2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C Brake system

428 5-1. Essential information
Using a flatbed truckIf you use chains or cables to tie
down your vehicle, the angles
shaded in black must be 45.
Do not overly tighten the tie
downs or the vehicle may be
damaged.
■ Before emergency towing
Vehicles without a smart key system
Turn the engine switch to the “ACC” (hybrid system off) or “ON”
(hybrid system operating) position.
Vehicles with a smart key system
Turn the “POWER” switch to ACCESSORY (hybrid system off) or
ON (hybrid system operating) mode.
Shift the shift lever to N.
Release the parking brake.
■ Emergency towing eyelet location
P. 457
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

5
When trouble arises
429
5-1. Essential information
CAUTION
■
Caution while towing
●Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which place excessive
stress on the emergency towing eyelet and the cables or chains. Always
be cautious of the surroundings and other vehicles while towing.
● Do not turn the engine switch off (vehicles without a smart key system) or
the “POWER” switch off (vehicles with a smart key system).
This may lead to accidents because the steering wheel will be locked and
you will not be able to operate the steering wheel.
● If the hybrid system is off, the power assist for the brakes and steering will
not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
■ Installing towing eyelet to the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelet is installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelet may come loose during towing. This
may lead to accidents that cause serious injury or even death.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission when towing
using a wheel-lift type truck
Never tow this vehicle from the rear with the front wheels on the ground.
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent body damage when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.
■ To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission in emergency
towing
Never tow a vehicle from the rear with four wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to the transmission.

430
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
■ Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air cond itioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● is shown on the multi-information display
■ Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the hybrid system
■ Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running roughly
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, s pongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

5
When trouble arises
431
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a war ning light turns on or a war ning buzzer sounds
Stop the vehicle immediately. Continuing to drive the vehicle
may be dangerous.The following warning indicates a possible problem in the brake sys-
tem. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
*: Brake system warning buzzer: When there is a possible problem that could affect braking performance, the
warning light will come on and a warning buzzer will sound.
Parking brake engaged warning buzzer:
P. 444
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)

(Canada)
Brake system warning light in red (warning buzzer)*
• Low brake fluid
• Malfunction in the brake system This light also comes on when the parking brake is not
released. If the light turns off after the parking brake is
fully released the system is operating normally.
Calmly perform the following actio ns if any of the warning lights
comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but then goes
off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the system.
However, if this continues to o ccur, have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer.

432 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Stop the vehicle immediately.The following warning indicates the possibility of damage to the vehi-
cle that may lead to an accident. Immediately stop the vehicle in a
safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.Failure to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to
the system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
Charging system warning light Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle's charging sys-
tem
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)

(Canada)
Malfunction indicator lamp Indicates a malfunction in:
• The hybrid system;
• The electronic engine control system; or
• The electronic throttle control system
SRS warning light Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The front passenger occupant classification system; or
• The seat belt pretensioner system
(U.S.A.)

(Canada)
ABS warning light Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS; or
• The brake assist system

5
When trouble arises
433
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Follow the correction procedures.
After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning light goes off.
Electric power steering syst em warning light (warn-
ing buzzer) Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric Power
Steering) system
(Comes on) Slip indicator light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• Vehicle stability control;
• Traction control; or
• Hill-start assist control
Brake system warning light in yellow Indicates a malfunction in:
• The regenerative brake system; or
• The electronically controlled brake system
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection procedure
(Flashes) Low fuel level warning
light
Remaining fuel is low
When the remaining fuel
is approximately 1.2 gal.
(4.7 L, 1.0 Imp. gal.) or
less, a buzzer sounds
and the lowest segment
of the fuel gauge flashes Refuel the vehicle.
Warning lightWarning light/Details

438 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■When the electric power steerin g system warning light comes on
The steering wheel may become extremely heavy.
If the steering wheel becomes heavier than usual when operating, hold
firmly and operate using more force than usual.
■
If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause a loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment, it is pr obable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires.
If a tire is flat, change it with th e spare tire and have the flat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning syste m may not activate immediately.

454 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Once(Flashes)• The electronic
key could not be
detected when
the “POWER”
switch was
pressed after
the doors were
unlocked with
the mechanical
key.
• The electronic key could not be
detected two
consecutive
times when the
“POWER”
switch was
pressed. Touch the elec-
tronic key to the
“POWER”
switch while
depressing the
brake pedal.
Once
(Flashes)An attempt was
made to start
the hybrid sys-
tem with the
shift lever in a
position other
than P.
Shift the shift
lever to P and
start the hybrid
system.
 Power was
turned off due to
the automatic
power off func-
tion.Next time when
starting the
hybrid system,
increase the
engine speed
slightly and
maintain that
level for approx-
imately 5 min-
utes to recharge
the 12-volt-bat-
tery.
Interior
buzzerExterior buzzerWarning messageDetailsCorrection procedure