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Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    Anyone know about that?

    Do the Lexi cousins have hot water cut off valves?
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    I had the same concerns concerning the recirc. mode when I purchased my 2004 LTD. In the owner's manual it says to open the windows and turn the fan on high speed to get rid of the hot air in the quickest fashion. Well it doesn't make much sense to have all the windows open and recirc mode on.

    After discussions in this forum and with my dealer--the bottom line is that is just the way it works. It always defaults to the recirc. mode in warmer weather. Not one of Toyota's better ideas. One member of the forum mentioned that he thought the dealer could probably reset the system to default the proper way, but rather than get involved in something that the dealer may make worse, I decided to live with the system.

    When starting the SUV I now seem to automatically just turn the recirc. mode off.
    Sometimes you will find that even if you turn it off, it will go back to recirc. mode a few minutes later. Turn it off a second time and it seems to stay off.
  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    I took the Highlander in and convinced a service technician to come out with me and listen while the engine was warm. Amazingly enough, he heard the noise and confirmed that it was the belt. The 4-cylinder engine has one belt that they call a "serpentine belt" that the technician said runs "everything" -- alternator, power steering, air conditioning, etc. The belt was worn after just 16,000 miles, and they replaced it under warranty. The noise is gone, and I am hoping it was just a bad belt from the factory and not something that's going to happen again.
  • jrfierojrfiero Member Posts: 123
    It could be just the belt, or it could be misaligned pulleys. I have an old Lexus coupe which had a misaligned AC compressor - I had to bring in my own straightedge and show the regional Lexus service rep what was wrong, after several trips to the dealer. When confronted with obvious evidence that any high school student mechanic could have figured out, they had no choice but to fix it. :mad:
    The "Lexus experience" isn't worth two cents.
    Hope yours is just the original belt! :D
    "I took the Highlander in and convinced a service technician to come out with me and listen while the engine was warm. Amazingly enough, he heard the noise and confirmed that it was the belt. The 4-cylinder engine has one belt that they call a "serpentine belt" that the technician said runs "everything" -- alternator, power steering, air conditioning, etc. The belt was worn after just 16,000 miles, and they replaced it under warranty. The noise is gone, and I am hoping it was just a bad belt from the factory and not something that's going to happen again."
  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    If the noise returns I guess I can always return to the dealer with a student mechanic and a straightedge :) It always amazes me when service departments are content to fix a problem but show no interest in figuring out why the problem developed in the first place.
  • loucapriloucapri Member Posts: 214
    the will show interest in figuring out the problem ONLY after they tell you they charge $75.00 per hour to do a diagnostic AND you say OK :cry:
  • phrosutphrosut Member Posts: 122
    IF the pulleys are all aligned correctly, and the squealing starts up again after warranty, I offer a tip:

    I had squealing belts on the Taurus we traded for this HL. I worked at an auto parts store that sold Gates belts. After frequent replacement of the belts to quiet the noise, I began using Goodyear Gatorback belts sold by our competitors which stopped the noise forevermore. There are sipes in those belts to alleviate noise. Our HL (35,000 miles) has slowly developed what is probably a belt squeal (I don't hear it from in the car, DW hears it when she is getting in). When I've had enough of her request to stop the noise, I'll be putting on one of Goodyear's serpentine belts (or two, haven't even looked yet).

    Phil
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    The lexus people on the 330 board say lexus has a tsb #nv008-04 that puts on bigger inside rubber door wind seals ( the inside seal where the glass goes thru the door).

    this solves the problem of the glass pulling away from the seal (and letting in road noise) when the window is all the way up

    anyone seen anything on the highlander 04 05 about this (high road noise when window is all the way up???????
    no road noise when window is lowered 1/8 inch
  • sdesde Member Posts: 42
    Okay, I'm sure I'm being a moron, but I can't find the tire pressure reset button on my '05 HL 4WD Limited. My wife and I both looked at the picture in the manual, and felt around to the left of (and behind) the steering wheel, but we couldn't find it. (Is it possible that it's in a different place in the Limited model?)

    Please help...

