2011 TOYOTA VERSO S Owners Manual

305
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive
more cautiously. Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this 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 electronically controlled brake
system does not operate, do not fol- low other vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require
braking. In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or
more 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 the braking distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud,
etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehicle for-ward or backward, causing an acci-
dent.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as this may restrain
the hybrid system output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time to hold the
vehicle on a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle
parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there
for an extended period of time. Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to
avoid damaging the wheels, under- side of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to
slow down the vehicle.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P.582, 593)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause the following serious dam-
age to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water
immersion

3065-1. Before driving
NOTICE
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is
flooded, be sure to have any autho- rized Toyota retailer or Toyota autho-rized repairer, or any reliable repairer
check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, hybrid transaxle (front and rear),
etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings
and suspension joints (where possi- ble), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and
shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage pre-
cautions, cargo capacity and
load.
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried in the luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the luggage compartment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may prevent the ped-
als from being depressed properly, may block the driver’s vision, or may result in items hitting the driver or
passengers, possibly causing an acci- dent.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the lug-
gage compartment whenever pos- sible.
●Do not stack anything in the lug-gage compartment higher than the seatbacks.
●When you fold down the rear seats, long items should not be placed
directly behind the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not designed for passengers. They should ride in their seats with their
seat belts properly fastened. Other- wise, they are much more likely to suffer death or serious bodily injury,
in the event of sudden braking, sud- den swerving or an accident.

307
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the luggage cover (if equipped)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment.
■Load and distribution
●Do not overload your vehicle.
●Do not apply loads unevenly.
Improper loading may cause deterio-
ration of steering or braking control which may cause death or serious injury.
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier (if equipped)
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is distributed evenly between the front
and rear axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or width. ( P.618)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof lug-gage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of grav-
ity of the vehicle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover due to failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly and result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough roads, or at high speeds, stop the vehicle now and then
during the trip to make sure the cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 80 kg (176.4 lb.) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier (if equipped)
Be careful not to scratch the surface
of the panoramic moon roof (if equipped).

3085-1. Before driving
■Tire information
●Increase the tire inflation pressure to
20.0 kPa (0.2 kgf/cm2 or bar, 3 psi) greater than the recommended value when towing. ( P.624)
●Increase the air pressure of the trailer
tires in accordance with the total
trailer weight and according to the val- ues recommended by the manufac-turer of your trailer.
■Safety checks before towing
●Check that the maximum load limit for the towing hitch/bracket and hitch ball
is not exceeded. Bear in mind that the coupling weight of the trailer will add to the load exerted on the vehicle.
Also make sure that the total load exerted on the vehicle is within the range of the weight limits. ( P.309)
●Ensure that the trailer load is secure.
●Supplementary outside rear view mir- rors should be added to the vehicle if the traffic behind cannot be clearly
seen with standard mirrors. Adjust the extending arms of these mirrors on both sides of the vehicle so that they
always provide maximum visibility of the road behind.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed pri-
marily as a passenger carry-
ing vehicle. Towing a trailer
will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, brak-
ing, durability, and fuel con-
sumption. Your safety and
satisfaction depend on the
proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious driving hab-
its. For your safety and the
safety of others, do not over-
load the vehicle or trailer.
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with the
trailer’s characteristics and
operating conditions.
Toyota warranties do not apply
to damage or malfunction
caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes.
Ask your local authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reli-
able repairer for further details
before towing, as there are
additional legal requirements
in some countries.
WARNING
Follow all the instructions described in
this section. Failure to do so could cause an acci-dent resulting in death or serious
injury.
■Trailer towing precautions
When towing, make sure that none of
the weight limits are exceeded. ( P.309)
■To avoid accident or injury
●Vehicles with compact spare tire: Do not tow a trailer when the com-
pact spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
●Vehicles with emergency tire punc-ture repair kit:Do not tow a trailer when the tire
installed is repaired with the emer- gency tire puncture repair kit.

309
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
Check the allowable towing capac-
ity, GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass),
MPAC (Maximum Permissible Axle
Capacity), and permissible drawbar
load before towing. ( P.618)
Toyota recommends the use of the
Toyota hitch/bracket for your vehi-
cle. Other products of a suitable
nature and comparable quality may
also be used.
For vehicles where the towing
device blocks any of the lights or
license plate, the following shall be
observed:
 Do not use towing device that
cannot be easily removed or
repositioned.
 Towing devices must be
removed or repositioned when
not in use.
Please consult any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer
when installing trailer lights, as
incorrect installation may cause
damage to the vehicle’s lights.
Please take care to comply with
your state’s laws when installing
trailer lights.
■Total trailer weight and per-
missible drawbar load
Total trailer weight
WARNING
●Do not use dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range (if
equipped) or cruise control (if equipped) when trailer towing.
■Vehicle speed in towing
Observe the legal maximum speeds for trailer towing.
■Before descending hills or long declines
Reduce speed and downshift. How- ever, never downshift suddenly while descending steep or long downhill
grades.
■Operation of the brake pedal
Do not hold the brake pedal depressed often or for long periods of time.
Doing so may result in the brake over- heating or reduce braking effects.
Weight limits
Towing hitch/bracket
Connecting trailer lights
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Directly splicing trailer lights may damage your vehicle’s electrical sys-tem and cause a malfunction.
Important points regarding
trailer loads
A

3105-1. Before driving
Weight of the trailer itself plus the trailer
load should be within the maximum
towing capacity. Exceeding this weight
is dangerous. ( P.618)
When towing a trailer, use a friction
coupler or friction stabilizer (sway con-
trol device).
Permissible drawbar load
Allocate the trailer load so that the
drawbar load is greater than 25 kg
(55.1 lb.) or 4% of the towing capacity.
Do not let the drawbar load exceed the
indicated weight. ( P.618)
■Information tag (manufac-
turer’s label)
Gross vehicle mass
The combined weight of the driver, pas-
sengers, luggage, towing hitch, total
curb mass and drawbar load should not
exceed the gross vehicle mass by more
than 100 kg (220.5 lb.). Exceeding this
weight is dangerous.
Maximum permissible rear axle
capacity
The weight borne by the rear axle
should not exceed the maximum per-
missible rear axle capacity by 15% or
more. Exceeding this weight is danger-
ous.
The values for towing capacity were
derived from testing conducted at sea
level. Take note that hybrid system out-
put and towing capacity will be reduced
at high altitudes.
B
A
B
WARNING
■When the gross vehicle mass or
maximum permissible axle capacity is exceeded
Failing to observe this precaution may
lead to an accident causing death or serious injury.
●Add an additional 20.0 kPa (0.2
kgf/cm2 or bar, 3 psi) to the recom- mended tire inflation pressure
value. ( P.624)
●Do not exceed the established
speed limit for towing a trailer in built-up areas or 100 km/h (62 mph), whichever is lower.

311
5 5-1. Before driving
Driving
458 mm (18.0 in.)
461 mm (18.1 in.)
536 mm (21.1 in.)
Installation positions for the towing hitch/bracket and hitch
ball
A
B
C

3125-1. Before driving
537 mm (21.1 in.)
537 mm (21.1 in.)
536 mm (21.1 in.)
461 mm (18.1 in.)
458 mm (18.0 in.)D
E
F
G
H