Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

wwest

Trade up to summer ONLY bridgestone turanzas for ride comfort and quietness. It doesn't hurt to use a 4 cans of aftermarket undercoating to coat the inner liner of each wheel well.

natenj1971

Thanks for the feedback - I will pass that on.

gasman1

If your dad wants an all-season tire, it's hard to beat Goodyear Fortera Triple Tread tires. The standard OEM tires are not much to talk about.

He may also want to check tire pressure. As the temps rise, so does the tire pressure which will can make a harsh ride. PSI increase 1psi for each 8 to 10 degree F increase (does the reverse in late fall going into winter). Check the tires when cold or at least 3 hours after driving.

richardc2

One of the two retaining clips for the air filter cover is no longer there and I am having difficulty finding a replacement. The dealer said they could not order just a retaining clip. Anyone have ideas on where I may get a replacement for the back engine air filter cover retaining clip?
Will clips from other Toyota models work?

tumwe

I broke the rear retaining clip off the air filter the first week we had our 2002 HL,( replacing filter with a K&N ) ever since have used a suitably sized hose clamp with no troubles.

natenj1971

Thanks for the tip gasman1.

ramonalisa373

Higlander 2001 Limited
I was parked in a driveway and when I pulled away a big oil slick was on the driveway. Oil was pouring from the front of my SUV. I took it to the dealer and was told they could not find what was wrong at first. Then I was told it was the rear main seal at a cost of $2000.00 to fix. Does this make sense to anyone? Much Appreciated.

stoneybroke

I recently purchased an 06 Highlander Lmd with in-glass antenna with FM diversity reception. The radio (JBL)reception is really poor. Is the problem the antenna? My 05 Tundra with manual antenna and my 03 Sequoia with power antenna give much better reception and sound quality

desertguy

I have the upgrade radio (JBL) with the diversity antenna and my reception is excellent.

landdriver

Had the front main seal replaced on my Toyota pickup truck to fix an oil leak, so apparently it's a typical problem on cars. However on the pickup the cost was on the order of $500, but this was over 5 years ago and the pickup's engine ('83 vintage) is probably easier to work on. It was an independent shop that did the work, not a dealer.

First consider getting a second opinion. Also, consider taking it to an independent shop that has a good reputation so hopefully you can save some money.

scanner

Hello Host Steve

I'm back with my 5 year update on my 01 highlander. Problems I've had are the heater would stop blowing hot air intermittently, and a check engine light. I fixed the no heat problem myself by replacing the complete manual climate control assembly with one I got off ebay for $35. The dealer wanted $611 for the part! I found the cause of my check engine light to be a disconnected hose to the air filter housing. I just had my highlander serviced at a Toyota dealer ~150 miles prior. I assume the dealer forgot to reconnect the hose while inspecting the vehicle. The HL has been pretty trouble free otherwise. I've read through some previous post and see others have had similar issues. At least I'm still ahead of the cost I didn't pay for the extended warranty, knock on wood.

stever

5 year update

Time flies doesn't it?

Thanks for the update; that's a good run you've had with your Highlander, and great detective and d-i-y repair work.

Please take a few minutes and fill out a consumer rating & review. The link is at the top of the discussion.

Steve, Host

05highlander05

location: WI

Hi,

I drive about 8,000 miles/year and its mostly to work and back which is on regular street driving. I do drive on the highway alot also when we visit family/friends who live nearby.

Toyota recommends changing my oil once every 6 months no matter if I have 5,000 miles or not between oil changes. My question is since I don't drive alot it ok to change my oil just every 5,000 miles? The last time I changed my oil I only has 3,200 miles from the last time I went.

Thanks!

gasman1

"regular street driving" and your Wisconsin winter are two BIG reasons for changing every 6 months or 5K miles, whichever comes first. A third BIG reason is that Toyota recommends it. Toyota's schedule is cheap preventative maintenance.

Should you have a major problem with you engine in the future, you may need to prove that you adhered to the scheduled maintenance. Of course, do the schedule and the likelihood of a major problem is less.

marcelg

I love my '04 Highlander but there is one thing that really bothers me... It has the stock wheel rims and every time I wash the vehicle, water pools in the wheel cavities - about a quarter cup in each wheel. I end up using a sponge or rags to soak up the water and painstakingly dry them out. I'm afraid if I don't do this, this excess water just sit there and promote rust. Driving around doesn't do much either to displace this water. Does anyone else have this problem and, if so, do you have any suggestions - short of replacing the wheels? Thanks

05highlander05

thanks! that is great advice!

