Tires seem to make a huge diference on these vehicles. I trashed the OEM tires before delivery and had a set of Nokian WR's installed. They are an M/S, all season tire, that is winter rated - has a snowflake. I live in the mountains of western NC, and on occasion, we get a fair amount of snow. I have a steep gravel driveway, and so far, I've had no problem. Evidently, the secret is don't start the tires spinning, and keep momentum up. I must admit, I haven't tried it in 8" of snow; I think 5 or 6 has been max, and so far so good. BTW, mine is an 06 Hybrid, Ltd, 4wd, with 19k miles. My only complaint has been the Nav. system - it's a laugh. The $700 Garmin Street Pilot I had in the 4Runner was vastly better.
Cheers, Pat

 

Tires really cannot solve the problem I experienced. This was a level, paved parking lot with 8" of semi-wet snow on it. As soon as I entered that 8" of snow I came to a stop. I think the traction control system actually takes away whatever momentum you have because if any wheelspin is sensed it applies braking to prevent further wheelspin. Theoretically I might have been able to keep moving if I had a lot of momentum upon entering the snow. But you can't always have momentum going for you. Eventually you need to turn, slow down, or stop for some reason. My experience felt like running out of gas, the vehicle just slowed itself down and stopped, totally ignoring any driver input from the gas pedal. Very disappointing. I think the non-hybrid Highlanders have a button to turn of the Traction Control, but I fear that mode is missing from the Hybrid.

 

Tires really cannot solve the problem I experienced. This was a level, paved parking lot with 8" of semi-wet snow on it. As soon as I entered that 8" of snow I came to a stop. I think the traction control system actually takes away whatever momentum you have because if any wheelspin is sensed it applies braking to prevent further wheelspin. Theoretically I might have been able to keep moving if I had a lot of momentum upon entering the snow. But you can't always have momentum going for you. Eventually you need to turn, slow down, or stop for some reason. My experience felt like running out of gas, the vehicle just slowed itself down and stopped, totally ignoring any driver input from the gas pedal. Very disappointing. I think the non-hybrid Highlanders have a button to turn of the Traction Control, but I fear that mode is missing from the Hybrid.

Actually my 02 ltd does not have a button to turn off the trac. I also have to agree with you that Highlanders are totally crap in deep snow( in slow speed)........due to its over-working traction control system, even with my winter tires dont seem to help in deep deep snow. Like what you said, it just cuts the power out and it will stop. Just to compare, I took my 94 4cyl Previa 4wd (no trac control) and went through the same road with no issues at all. Sure it spun here and there but it pushes through the snow.

Lesson here is " Dont buy any Toyotas with Traction control system" Their VSC or new VDIM is great but their TRAC really sux.

 

If I remember right, my 2004 owner's manual states that only the FWD Highlanders have a traction control disable button.

 

Not quite so bad

We got another 11" of snow yesterday, even deeper in places where it blew, and much deeper at the entrances to some of the unplowed parking lots due to a snow plow drift. Last night I did some more testing, purposely trying to get the HiHy stuck. Bottom line is if you can keep the thing moving you will be alright. Keep momentum going. If for some reason you get stopped in deep snow, the thing will not let you scratch your way out due to the hyperactive traction control system; in such a case it acts like it's dead. The HiHy has tons of horsepower, but it will not allow you to apply it in a low-traction situation. I still wish it had a switch to turn off the traction control. This morning the snow was even deeper and just for comparison I went into some bad places with my Chevy Silverado 4x4. The difference is dramatic. For real 4-wheeling there are lots of times you need horsepower and wheel spin to get through, especially when you must navigate a corner or around an obstacle in deep snow. A real 4x4 will let you build engine rpms and with wheel spin throw snow (or mud) like crazy. The HiHy will have none of that. So its 4-wheeling capability I give a grade of C compared to a 4x4 SUV on which you can turn off traction control. For all other purposes as an SUV with 7-passenger capability and pretty good gas mileage I give the HiHY an A. If I lived in CO and wanted an SUV that is capable of getting to the ski areas, 90% of the time you will be OK. I would buy a set of tire cables that you can put on if the conditions get really bad, and then I think you would be OK for 95% of situations.

