3 of this Owner’s Manual is
the most important Section for you and your family to
read.
Section 1−3 describes the function and operation concern-
ing seats, seat belts, SRS airbags and child restraint sys-
tems of this vehicle and some potential hazards you
should be aware of. These systems work together along
with the overall structure of this vehicle in order to provide
occupant restraint in the event of a crash. The effect of
each system can be enhanced when it is used properly
and together with other systems. No single occupant re-
straint system can, by itself, provide you or your family
with the equal level of restraint which these systems can
provide when used together. That is why it is important for
you and your family to understand the purpose and proper
use of each of these systems and how they relate to each
other.
The purpose of all occupant restraint systems is to help
reduce the possibility of death or serious injury in the
event of a collision. None of these systems, either individ-
ually or together, can ensure that there is no injury in the
event of collision. However, the more you know about
these systems and how to use them properly, the greater
your chances become of surviving an accident without
death or serious injury.
Seat belts provide the primary restraint to all occupants of
the vehicle, and every occupant of the vehicle should wear
seat belts properly at all times. Children should always be
secured in child restraint systems that are appropriate for
their age and size. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
airbags are, as their names imply, designed to work with,
and be supplemental to, seat belts and are not substitutes
for them. SRS airbags can be very effective in reducing
the risk of head and chest injuries by preventing contact of
the head and chest with interior portions of the vehicle.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
iv
In order to be effective, the SRS airbags must deploy with
tremendous speed. The rapid deployment of the SRS air-
bags makes the SRS airbags themselves potential sources
of serious injury if an occupant is too close to an airbag,
or if an object or some part of his or her body has been
placed between the occupant and the airbag at the time of
deployment. This is just one example of how the instruc-
tions in Section 1−3 of this Owner’s Manual will help en-
sure proper use of the occupant restraint systems, and
increase the safety they can provide to you and your fami-
ly in the event of an accident.
Toyota recommends you to read the provisions in Section
1−3 carefully and refer to them as needed during your time
of ownership of this vehicle.
Event data recorder
Your vehicle has computers that monitor and control cer-
tain aspects of your vehicle. These computers assist in
driving and maintaining optimal vehicle performance. Be-
sides storing data useful for troubleshooting, there is a
system to record data in a crash or a near car crash
event. This is called an Event Data Recorder (EDR).
The SRS airbag sensor assembly contains the EDR. In a
crash or a near car crash event, this device may record
some or all of the following information:
!Engine speed
!Whether the brake pedal was applied or not
!Vehicle speed
!To what extent the accelerator pedal was depressed
!Position of the transmission selector lever
!Whether the driver and front passenger wore the seat
belts or not
!Driver’s seat position
!Front passenger’s occupant classification

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
v
!SRS airbag deployment data
!SRS airbag system diagnostic data
If your vehicle is equipped with a vehicle stability control
(VSC) system, its Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may con-
tain another EDR. There are a variety of driving situations
which include activating the VSC under which the VSC
EDR will record certain information. The VSC EDR may
record some or all of the following information:
!Behavior of the vehicle
!Steering wheel angle
!Vehicle speed
!To what extent the accelerator pedal was depressed
!To what extent the brake pedal was applied
!To what extent the ECU controlled the condition of
the 4 wheels
!Vehicle stability control system diagnostic data
The information above is intended to be used for the
purpose of improving vehicle safety performance. Unlike
general data recorders, the EDR does not record sound
data such as conversation between passengers.
Toyota will not disclose the data recorded in an EDR to a
third party except when:
!An agreement from the vehicle’s owner (or the leas-
ing company for a leased vehicle) is obtained
!Officially requested by the police or other authorities
!Used as a defense for Toyota in a law suit
!Ordered by the court
However, if necessary Toyota will:
!Use the data for research on Toyota vehicle safety
performance
!Disclose the data to a third party for research pur-
poses without disclosing details of the vehicle owner,
and only when it is deemed necessary
!Disclose summarized data cleared of vehicle identifi-
cation information to a non−Toyota organization for
research purposes

