@tpl "^^^ I would ask why the lines are not INSIDE the body"
Damn good question. Of course, they'd be even more costly to replace if they failed.
@OliverD "You sure the fob wasn't just missing? I can't imagine a non-base Highlander not having remote entry."
I don't know. It has a real Toyota key, but I guess it's not necessarily the original. Turning the key twice opens all the doors, so this electronic function suggests you're right that it originally had fobs. Or maybe it's loaned out without the fobs.
@Arthur Dent And the hybrid system is dependent on a functioning a/c system. "That is a weird one"
No, it needs a/c to heat/cool the hybrid battery. I guess it could function without this at the cost of battery life. This is partly why the batteries in hybrids seem to last forever. The system is set up to prevent electric-only driving, and regenerative braking if the battery is too hot or cold.
Escape Hybrid trivia: The pre-'09 Escape Hybrid had a separate hvac unit in the rear left corner of the cargo area. That's why part of the side window is a vent. The hv battery hvac unit and the passenger compartment unit share a condenser, compressor and refrigerant. There's a temperature sensor for the battery used by the hybrid control system to operate valves allowing the refrigerant to be used by the battery hvac, interior hvac, or both. After '09 the Escape Hybrid simply used interior air to heat or cool the battery. Makes sense, saves weight, cost and complexity. But the battery is heated/cooled slower, so the vehicle is not as quick to make use of the hybrid system. So mileage was a bit worse. Also, this is why the '10-12 Escape Hybrids don't have the side window vent.
