Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

nimrod99

If the lights are on when you turn the ignition off and open the door - they will turn off.

If the ignition is off and you turn the lights on - they should stay on.

If the lights turn off (auto-off) just turn the light switch off then on again.

This is how you can leave your lights on if you are on the side of the road and don't want to get hit by another car. (My '87 Supra lights work like this)

tielgirl

Nimrod, I understand that the lights should stay on if you've chosen the "lights on" position. My highlander does the following though when under the auto setting: (1) turn off the vehicle and stop the key at the auxillary position - sometimes the lights stay on, sometimes the lights turn off. (2) turn off the vehicle and take the key all the way back to the off position - sometimes the lights stay on, sometimes the lights turn off. If the lights are on after all this, yes, they do turn off when opening the driver door. The owner's manual states that the lights are to stay on until you open the driver door. I don't necessarily like that feature (waiting to open door for lights to turn off) but if that's the way it's supposed to work that's the way it ought to work every time, don't you think????? Maybe it has something to do with if it's just the daytime running lamps are on or if it's the actual headlights that are on. The best time for me to test all this is when pulling the vehicle into the garage - only usually after have pulled the vehicle into the garage the headlights "automatically" turn on due to the light sensor. I was just wondering if there was some special "hidden" feature in all of this that I was missing or if my "auto" feature has gone haywire.

elizasmom1

Has anyone else had the fabric on the rear seats falls apart where they installed a car seat? I realize that car seats can leave indentations, but these is extreme. The center rear position in my Highlander is trashed. The seats are deeply indented and the fabric is worn down. the plastic parts that surround where the seat belt comes out from the crease in the seat have all broken, as has the plastic part on the top of the seat that the belt passed through. The seat belt itself was also worn and had to be replaced. We used a Fisher-Price seat and had it installed by an expert. What a let down. The dealer won't replace the worn seat, but they put in a new seat belt. They are also trying to replace the broken plastic parts.
I think the Highlander interior is cheap. The same car seat in my Nissan Sentra caused no damage to the seat.

cmuniz

Maybe it has to do with the lighting conditions. If it is darker inside the garage than the auto-off setting on the sensor the lights stay on when you turn the ignition off. If it is lighter inside the garage than the setting on the sensor, the ligths turn off.

pauliesworld

i have the same problem with the noise but i fixed the problem by rolling the two back windows up 6 inches from the bottom of the door?

irishi2

I bought a new 2001 HIghlander and I am just approaching 28,000 miles. For no apparent reason, the electrical system shuts down. The lights on the dahsboard are out. The clock is out, the radio and CD player are not working. I am concerned because I have read on this site of similar issues, but no resolve. This problem is intermitten. When the electrical outage occur it will suddenly come on about 15 minutes later. This is so annoying. The dealership wants to reproduce this problem before fixing, but it comes unknowingly. HELP. Anyone with similar issues??

wwest

It used to be that there was a MAIN circuit breaker somewhere near the battery, it was thermally operated so it had a greater tendency to open on a hot day or if its connections were a tad loose and was heated from that.

15 minutes might be about right for it to cool and reset.

elizasmom1

I read something similar in the owner's manual. I'm not sure if it said 1500 though. It might have been 1000. It also talks about not braking hard for a certain number of miles. I followed the break-in guidelines as much as possible, esp with respect to not going over a certain speed.

landdriver

Sometimes electrical problems of this nature are caused by a loose battery cable or a bad battery. The cable connection to the battery may seem tight, but removing the cables and cleaning the cables and battery post with an inexpensive battery cable/battery post wire brush kit available at most auto parts stores and then firmly tightening the cables will verify that the problem is not with the battery connections. Also, I had an experience in which an intermittent electrical problem went away when the battery was replaced (perhaps the battery became sulfated, resulting in an intermittent short within the battery). I imagine this is usually only the case if the battery is several years old, but if the battery has run down several times then this will accelerate the aging process.

The Jan 22, 2002 post "Dissapointed Toyota Owner" in this discussion group lamented on a similar problem, but apparently there was no resolution posted to this discussion group. Let us know what the resolution is!