    SDE
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    edh...do you have this condition on more than one door? My 2003 had it only on the driver's door. I just bought a 2005 HL limited (so now I have 2 Highlanders). The 2005 does not have this condition, and none of the 2005s that I looked at prior to selecting the one I bought had it either. What year is yours, sorry I forget.
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    SDE. I also had trouble finding this reset button, but it IS there! The easiest way to find it is from outside the car, with the driver's door open, get on your knees, and look to the right of the hood release lever, first is the computer connection, and to the right of that, is the reset button. Once you know where it is, you won't need to find it this way anymore! It is in not represented in the manual very well.

    Jeff
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    bdyment: thanks for your input. I agree that it is weird, and MAY ask the dealer to reset it if they can. It seems that the air intake part of the automatic system is not being controlled manually. Additionally, I would think it should stay set where it was when the vehile was turned off, especially if in the manual mode.

    Anyone else have this experience? When starting the car, the recirc air comes on when the A/C is off as well as the automatic being off? Perhaps that would help us decide if it is designed that way, or ours needs to be reset.

    Thanks!
  • sdesde Member Posts: 42
    Jeff,

    Thanks very much for the info! I'll try it.

    SDE
  • mtrialsmmtrialsm Member Posts: 159
    I have wind noise from right rear window from new. With 8k miles i just haven't
    had time to take in in for a fix.
    MM
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    Both front doors on my 04 have it really loud at 50 or above.

    has anyone had it fixed and if yes how was it fixed?
    no sense going to the dealer (my dealer is not very good) if there is not a factory notice on it..
    lexus people have the same noise problem.

    It is caused in the last 1/4 inch with window going up as the bottom inside of the glass pulls away from the INSIDE rubber door seal (the one where you would put your elbow if the window was down.)
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    All climate control systems designed by Denso have several design flaws, recirc "on" automatically, ALWAYS, when you first start up is actually a relatively minor one. But regretably it is inherent in almost all vehicles of asian manufacture since they almost all use Denso.

    Common sense would indicate that the best way to initially cool the car down when the inside it hotter than the outside and the demand is for cooling the best thing to do is to quickly, as QUICKLY as possible, move the cabin atmosphere OUT! It seems to me that it might even be wise to leave the system in FRESH mode until the interior surfaces, not just the air, have also cooled somewhat.

    Then it would be appropriate to switch to recirc mode.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    I don't know about "common sense" but most all manufactures, particularly American ones say to cool the car down quickly, use the recirculation setting. It has been that way since airconditioning became a standard accessory.
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    desertguy...you may have misunderstood my concern...my issue is that it goes to recirculate when the A/C is OFF! It might be 80 in the car from sitting in the sun, but only 65 outside, with the A/C OFF, the recirc comes on, and it will never cool down... without using the A/C. Not terribly efficient.

    As a side note, you apparently live in the desert from your Edmunds name. I also do, and you probably agree that it can be 140 degrees in the car after sitting in the sun in the summer. Why make the A/C work hard and take longer to cool that heated air? The outside air, even if 100 degrees, is easier to cool than the 140 degree air inside. I usually put it in fresh mode, with the back windows open a few inches to push out that super heated air first, then, as the interior cools down, switch to recirc, and close the windows. This is how I have always done it with manual A/C. Now that I have a "smart" automatic climate control, I will see how it does on it's own. Won't be long, it's 91 here today! Sheesh! Not ready for summer yet!
  • samovarsamovar Member Posts: 4
    So with our 4-year old daughter in a booster seat in the 3d row, her head is above the headrest in the down position. However, the only headrest "up" position is far above her head. Any suggestions to deal with this problem?
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    jbollt: No, I understand what you are saying. I'm just repeating what the manufacturers put in the manual. I'm not talking about the automatic climate control units.

    I live in the Phoenix area. We know what hot is don't we? I would never buy a black car living here but they continue to be popular. When I first moved here you almost never saw a black car. If a used one was on a dealers lot it was assumed that it was a car from "back east" and probably had salt damage too. :-)
  • loucapriloucapri Member Posts: 214
    put a firm pillow in between? while the headrest is UP

    make sure it's FIRM and secured. It might look funny but sure it will help in case of an accident.
  • scottnrosescottnrose Member Posts: 47
    I understand what loucapri is trying to accomplish - but don't do it. You really need to buy a booster that has a built-in headrest. The pillow will just become a projectile in an accident (soft or firm) or will move around and cause more problems.

