2004 Toyota Highlander flat tow??

[Mizzly]

So there is a highlander at a local car lot with a blue ox base plate installed installed.
what I was able to find by my limited research is that this vehicle with a automatic trans. would need a lube pump.
does anyone know more about this.
How do i determine if it has one already?
Does the steering wheel lock on these?
any one with info is appreciated.

[Mizzly]

Bump

[lllkrob]

The Highlander is not flat towable as is. It must have an auxillary lube pump installed. Look for a small electrical pump similar to the water pump used on RV's with one hose running down to the side of the transmission and the other hose going to the bottom of the radiator. It will probably be installed on the fender well under the hood.
The steering locks the same as all Toyota's of this era.

[CountryFit]

the op has not bought it yet but why bother to get it in first place while many alternatives are out there?

[jrwitt]

Since it already has baseplate installed, if it does have the lube pump then it could make a great towed vehicle. Do you know if it already has a brake system installed?

Checking on the steering lock is simple. Just turn the wheel without putting the key in the ignition. If it turns more than an inch or two, the there is no lock. If it does have the locking wheel, then you will need to leave a key in the ignition when towing.

Check with your bank for a NADA used car price book. Most banks will show it to you. Price the car without adding for the towing equipment. The dealer won't likely find a ready buyer that will want that stuff. Make the best deal you can with out letting the dealer add on for the baseplate and lube pump.

On the other hand, if it does not have a lube pump, I would look for something else that is towable with mods. Putting a new lube pump is very expensive.

Before you buy it, have the towing equipment inspected by a reputable RV repairman to make sure it is all working as expected. He can tell you if it has any kind of braking system installed.

Good luck.

[Mizzly]

Thanks guys. I have had my eye on this car for about 9 months now. I sold my rv last fall so kind of forgot about it. But just got another coach and also got a good deal on a blue ox aventa tow bar so was thinking about it again. It is supposed to be a one owner car so I might go back to the dealer and see if it is possible to talk to the original owner to see just what the deal is. There is no visible plug in for lighting on the front of the suv and no braking that I can see. I got lucky when buying the tow bar that it had the removable tabs that i need for this base plate.
At this point the lube pump was my main concern.