By the way, on an unrelated subject, while I was driving home today I began hearing a rattling noise on the passenger side that I never heard before. I remembered seeing posts in this discussion group concerning the glovebox rattle problem. Sure enough, when I pressed my hand against the glovebox, the rattle went away! Thanks goldston for your Jul 26, 2002 post "Re: Glove Box Rattle" in this discussion group for the fix!

arizgeorge1

I recently bought a Highlander, and like you, I wanted to remove the cross bars off the luggage rack. Unfortunately, after talking to 3 different dealers, there is no simple way of removing the bars. You would need to remove one end of each of the long support pieces and slide the cross bars off the loose ends. Probably, for security reasons, Toyota wanted to make it difficult to remove the bars.

wwest

the HL cross bars are different than the RX, a definite possibility, removing the crossbars is a simple matter of loosening a star (wing) nut on each end and lifting the crossbars away. The remaining hardware does have to be "slid" down the runners to the end to be removed.

llofgren

on the HL are completely different than on the RX. And everyone knows it is not a "simple matter" to remove the crossbars on the HL. It can be done but it is quite involved.

davud

I'd greatly appreciate any feedback concerning the potential problem with my brand new Highlander...

Two weekends ago I purchased a new 2002 Highlander, 4 cylinders, with 2-wheel drive. When I was driving off the dealer's lot, I started the car, put it in drive, and pressed the accelerator to pull away slowly. After pulling forward about 5-15 feet, I thought that I had hit a small rock that got thrown up under the car and hit the underside. That's exactly what it sounded like. I'll call this the "clicking" noise. Unfortunately, this "clicking" sound occurs every time I start the car and first step on the accelerator. I'm wondering if some loose part is engaging. I think it is occurring in the engine compartment, but it's hard to tell. I can only hear the noise from inside the car (not outside). The car can be hot or cold. It does not occur in reverse, only drive. The weird thing is it only occurs the 1st time I step on the accelerator. I can drive all over town, and it does not occur. I can put the car in park, reverse, back in drive, whatever, as long as I don't turn off the car it won't occur again. If I turn off the car, then put it in drive, and push on the accelerator I hear the "clicking" noise. It is extremely consistent. I can even pull away, hear the noise, then stop, turn off the car, start the car again immediately, and then pull away and here the noise again. But, I HAVE to turn of the car. Ok, is that enough description??

I'm wandering if this is a problem that needs to be fixed, or if this occurs on all 2002, 2WD, 4CYL Highlanders. Thank you very much for any advice or assistance!!

Regards,
Dave

davud

My dad has always advised me to change the oil as soon as possible on a new car. He heard from some mechanic that this will flush out any cuttings or other junk in that could be in a new engine.

So, my wife took our new Highlander to the dealer to have the oil changed after 200 miles. They thought she was crazy. They told her that the car will never have better oil than the factory installed oil, and that we should not change it out.

So, I have a few questions. 1) Has anyone else heard of the benefit of changing out oil after 100-300 miles? 2) How could the "factory" oil be any better than the oil that a Toyota dealer would use? 3) I can't imagine that changing the oil would do any harm, yet they advised my wife not to change the oil until at least 1000 miles. Would you agree?

Thanks,
Dave

nimrod99

Changing oil after a few hundred miles used to apply to old technology engines.
Modern engines are manufactured to very exacting tolerances and don't generate metal "chunks"
They may generate some very fine particles from the new surfaces burnishing together (which will make the oil black)

I have also read (Honda does this) the factory oil in a new car in designed to be used in new engines and help the parts "bed in" together.

cmuniz

The dealer is correct and so is nimrod99. No need to change the oil until you hit about 3,000 miles. You can do it sooner if you want for your own satisfaction, but it isn't necessary. New engines are very well machined and do not release metal shavings like the older engines. These days, the break- in period of 1,000 miles is more for the supporting items (ie, brakes, computer chips, tires, transmission) than for the engine itself. Some manufactures put special additves in their oils that assist during the break-in period. Not sure which ones or what they add, but bottom line don't worry about it so early in the vehicle's life.

davud

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your help. I'll let my dad know too.