    I have a 5yo and 2yo. Although he is tall (47"), the 5yo is in a booster. We have a Britax Bodyguard & a Jupiter Comfort Cruiser. Both work well and are easy to move around. My advice - you can buy any booster that you want - some seats like the TurboBooster are pretty inexpensive (~$55). Please buy one with a built-in headrest to protect her - that back seat is pretty close to the rear window and rear bumper where a crash could occur. Remember there are no airbags back there. Therefore, any extra protection built into the seat that you can provide is very important.
  • toysrustoysrus Member Posts: 1
    My 04 Highlander has about 10k miles on it now and has been a Great vehicle except for the window seal problem. I don't remember having the problem when I first got the car, but it is very noticeable now . Lowering the windows , ( I am getting road noise from all of them) about 1/8 inch does the trick,no more road noise .Contacted the Toyota Dealer , and they are scheduled to replace the seals . I will post the results after the car is done .The Highlander's and it sounds like the Lexus RX330 ,has the same defect.
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    Thanks toyrus!!!!!!!!!!!! leaving the window 1/4 inch down does not work as if you slam the door the glass rattles.
    Please ask them how they know how to fix it -----
    1. is it a home boy fix - ie buildup the inner seal to push it toward the window?
    or
    2. is it a factory fix with new bigger seals on the inside??
    please do this and get the parts or tsb number

    my dealer is marginal - they were great 5-10 years ago but make a lot of mistakes now- they are one of 2 toy dealers in a town where there were 200k people now 500k people so they are making a lot of money but the service dept has gone down.
  • mysticbmysticb Member Posts: 9
    I don't know if its different on the 05, but on my 04 its to the right and above the foot parking brake on the underside of the knee guard part of the dash. The easiest way to find it is to stick your head down near the floor mat and try to look under the dash. There should be a black button labeled "Tire Set" right next to a computer plug interface. Good luck.
  • loucapriloucapri Member Posts: 214
    thanks for pointing this out.

    that's why I like to chk this board. I personally don't have kids at that ages but after I read your reply, you are right. Booster should be the solution, not the pillow :-)
  • sdesde Member Posts: 42
    Mysticb,

    Thanks very much; I found it!

    SDE
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    sometimes mine comes on after rotation but sometimes not.
    and sometimes I have to do the reset 2 or 3 times but then it stays off
  • gkggkg Member Posts: 5
    Hi, I just got a base (2wd, 4 cyl) Highlander. Two questions:

    1) It came with a tag on the dash that said something about a pump doing a test 5 hours after the engine is turned off. Is that something that happens only once or often?

    2) I did not notice when buying the car that the antenna is not telescoping. Is it safe to take through automatic carwashes that have cloth? I assume that it is ok to take through the brushless car washes.

    Thanks in advance
  • sean4421sean4421 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,
    I'm new to the forum. Just purchased a 05 HL LTD 2wd. I was hoping you experienced owners could tell me where is the cd player's Stop or Pause button. I sure can't find it and the owner's manual doesn't even mention it. So far I have to eject the CDs or turn off the power to stop it from playing. Am I missing something here?
    thanks in advance
    Sean
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    every car CD player I have had works that way..you can "pause" by turning power off, or switch to radio..CD will resume from where you left off when you hit CD button again. You probably already noticed there is no "play" button either...
  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    Re Question #1 -- Our base Highlander is over a year old now, and I have yet to hear the pump doing its thing. You'd think we would have heard it at least once since the vehicle usually is parked outside right next to our vegetable garden.
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    Someone on another board said that Toyota has issued this for the Highlanders to stop wind noise
    - this is when the window is up all the way the glass pulls away from the inside weather strip and then you get road noise - but if you lower the window 1/8 - 1/4 inch the noise quits.

    does anyone have access to this tsb to see what it says andwhat the fix is, and if its for this problem?
  • jbradbjbradb Member Posts: 39
    Has anyone experienced a prominent shaking of the steering wheel while braking at higher speeds? It's most noticeable when at highway speed and I have to brake suddenly for traffic, etc. The harder the braking, the stronger the vibration.

    Thanks for anyone's help!
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    This has been posted in the Engine Hesitation discussion, but thought some of you would like to know that Toyota is reported to have developed a software fix for the hesitation issue. Here is the link to the report with the details.

    http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05102/486687.stm
  • hmurphyhmurphy Member Posts: 278
    Sounds like you should have your brakes and/or alignment checked (ideally both).

