2012 TOYOTA MATRIX Owners Manual

When driving2
105
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle............ 106
Engine (ignition) switch ............................. 118
Automatic transmission................... 122
Manual transmission ........ 127
Turn signal lever .............. 129
Parking brake ................... 130
Horn ................................. 131
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ......... 132
Indicators and warning lights .............................. 135
2-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ............... 138
Fog light switch ................ 141
Windshield wipers and washer ........................... 143
Rear window wiper and washer ........................... 146 2-4. Using other driving
systems
Cruise control ................... 148
Driving assist systems ..... 152
2-5. Driving information Cargo and luggage .......... 157
Vehicle load limits ............ 160
Winter driving tips ............ 161
Trailer towing (1.8 L 4-cylinder
[2ZR-FE] engine) ........... 165
Trailer towing (2.4 L 4-cylinder
[2AZ-FE] engine) ........... 166
Dinghy towing (automatic transmission) ................. 181
Dinghy towing (manual transmission) ................. 182

106
2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driv-
ing.
■ Starting the engine
P. 11 8
■ Driving
Automatic transmission
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 122)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 130)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
Manual transmission With the clutch pedal fully depressed, shift the shift lever to
1. ( P. 127)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 130)
Gradually release the clutch pedal. At the same time, gently
depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■ Stopping
Automatic transmission
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift
the shift lever to P or N. ( P. 122)
Manual transmission
With the clutch pedal fully depressed, depress the brake
pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift
the shift lever to N. ( P. 127)
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2

107
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■
Parking the vehicle
Automatic transmission
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 130)
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 122)
When parking on a hill, if necessary, block the wheels.
Turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position and stop the
engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your
person.
Manual transmission With the clutch pedal fully depressed, depress the brake
pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 130)
Shift the shift lever to N. ( P. 127)
When parking on a hill, shift the shift lever to 1 or R. If necessary,
block the wheels.
Turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position and stop the
engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your
person.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

108 2-1. Driving procedures
Starting on a steep uphillAutomatic transmission Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Manual transmission
With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation
to meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

109
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■
Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive slowly with the manual transmission in a high gear.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ 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. 458)

110 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle (vehicl es 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 st op 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.

111
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
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.
● 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. 451
● 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. 123)

112 2-1. Driving procedures
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 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.