2009 TOYOTA PRIUS tires

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
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CAUTION
■Proper inflation is critical
to save tire performance
Keep your tires properly inflated. Otherwise, the following conditions
may occur and result in an accident causing death or serious injury.
●Excessive wear
●Uneven wear
●Poor handling
●Possibility of blowouts resu lting from overheated tires
●Poor sealing of the tire bead
●Wheel deformation and/or tire separation
●A greater possibility of tire damage from road hazards
NOTICE
■When inspecting and adjusting tire inflation pressure
Be sure to reinstall the tire valve caps.
Without the valve caps, dirt or mo isture could get into the valve and
cause air leakage, which could result in an accident. If the caps have
been lost, replace them as soon as possible.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Wheels
If a wheel is bent, cracked or heavily corroded, it should be
replaced.
Otherwise, the tire may separate from the wheel or cause loss of
handling control.
■Wheel selection
When replacing wheels, care should be taken to ensure that
they are equivalent to those removed in load capacity, diameter,
rim width, and offset.
Replacement wheels are available at your Toyota dealer.
Toyota does not recommend using:
●Wheels of different sizes or types
● Used wheels
● Bent wheels that have been straightened
■ Aluminum wheel precautions
●Use only Toyota wheel nuts and wrenches designed for use
with your aluminum wheels.
● When rotating, repairing or changing your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving 1000 miles (1600 km).
● Be careful not to damage the aluminum wheels when using
tire chains.
● Use only Toyota genuine balance weights or equivalent and a
plastic or rubber hammer when balancing your wheels.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Maintenance and care
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■When replacing wheels
The wheels of your Toyota are equipped with tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters that allow the tire pressure warning system to
provide advanced warning in the event of a loss in tire inflation pressure.
Whenever wheels are replaced, the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must be installed. (
P. 376)
CAUTION
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a different size from those recommended in
the Owner’s Manual, as this may re sult in loss of handling control.
●Never use an inner tube in a leaking wheel which is designed for a
tubeless tire. Doing so may result in an accident, causing death or seri-
ous injury.
NOTICE
■Replacing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
●Because tire repair or replacement may affect the tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters, make su re to have tires serviced by your
Toyota dealer. In addition, make sure to purchase your tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters at your Toyota dealer.
●Ensure that only genuine Toyota wheels are used on your vehicle.
Tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not work properly
with non-genuine wheels.

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5-1. Essential information
PRIUS_U_(OM47614U)
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
■ Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air cond itioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
■ Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the hybrid system
■ Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, s pongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

5
When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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■
Front passenger detection sensor and passenger seat belt reminder
If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front passenger detec-
tion sensor may cause the warning light to flash, even if a passenger is not
sitting in the seat.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level.
Pushing the tire pressure warning reset switch does not turn off the tire
pressure warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes caused by temper-
ature. In this case, adjusting the ti re inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire
The compact spare tire is not equipped with the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will
not turn off even though the flat tire is replaced with the spare tire.
Replace the spare tire with the repair ed tire and adjust the proper tire
inflation pressure. The ti re pressure warning light will turn off after a few
minutes.
■If the tire pressure warning system is inoperative
The tire pressure warning system will be disabled in the following condi-
tions:
(When the condition be comes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If tires not equipped with tire pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters are used.
●If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is
not registered in the tire pressure warning computer.
●If the tire inflation pressure is 73 psi (500 kPa, 5.1 kgf/cm2 or bar) or
higher.

432 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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The tire pressure warning system may be disabled in the following condi-
tions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If electronic devices or facilities using similar radio wave frequencies
are nearby.
●If a radio set at similar frequencies is in use in the vehicle.
●If a window tint that affects the radio wave signals is installed.
●If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, in particular around the
wheels or wheel housings.
●If non-genuine Toyota wheels are used (Even if you use Toyota
wheels, the tire pressu re warning system may not work properly with
some types of tires.).
●If tire chains are used.
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1
minute frequently
If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute fre-
quently when the “POWER” switch is turned to ON mode, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.

5
When trouble arises
433
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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CAUTION
■
When the power steering warning light comes on
The steering wheel may become extremely heavy.
If the steering wheel becomes heavier than usual when operating, firmly
hold and operate it using more force than usual.
■
If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
● Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure immediately.
● If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inflation pressure
adjustment, it is probable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires. If the
tire is flat, change to the spare tire and have the flat tire repaired by the
nearest Toyota dealer.
● Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires deteriorate, you
could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■
If a blowout or sudden air loss should occur
The tire pressure warning syste m may not activate immediately.

434 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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CAUTION
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label (tire and load information label). (If your vehicle has tires of a differ-
ent size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load information label], you should determine the
proper tire inflation pr essure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS-ti re pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltal e (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressu re telltale (tire pressure warning light) illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi ciency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire main tenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illu mination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).