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
vi
New vehicle warranty
Your new vehicle is covered by the following Toyota limited
warranties:
!New vehicle warranty
!Emission control systems warranty
!Others
For further information, please refer to the “Owner’s
Warranty Information Booklet” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.
Your responsibility for
maintenance
It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the
specified maintenance is performed. Section 6 gives
details of these maintenance requirements. Also included
in Section 6 is general maintenance. For scheduled
maintenance information, please refer to the “Scheduled
Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Important health and safety
information about your Toyota
CAUTION
!WARNING: Engine exhaust, some of its constitu-
ents, and a wide variety of automobile compo-
nents contain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth de-
fects and other reproductive harm. In addition,
oils, fuels and fluids contained in vehicles as
well as waste produced by component wear con-
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm.
!Battery posts, terminals and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds. Wash your
hands after handling. Used engine oil contains
chemicals that have caused cancer in laboratory
animals. Always protect your skin by washing
thoroughly with soap and water.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
vii
Accessories, spare parts and
modification of your Toyota
A wide variety of non−genuine spare parts and accessories
for Toyota vehicles are currently available in the market.
You should know that Toyota does not warrant these prod-
ucts and is not responsible for their performance, repair, or
replacement, or for any damage they may cause to, or
adverse effect they may have on, your Toyota vehicle.
This vehicle should not be modified with non−genuine
Toyota products. Modification with non−genuine Toyota
products could affect its performance, safety or durability,
and may even violate governmental regulations. In addi-
tion, damage or performance problems resulting from the
modification may not be covered under warranty.
Spark ignition system of your
Toyota
The spark ignition system in your Toyota meets all require-
ments of the Canadian Interference−Causing Equipment
Standard.
Installation of a mobile
two−way radio system
As the installation of a mobile two−way radio system in
your vehicle could affect electronic systems such as multi-
port fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel injection
system, electronic throttle control system, cruise control
system, anti−lock brake system, traction control system,
vehicle stability control system, SRS airbag system and
seat belt pretensioner system, be sure to check with your
Toyota dealer for precautionary measures or special in-
structions regarding installation.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
viii
Tires and loading on your
Toyota
Underinflated or overinflated tire pressure and the
excess load may result in the deterioration of
steering ability and braking ability, leading to an
accident. Check the tire inflation pressure periodi-
cally and be sure to keep the load limits given in
this Owner’s Manual. For details about tire inflation
pressure and load limits, see pages 385 and 312.
Scrapping of your Toyota
The SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioner devices in your
Toyota contain explosive chemicals. If the vehicle is
scrapped with the airbags and pretensioners left as they
are, this may cause an accident such as fire. Be sure to
have the systems of the SRS airbag and seat belt preten-
sioner removed and disposed of by the qualified service
shop or by your Toyota dealer before you dispose of your
vehicle.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
ix
On−pavement and off−road
driving tips
This vehicle belongs to the utility vehicle class. Utility ve-
hicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles. This vehicle will handle and maneuver
differently from an ordinary passenger car because it is
designed for off−road use also. In addition, this vehicle
has a higher ground clearance and center of gravity than
that of an ordinary passenger car. This vehicle design fea-
ture causes this type of vehicle to be more likely to rol-
lover. Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in
loss of control, accidents or vehicle rollover causing death
or serious injury. Be sure to read “Off−road vehicle precau-
tions” on page 290 in Section 2 and “Off−road driving pre-
cautions” on page 320 in Section 3.
Leak detection pump
(2.4 L 4−cylinder [2AZ−FE]
engine)
This pump performs fuel evaporation leakage check. This
check is done approximately five hours after the engine is
turned off. So you may hear sound coming from under-
neath the luggage compartment for several minutes. It
does not indicate a malfunction.

