2002 TOYOTA PRIUS fuel

148
FUEL TANK CAPACITY45 L (11.9 gal., 9.9 lmp. gal.)
The given fuel tank capacity is measured
on EPA/CARB ORVR testing condition
which is approved for nominal capacity
measurement condition.
The fuel tank capacity is decreased at low
ambient temperature. (decreased by about
5 L (1.3 gal., 1.1 lmp. gal.) at −10 C
(14 F).)
Fuel pump shutoff system
The fuel pump shut off system stops sup-
plying fuel to the engine to minimize the
risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls
or an airbag inflates upon collision. To
restart the hybrid system after the fuel
pump shut off system activates, turn the
ignition switch to “ACC” or “LOCK” once
and start it.
CAUTION
Inspect the ground under the vehicle
before restarting the hybrid system. If
you find that liquid has leaked onto
the ground, the fuel system has been
damaged and it is in need of repair.
In this case, do not restart the hybrid
system.
If you plan to drive your Toyota in
another country...
First , comply with the vehicle registration
laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel (unleaded and minimum octane
number).
Operation in foreign
countries

149
30p001b
1. Threeway catalytic converter
2. Toyota HC adsorber and catalyst sys-tem
The threeway catalytic converter and
Toyota HC adsorber and catalyst system
are emission control devices installed
in the exhaust system.
Its purpose is to reduce pollutants in the
exhaust gas.
CAUTION
Keep people and combustible mate-
rials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The
exhaust gas is very hot.
Do not drive, idle or park your ve-
hicle over anything that might burn
easily such as grass, leaves, paper
or rags.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the threeway catalytic
converter and Toyota HC adsorber
and catalyst system may cause it to
overheat and create a fire hazard. To
prevent this and other damage, ob-
serve the following precautions:
 Use only unleaded gasoline.
 Do not drive with an extremely low
fuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-
ing an excessive load on the three
way catalytic converter and Toyota
HC adsorber and catalyst system.
 Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
 Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel system could cause an ex-
tremely high temperature of three
way catalytic converter and Toyota
HC adsorber and catalyst system.
Threeway catalytic converter
Toyota HC adsorber and
catalyst system

151
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a
piston moves downwards in the cylin-
der. High negative pressure generated
when the vehicle is decelerating sucks
some of this oil into the combustion
chamber. This oil as well as some part
of the oil film left on the cylinder wall
is burned by the high temperature com-
bustion gases during the combustion
process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high −speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately. As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine trouble
due to insufficient oil.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

152
For detailed information on oil level check,
see “Checking the engine oil level” on
page 208 in Section 8−2.
Your engine is fitted with iridiumtipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridiumtipped spark plugs
and do not adjust gaps for your en-
gine performance and smooth drivabil-
ity.
REGENERATIVE BRAKE
When the brake is applied, the electric
motor used as a generator converts kinet-
ic energy into electric energy.
The regenerative brake works in the fol-
lowing operations.
1. When the accelerator pedal is re- leased, the reduced speed equal to en-
gine braking in a gasoline −fueled ve-
hicle is obtained in accordance with the
running mode position of the selector
lever.
2. When the brake pedal is depressed with the selector lever in “D” or “B”,
the regenerative brake works.
Iridiumtipped spark plugs Brake system

156
30p003
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are
secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION
Do not place anything on the pack-
age tray behind the rear seatback
or luggage cover. Such items may
be thrown about and possibly injure
people in the vehicle during sudden
braking or an accident.
Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver’s field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight given in Sec-
tion 9.
Brake pad wear limit
indicators
Luggage stowage pr
ecautions

161
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the hybrid system162
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How to start the hybrid system 162
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Tips for driving in various conditionss 163
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Winter driving tips 164
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Dinghy towing 165
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Trailer towing 165
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too 166
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SECTION 4

163
When the ignition switch is turned to on
or off, you may hear a sound coming from
the hybrid vehicle battery in the trunk.
However, this does not indicate any
trouble.
NOTICE
The “READY” light does not come on
when the selector lever is put in a
position other than “P”. Depress the
brake pedal and put the selector lever
in “P” and turn the ignition switch to
“START” again.
If there is a problem somewhere in the
hybrid system, the hybrid system malfunc-
tion warning light will come on in place of
the “READY” light. If this happens, contact
Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
When you start the hybrid system at
a lowered outside temperature, it may
take longer before the blinking
“READY” light changes to stay on.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp−edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage result-
ing in tire bursts.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or travelling on a bumpy road. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and put the selector le-
ver into “P”. If necessary, block the
wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake pulled. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure the
parking brake is fully released and
that the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended with the “READY” light on.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Be careful when accelerating or
braking on a slippery surface. Sud-
den acceleration or engine braking,
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
Tips for driving in various
conditions

166
Improving fuel economy is easy−just take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
214 in Section 8 −2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop−and− go driving
wastes power.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on brake ped-
al. This causes premature wear, over-
heating and poor fuel economy.
Maintain a moderate speed on high-
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
Keep your vehicle tunedup and in
top shape . A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For longer
life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your ve-
hicle receives more frequent mainte-
nance.
CAUTION
Never turn off the hybrid system to
coast down hills. Your power steering
and brake booster will not function
without the hybrid system running.
Also, the emission control system op-
erates properly only when the hybrid
system is running.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too