 

It also has a ton of torque from the electric motor which doesn't help the situation. If the HiHy had less torque, you might be able to handle it (or TRAC might be able to better handle it).

What tyres is it running on?

 

Not that bad...

I too had concerns about the capabilities of the 4wd HiHy but was relieved during a couple of trips to Snow Shoe WV and other ski resorts over the winter. It actually did OK. Not great but acceptable. Granted, it's not going to plow through a foot of snow but from a dusting to 4 or 5 inches it worked as expected for me.

 

:sosad: :sosad: I too was almost stuck in mud about 1" deep last week. I was on a dirt road that became covered with mud due to spring thaw and the Highlander hybrid just slowed to a crawl. Nothing the driver can do but steer. Pressing the accelerator will not increase engine speed one bit. After 5 minutes of idling along, (about 50 yards) the road became more solid and I was moving again after that. I can't find any way to turn off the traction control. Maybe if I pulled that fuse?

 

My highlander v6 2wd was packed with 7 people and some baggage. We went off roading in this muddy area for the heck of it.

Well i should have known it was a bad idea before going into it but once it was in i was just crapping myself...

anyways i turned off trac control and behold the godly wheelspin...
we were kind of stuck. Then i decided to turn trac back on.

Amazingly with it on, i simply floored it and the computer did the rest. We barely got out.

The hihy may eventually incorperate some sort of mode selector where you can choose gas only. the 4wd HL doesnt have the capability to disable trac control, but even in slick conditions it will attempt to move, unlike the hihy that just sits there...
Its a waiting game to see what toyota wants to do with this camry on stilts.

 

What? No tire pressure monitor on the hybrids?

Am I reading this right? The Toyota web site shows no tire pressure monitor on the hybrids, but they have it on the non-hybrid versions. What's with that? Am I mis-reading the specs or is there some reason they don't have tpm on hybrids?

MSK

 

Am I reading this right? The Toyota web site shows no tire pressure monitor on the hybrids, but they have it on the non-hybrid versions. What's with that? Am I mis-reading the specs or is there some reason they don't have tpm on hybrids?

MSK

Your better off. Our 07 Camry has been in the shop several times trying to get the light out to no avail. Its still on months later and tire pressure is normal.

 

Tyre pressure monitoring

had my new Highlander Hybrid for a week now. (Previously a 1998 RAV4). Man I'm pumped. It's a nice ride.

My Highlander came with little wotsits (yea, I'm technical) on the tire inflators. They show green when the tires are at the right pressure and shift through yellow to red when the pressure drops. They simply screw on to the existing stem (I know there is a word for that, but I just can't remember it tonight).

Anyone know what they are called and where to get them? I'd like some for my other car too.

If it will help I can post a picture of what I'm talking about.

Cheers.

 

Is your "other" car equipped for tire pressure monitoring systems? If not, you can't just put the sensors in your rims and assume that they will work.

Moved to correct forum....

 

tirecheck

I'm going to guess you're looking for valve stem caps with a pressure indicator built in?

The brand I've seen is tirecheck. You can probably get them at most auto parts stores, you can find them easily on the internet.

For what it's worth, you shouldn't need them on an 04+ highlander, as they have a tire pressure monitoring system built into the vsc/abs computer on the vehicle.

 

TPMS is built into your HL...but the tirecheck's are good in that they can show that ur tires are properly inflated.

TPMS on the HL (not sure about the brand new 08), only turns on if the pressure is very low or if one or more wheels is 2+ psi different from the others. So if u like 35psi for your pressure, TMPS will not turn on till probably 28 (i think is the factory default setting).

 

First, let me apologize for posting in the wrong forum. I thought it was generic enough (tires) not to really belong in the Hybrid forum.

I'm pretty sure (just checked the owner's manual) that I don't have any fancy TPMS system on my vehicle. I got the low-spec one without many frills, they're expensive enough as it is. Also, the reason this came up is I have a slow leak in one of the tires and when I added air yesterday, there was practically no pressure in the tire, yet I had no warning systems inside the cabin warning me.

So I suspect the dealer gave me a freebie el-cheapo TPMS (he mentioned something about it being a $30 value, but I wasn't paying attention). I'm pretty sure it's not vehicle-specific, they simply screw into the valve stems.

Here's a pic if that'll help.

