2002 TOYOTA PRIUS Owners Manual

36
CAUTION
Do not smoke, cause spark or allow
open flames when refueling. The
fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re-
moved.
Insert the fuel nozzle fully, or fuel
may splash out.
21p031c
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turnthe cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before removing
it. After removing the cap, hang it
on the cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a
click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel sp illage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It is designed
to regulate fuel tank pressure.

37
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and mirrors
Seats38
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Front seatss 38
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Head restraints 40
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Seat belts 40
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SRS driver and front passenger airbags 48
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SRS side airbags 55
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Child restraint 61
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Tilt steering wheel 76
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Outside rear view mirrors 76
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.
Anti −glare inside rear view mirror 78
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Vanity mirror 79
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SECTION 2– 2

38
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow them to sit on top of a
foldeddown seatback, or in the
luggage compartment or cargo area.
Persons not properly seated and/or
properly restrained by seat belts
can be severely injured in the event
of emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in
the driver and front passenger seats.
Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean against the front door
when the vehicle is in use. Other-
wise you may be killed or seriously
injured when the side airbag in-
flates with considerable speed and
force.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or surface of the front seats with
the side airbags. Such changes may
disable the system or cause the
side airbags to inflate, resulting in
death or serious injury. Consult
your Toyota dealer.
Do not use accessories for the
seats which cover the parts where
the side airbags should inflate.
Such accessories may prevent the
side airbags from activating correct-
ly, causing death or serious injury.
Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of
the driver.
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a pas-
senger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats.
The objects may interfere with the
seatlock mechanism or unexpect-
edly push up the seat position ad-
justing lever. Otherwise, the seat
may suddenly move, causing the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
SeatsFront seats—
—Front seat precautions
(on
vehicles with SRS side airbags)
—Seat adjustment precautions

39
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. Otherwise, you
may catch and injure your hands or
fingers.
22p001c
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Hold the center of the lever and pull it
up. Then slide the seat to the desired
position with slight body pressure and
release the lever.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection in a frontal or rear
collision when the driver and the pas-
senger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are
reclined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces
directly to the abdomen. Therefore, in
the event of a frontal collision, the
risk of personal injury may increase
with increasing recline of the seat-
back.
—Adjusting front seats

40
22p002a
Front
22p003a
Rear
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving,
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head re-
straint so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.
After adjusting the head restraint,
make sure it is locked in position.
Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase
the chance of injury and/or the severity of
injury in accidents.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. (For details, see
“Child restraint—” on page 61 in this sec-
tion.)
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle’s seat belt. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the
seat belts should be worn properly. If an
accident occurs and seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child.
Head restraints Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

41
Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury or
death in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following:
Use the belt for only one person at
a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more people—even children.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seatbacks
are in the upright position. (Refer
to the seat adjustment instructions.)
Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care that
they do not get caught or pinched
in the seat or doors.
Inspect the belt system periodically.
Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Damaged parts should be re-
placed. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If
they need cleaning, use a mild soap
solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye or abrasive clean-
ers—they may severely weaken the
belts. (See “Cleaning the interior”
on page 189 in Section 6.)
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.

42
22p004a
Adjust the seat as needed (Front seats
only) and sit up straight and well back
in the seat. To fasten your belt, pull it
out of the retractor and insert the tab
into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts
to your size and the seat position.
The retractor will lock the belt during a
sudden stop or on impact. It also may
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A
slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend, and you can move around freely.If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the
retractor, firmly pull the belt and release
it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.
When a passenger ’s shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see “Child
restraint—” on page 61 in this Section.)
To free the belt again, fully retract the belt
and then pull the belt out once more.CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat
until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot
protect an adult occupant or your
child from injury.
22p005a
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor—
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to
your size.
To raise: Slide the anchor up.
To lower: Push in the lock release button
and slide the anchor down.
After adjustment, make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
—Front and rear seat belts

43
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt
is positioned across the center of
your shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from your neck, but not
falling off your shoulder. Failure to
do so could reduce the amount of
protection in an accident and cause
serious injuries in a collision.
22p006a
Take up slack
Keep as low on hips
as possible
Too high
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-
just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder
portion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both highpositioned lap belts and
loosefitting belts could cause seri-
ous injuries due to sliding under
the lap belt during a collision or
other unintended result. Keep the
lap belt positioned as low on hips
as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.