2008 TOYOTA PRIUS Owners Manual

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■
Toyota recommends the use of cleaner burning gasoline
Cleaner burning gasoline, including reformulated gasoline that contains oxy-
genates such as ethanol or MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) is available in
many areas.
Toyota recommends the use of cleaner burning gasoline and appropriately
blended reformulated gasoline. These types of gasoline provide excellent
vehicle performance, reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality.
■ Toyota does not recommend blended gasoline
● Toyota allows the use of oxygenate blended gasoline where the oxygen-
ate content is up to 10% ethanol or 15% MTBE.
● If you use gasohol in your Toyota, be sure that it has an octane rating no
lower than 87.
● Toyota DOES NOT recommend the use of gasoline containing methanol.
■ Toyota does not recommend gasoline containing MMT
Some gasoline contains octane enhancing additive called MMT (Methylcy
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl).
Toyota DOES NOT recommend the use of gasoline that contains MMT. If
fuel containing MMT is used, your emission control system may be
adversely affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp on the instrument cluster may come on. If
this happens, contact your Toyota dealer for service.

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NOTICE
■Notice on gasoline quality
● Do not use leaded gasoline.
Leaded gasoline can cause damage to your vehicle’s three-way catalytic
converters causing the emission control system to malfunction.
● Do not use gasohol other than that stated here.
Other gasohol may cause fuel system damage or vehicle performance
problems.
● Using unleaded gasoline with an octane number or rating lower than that
stated here will cause persistent heavy knocking.
At worst, this will lead to engine damage.
■ Fuel-related p oor driveability
If after using a different type of fuel, poor driveability is encountered (poor
hot starting, vaporization, engine knocking, etc.), discontinue the use of that
type of fuel.
■ When refueling with gasohole
Take care not to spill gasohol. It can damage your vehicle’s paint.

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Tire infor mation
Typical tire symbols
Tire size( P. 478)
DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN) ( P. 477)
Location of tread wear indicators ( P. 379)
Tire ply composition and materials
Plies are layers of rubber-coated parallel cords. Cords are the
strands which form the plies in a tire.

476 6-1. Specifications
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Summer tire or all season tire ( P. 383)
An all season tire has “M+S” on the sidewall. A tire not marked
“M+S” is a summer tire.
Radial tires or bias-ply tires
A radial tire has RADIAL on the sidewall. A tire not marked RADIAL
is a bias-ply tire.
TUBELESS or TUBE TYPE
A tubeless tire does not have a tube and air is directly filled in the
tire. A tube type tire has a tube inside the tire and the tube main-
tains the air pressure.
Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure ( P. 481)
Maximum cold tire in flation pressure ( P. 481)
This means the pressure to which a tire may be inflated.
Uniform tire quality grading
For details, see “Uniform tire quality grading” that follows.
“TEMPORARY USE ONLY” ( P. 439)
A compact spare tire is identified by the phrase “TEMPORARY USE
ONLY” molded into its sidewall. This tire is designed for temporary
emergency use only.

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Typical DOT and tire identification number (TIN)
DOT symbol
*
Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
Tire manufacturer’s identifica-
tion mark
Tire size code
Manufacturer’s optional tire
type code (3 or 4 letters)
Manufacturing week
Manufacturing year
*:The DOT symbol certifies thatthe tire conforms to applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards.

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Tire size■ Typical tire size information
Standard tire
The illustration indicates typical
tire size.
Tire use
(P = Passenger car,
T = Temporary use)
Section width (millimeters)
Aspect ratio
(tire height to section width)
Spare tire Tire construction code
(R = Radial, D = Diagonal)
Wheel diameter (inches)
Load index (2 or 3 digits)
Speed symbol
(alphabet with one letter)
■ Tire dimensions
Section width
Tire height
Wheel diameter
ITY61P007

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Tire section names
Bead
Sidewall
Shoulder
Tread
Belt
Inner liner
Reinforcing rubber
Carcass
Rim lines
Bead wires
Chafer
Uniform Tire Quality GradingThis information has been prepared in accordance with regulations
issued by the National Highway Tr affic Safety Administration of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
It provides the purchasers and/or prospective purchasers of Toyota
vehicles with information on uniform tire quality grading.
Your Toyota dealer will help answ er any questions you may have as
you read this information.
■ DOT quality grades
All passenger vehicle tires mu st conform to Federal Safety
Requirements in addition to these grades. Quality grades can be
found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example: Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A

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Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a speci-
fied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1 - 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
■ Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C,
and they represent the tire’s ab ility to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled cond itions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking
(straight ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turn-
ing) traction.
■ Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent-
ing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a speci-
fied indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passen-
ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the labo-
ratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.