See the red? I'm going to visit the tire repair place after I finish this post.

(resized picture)

 

Ack! Sorry for that. I've also got a new camera and I'm still struggling to get a handle on sizing pictures.

 

photobucket hosts your pictures, you can resize on there after upload OR set a default 800x600 resolution for all uploads. Up to you.
your resolution is fine for me since i have a high resolution screen.

I have seen those valve stems at Kragens, Autozone, NAPA Autoparts, Wal-Mart, Target, and a few other locations. But what one location carries is different from another.

Anyways as far as i know, all highlanders regardless of trim have TPMS because its a reading based off of the ABS speed sensors. The more accurate and specific TMPS systems that are on i think the brand new 08 HL have a sensor in the valve stem which can measure specific PSI for every tire.

The older Highlanders such as the 2005 model we have V6 2wd (base model), use the speed sensors, and typically it takes around 10-20 miles of driving before it sets the sensor off, unless you have a severe loss of pressure. So when you pump the tires up, park the car, and restart the next morning the light will not turn on till you've driven the car x amount of miles (provided that you have lost over 2psi for any particular tire).

i hope this helps.

Our sensor kept on going off because i typically like to use different pressures for the front and rear of vehicles so by using 35 in the front and 32 in the rear, that was enough to set off the sensors. We couldnt figure out how and why this was happening so we took it into the dealership and a mechanic explained it all to us.

Since your vehicle is new, check your owners manual for the low tire pressure indicator symbol that should appear on your instrument panel.
Good luck, and if your car is new, take it back to the dealer and have them take care of the tire for you.

 

Those look like aftermarket "sensors" (I use that term loosely ). They just tell you what your tire pressure is. It's the poorman's version of the TPMS. How much did the $tealer rape you for those things?

 

Those look like aftermarket "sensors" (I use that term loosely ). They just tell you what your tire pressure is. It's the poorman's version of the TPMS. How much did the $tealer rape you for those things?

I got them for free... I'm really happy with the dealer I got. It's a long story.. if appropriate, I can post it here, otherwise PM me and I'll tell you my story.

But now I'm thinking that perhaps I didn't get ABS or something... LOL,

Anyway, I'm devastated. Took the car in, the tire guys says they can't repair the tire, I have two nails too close to one another in the tire... And Of course punctures aren't covered by the tire warranty and new tires are $150 and besides they have to be ordered... I'm bummed out.

 

Suck it up and get the tires, they are what is between you and the road. Tell your story, I'm sure some of us would love to hear it.

 

Anyways as far as i know, all highlanders regardless of trim have TPMS because its a reading based off of the ABS speed sensors. The more accurate and specific TMPS systems that are on i think the brand new 08 HL have a sensor in the valve stem which can measure specific PSI for every tire.

The older Highlanders such as the 2005 model we have V6 2wd (base model), use the speed sensors, and typically it takes around 10-20 miles of driving before it sets the sensor off, unless you have a severe loss of pressure. So when you pump the tires up, park the car, and restart the next morning the light will not turn on till you've driven the car x amount of miles (provided that you have lost over 2psi for any particular tire).

i hope this helps.

Our sensor kept on going off because i typically like to use different pressures for the front and rear of vehicles so by using 35 in the front and 32 in the rear, that was enough to set off the sensors. We couldnt figure out how and why this was happening so we took it into the dealership and a mechanic explained it all to us.

Since your vehicle is new, check your owners manual for the low tire pressure indicator symbol that should appear on your instrument panel.
Good luck, and if your car is new, take it back to the dealer and have them take care of the tire for you.

Just checked again, nope, nothing, no TPMS, no warning light. That must be why they fitted the aftermarket little sensors.

Thanks for the resizing tip on photobucket. Did that to save other readers that view this thread.

And as for the dealer, I called them and they expressed regret that I didn't have the TireX (sp?) warranty package, but there wasn't much they could do for a multiple punctured tire. Now if only I can figure out where this car has been driven where nails are so plentiful...

A jealous non-hybrid driver, perhaps? (j/k),

 

Suck it up and get the tires, they are what is between you and the road. Tell your story, I'm sure some of us would love to hear it.

LOL, OK, my story.

