2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C brakes

42
1-1. Hybrid system
Hybrid vehicle driving tips
For economical and ecological driving, pay attention to the following
points:
■ Using Eco drive mode
P. 174
■Use of Hybrid System Indicator
By keeping Hybrid System Indicator within Eco area, more Eco-friendly
driving may be possible. ( P. 195)
■When braking the vehicle
Make sure to operate the brakes gently and in good time. A greater
amount of electrical energy can be retained when slowing down.
■Delays
Repeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at traffic
lights, will lead to bad fuel consumption. Check traffic reports before
leaving and avoid delays as much as possible. When encountering a
delay, gently release the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to move for-
ward slightly while avoiding overuse of the accelerator pedal. Doing so
can help control excessive gasoline consumption.
■Highway driving
Control your speed and keep at a constant speed. Also, before stop-
ping at a toll booth or similar, allow plenty of time to release the acceler-
ator and gently apply the brakes. A greater amount of electrical energy
can be retained when slowing down.
■Air conditioning
Use the air conditioning only when necessary. Doing so can help con-
trol excessive gasoline consumption.
In summer: In high temperatures, use the recirculated air mode. Doing
so will help to reduce the burden on the air conditioning and reduce fuel
consumption as well.
In winter: Because the gasoline engine will not automatically cut out
until the gasoline engine and the interior of the vehicle are warm, it will
consume fuel. Also, fuel consumption can be improved by avoiding
overuse of the heater.

149
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting off on a steep uphill
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever
to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control is available. ( P. 222)
■ 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
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is rec-
ommended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

152 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●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 while the vehicle is moving backward.
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
hybrid system. Engine braking is not available with the hybrid system dis-
engaged.
● During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid
system 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. 486
● Use engine braking (shift position B) to maintain a safe speed when driv-
ing down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 174)
● Do not adjust the positions 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,
resulting in death or serious injury.
● Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
● 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.

153
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■
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 acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in
engine speed could 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.
■ When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.
■ If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.

156 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or
fire due to hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in
a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle,
leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■ 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 brake system warning light (yellow indicator) comes on, maintain a
larger than usual distance between you and the vehicle ahead, 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.
● If the brake system warning light (red indicator) comes on, there may be a
malfunction with the brake’s hydraulic system. Immediately stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.
In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual
and the braking distance will increase. Do not continue to drive the vehicle
in this condition.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain driving torque.
● Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always 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 acci-
dentally depressed.

216 2-4. Using other driving systems
■Adjusting the set speed
To change the set speed, operate the lever until the desired set
speed is obtained.
Increases the speed
Decreases the speed
Fine adjustment: Momentarily
move the lever in the desired
direction.
Large adjustment: Hold the
lever in the desired direction.
The set speed will be increased or decreased as follows:
Fine adjustment: By approximately 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time the
lever is operated.
Large adjustment: The set speed can be increased or decreased con-
tinually until the lever is released.
■ Canceling and resuming the constant speed control
Pulling the lever toward you
cancels the constant speed
control.
The speed setting is also can-
celed when the brakes are
applied.
Pushing the lever up
resumes the constant
speed control.
Resuming is available when
the vehicle speed is more than
approximately 25 mph (40
km/h).

219
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following sys-
tems operate automatically in res ponse to various driving situations.
Be aware, however, that these systems are supplementary and
should not be relied upon too heavi ly when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed when the system detects a panic stop situation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning
on slippery road surfaces
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spin-
ning when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
■Hill-start assist control
P. 222
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel

222
2-4. Using other driving systems
Hill-start assist control
■Hill-start assist control operating conditions
●The system operates in the following situations:
• The shift lever is in a position other than P.
• The parking brake is not applied.
• The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
● Hill-start assist control cannot be operated while the slip indicator light is
illuminated.
■ Hill-start assist control
●While hill-start assist control is operating, the brakes remain automati-
cally applied after the driver releases the brake pedal. The stop lights and
the high mounted stoplight turn on.
● Hill-start assist control operates for about 2 seconds after the brake pedal
is released.
● If the slip indicator does not flash and the buzzer does not sound when
the brake pedal is further depressed, slightly reduce the pressure on the
brake pedal (do not allow the vehicl e to roll backward) and then firmly
depress it again. If the system still does not operate, check that the oper-
ating conditions explained above have been met.
Assists with starting off and tem porarily maintains braking power
even if the foot is re moved from the brake peda l when starting off on
an incline or a slippery slope.
To engage hill-start assist con-
trol, further depress the brake
pedal when the vehicle is
stopped completely.
A buzzer will sound once to
indicate the system is acti-
vated. The slip indicator will
also start flashing.