2012 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN Owners Manual

530
5-1. Essential information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
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 eyelets and the cables or chains. Always
be cautious of the surroundings and other vehicles while towing.
●Do not turn the “POWER” switch off.
This may lead to an accident as the front wheels will be locked by the
parking lock.
●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 eyelets to the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelets are installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets may come loose during towing. This
may lead to accidents that cause serious injury or even death.

5
When trouble arises
531
5-1. Essential information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
NOTICE
■To p r e v e n t d a m a g i n g t h e v e h i c l e
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 p r e v e n t c a u s i n g s e r i o u s d a m a g e t o the hybrid transmission when
towing using a wheel-lift type truck
Never tow this vehicle from the rear with the front wheels on the ground.
■To p r e v e n t b o d y d a m a g e w h e n t owing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.
■To p r e v e n t c a u s i n g s e r i o u s d a m a g e to the hybrid transmission in
emergency towing
Never tow a vehicle from the rear with four wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to the hybrid transmission.

532
5-1. Essential information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
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 conditioning after use is normal.)
●Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
●High engine coolant temperature warning light flashes or
comes on
■Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
●Excessive tire squeal when cornering
●St rang e noises re la te d 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
●Ve h i c l e p u l l s h e a v i l y t o o n e s i d e w h e n b r a k i n g
●Ve h i c l e p u l l s h e a v i l y t o o n e s i d e w h e n d r i v i n g o n a l e v e l r o a d
●Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

5
When trouble arises
533
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a war ning light tur ns 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
To y o t a d e a l e r .
*:Parking brake engaged warning buzzer:
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven at a speed of approximately 3 mph
(5 km/h) or more.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Brake system warning light and warning buzzer (red
indicator)*
•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 actions 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 occur, have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer.

534
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
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.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
Charging system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle’s charging system
High coolant temperature warning light
Indicates that the coolant temperature is too high
Changes from a flashing to a solid light when the engine
coolant temperature increases.

5
When trouble arises
535
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
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
(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
Electric power steering system warning light (warn-
ing buzzer)
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS system

536
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(Flashes)
(If equipped)
Pre-collision system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the pre-collision system
The warning light will operate as follows, even when the
system is not malfunctioning:
•The light will flash quickly when the system is operating.
(→P. 3 3 5 )
•The light will turn on when the pre-collision braking is
disabled. (→P. 3 3 6 )
•The light will turn on when the system cannot tempo-
rarily be used. (→P. 5 5 1 )
(Turns on)
Slip indicator light
Indicates a malfunction in:
•VSC;
•TRAC; or
• Hill-start assist control
Flashes when the above systems and/or ABS are oper-
ating. (→P. 3 2 9 )
Brake system warning light (yellow indicator)
Indicates a malfunction in:
•The regenerative braking system; or
•The electronically controlled brake system

(Flashes)
(If equipped)
Automatic headlight leveling system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the automatic headlight level-
ing system

(Flashes)
(If equipped)
Cruise control indicator
Indicates a malfunction in the cruise control/dynamic
radar cruise control

(Flashes)
(If equipped)
Radar cruise control indicator
Indicates a malfunction in the dynamic radar cruise con-
trol

5
When trouble arises
537
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Follow the correction procedures.
After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning light goes off.
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection
procedure
Open door warning light
(warning buzzer)*1
Indicates that a door is
not fully closed
Check that all the
doors are closed.
Low fuel level warning
light
Indicates remaining fuel
is approximately 1.6 gal.
(6.0 L, 1.3 Imp.gal.) or
less
Refuel the vehicle.
Driver’s seat belt
reminder light (warning
buzzer)*2
Warns the driver to fasten
his/her seat belts.
Fasten the seat
belt.
(On the instrument panel)
Front passenger’s seat
belt reminder light
(warning buzzer)*2
Warns the front passen-
ger to fasten his/her seat
belt.
Fasten the seat
belt.