2010 TOYOTA PRIUS Owners Manual

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Maintenance and care
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Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
■Checking tires
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Worn tread
The location of treadwear
indicators is shown by the
“TWI” or “” marks, etc.,
molded on the sidewall of
each tire.
Check spare tire condition
and inflation pressure if not
rotated.
■ Tire rotation
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and
extend tire life, Toyota recom-
mends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same inter-
val as tire inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire
pressure warning system
after tire rotation.
ITO43P115
Front

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Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmittersWhen replacing tires or wheels, ti re pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new tire pressure warn ing valve and transmitter ID codes
must be registered in the tire pres sure warning computer and tire
pressure warning system must be initialized. Have tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter ID codes registered by Toyota dealer. 
(  P. 444)
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances
●When rotating the tires on vehicles differing with front and rear
tire inflation pressures.
● When changing the tire inflation pressure by changing traveling
speed or load weight, etc.
● When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current
tire inflation pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.
■ The tire pressure warning system
Your Toyota is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that
uses tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low
tire inflation pressure before serious problems arise. (P. 499)
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter.

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Maintenance and care
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■
How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in safe plac e and turn the “POWER” switch
OFF.
While the vehicle is moving, in itialization is not performed.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire infla-
tion pressure level. ( P. 565)
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire
inflation pressure level. The ti re pressure warning system will
operate based on this pressure level.
Turn the “POWER” switch to ON mode.
Push and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks
slowly 3 times.
Wait for a few minutes with the ON mode, and then turn
“POWER” switch OFF.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

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Registering ID codesThe tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a ti re pressure warning valve and
transmitter, it is necessary to regist er the ID code of tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter. Have the ID code registered by your
Toyota dealer.
■ When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
● You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric or bulges indicating internal damage
● A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■ Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not regis-
tered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driving
for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking
for 1 minute to indicate a system malfunction.

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Maintenance and care
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■
Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if
they have seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■ If the tread wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm) on snow tires
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost.
■ Low profile tires (vehic les with 17-inch tires)
Generally, low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance
will be reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when compared to standard tires.
Be sure to use snow tires or tire chains on snowy and/or icy roads and drive
carefully at a speed appropriate for road and weather conditions.
■
Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the re placement tire is greater than 1/2
of the Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of either the front axle or the
rear axle, whichever is greater.
For the GAWR, see the Certification
Label. For the maximum load of the
tire, see the load limit at maximum cold
tire inflation pressure mentioned on the
sidewall of the tire.( P. 572)

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■Tire types
1 Summer tiresSummer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway
driving under dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tire s, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy ro ads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When
installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2 All season tires All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most winter conditions, as well as for use
year round. All season tires, however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also,
all season tires fall short in acceleration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway driving.
3Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using
snow tires. If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load capacity as the or iginally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible restriction. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels. ( P. 261)

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Maintenance and care
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■Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the tires with the tire inflat
ion pressure adjusted to the specified
level.
■If you push the tire pressure warning reset switch accidentally
If initialization is performed, adjust t he tire inflation pressure to the speci-
fied level and initialize the tire pressure warning system again.
■When the initialization of the tire pressure warning system has
failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the following
cases, the settings have not been recorded and the system will not operate
properly. If repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are
unsuccessful, have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
●
When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pres-
sure warning light does not flash 3 times.
●After carrying out the initialization procedure, the tire pressure warn-
ing light blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving 20 minutes.
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning system doe s not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks. Ma ke sure to check tire infl ation pressure as part of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.

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■Tire pressure warning system certification
FCC ID: PAXPMV107J
FCC ID: PAXPMV108J
FCC ID: HYQ13BDE
IC ID: 3729A-PMV107J 
IC ID: 3729A-PMV108J 
IC ID: 1551A-13BDE
For vehicles sold in the U.S.A.
NOTE: 
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is sub-
ject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this de vice must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
FCC WARNING: 
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment.
For vehicles sold in Canada
NOTE: 
Operation is subject to the followin g two conditions: (1) this device
may not cause interference, and (2) th is device must accept any inter-
ference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of
the device.