Any thoughts on that "clicking" noise (message 266)?

Thanks again!

Dave

bigdad

this sounds like a self diagnostic feature, like ABS, checking itself upon start....or maybe something like a fuel pump relay activating..seems I read a post here a while back on this....why not just give the service mgr. a call, I am sure they have had others who noticed this and probably can tell you quick as a wink.....

wcp

The 6-CD changer on my 2002 HL is jammed with 4 CDs trapped inside. I called the dealer and was told if anything goes wrong with the radio/CD/tape unit Toyota will replace it instead of FIXing it. My HL has only 4000 miles on it. All the CDs are bought recently. They are not home burned CD-RWs.

landdriver

As bigdad noted the loud engine noise click is an ABS diagnostic/calibration step that occurs on all Highlanders every time the engine is started. It is mentioned in the owner's manual.

lucky_luc

Folks, could anybody help me how do I switch the thermometer reading from Fahrenheit to Celsius in my Highlander? The instruction says nothing about it.

jkt1

My factory alarm randomly starts going off on my 2001 Highlander. I've brought it in, but they say unless the alarm goes off while being checked, they can't replace the sensors.

The problem is that sometimes the alarm will go off several times in 1 day or it could go weeks w/o a problem.

Any suggestions, I just feel like they're looking for excuses.

landdriver

One idea that pops to mind is that perhaps the little red panic button on your keyless remote is somehow shorting out intermittently; perhaps the switch is faulty or maybe a metal fragment (steel wool strand, etc.) may have gotten in there. If you have young kids, verify they aren't playing with the remote, or that something in your pocket is not pressing against the button.

chimo

I have a 2001 Highlander. It is a great vehicle except that the transmission "bumps" when it engages while you are moving. If I am driving slowly and I take my foot off the gas then gently reapply power I get a definite jerk when the transmission engages. The problem is most pronounced when you are moving slowly but you can feel the jerk even if you are driving relatively fast. I have talked to an unhelpful dealer who said it had to do with the computer that controls fuel supplied to the engine but this feels more like the transmission.
Any suggestions?

wwest

There are a few ways you can "fool" (confuse?) the computer, engine or transmission ecu. On my RX I have noticed that there are occassions when I am a bit indecisive, let up slightly on the throttle for a few milliseconds and then re-apply throttle, when the ECU gets fooled.

My cut of what is happening is that when I let up on the throttle it was just long enough for the ECu to decide it was a permanent "let-up" and therefore it was time to take some action, say, engage the torque converter "lockup". So it started into that procedure just as you decided to re-apply the throttle pressure.

Oops "it" says, disengage, quickly, the torque converter lockup. Not sure about the locking procedure but most torque converter unlock procedures involve killing the engine ignition for a brief period.

What you feel as a result is a bit of a "lurch".

dominor5

Just an FYI for those being bothered by a clinking sound coming from outside the vehicle, like loose change. After a week, I finally nailed the source down to the Adjustable Locking Cap located in the center of the rear wheel mounting hubs. The one on my right became loose. I tried tightening it but it wouldn't, plus there was a locking pin that was in the way. The locking pin is marked non-reusable in the Manual, so I just inserted some tiny rubber pieces I found in my toolbox and that got rid of the sound.

PTigris

I have a 2002 Highlander V6 4wd. It is just a few months old. Sometimes when coming to a stop I hear a whining noise that appears to be coming from the rear. When almost stopped, that sound changes to sound like something scraping near the rear. Anyone had/having this problem?

sin21856

Hi! I was just wondering if anyone has had a problem with thier glove compartment getting stuck open. I opened it up the other day to grab something and tried closing it and it felt like it was stuck. After struggling with it for a few minutes I finally got it closed. Now every time that I open it and try to close it, it feels like there's something jammed that's holding it open, but with a little pressure i can get it closed. Any suggestions? Thanks.

nyguy

Test drove a 2002 Highlander this weekend and loved it except for rear noise. I opened the rear windows and the noise was unbearable, I couldn't believe it. It was like being next to an airplane when taking off. My wife and I were very upset as well as the dealer. I would have bought the vehicle, but couldn't get over the noise. Has anyone else experienced this problem and is there a solution?

goldston

George,

I'll be brief here as this item has been discuss several times, but is a valid question.