ramonalisa373

Thank you for the reply. I forgot to mention that my Highlander only has 76,000 miles on it. I told the sevice person that I baby the car, people tell me that I drive like a little old lady, and I seviced it like clockwork. I also mentioned that it would not doubt turn into a legal matter and they gave me no choice.(I was very nice) The $2000.00 bill turned out to be 775.00 with tranny flush and new air filter included. I am currently looking for a reputable machanic!

jjs

I have 2001 HL. My left window in the back stoped working. I can hear motor going but it does not pull the window down. I can push the window down and then it will come back up. Anyone had a similar problem? Any suggestions? Thanks

nomorebenz

I had that problem once with I think a 97 diamante. Some connector had slipped off. It was an easy fix for my mechanic. I think he charged me a 1/4 hour maybe a 1/2.

jrhfla

Thanks for the tip. I've had the same problem with my 04 Highlander after I had to replace a tire because the nail puncture was in the sidewall. I had the dealer mount the spare. Now the light comes on every now and then. Next time it does, I'll try your suggestion.

mauijim3

Have 03 V6-Highlander, only 18,700 MI.Upon forward exceleration, rattle/ping begins and stays continously regardless of speed.Does not rattle/ping while idling. Have used BP Amoco,Sunoco,Shell, Mobile,Chevron,with octane of regular thru high. Dealers can't find problem and changed oil & filter, supposedly added induction cleaner per their computer diagnosis. Been diligent on oil changes. Dealers suggest,try other higher octaine and change tires!! Asked Dealers,check software programming.Dealers refuse...state I am misinformed. Have no carbon buildup, valves etc. clean. Been going to dealers since April..Standard warranty ends today.. Suggestions/experiences from anyone??

edh

write the toyota district

michaelp1

My wife was driving this morning ('05 V6) when the tire pressure indicator light came on...she wasn't sure what it meant, and kept driving. The tire went flat, and she eventually pulled over when the sound at the rear of the car became loud. She said that she didn't hear the old "thumpy thump sounds" - to quote her - so she didn't realize that she had a flat (sigh). The tire was shot from riding on it, and she was scared of the burning rubber smell. Anyway, we had the spare mounted, bought a new tire and all seems fine - except I'm concerned of any damage to the car from driving on a flat tire. Anything I should be looking for? Should I have the dealer look it over for anything specific? Don't know if the warranty would cover any damage since we didn't pull over right away. Thanks for any suggestions...I saw the earlier posts about resetting the low tire indicator and I'll try that.

Michael

rugby65

I would think It would depend how far you drove on the flat and at what speed.
I doubt any damage was done since it was on the rear.

landdriver

My hunch is any damage would likely be obvious -- bent fenders, broken mudguard or dinged-up wheel well. Also do a visual check of the brake hydraulic lines to make sure they're not bent or leaking. Sounds like there wasn't any damage to the wheel rim.

user777

I suppose with the vehicle turned off, transmission in park and the emergency brake firmly applied, you have enough clearence to peak under the vehicle in the area of the rear wheel and see if there is anything amiss when comparing to the wheel area on the other side of the vehicle (used as reference).

I bet as another poster said, you're more likely to have cracked a wheel well liner or splash guard than most anything else.

a bent rim is always a possibility, but presumably, the tire place would have pointed that out to you.

i've told my wife that if she is on a quiet side street in the atlanta suburbs to stop the vehicle immediately when she notices the thump thump, in an effort to save the tire.

but if in traffic or on the highway, to slowly exit traffic / highway and get the car to a safe place to exit the vehicle...i don't care if the sidewall or rim is damaged in the process if her or our children's safety is in question.

i'm sure your dealership would do a cursory inspection on a lift if their workload was light.

jjs

I need to replace rear door window regulator. Does anyone know how to remove rear door trim? I do not see any screws. Is it all clips? Help

roadrunner70

you may find that the clip comes out again. if it does, just bend it to make it fit tighter, and place a tiny amount of white grease where the pad sits. this will help. rr70

roadrunner70

do the change after the it has sat all night, very little oil comes out. also, use a cap filter wrench with a 3/8 and not 1/2 drive. it is a very clean operation. yes, it know its better to change warm oil, but i do it every 3,000 miles so it don't worry about this. hope that helps rr70

wwest

It isn't just the fact that it's warm, if the engine was just recently run then lots of particulates will remain in suspension within the oil and will be drained away.

thock33

Years ago it made a lot of sense to change the oil right after the engine was run to get all the sludge in suspension, but the modern detergent oils never let particulate settle out ... they are always kept in suspension. I prefer to change the oil after the vehicle sits over night. This ensures that all possible oil will have drained into the crankcase. It may take hours for every last drop of oil to slide down engine surfaces into the crankcase. It probibly doesn't make much difference either way, but I generally do it first thing in the morning before the engine is started.

underthewillow

I just returned from the dealer and was told this is not a real problem but to me it is....I have the JBL system in my brand new Limited and my complaint is that there is a deep muddy bass sound that comes in and out on the radio only, the cd and cassette are perfect....and the car has to be running for it to do this....I'm hoping someone else has either had or heard of this problem because at this point the service guys at the dealer probably think I'm nuts!

edh

V6 engine--- The air box has two clips that face the fender and two hinges on the middle of the car side (opposite the clips)
after you undo the two clips
do you

1. have to take off any of the hoses?

