2010 TOYOTA PRIUS Traction

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PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■General precautions while driving
Driving under the influence: Never drive your vehicle when under the influ-
ence of alcohol or drugs that have impaired your ability to operate your vehi-
cle. Alcohol and certain drugs delay reaction time, impair judgment and
reduce coordination, which could lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
Defensive driving: Always drive defensively. Anticipate mistakes that other
drivers or pedestrians might make and be ready to avoid accidents.
Driver distraction: Always give your full attention to driving. Anything that dis-
tracts the driver, such as adjusting controls, talking on a cellular phone or
reading can result in a collision with resulting death or serious injury to you,
your occupants or others.
■ General precaution regarding children’s safety
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle, and never allow children to
have or use the key.
Children may be able to start the vehicle or shift the vehicle into neutral.
There is also a danger that children may injure themselves by playing with
the windows, the moon roof, or other features of the vehicle. In addition, heat
build-up or extremely cold temperatures inside the vehicle can be fatal to
children.
■ Dispose of the hybrid battery (traction battery)
If your vehicle is disposed of without the hybrid battery having been
removed, there is a danger of serious electric shock if high voltage parts,
cables and their connectors are touched. In the event of that your vehicle
must be disposed of, the hybrid battery must be disposed of your Toyota
dealer or a qualified service shop. If the hybrid battery is not disposed of
properly, they may cause electric shock that can result in death or serious
injury.

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PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
1-1. Hybrid system
Hybrid system
Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics different from
conventional vehicles. Be sure you are closely familiar with the char-
acteristics of your vehicle, and operate with care.
The hybrid system combines a gasoline engine and an electric
motor (traction motor) according to driving conditions, improving
fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions.
Gasoline engine
Electric motor (Traction motor)

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1-1. Hybrid system
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Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■
Regenerative braking
The motor generator converts kinetic energy to electric energy when:
● The accelerator pedal is released.
● The brake pedal is depressed with the shift lever in “D” or “B”.
■ When stopped/during take-off
The gasoline engine stops when the vehicle is stopped. During
take-off, the electric motor (traction motor) drives the vehicle. At
slow speeds or when traveling down a gentle slope, the engine
is stopped and the motor is used.
■ During normal driving
The gasoline engine is predominantly used. The electric motor
(traction motor) charges the hybrid battery (traction battery) as
necessary.
■ When accelerating sharply
The power of the hybrid battery (traction battery) is added via
electric motor (traction motor) to that of the gasoline engine.
■ When braking (Regenerative brake)
The electric motor (traction motor) charges the hybrid battery
(traction battery).

30 1-1. Hybrid system
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■Conditions in which the gasoline engine may not stop
The gasoline engine starts and stops automatically. However, the followings
are examples of conditions under which the engine may not stop automati-
cally:
● The gasoline engine is warming up.
● The hybrid battery (traction battery) is being charged.
● The hybrid battery (traction battery) temperature is low or high.
● The temperature setting of the air conditioning system is high.
■ Charging the battery
● As the gasoline engine or regenerative brake charges the hybrid battery
(traction battery), the battery does not need to be charged from an
outside source. However, if the vehicle is left parked for a long time the
hybrid battery will slowly discharge. For this reason, be sure to drive \
the
vehicle at least once every several months for at least 30 minutes or 10
miles (16 km). If the hybrid battery becomes fully discharged and you are
unable to jump-start the vehicle with the 12 volt battery, contact your
Toyota dealer.
● If the shift lever is in “N”, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will not be
charged. When driving in heavy traffic, operate the vehicle with the shift
lever in “D” or “B” to avoid discharging the battery.
■ After the 12 volt battery has disch arged or has been changed or
removed
The gasoline engine may not stop even if the vehicle is running on the hybrid
battery (traction battery). If this continues for a few days, contact your Toyota
dealer.

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1-1. Hybrid system
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Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■
Sounds and vibrations specific to a hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sounds or vibration even though the vehicle is able
to move. Always push the “P” position switch when parked.
The following sounds or vibrations may occur when the hybrid system is
operating, and are not a malfunction.
● Motor sounds may be heard from the engine compartment.
● Sounds may be heard from the hybrid battery (traction battery) behind
the rear seat when the hybrid system starts or stops.
● Sounds from the hybrid system may be heard when the back door is
open.
● Sounds may be heard from the transmission when the gasoline engine
starts or stops, when driving at low speeds, or during idling.
● Engine sounds may be heard when accelerating sharply.
● Sounds may be heard due to regenerative brake when you press the
brake pedal or release the accelerator pedal.
● Vibration may be felt when the gasoline engine starts or stops.
● You may hear cooling fan sounds coming from the air intake vents behind
the rear seat.
■ Maintenance, repair, recycling, and disposal
Contact your Toyota dealer regarding maintenance, repair, recycling and dis-
posal. Do not dispose of the vehicle yourself.

32 1-1. Hybrid system
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
High voltage componentsTake care when handling the hybrid sy stem, as it contains a high volt-
age system (about 650 V at maximum) as well as parts that become
extremely hot when the hybrid system is operating. Obey the caution
labels attached to the vehicle. Air conditioning compressor
High voltage cables (orange
color)
Power control unit and DC/
DC converter
Caution label
Service plug
Hybrid battery (Traction bat-
tery)
Electric motor (Traction
motor)
ITO11P104

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1-1. Hybrid system
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■
Hybrid battery air vent
There is an air intake vent on the
side of the rear right seatback for
the purpose of cooling the hybrid
battery (traction battery). If the
vent becomes blocked, the
hybrid battery may overheat,
leading to a reduction in hybrid
battery output.
Emergency shut off system
The emergency shut off system blocks off the high voltage current
and stops the fuel pump to minimize the risk of electrocution and fuel
leakage when a certain level of impact is detected by the impact sen-
sor. If the emergency shut off system activates, your vehicle will not
restart. To restart the hybrid system, contact your Toyota dealer.

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1-1. Hybrid system
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Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
●
When the desired speed is reached
Release the accelerator pedal
once. Then, depress the acceler-
ator pedal slowly and drive at a
constant speed, keeping the indi-
cator bar within the Eco area.
When aiming to improve fuel
economy, try to drive within the
Hybrid Eco area. By doing so,
the drive force of the electric
motor (traction motor) will often
be used alone without the need
for fuel consumption, thus allow-
ing you to enjoy driving with
improved fuel economy.
■ Checking fuel consumption
The 5-minute/1-minute interval
fuel consumption display shows
the average fuel consumption
and the regenerated energy
amount in 5-minute or 1-minute
intervals. (P. 194)
Hybrid Eco area