I believe all us H/L owners out there have experienced what you are describing. The solution is the equalize the pressure by lowering the front windows some or tilting the sun roof open. (I tilt open the sun roof on our H/L)

I hope this helps.

Best regards, Philip

bigdad

is pretty uncomfortable....it is from the rapid decompression and recompression of the passenger compartment when only the rear window is open and you are moving fast enough to create the partial vacuum in the passenger compartment with the air flowing by the open window. It does really hurt your ears, but as noted if you can stabilize the interior pressure by partially opening another front window and create a flow, you will eliminate the problem....most people don't usually drive with only back windows down so I overlooked the problem....this occurs on other SUVs as well (Toyota is pretty airtight though)

davud

A buddy at work told me that Toyota is recalling over 100,000 cars. Is this true? Can anyone point me to a recall website to see details about Toyota's recalls?

Thanks, Dave

Karen_S

It isn't up on Edmunds.com News yet, but I found this on USA Today online.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002-10-01-toyota-recall_x.htm

landdriver

Looks like the recall affects Echos and subcompacts sold in Europe (not Highlanders).

gwkiser

landdriver's right.

"The recall affects 165,897 subcompact Yaris, manufactured from October 2000 to April this year and exported to Britain and other European markets, as well as 48,568 Echo minicars, made between July 2001 and April this year and sold in the United States and Canada. "

For vehicle recall info, use this link to the NHTSA site:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/Rec1.cfm?SearchTopic=Vehicle

NOTE: For some reason, the Highlander is listed under TOYOTA TRUCK, not TOYOTA. I guess SOMEONE out there considers this thing a REAL SUV!

chop888

Got a letter from Toyota talking about a 8 year warranty on oil gelling. Letters says with regular oil changes gelling will not be a problem. Anyone ever hear of this problem or what it refers to???

cmuniz

Edmunds has had a couple of topics related to "Toyota Oil Gelling". Type those words in the search block and you will get more info than you'll ever need. Bottom line is that some owners of Toyotas with V6 engines that are found in minivans, camrys & highlanders had engine problems at relatively low mileage due to the oil thickening to the point that it turns into a gel. Owners blamed Toyota engine design. Toyota blamed owners for not changing their oil frequently enough. After the emotions calmed down, Toyota offered all owners of affected V6 engines an extended warranty to calm down the fears about their vehicles. To my knowledge there have been no Highlanders affected. Toyota made some minor V6 engine design changes to improve oil circulation in Jul 2001. Although some people will still debate the issue, the best approach is to at least change the oil at Toyota recommended intervals ( I change my at 3,000 - 4,000 mile intervals and have for years) and keep the receipts in case there is a problem. This should be done at any rate with any vehicle. I consider it a "not to worry" since I change my oil regularly.

kmooney

Does anyone know if they fixed the helicopter noise for the 2003 models? I ask one dealer and he acted like he never heard of this. I only test drove a 2002. They didn't have any 2003 on the lot.

leomaccord1

Could be a combination of 1 or 2 things. When I had my 2k01 I had the exact noise you are talking about. Unfortunately, I couldn't really pinpoint it till I pulled in my garage and heard what seemed to be a grinding/rubbing noise in the rear. It turned out to be one of the rear tires was "toed-out" causing the rotatr to scrape against the caliper. I looked and noticed huge digs in the rotor that weren't apparent on the other side of the vehicle. So after they rplaced the rotor and balanced the wheel, things were all set.

On a side note, I have also heard this same noise when there is excessive brake dust trapped between the caliper and the rotor. The dust acts as an abrasive, grinding and squealing away at the rotor till it breaks loose. Could be one ot the other situation, or even both! Good luck.

