2009 TOYOTA MATRIX brakes

98 2-1. Driving procedures
Starting on a steep uphill
Automatic transmission
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Manual transmission
With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive slowly with the manual transmission in a high gear.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
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100 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●Vehicles with an automatic transmission: Do not let the vehicle roll back-
wards while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while the
shift lever is in R. Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor
brake and steering performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the
vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehi-
cle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a
serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P (vehicles with an
automatic transmission) or R while the vehicle is moving. Doing so can
cause significant damage to the transmission system and may result in a
loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving. Doing so may
cause insufficient engine braking and lead to an accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving. The power steering and brake
booster systems will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill. Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to
overheat and lose effectiveness. (→P. 1 1 1 )
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking
brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing
an accident.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving. Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control that can cause accidents that may result in death or serious
injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bod-
ies are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.

101 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not a AWD vehicle designed for real off-road driving. Proceed with
all due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
●Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage
the engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-
shifting or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an
accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■When shifting the shift lever (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may
cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine. If the vehicle is in any gear other than P (vehicles
with an automatic transmission) or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, and may cause an accident.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space
and check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.

103 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident or fire
due to engine 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 downhills 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 engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 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.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck or bogged (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels recklessly when any of the tires is up in the air, or
stuck in sand or mud, etc. This may damage the drive system components
or propel the vehicle forward (or in another direction) and cause an accident.

133 2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
■Cruise control can be set when
●Automatic transmission:
The shift lever is in D or 3 (standard type), or in D, 4 or 5 range of S
(multi-mode type).
●Vehicle speed is above 25 mph (40 km/h).
■Accelerating
The vehicle can be accelerated normally.
■Canceling and resuming regular acceleration
Cancel
Pull the lever towards you to
cancel cruise control.
The speed setting is also can-
celed when the brakes are
applied or the clutch pedal
(manual transmission) is
depressed.
Resume
To resume cruise control and
return to the set speed, push
the lever up.

144
2-5. Driving information
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropri-
ate to the prevailing weather conditions.
■Pre-winter preparations
●Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
●Have a service technician inspect the level and specific grav-
ity of battery electrolyte.
●Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set
of tire chains for the front tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
■Before driving the vehicle
Perform the following according to the driving conditions.
●Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is
frozen. Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice.
Wipe away the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
●To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents
in front of the windshield.
●Remove any ice that has accumulated on the vehicle chassis.
●Periodically check for and remove any excess ice or snow
that may have accumulated in the wheel well or on the
brakes.

151 2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
CAUTION
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and trailer tongue load capacities.
●Never load more weight in the back than in the front of the trailer. About
60% of the load should be in the front half of the trailer, and the remaining
40% in the rear.
■Hitches
●Use only a hitch that conforms to the total trailer weight requirement.
●Follow the directions supplied by the hitch manufacturer.
●Lubricate the hitch ball with a light coat of grease.
●Remove the trailer hitch whenever you are not towing a trailer. After
removing the hitch, seal any mounting hole in the vehicle body to prevent
entry of any substances into the vehicle.
■When towing a trailer
●If the gross trailer weight exceeds 1500 lb. (680 kg), trailer brakes are
required. Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all appli-
cable federal and state/provincial regulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle's hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehi-
cle's braking effectiveness.
●Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both
the trailer and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the coupling unit or hitch
ball, there is danger of the trailer wandering into another lane.

152 2-5. Driving information
Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. The 3 main
causes of vehicle-trailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed
and improper trailer loading. Keep the following in mind when towing.
●Before starting out, check the trailer lights and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
●Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
●Use only the position recommended by your Toyota dealer. Do not install
the trailer hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage.
●Do not use axle-mounted hitches, as they can cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheels or tires.
■Brakes
Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all applicable fed-
eral and state/provincial regulations.
■Safety chain
A safety chain must always be used between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the chain for turns. The chain should cross
under the trailer tongue to prevent the tongue from dropping to the ground in
the case that it becomes damaged or separated. For the correct safety chain
installation procedure, ask your Toyota dealer.
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Directly splicing trailer lights may damage your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction.