2010 TOYOTA PRIUS check engine light

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PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
4-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting 
the vehicle’s exterior ......... 404
Cleaning and protecting 
the vehicle’s interior .......... 407
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance 
requirements ..................... 410
General maintenance.......... 412
Emission inspection 
and maintenance (I/M) 
programs........................... 415
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service 
precautions ....................... 416
Hood ................................... 420
Positioning a floor jack ........ 423
Engine compartment ........... 425
12 volt battery ..................... 436
Tires .................................... 441
Tire inflation pressure ......... 451
Wheels ................................ 455
Air conditioning filter............ 457
Electronic key battery.......... 460
Checking and replacing 
fuses ................................. 462
Light bulbs........................... 472 5-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers............ 486
If your vehicle needs 
to be towed....................... 487
If you think something is  wrong ............................... 493
Event data recorder ............ 494
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency If a warning light turns 
on or a warning buzzer 
sounds.............................. 496
If a warning message is 
displayed .......................... 508
If you have a flat tire ........... 524
If the hybrid system 
will not start ...................... 538
If you lose your keys........... 540
If the electronic key does 
not operate properly ......... 541
If the 12 volt battery is 
discharged........................ 543
If your vehicle overheats .... 548
If the vehicle becomes 
stuck ................................. 553
4Maintenance and care5When trouble arises

156 2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
●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.
● 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
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.

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2-2. Instrument cluster
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When driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
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Hybrid System Indicator
Charge area
Eco area
Power area
Hybrid Eco area
As shown below, the driving condit ions of the vehicle can be con-
firmed by checking the status of the indicator bar.
Multi-information display*1Eco Driving Indicator Light
Charge area: 
Shows that energy is
being recovered via the
regenerative brake.
( P. 29)
On
Hybrid Eco area:

Shows that gasoline
engine power is not
being used very
often.
*2
Eco area: 
Shows that the vehicle
is being driven in an
environmentally friendly
(fuel efficient) manner.

Maintenance and care4
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PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
4-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting 
the vehicle’s exterior ...... 404
Cleaning and protecting 
the vehicle’s interior ....... 407
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance 
requirements .................. 410
General maintenance....... 412
Emission inspection and 
maintenance (I/M) 
programs ........................ 415
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service 
precautions .................... 416
Hood ................................ 420
Positioning a floor jack ..... 423
Engine compartment ........ 425
12 volt battery .................. 436
Tires ................................. 441
Tire inflation pressure ...... 451
Wheels ............................. 455
Air conditioning filter......... 457
Electronic key battery....... 460
Checking and replacing 
fuses .............................. 462
Light bulbs........................ 472

500 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection procedure
Tire pressure warning
light
When the light comes on:
Low tire inflation pres-
sure. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure.
When the light comes on
after blinking for 1 minute:
Malfunction in the tire
pressure warning system. Have the system
checked by your
Toyota dealer.
High coolant tempera-
ture warning light
Indicates high engine
coolant temperature P. 5 4 8
Master warning light A buzzer sounds and the
warning light comes on
and flashes to indicate
that the master warning
system has detected a
malfunction. P. 5 0 8

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When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
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Starting the hybrid system when the 12 volt battery is discharged
The hybrid system cannot be started by push-starting. In addition, the shift
position may not changed from “P”.
■ Avoiding a discharged 12 volt battery
● Turn off the headlights and the audio system while the hybrid system is
turned off.
● Turn off any unnecessary electrical components when the vehicle is run-
ning at a low speed for an extended period, such as in heavy traffic, etc.
■ When the 12 volt battery is removed or discharged
The hybrid system may not start. (
P. 438)
Start the engine of the second vehicle. Increase the engine
speed slightly and maintain at that level for approximately 5
minutes to recharge the 12 volt battery of your vehicle.
Turn the “POWER” switch to ACCESSORY mode.
Maintain the engine speed on the second vehicle and turn
the “POWER” switch to ON mode, then start your vehicle’s
hybrid system.
Make sure the “READY” indicator comes on. If the indicator
does not come on, contact your Toyota dealer.
Once the vehicle’s hybrid syst em has started, remove the
jumper cables in the exact reverse order in which they were
connected.
Once the hybrid system starts, ha ve the vehicle checked at your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.STEP4
STEP5
STEP6
STEP7
STEP8

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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
If your vehicle overheats
Correction procedures■ If the high coolant temperatur e warning light comes on or
flashes
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the air condition-
ing system.
Check to see if steam is coming out from under the hood.
If you see steam: 
Stop the hybrid system. Carefully lift the hood after the
steam subsides and then restart the hybrid system.
If you do not see steam: 
Leave the hybrid system operating and carefully lift the
hood.
The following may indicate that your vehicle is overheating:
● The high coolant temperature warn ing light comes on or flashes:
The engine may be overheating.
● “HYBRID SYSTEM OVERHEAT” is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display: 
The power control unit may be overheating.
Follow the correction procedure as described below.
STEP1
STEP2

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When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Check to see if the cooling fans are operating.
If the fans are operating: 
Wait until the high coolant temperature warning light goes
off and then stop the hybrid system.
If the fans are not operating:  Stop the hybrid system immedi ately and call your local
Toyota dealer.
After the hybrid system has
cooled down sufficiently, check
the engine coolant level and
inspect the radiator core (radia-
tor) for any leaks.
If necessary, add engine coolant
up to the “FULL” line.
Water can be used in an emer-
gency measure if engine coolant
is unavailable. (P. 562)
STEP3
STEP4
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