Kirstie_H

A major weekly magazine would like to talk with recent Toyota buyers who are under the age of 35. If you fit this description and care to share your story, please respond to me at jfallon@edmunds.com with your name, daytime phone number and city/state of residence before Wednesday, October 16, 2002.
Thanks!
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

cmuniz

The last couple of days we have had passengers in the 2002 Highlander. With the radio off the back seat passengers alerted me to a whistling noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The noise could be heard only occasionally, but it was definitely there. At first we thought it was a wind noise, but it seems to be coming from the lower back end of the car, like the drivetrain. The first time I heard it i thought it was a distant siren. It does not seem to be coming from the window seals as it happens with the windows open or closed. Any ideas before I take it to the dealer? Thanks!

megawattblues

Noticed a sound similar to this about a week ago. It seems to come from the rear, as you say, and doesn't always happen.

It seems to happen not on the initial run for the day, like the drive to or from work, but does happen on a subsequent trips when the car is warmed up.

The noise I hear ( my daughter hears it, too) is a rising and falling (kinda like a distant siren, as you mentioned), that varies with the speed of the car. When coming to a stop, it turns into a low freq noise that almost sounds like a rub. The noise rises in pitch as you accelerate, and disappears at around 20 or 25 mph, probably because the frequncy is out of my range of my hearing!

I checked all my cv joint boots, did a quick inspection on the rear brake calipers, and found no problems there. I wanted to put the car on stands, and spin the wheels and listen for the noise this weekend, but time didn't allow for that.

I must admit - I don't have a clue, but for some reason a speed sensor, perhaps for abs, pops into my mind as a possible culprit.

I don't think I'll be going to the dealer for this, unless it gets real bad, or if it's found to be something serious. If you take yours in, please post what you find.

Thank you.

cmuniz

You describe it perfectly. I have an appointment for next Tuesday to take it to the dealer. Since it is an intermitent noise I doubt they will hear it. The dealer is close to home and very responsive so I thought I would give it a try. Maybe they have seen this before or can contact their Toyota sources for more info.

bigdad

I noticed the same thing over the past few days. The conditions under which it occurs are when I transition from one level to another in a turn, like turning out of a driveway up onto a traffic lane (noticed it when they were repaving the asphalt road near me and you have to bump up a bit onto it). The whistle last only a second or so during the turn, but sounds exactly like the warning whistle that goes off from the keyless entry when you try to lock the car and one of the doors is still open....

cmuniz

Took the Highlander to the dealer for the rear end whistle/siren noise and they fixed it. They found a/the seal on the right rear wheel had worked loose creating the noise. They put some lubricant on it and resealed it. I was very surprised they found the seemingly intermitent problem so quickly, but the mechanic seemed certain what it was and that he was able to fix it. Nice to have a good dealer in the area.

roadrunner70

could you be more specific as to what exactly was repaired. thanks.

cmuniz

If I remember correctly, that's what the mechanic told me. I asked him if the seal was on the driveshaft and he said not, it was on the wheel. He said he heard the noise himself and was therefore sure he fixed it. It was a Toyota warranty fix so I didn't get the work order when I left. The SM said they would mail it to me. When I get it I will provide all the specifics that are indicated on it. Sorry I can't give you any more specifics now, but will ASAP.

cmuniz

I got the warranty work order from the dealer and here are the exact words from the order they submitted to Toyota that corrected the problem.
Cause of the noise: "Seal contact to axle shaft not placed in housing deep enough." The noise was the wind going in between seal and axle.
Fix: "R&R axle set seal and lube." I assume that R&R means the right rear axle since that is where the noise was coming from.

Hope that helps any of you that might have the same problem. My dealer was able to duplicate the noise and therefore fix it right away. Since it is heard only occasionally the above may help other dealers that don't hear it to pinpoint the problem. I would try to locate which side the whistle is coming from so they can go to the proper wheel.

PS: My Highlander had about 12,000 mi when I first heard it.

phrosut

Your whistle sounds like it could have taken a long time to diagnose.... you must have a good dealer to find something that remote causing the noise. But anyway:

R&R means "remove and replace" or "remove and reinstall" or "repair and reinstall", depending on which mechanic or shop you are dealing with. Of course those all mean pretty much the same thing.

wwest

we're talking about the CV cover rubber "boot".