2008 TOYOTA PRIUS heating

33
1-1. Hybrid system
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
CAUTION
■
Road accident cautions
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury.
● Pull your vehicle off the road, put the shift lever in “P”, apply the parking
brake, turn the hybrid system off.
● Do not touch the high voltage parts, cables and connectors.
● If electric wires are exposed inside or outside your vehicle, an electric
shock may occur. Never touch exposed electric wires.
● If a fluid leak occurs, do not touch it as it may be strong alkaline electrolyte
from the hybrid battery (traction battery). If it comes into contact with your
skin or eyes, wash it off immediately with a large amount of water or if pos-
sible, boric acid solution. Seek immediate medical attention.
● If a fire occurs in the hybrid vehicle, leave the vehicle as soon as possible.
Never use a fire extinguisher that is not meant for electric fires. Using even
a small amount of water may be dangerous.
● If your vehicle needs to be towed, do so with the rear wheels raised. If the
wheels with the electric motor (traction motor) are on the ground when
towing, the motor may continue to generate electricity. This may cause an
electricity leakage leading to a fire. (
P. 416)
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery air vent
● Do not put foreign objects over the air vent. The hybrid battery (traction
battery) may overheat and be damaged.
● Clean the air vent regularly to prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery)
from overheating.
● Do not wet the air vent. It may cause a short circuit and damage the hybrid
battery (traction battery).
● Do not load a large amount of water such as an aquarium into the vehicle.
If water spills over the hybrid battery (traction battery), the battery may be
damaged.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
CAUTION
■
When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident
or fire due to hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked
in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle,
leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking the vehicle
● When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously. Braking distance
increases when the brakes are wet, and may cause one side of the vehicle
to brake differently than the other side. Also the parking brake may not
securely hold the vehicle.
● If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the
pedal than usual. Braking distance may also increase.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the hybrid system stalls.
Each push on the pedal uses up your reserved brake fluid pressure.
● The brake system consists of 3 individual hydraulic systems: if one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and braking distance
becomes longer.
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.

142
2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
Parking brake
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components
overheating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake
wear.
■ When parking the vehicle
Before you leave the vehicle, set the parking brake, push the “P” position
switch and make sure that the vehicle does not move.
Sets the parking brake*
(Depressing the pedal again
releases the parking brake.)
*: Fully depress the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot while depressing the
brake pedal with your right
foot.
ITY21P007
CanadaU.S.A.

145
2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
NOTICE
■
To prevent damage to the hybr id system and its components
The hybrid system may be overheating if the high coolant temperature warn-
ing light is displayed on the touch screen. In this case, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place. Check the hybrid system after it has cooled com-
pletely. ( P. 456)

171
2-4. Using other
driving systems
2
When driving
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, BA and Enhanced VSC
● A sound may be heard from the hybrid system compartment when the
hybrid system is started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This
sound does not indicate that a malfunction has occurred in any of these
systems.
● Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are
operating. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■ Reduced effectiveness of EPS
The effectiveness of EPS is reduced to prevent the system from overheating
when there is frequent steering input over an extended period of time. The
steering wheel may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur, refrain from
excessive steering input or stop the vehicle and turn the hybrid system OFF.
The system should return to normal within 10 minutes.

206 3-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
Adjusting the position of and opening and closing the air outlets
Front outlets Direct air flow to the left or
right, up or down
Turn the knob to open or close
the vent
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■Using the automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automatically in accordance with the temperature set-
ting and ambient conditions. As a result, the following may occur.
● The system may switch automatically to recirculated mode when the
coolest temperature setting is selected in summer.
● Immediately after the switch is pressed, the fan may stop for a while until
warm or cool air is ready to flow.
■ Using the system in recirculated air mode
The windows will fog up more easily if the recirculated air mode is used for
an extended period.
■ Window defogger feature
Recirculated air mode may automatically switch to
(outside air) mode
in situations where the windows need to be defogged.
■ Outside temperature approaches 32 F (0 C).
The air conditioning system may not operate even when is touched.
■ 2-way air intake control
To improve fuel economy, OUTSIDE AIR mode control changes when the air
intake selector is set in OUTSIDE AIR on the following conditions:
● When the maximum heating is needed with the air flow in “Floor” or
“Floor/Windshield”, fresh air flows in the upper compartment, while air is
recirculated in the lower compartment.
● When cooling is needed, both fresh and recirculate modes turns on.

213
3-2. Using the air conditioning system
and defogger
3
Interior features
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
Adjusting the position of and opening and closing the air outlets
Front outlets Direct air flow to the left or
right, up or down
Turn the knob to open or close
the vent
ITY32P008
■Using the automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automatically in accordance with the temperature set-
ting and ambient conditions. As a result, the following may occur.
● The system may switch automatically to recirculated mode when the
coolest temperature setting is selected in summer.
● Immediately after the switch is pressed, the fan may stop for a while until
warm or cool air is ready to flow.
■ Using the system in recirculated air mode
The windows will fog up more easily if the recirculated air mode is used for
an extended period.
■ Window defogger feature
Recirculated air mode may automatically switch to
(outside air) mode
in situations where the windows need to be defogged.
■ Outside temperatur e approaches 32F (0 C).
The air conditioning system may not operate even when is touched.
■ 2-way air intake control
To improve fuel economy, OUTSIDE AIR mode control changes when the air
intake selector is set in OUTSIDE AIR on the following conditions:
● When the maximum heating is needed with the air flow in “Floor” or
“Floor/Windshield”, fresh air flows in the upper compartment, while air is
recirculated in the lower compartment.
● When cooling is needed, both fresh and recirculate modes turns on.

456
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U_(L/O_0802)
If your vehicle overheats
Correction proceduresStop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the automatic air
conditioning system.
Check to see if steam is coming out from under the hood.
If you see steam: Stop the engine and carefully lift the hood.
If you do not see steam: Leave the engine running and carefully lift the hood.
Remove the engine compartment cover. ( P. 365)
Check to see if the cooling fan is operating.
If the fan is operating: Wait until the engine coolant temperature gauge begins to
fall and then stop the engine.
If the fan is not operating: Stop the hybrid system immediately and call your local Toy-
ota dealer.
After the hybrid system has
cooled down sufficiently, check
the coolant level and inspect the
radiator core (radiator) for any
leaks.
The following may indicate that your vehicle is overheating:
The high engine coolant temperature warning light comes on:
The engine may be overheating.
Follow the correction procedure as described blow.
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