Toyota Highlander is a high-performance SUV with a 2.5L engine, dual motors with a horsepower of 242 hp, and FWD and AWD. You can activate or disengage the power mode by pushing the PWR mode button.
What is Power Mode on Toyota Highlander? The power mode on a Toyota Highlander increases fuel usage to enhance speed, increases engine RPMs, promotes towing, provides effortless driving, and improves engine revving. Its button is present on the right side of the shifter.
The feature can map the accelerator and increases the SUV’s speed by providing sportier accelerations. It regulates the engine throttle response and improves fuel economy.
What is the meaning of power mode on the Toyota Highlander?
It is an advanced feature that can improve the speed within seconds. I have explained a few benefits of using this feature on the Toyota Highlander.
More engine RPM and high speed
The PWR mode can increase the engine’s rotations per minute because it increases fuel consumption. The top speed of the Toyota Highlander is around 116 miles per hour.
But, the PWR mode can boost it and provide sportier speeds for the SUV. It can increase the fuel flow inside the engine and spins it at a higher speed.
The engine produces more horsepower, which increases acceleration. In addition, it can provide more power to the dual motors by drawing current from the battery.
According to different speed tests, the vehicle can cover a distance of zero to 60 in about 3 to 7 seconds. But, it can cover a similar distance in 2 to 5 seconds with the PWR mode.
Efficient trailer towing
It is a high-performance SUV with a towing capacity of about 4800 to 7700 pounds. It has an efficient 2.5-liter V6 engine that can produce excessive horsepower to promote the towing capacity of the SUV.
It has a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine which can produce a horsepower of about 268 hp. It can produce more torque, which increases the towing capacity to around 7200 to 8000 pounds.
The feature can adjust the settings of the accelerator. As a result, you can tow a trailer at higher acceleration.
With the activated feature, you can tow the load with smooth driving. The SUV has a 6-speed automatically controlled transmission system with front-wheel drive on the older variants.
Its latest models have a specific towing package with an all-wheel drive property. The package provides a trailer hitch to attach and tow a trailer, supported by a wiring harness.
The PWR mode facilitates the load carriage and stabilizes the trailer with the SUV. In addition, you can increase the speed of the SUV and trailer simultaneously due to more fuel usage.
Effortless driving on hills and snow
The snow and hill road driving is challenging at high-speed levels. But, the PWR mode stabilizes the SUV on snow roads with maximum traction at higher accelerations.
The SUV has a power electronically managed transmission feature, which promotes gradual acceleration according to the road type. It reduces the engine throttle response and regulates the speed according to the tire’s grip.
With gradual acceleration, it can increase the speed of the SUV on hilly roads and restrict reverse movements. It has internal software that can calculate the required acceleration according to the road type.
Due to slippery roads, the software reset the acceleration limit to improve the tire’s grip. You can release the pressure from the gas pedal because the mode handles the traction and speed.
It is an efficient system and provides a quicker response to overcome mountain road slippage.
Revving of engine for better vehicle function
The PWR mode ensures the revving of an internal combustion engine. Due to the revving, the throttle response increases, which improves acceleration without delay.
A revving engine can consume more fuel during the fast throttle response. This is because the acceleration of the vehicle becomes smooth on different grounds.
The SUV remains unaffected by the towing weight due to the faster response of the throttle. Revving can increase the engine power, which delivers to the tires to improve their spinning motions.
It increases the SUV’s performance, which enhances its shelf life.
How to activate the power mode on Toyota Highlander?
The power mode is in all the latest variants of the Toyota Highlander due to its appealing efficiency. However, it is in the standard design of the SUV and promotes more fuel consumption to improve acceleration.
You can engage the feature to increase the horsepower of the engine. You can usually find the regulatory button on the dashboard of the Toyota Highlander.
The button is under the radio in the older models. You can find it on the right side of the shifter.
Due to its activation, you can find a flashing light on the dashboard that illuminates to indicate its engagement with the accelerator. On its latest versions, you can find the PWR button on the bottom center stack, which mounts on the shifter right.
You can push the button, which can open different driving features. In addition, you can activate the mode by using four arrows on the steering wheels on its latest models.
You can find the symbol of gear on the arrows and open the settings, scroll the options and push the PWR mode on the screen. For its optimized performance, wait for about 10 to 20 seconds.
After the intervals, you can achieve maximum speed. However, you can disengage it by pushing the button once again.
You can approach the option on the menu or center console. Within a few seconds, the system deactivates, and you can drive the SUV at a moderate speed level.
It automatically disengages when you turn off the engine.
Common problems with power mode on the Toyota Highlander
The feature can enhance the acceleration of the SUV with minimum damage. However, the following are a few significant problems.
Software problem
In a few models of Toyota Highlander, the PWR mode button is on the console. The center console is electrically controlled equipment with different buttons.
Through software, the PWR button can increase the throttle response and speed. However, the internal glitch of the software can reduce its performance.
You can resolve the fault by resetting the electronic control unit of the SUV. In addition, you can remove the old codes and upgrade the software.
The digitally controlled menus are vulnerable to glitches, signal mixing, and internal code faults. However, you can clean the faulty information and recalibrate the software and button for its optimized performance.
Broken button
Incorrect and excessive use of the PWR mode button can physically damage it. As a result, it loses its work efficiency and cannot provide sportier accelerations to the SUV.
Excessive pressure and a sudden push can break the button and its internal wires. A broken button can delay the acceleration and pedal response.
It can happen due to clogging of the throttle filter, which needs a replacement. The broken button replacement is challenging when it is under the radio and next to the shifter.
A mechanic can change it within a few minutes without affecting the software.
Faulty connector
A short circuit can break the connector, which does not support the power mode. Due to connector failure, the light does not illuminate on the dashboard.
It indicates that the feature is not engaged. Pressing the button does not engage the engine or pedal.
The clogged connectors cannot provide stable electric flow for its standard functions. Cleaning the connector is complex, but it can remove the fault.
Replacing the connector is the best option to remove internal faults. In addition, its replacement stabilizes the efficiency of the power mode button.
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