2012 TOYOTA PRIUS parking brake

181
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting off on a uphill
Firmly set the parking brake with the brake pedal depressed,
and then shift the shift position to D.
Release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator
pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control is available. ( P. 301)
■ 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.
■ 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 600 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

186 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When changing the shift position
Be careful not to change the shift position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Changing the shift position to any positions other than P or N may cause the
vehicle to accelerate abruptly, causing an accident and resulting in death or
serious injury.
After changing the shift position, make sure to confirm the current shift posi-
tion displayed on the shift position indicator inside the meter.
■ If you hear a squealing or scrapin g noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have your Toyota dealer check and replace the brake pads as soon as pos-
sible.
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.
■ When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the vehicle is in any shift position other than P or N, the vehicle may
accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the hybrid system on for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space
and check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
● In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the “READY” indicator is on. Apply the
parking brake as necessary.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●
If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or ba ckward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
● Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■ When the vehicle is parked
●Make sure to firmly apply the parking brake and shift the shift position to P.
Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move, or the vehicle to acceler-
ate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed. Also, when
leaving the vehicle, make sure to turn off the hybrid system and lock the
vehicle.
Sound or shuddering may not be noticed even when the hybrid vehicle is
ready to drive (when the “READY ” indicator is illuminated).
● Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a
fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehi-
cle’s electrical components.

189
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
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 electronically controlled assist function does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid downhill 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.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the others will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will
increase. If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. If the brake
system warning light (red indicator) comes on while driving, immediately
stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.

192
2-1. Driving procedures
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic
key on your person starts the hybr id system or changes “POWER”
switch modes.
■ Starting the hybrid system
Check that the parking brake is set.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Check that the “POWER” switch indicator turns green. If the indi-
cator does not turn green, the hybrid system cannot be started.
When the shift position is N, the hybrid system cannot start. Shift
the shift position to P when starting the hybrid system. ( P. 205)
Press the “POWER” switch.
The hybrid system can be
started from any “POWER”
switch mode.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the hybrid system is
completely started.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

193
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Check that the “READY” indicator is on.
If the “READY” indicator changes from a flashing light to a solid
light and the buzzer sounds, the hybrid system is starting nor-
mally.
The vehicle will not move when
the “READY” indicator is off.
The vehicle can move when the “READY” indicator is on even if
the engine is stopped. (The gasoline engine starts or stops auto-
matically in accordance with the state of the vehicle.)
■ Stopping the hybrid system
Stop the vehicle completely.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 212)
Shift the shift position to P.
( P. 205)
Check that the shift position
indicator shows P. ( P. 202)
Press the “POWER” switch.
The hybrid system will stop.
Slowly release the brake pedal and check that the indicator
on the “POWER” switch is off.
STEP 4
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■
When the P position cont rol system malfunctions
The “POWER” switch will not be able to be turned off. In such a case, the
switch can be turned off after applying the parking brake.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■ Ending display
When the “POWER” switch is turned off, each of the following will be dis-
played on the multi-information display, and will extinguish after approxi-
mately 30 seconds.
●The driving distance, driving time, consumption and eco savings since
the hybrid system was started.
● The odometer/trip meter
● The clock
CAUTION
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not
depress the accelerator pedal while starting the hybrid system under any cir-
cumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Stopping the hybrid system in an emergency
If you want to stop the hybrid system in an emergency while driving the vehi-
cle, press and hold the “POWER” switch for more than 3 seconds, or press it
briefly 3 times or more in succession. ( P. 556)
However, do not touch the “POWER” switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. 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.

205
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
P position switch
■ When shifting the shift position to P
Fully stop the vehicle and set the
parking brake, and then press
the P position switch.
When the shift position is
changed to P, the indicator comes
on.
Check that the P position is illumi-
nated on the shift position indica-
tor.
■Shifting the shift position from P to other positions
●While depressing the brake pedal firmly, operate the shift lever.
If the shift lever is operated wi thout depressing the brake pedal,
the buzzer will sound and the shifting operation will be disabled.
● When selecting the shift position, make sure that the shift posi-
tion has been changed to the desired position by checking the
shift position indicator provi ded on the instrument cluster.
● The shift position cannot be changed from P to B directly.