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Check the condition of  the 12 volt bat-
tery and cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any 12 volt 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 12 volt 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 405 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 deal-
er—they will be pleased to help.
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 because it may dam-
age 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 vehicle.
Dinghy towing 
     
        
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361
CAUTION
Booster battery contains sulfuric
acid which  is poisonous and corro-
sive. Wear protective safety glasses
when jump starting, and avoid spil-
ling acid on your skin, clothing, or
vehicle.
If you should accidentally get acid
on yourself or in your eyes, remove
any contaminated clothing and flush
the affected area with water imme-
diately. Then get immediate medical
attention. If possible, continue to
apply water with a sponge or cloth
while en route to the medical office.
The gas normally produced by a
battery will explode if a flame or
spark is brought near. Use only
standardized jumper cables and do
not smoke or light a match while
jump starting.
NOTICE
The battery used for boosting must
be 12 V. Do not jump start unless
you are sure that the booster bat-
tery is correct.
 After jump starting procedure, the
hybrid system may not start by
pushing the “POWER” switch. In
that case, push it once again. If the
“READY” light does not come on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
50p049
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
1. Apply  the parking brake and  turn off the headlight switch and interior light.
2. Turn off the hybrid system and remove the key if inserted.
3. Open the hood and fuse block cover shown in the above illustration. 
     
        
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362
Exclusive jump starting
terminal cover
4. Open the exclusive jump starting termi-nal cover.
5. If the booster battery is installed in another vehicle, make sure the ve-
hicles are not touching. Turn off all
unnecessary lights and accessories.
When boosting, use the battery of
matching or higher quality. Any other
battery may be difficult to jump start
with. If jump starting is difficult, charge
the battery for several minutes.
6. If required, remove all the vent plugs from the booster batteries. Lay a cloth
over the open vents on the batteries.
(This helps reduce the explosion haz-
ard, personal injuries and burns.) 7. If the engine in the vehicle with the
booster battery is not running, start it
and let it run for a few minutes. During
jump starting, run the engine at about
2000 rpm with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
50p044c
Booster
battery
Exclusive jump 
starting terminal
Jumper
cable Positive 
terminal 
(“+” mark)
8. Connect the jumper cables in the order
a, b, c, d.
a. Connect the clamp of the positive(red) jumper cable to the exclusive
jump starting terminal.
b. Connect the clamp at the other end of the positive (red) jumper cable to
the positive (+) terminal on the
booster battery. 
     
        
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363
50p045c
Booster
battery
Negative 
terminal 
(“–” mark) Jumper
cable
c. Connect the  clamp of  the negative
(black) jumper cable to the negative
(–) terminal on the booster battery.
d. Connect the clamp at the other end of the negative (black) jumper cable
to a solid, stationary, unpainted, me-
tallic point of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
The recommended connecting point is
shown in the following illustration:
50p080a
Connecting point
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean over
the battery or accidentally let the
jumper cables or clamps touch any-
thing except the correct battery termi-
nals or the ground.
9. Charge the discharged battery with the jumper cables connected for approxi-
mately 5 minutes. At this time, run the
engine in the vehicle with the booster
battery at about 2000 rpm with the ac-
celerator pedal lightly depressed. 10. Start the hybrid system. Make sure the
“READY” light is on. If the hybrid bat-
tery warning light comes on in the mul-
ti−information display, the hybrid battery
is also discharged. Contact your Toyota
dealer.
11. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
12. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths—they may now contain sulfuric
acid.
13. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your 12 volt battery dis-
charging is not apparent (for example,
lights left on), you should have it checked
at your Toyota dealer.
If the first start attempt is not success-
ful...
Check that the clamp on the jumper
cables are tight. Recharge the discharged
battery with the jumper cables connected
for several minutes and restart your hybrid
system in the normal way.
If the another attempt is not successful,
the battery may be depleted. Have it
checked at your Toyota dealer.