2004 TOYOTA PRIUS tow

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STARTING AND DRIVING
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the hybrid system230
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How to start the hybrid system 230
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Tips for driving in various conditionss 232
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Winter driving tips 233
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Dinghy towing 234
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Trailer towing 235
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too 235
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SECTION 4

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Check the condition of the auxiliary
battery and cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any auxiliary battery, so it must be in top
shape to provide enough power for winter
starting. Section 8−3 tells you how to
visually inspect the auxiliary battery. Your
Toyota dealer will be pleased to check the
level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See page 283 for recommended viscosity.
Leaving a heavy summer oil in your ve-
hicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota dealer.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de −icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing.
Use a washer fluid containing an anti
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer ’s directions for how
much to mix with water.NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute as washer fluid be-
cause it may damage your vehicle’s
paint.
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, push the “P” position
switch and block the rear wheels. Do not
use the parking brake, for snow or water
accumulated in and around the parking
brake mechanism may freeze, making it
hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During extreme
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
40p050b
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to your ve-
hicle.
Dinghy towing

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40p003b
Toyota does not recommend towing a
trailer with your Toyota. It is not de-
signed for trailer towing.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
289 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.
Trailer towing How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too

237
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
If your vehicle will not start238
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If your hybrid system stalls while driving 242
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If your vehicle overheatss 242
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If you have a flat tire 243
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If your vehicle needs to be towed 254
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If you lose your keys 257
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If you cannot operate back door opener 258
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SECTION 5

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Before making these checks, make sure
you have followed the correct starting
procedure given in “How to start the
hybrid system” on page 230 and that you
have sufficient fuel. Also check whether
the other keys will start the hybrid
system. If they work, your key may be
broken. Have the key checked at your
Toyota dealer. If none of your keys work,
there may be a malfunction in the hybrid
vehicle immobilizer system. Call your
Toyota dealer. (See “Keys” on page 18.)
If the instrument cluster dims or the
instrument cluster display turns off
with the hybrid system on—1. Check that the auxiliary battery termi- nals are tight and clean.
2. If the auxiliary battery terminals are O.K., the auxiliary battery is dis-
charged. You may try jump starting.
See “(b) Jump starting” for further in-
structions.
NOTICE
Hybrid vehicles cannot be push
started.
If the instrument cluster is shown in
appropriate brightness with the hybrid
system is in the “IGON” mode—
The hybrid vehicle system is suspected to
be faulty. Contact your Toyota dealer. If the auxiliary battery is discharged,
the hybrid system can be started by
jump starting. Depending on the vehicle
condition, the engine may not start.
To avoid serious personal injury and
damage to your vehicle which might re-
sult from battery explosion, acid burns,
electrical burns, or damaged electronic
components, these instructions must be
followed precisely.
If the auxiliary battery is discharged, you
cannot access to the auxiliary battery in
the luggage compartment because the
back door cannot be opened. Use the ex-
clusive jump starting terminal in the en-
gine compartment. For details, see “JUMP
STARTING PROCEDURE” on page 239.
NOTICE
If the auxiliary battery is discharged
with the transaxle in “P”, your vehicle
cannot be moved unless the front
wheels are raised. This is because the
front wheels are locked by means of
the parking lock mechanism.
If you are unsure about how to follow this
procedure, we strongly recommend that
you seek the help of a competent qualified
technician or towing service.
If your vehicle will not start—
(a) Simple checks
(b) Jump starting

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CAUTION
When lowering the vehicle,
make sure all portions of your
body and all other persons
around will not be injured as
the vehicle is lowered to the
ground.
 Have the wheel nuts tightened
with torque wrench to 103 N·m
(10.5 kgf·m, 76 ft·lbf), as soon
as possible after changing
wheels. Otherwise, the nuts
may loosen and the wheels
may fall off, which could cause
a serious accident.
9. Restow all the tools and jack se-
curely. Then secure the flat tire
in the luggage compartment
with the tire tiedown belts and
tiedown hooks as follows
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the
tools and jack are securely in
place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of person-
al injury during a collision or
sudden braking.
1. Before stowing the flat tire, removethe center wheel ornament by
pushing from the reverse side.
Be careful not to lose the wheel orna-
ment.
—Stowing flat tire

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2. Put the flat tire on the center ofthe luggage storage box lid with
the outer side of the wheel facing
up. Hook one ends of the belts to
the front tie −down hooks.3. Pass the belts through the center
hole of the wheel as shown above.4. Attach the other ends of the beltsto the rear tie −down hooks.
After stowing the flat tire, check that
the tire and belts are secured.

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50p021a
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck——From front
—From rear
(b) Using flat bed truck If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice. In consultation with them, have
your vehicle towed using either (a) or
(b).
Only when you cannot receive a towing
service from a Toyota dealer or com-
mercial tow truck service, tow your ve-
hicle carefully in accordance with the
instructions given in “—Emergency tow-
ing” on page 255.
Proper equipment will help ensure that
your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are generally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is
towed incorrectly. Although most operators
know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to
your vehicle, make sure the following pre-
cautions are observed. If necessary, show
this page to the tow truck driver. TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front
—Release the parking brake.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to en-
sure adequate ground clearance for
towing at the opposite end of the
raised vehicle. Otherwise, the under-
body of the towed vehicle will be
damaged during towing.
From rear—Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle from the rear
with the front wheels on the ground,
as this may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
(b) Using flat bed truck
If your vehicle needs to be
towed—