2010 TOYOTA MATRIX Owners Manual

105 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system (if equipped)
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of
brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or when-
ever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota
dealer perform the bedding down.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. (P. 400)
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the
vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
●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.

106 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●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.
●On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not shift the shift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to D (vehicles with an automatic transmission) or
1 (vehicles with a manual transmission) while the vehicle is moving back-
ward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 359
●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 7 )
●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.

107 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●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.
●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.

108 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■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.
●Vehicles with an automatic transmission: Always keep a foot on the brake
pedal while the engine is running to prevent an accident caused by the
vehicle moving.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle when it is in the sun. Doing so may result in the following.
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a
fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and
plastic material of eye glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the
interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehi-
cle's electrical components.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P (vehicles with an
automatic transmission), stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off. Doing so may cause burns.
●Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it
is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead
to death or a serious health hazard.
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO) that is colorless and
odorless. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health haz-
ard.

109 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the engine. In a closed
area, such as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.
This may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●The exhaust should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack
caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be
sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Toyota dealer.
Failure to do so may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicle, resulting in
death or a serious health hazard.
■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.

110 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■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.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
Manual transmission
●Do not shift gears unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed. After shifting,
do not release the clutch abruptly. Doing so may damage the clutch, tran-
saxle and gears.
●Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
●Do not use any gears other than the first gear when starting off and mov-
ing forward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle when stopping on an uphill grade.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not shift into reverse when the vehicle is still moving. Doing so may
damage the clutch, transaxle and gears.
Automatic transmission
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake ped-
als together to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Always put the shift lever in P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to
move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a
long time. Doing so may damage the power steering motor.

111 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually press the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. (P. 372)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle.
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following.
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, tran-
saxle, transfer (AWD vehicles), differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft (AWD vehicles), bearings and
suspension joints (where possible) and the function of all joints, bearings,
etc.

112
2-1. Driving procedures
Engine (ignition) switch
■Starting the engine
Automatic transmission
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Sit in the driver’s seat and firmly depress the brake pedal.
Turn the engine switch to the “START” position and start
the engine.
1.8 L 4-cylinder (2ZR-FE) engine: The engine will crank until it
starts or for up to 25 seconds, whichever is less. If you turn the
engine switch, the engine will keep cranking for about 30 seconds
maximum.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until the engine is com-
pletely started.
Manual transmission
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in N.
Firmly depress the clutch pedal.
Turn the engine switch to the “START” position and start
the engine.
1.8 L 4-cylinder (2ZR-FE) engine: The engine will crank until it
starts or for up to 25 seconds, whichever is less. If you turn the
engine switch, the engine will keep cranking for about 30 seconds
maximum.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until the engine is com-
pletely started.
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