2. or just raise the box?

and does the air filter slide in from the fender side or the front of the car siide?

I do not want to break anything

wwest

Obviously you haven't dropped and cleaned an oil pan/sump recently.

landdriver

This is a tough one -- I assume you're saying that at periods of time the bass sounds normal, and then it intermittently goes into this muddy bass mode, as though there was an intermittent connection somewhere?

Not to be a wiseguy but assume you verified it isn't the radio station that's the source of the problem (occurs on different radio stations?).

Also are you positive it isn't coincidence you haven't heard it on CD/tape yet? First inclination is the problem may be in the output stage/power amp but if it is indeed isolated to the radio then it has to be confined to the radio subsection, which says the problem is probably in the headunit (radio/CD/tape unit) which would need to be replaced, in the connections to this unit (try moving around the cables going to the headunit in the back to see if this instigates the problem), or in the antenna/associated antenna amp going to the radio. The fact it occurs while the engine is running implies the vibration from the engine may be exasperating the intermittent connection -- try banging the radio with your hand to see if this affects the problem.

Assuming the problem occurs with CDs/tapes too and you just haven't heard it yet (my hunch), then the problem could also be with the power amp driving the speakers (I think on '04-'06s it's located in the rear of the vehicle on the passenger side under the black plastic tray containing the tire changing tools) (on '01-'03s it's located in the rear of the vehicle on the passenger side immediately behind the second-row seat behind the carpet where it swings upward to mate with the cargo area) (non-JBL systems do not have a separate power amp). Wiggle the connectors to the power amp to see if they are intermittent while the stereo is playing.

Just some random ideas...

sitiakab

I just did new spark plugs on a 6 cyl 2001 highlander. Here is how I did mine. WARNING - THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE PROCEDURE - IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS AND PATIENCE, DON'T TRY IT!!! The front 3 are very easy - just remove the plastic cover plate by removing the allen screws and turning that plastic logo in the middle which is also a hold down clamp. After removing the cover you will see the 3 black coils. Remove the hold down bolt from each coil and pull the coil out of the hole. Using a long extension and spark plug socket with rubber insert remove and replace those front 3 plugs... now.. the back 3 are very, very difficult. (see warning above) Due to limited room to manuever your hand and fingers between the intake manifold and the fire wall I had to use a special small handle "stubby" ratchet with a flexible moving head... and also 3 extensions. You can't use a single long extension because there is not enough room to get a 6-9"+ extension with a socket around behind the intake manifold. So - after using the stubby ratchet and socket to remove a coil, and pulling that coil free and shoving it out of the way, you have to use a short extension attached to the spark plug socket, work that combination down into hole, and then shove one or two more short extensions down into the hole to connect and give you the total lengh necessary to reach from the top of the spark plug out of the top of the engine head. I did remove a couple of hoses, small clamps, brackets, cruise control wire, etc. to get a little more room on both sides of the intake manifold. To get to the two rear plugs on the driver's side of the car reach around behind the instake manifold from your right side... to get to the final plug that is on the passenger side work from your left side. As a helpful aid, here is my work e-mail if you need any more advice : abakaitis@ksturnpike.com

ebs3

Was your VSC light problem fixed? How?

mikefm58

Just curious if the 4 cyl. is easier.

bean88

I've had a 2006 HH for a year now and am considering updating the Navigation Map DVD. Has anyone with version 4.2 checked to see if the updated Map DVD update version 5.1 looks any different? Apparently Highlanders shipped since January have version 5.1. I was wondering if it includes any software/firmware update or if it is just a map data update. I am trying to decide if it is worth spending $230 for the update. I recently rode in a Lexus in Japan and the graphics on their NAV display are incredibly advanced compared to version 4.2.

Thanks.

jbollt

I wonder if a person who OWNS both an 06 HH (with the 4.2 DVD) and an 07 TCH (with NAV)could use a dvd burner n a computer to make a copy of the 5.1 to use in the HH? This would be for his/her OWN use....