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
x

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
1
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Overview of instruments and controls
Instrument panel overview 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Instrument cluster overview 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Indicator symbols on the instrument panel 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1− 1

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
2
1. Side defroster outlets
2. Instrument cluster
3. Center vents
4. Electric moon roof switch and personal
lights
5. Garage door opener
6. Auxiliary boxes
7. Side vents
8. Power door lock switches
9. Power window switches
10. Glove box
11. Automatic transmission selector lever
12. Rear ashtray
13. Input terminal adapter
14. Power outlets
15. Cup holder
16. Container
17. Front ashtray
18. Audio remote control switches
19. Hood lock release lever
20. Parking brake pedal
21. Window lock switch
Instrument panel overview
!Vehicles with rear seat entertainment system (view A)

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
3
1. Side defroster outlets
2. Instrument cluster
3. Center vents
4. Electric moon roof switch and personal
lights
5. Garage door opener
6. Auxiliary boxes
7. Side vents
8. Power door lock switches
9. Power window switches
10. Glove box
11. Automatic transmission selector lever
12. Rear ashtray
13. Cup holder
14. Container
15. Power outlet
16. Front ashtray
17. Audio remote control switches
18. Hood lock release lever
19. Parking brake pedal
20. Window lock switch
!Vehicles without rear seat entertainment system (view A)

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
4
1. Headlight, turn signal and front fog
light switches
2. Wiper and washer switches
3. Emergency flasher switch
4. Clock
5. Front passenger’s seat belt reminder
light
6. Rear window and outside rear view
mirror defogger and windshield wiper
de−icer switch
7. Air conditioning controls
8. Audio system
9. “AIRBAG ON” and “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator lights
10. Snow mode button
11. Seat heater switches
12. Cigarette lighter
13. “TRAC OFF” switch
(two−wheel drive models)
14. Cruise control switch
15. Ignition switch
16. Tilt steering lock release lever
17. Tire pressure warning system reset
switch
!Vehicles with manual air conditioning controls (view B)

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
5
18. Power outlet (115 VAC) main switch
19. Rear heater main switch
20. Theft deterrent system/engine
immobilizer system indicator light
21. Power rear view mirror control switches

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
6
1. Headlight, turn signal and front fog
light switches
2. Wiper and washer switches
3. Emergency flasher switch
4. Clock
5. Front passenger’s seat belt reminder
light
6. Air conditioning controls and
multi−information display
7. Rear window and outside rear view
mirror defogger and windshield wiper
de−icer switch
8. Audio system
9. “AIRBAG ON” and “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator lights
10. Snow mode button
11. Seat heater switches
12. Cigarette lighter
13. “TRAC OFF” switch
(two−wheel drive models)
14. Cruise control switch
15. Ignition switch
16. Tilt steering lock release lever
17. Tire pressure warning system reset
switch
!Vehicles with automatic air conditioning controls (view B without navigation system)

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
7
18. Power outlet (115 VAC) main switch
19. Rear heater main switch
20. Theft deterrent system/engine
immobilizer system indicator light
21. Power rear view mirror control switches

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
8
1. Headlight, turn signal and front fog
light switches
2. Wiper and washer switches
3. Emergency flasher switch
4. Clock (See the separate “Navigation
System Owner’s Manual”.)
5. Front passenger’s seat belt reminder
light
6. Navigation system including air
conditioning controls (See the separate
“Navigation System Owner’s Manual”.)
7. Rear window and outside rear view
mirror defogger switch
8. Audio system (See the separate
“Navigation System Owner’s Manual”.)
9. “AIRBAG ON” and “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator lights
10. Snow mode button
11. Seat heater switches
12. Cigarette lighter
13. “TRAC OFF” switch
(two−wheel drive models)
14. Cruise control switch
15. Ignition switch
16. Tilt steering lock release lever
!Vehicles with automatic air conditioning controls (view B with navigation system)

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
9
17. Tire pressure warning system reset
switch
18. Power outlet (115 VAC) main switch
19. Rear heater main switch
20. Theft deterrent system/engine
immobilizer system indicator light
21. Power rear view mirror control switches

’06 HIGHLANDER_U (L/O 0508)
10
1. Tachometer
2. Service reminder indicators and
indicator lights
3. Speedometer
4. Fuel gauge
5. Low fuel level warning light
6. Engine coolant temperature gauge
7. Trip meter reset knob
8. Odometer and two trip meters
9. Instrument panel light control knob
Instrument cluster overview