I'm a skinflint, drive cars till they rot, So I have this 1997 RAV4 that had to go in to the dealer for the engine check light coming on. It's an overnight job and they (Lewisville Toyota) very graciously give me a loaner. The loaner is a nice new Highlander and man, does it drive a lot nicer than the old RAV...

So the next day when I return to the dealer I ask the lady in the service dept if she has a buddy in the sales dept, since I'd like toi find out what the Highlander Hybrid would cost me. (I've been drooling and reading up on the HiHy since about when they came out).

She introduce me to her "buddy" and I ask him (politely) for a cash, on-the road price for a low-spec (2wd) HiHy. He has a nice one on the floor and shows it to me. I decline the test drive (I just spent a day in the cabin of a regular Highlander) and said all I need was cash price, no trade.

He goes off, finds another guy, they walk me over to a desk, ask me for identification (why?) and goes off. About 20 minutes later they come back with the price sheet (MSRP) from the side window of the Highlander. So I asked if that is the price with TT&L, etc.. They seem flustered and the guy scribbels $33,000 on the price sheet. So when I make to take the price sheet he grabs it back and says he can't give it to me - I should wait a while. So I sit and wait and eventually dealer guy one comes back and surfs onto the Toyota.com website to show me the '08 model features. I'm suprelemly disinterested, I saw the website the night before. Another 20 minutes of this and I give up, wander back to the service area, pay the bill and drive off in my RAV4.

Back home I used the AAA.com website (Dealix?) and got a few internet quotes. I got about 15 emails, 3 with real prices in them. So I contacted the guy at Toyota of Dallas and arranged to go see him. Unfortunately, the car he had available had horrible, aftermarket leather seats in it, my wife refused to take a car with that kind of seats.

So he asked us to wait a few minutes, disappeared off into a back office and came back with an offer that they would ship in another highlander if we were interested. He looked on the computer ,located a slightly cheaper one in Arkansas and we arranged a deal. This was Saturday. The next Saturday we drove in, the car was there, took up a very low-key (nothing like the crap I had when I bought the RAV4) sales pitch for an extended warranty (no offers on the lo-jack or anything else, they must have senses I weren't interested) and in about 90 minutes flat we were out of there with the new HiHy. Total on the check (including ext. warranty, TT&L) was $34, 355 - if I got taken, at least it was gentlemanly, I don't feel ripped off and the price was right in line with the other two prices.

So, this week when my plates got in, I drove past the Toyota of Lewisville dealership to get the plates at Toyota of Dallas. On the way back, I stopped in and asked to see the sales guy that couldn't/wouldn't give me a price. I noticed that their HiHy (which they said was in demand and would probably sell that weekend) was still sitting on the floor. Man, you should have seen that sales guy's smile when he recognized me. The sile lasted all until I asked him if he could recall what price they asked for their Highlander. When he started prevaricating, I asked him if he'd like to see my new HiHy and hear the price on that. He was't so keen after that...

Anyway, I now have to go find a Michelin tire dealer....

 

Ah thats really wierd...ur highlander seems too bare to be a hybrid model...

anyways get the road hazard warranties...i got them for my summer tires...and i should have gotten them for my all season tires too. But i said screw it...and of course ended up with a nail too close to the sidewall to repair, and had to get a new one (the old one was only a month old!).

You can get tires from a lot of places that have 'deals' and u can bargain with them or find coupons left and right to apply towards your purchase.

I saved a total of maybe $85 on my last purchase of 4 tires doing that.

good luck.

 

Tires

I posted about the wotsits that monitor tire pressure. Turned out my tire is beyond repair - two nails, too close to one another for repair.

The HH came with Michelin Energy LX4 225/65R17 tires. The tire dealer said those tires are extremely uncommon and he'd have to order them and they wouldn't be here before Wednesday (8/1).

Now I'm wondering. Do they outfit vehicles in different states with different tires? So because my vehicle got trucked in from Arkansas I have a tire that's not usually used in Texas? Is that going to cause some difficulty in driving/handling?

Or is it simply that the HiHy gets "special" tires not the same as on other Highlanders and since tires takes a while to get to replacement that there is simply not (yet, or perhaps never, based on number of vehicles) a critical mass for this tire?

PS. They're expensive as well. Total price, (fitted and taxed) is just over $175 (and I did call around).