    I haven't had this problem on my HL, but I've had it on other cars.
  • leighanne4leighanne4 Member Posts: 15
    Thank you so much for this link. The hesitation has gotten worse over the last 6 months, so I'm in the process of trading it off even though it means losing several thousand dollars. At least maybe they will fix it before they resale it to some unsuspecting person. Thanks again for the info.
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    leighanne4, Are you already too far along in the trade to see if the new upgrade will fix it?
  • jbradbjbradb Member Posts: 39
    had front brake job at dealer....fixed perfectly for about $150. thanks.
  • buckeye10buckeye10 Member Posts: 6
    I just purchased a used 04 ltd highlander. I have had it for two weeks and everything has been great. We have been enjoying the unusually warm weather and have been using the moon roof every day with no problems until today. It will not close for me no matter what I have tried. And there doesn't seem to be anything blocking it that I can see. Can you help? Any input would greatly be appreciated. Thanks
  • highlanderguyhighlanderguy Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 Highlander. Travelling at 65+ mph in gusty head wind conditions I get an incredibly loud vibrating noise from the roof area on the driver's side near the windshield (just about right under the front of the roof rack bracket). Under normal highway driving conditions I do not hear the noise, it only occurs when there are gusty winds. I surmise that the head wind gusts effectively create air drag equivalent to travelling at 100+ mph. I initially though it was the roof rack vibrating, so I moved the cross bar to the rear. The sound did not disappear. Oddly, the origin of the sound seems to periodically move to just in front of the sunroof. I think this was caused by the wind hitting the car in a different direction. I've experienced this a few times over the years, but didn't give it much thought. On a recent trip back from Las Vegas, we had to endure the vibrating noise for hours. While it started when I was travelling 85 mph, it did not stop even when I slowed to less than 60 mph. Anyone experience a similar problem? Any solution?
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    try duct tape in different locations to find where the problem is
  • loucapriloucapri Member Posts: 214
    As you mentioned, it was a gusty wind. Most SUV has this highway noise problem especially you are coming from a sedan.

    But I read some other suggest to add a sunroof deflecter and it help to cut down the wind noise. Search for "noise or wind noise" you might get more information about this
  • jbradbjbradb Member Posts: 39
    I've noticed the same for 4 years on mine exactly how u described it. Mine more on right side of windshield. I HAVE the sunroof deflector and chip guard on the hood. No change in the 4 years.
  • b767b767 Member Posts: 6
    There is a TSB for the 2001 that involves replacing the front door seals, it cured the similar symptoms my Highlander was experiencing.
  • jbradbjbradb Member Posts: 39
    b767,

    any idea how I could find out about that? should I just call the service dept?
  • justboughtjustbought Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a 2001 Toyota Highlander. The first issue was, where to keep the garage door opener inside the vehicle? (I figured I would get to the Homelink system later.) Hey why not store it in the ashtray in the centre console? Well, why not is because the thing will bounce around in there and jam the sealed metal box that is the ashtray and it will not be able to be opened ever again. Believe me I've tried. Is it possible to take the plastic console cover surrounding the shifter off and get at the ashtray at from the back or underneath?"> This relatively simple task is also a puzzle.

    Any ideas, other than giving up and simply buying a new garage door opener for $50 ? (as opposed to paying a Toyota mechanic more than that to take a crack at it). It seems pretty silly that I should do this to myself within the first couple of days of owning this vehicle but here I am ...
    :confuse:
  • loucapriloucapri Member Posts: 214
    your 1st issue where to keep the garage door opener? How about the sunglass holder on the overhead next to the light?

    2nd issue, kind of interesting. My wife have a 01 HL, I will look at it tonight and see if I can give you some help. In the mean time, hope someone will have a solution for you.
  • wheels13wheels13 Member Posts: 51
    I presently drive a 99 Trooper. Am looking to replace with a highlander but it looks sort of light duty. What are the experiences using it on forest trails and some mud puddles and rutted dirt roads? I like the 4 runner but the price.
  • jpatsjpats Member Posts: 2
    Looking to purchase a Highlander with 4 cyl vs. the V6 for gas mileage....Anyone out there that can tell me what they are getting, type of driving and opinion of the 4 cyl performance?

    thanks
    JPATs
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