Would it work?

edh

$230 for an update is a bizarre price. thats one reason I do not have a nav system

ebs3

There are many posts in the past where people said they had a VSC light come on randomly and Toyota said they couldn't explain. No one has reported how it was resolved. I'm now having the problem and am desparate for a solution. Please share your solutions.

highlanderbob

I was surprised to see your post because I thought the similar problem I was having with my 06 HL limited was just related to my Sirius satellite radio. I hear the same intermittent muddy heavy base sound occasionally while listening to my Sirius radio that I have connected to the radio via the cassette adapter. I always assumed it was the satellite some how distorting the signal to the radio. The sound will go from clear to heavy bass muddy and then clear again a few seconds later. I have not noticed it while using the radio or CD. Waz up????????

bean88

You know it's funny about the NAV...I thought paying the extra money for the NAV was absurd in the first place but after having it for a year, I will never buy another car without one and I only drive about 10,000 miles a year. It comes in handy for a whole lot of things and save a lot of time too. You're missing out.

edh

car salesmen love nav systems- so do tax asessors (sp)

kam108

Did your dealer find a cause for the accelerator sticking? I just had a horrible experience with my 2005 highlander. I was parking it behind my son in laws truck, and all of a sudden it was speeding forward!! I tried to stop, but couldn't-it slammed into the truck. I'm going out of my mind trying to figure out what happened. I'm afraid to drive it to the dealer, but I'll get it there somehow. I just thank God that there were no children standing there.

landdriver

Don't take any chances -- have it towed to the dealership. Sounds like you're probably still under warranty -- hopefully they will be able to find and fix the problem. Not sure what the laws are regarding liability for the truck's damage, i.e. will Toyota pay for the damage -- probably up to the insurance companies to decide whether they want to go after Toyota.

Very glad no one was hurt.

A couple of years ago I was up in a ladder in my garage and felt myself loosing my balance -- I fell on my HL -- my hip hit the left fender which dented, essentially breaking my fall. It cost quite a bit to repair the fender, but it was a small price to pay considering I still had my health!

kam108

In regards to my highlander deciding to lurch ahead(like it was given alot of gas), I have a question. Does the computer control the brakes? Is there any possible way that putting my foot on the brake pedal could cause the computer(or some other malfunctioning part) to give the car alot of gas instead of braking?
This is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. I had absolutely no control over my car until the truck stopped it.

user777

i don't think the computer controls the brake; it does send information to the transmission control unit which decides on the gear selected by the transmission.

i believe, most uncontrolled acceleration issues come down to a stuck accelerator pedal - most likely because of a floor mat -or- the spacing between the accelerator and brake - people applying accelerator when they thought they were applying the gas. it's also possible that because of a mechanical imperfection in your accelerator pedal, it "stuck" at the last significant demand level instead of immediately returning to zero demand when your foot left the pedal.

if your highlander has a throttle by wire (or drive-by-wire) design, it means the accelerator and throttle are not linked by a mechanical cable as they used to be, but instead, the engine control unit interprets the demand of the accelerator pedal, then commands a certain position on the throttle and (i believe) looks at throttle position and closes the loop to null the difference between demand and position of the throttle. the engine control unit(ECU) can then do various things to modify the demand based on other parameters being monitored before commanding the throttle to go to a particular position.

so in theory - it's possible your accelerator pedal was only slightly depressed by your foot, and yet the command to the throttle was messed up by the ECU. It's also possible the throttle-body was reporting the wrong position (because of a position feedback sensore problem) and was driven to the state of further open than it should have been.

it's really hard to say what happened exactly.

unfortunately, i would expect the dealership to say you *probably* were depressing the accelerator instead of the brake. if you are quite certain there was no issue with the floor mat, and you are very sure you weren't applying the accelerator instead of the brake, then have them perform tests *** and document *** results on the ECU download, the accelerator pedal mechanicals and position sensors, and throttle body actuator (motor) and position feedback sensors.

if they repair your vehicle and if you have a subsequent event / claim, this will be important documentation to have.

you might want to google the issue, and even report the event to the NHTSA web-site.

kam108

Thanks very much for your reply. It should help when I take it in. I'm thinking now, that the problem may be with the gas pedal/transmission. When I first bought my HL, I would have issues with slowing down, making a turn, and then followed by a severe hesitation, and then by a remarkable take off (sudden speeding up). That was the circumstance this time. I slowed, turned bend, went up hill. Then I pulled off to side of road, behind the truck, leaving ample space-I'm noted for this. Then I exprienced this extreme acceleration that I could not stop with the brake in time. I am absolutely positive my foot was on the brake pedal when I hit the truck.
As far as a floor mat, would it have to be on top of the gas pedal in order to make it stick? I checked that right away, and it wasn't.