2012 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUS ESP

166 1-8. Safety information
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
CAUTION
SRS airbag precautions
The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very
close to the airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the air-
bag as possible with the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or
seriously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small
to use a seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint sys-
tem. Toyota strongly recommends that all infants and children be placed in
the rear seats of the vehicle and properly restrained. The rear seats are
safer for infants and children than the front passenger seat. (P. 173)

203 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
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. 304)
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 300 km (200 miles):
Avoid sudden stops.
For the first 1600 km (1000 miles):
• 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

205 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
CAUTION
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. This allows you to depress the brake and acceler-
ator 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.
Because there is no engine noise when the vehicle is being driven using
the electric motor, pedestrians in the vicinity may not notice the vehicle.
Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
Do not let the vehicle roll backward while a forward driving position is
selected, or roll forward while the shift position is in R.
Doing so may result in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
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 any authorized
Toyota dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped profes-
sional immediately.

226 2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
Selecting a driving mode
The following modes can be selected to suit driving conditions:
Eco drive mode
Suitable for improving the fuel economy, because the torque cor-
responding to the accelerator pedal depression amount can be
generated more smoothly than it is in normal conditions and the
operation of the air conditioning system (heating/cooling) will be
minimized.
When the “ECO MODE” switch is pressed, the “ECO MODE” indicator
comes on.
Power mode
Use when high levels of response and feeling are desirable,
such as when driving in mountainous regions or when overtak-
ing.
When the power mode switch is pressed, the power mode indicator
comes on.

247 2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
Engine speed
On hybrid vehicles, engine speed is precisely controlled in order to help
improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions etc.
There are times when the engine speed that is displayed may differ even
when vehicle operation and driving conditions are the same.
Brightness of the instrument cluster light
If the headlight switch is turned to ON while the surrounding area is dark, the
instrument cluster lights will dim.
When disconnecting and reconnecting 12-volt battery terminals
The average fuel consumption and cruising range will be reset.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the engine and its components
The engine may be overheating if the high coolant temperature warning light
comes on or flashes. In this case, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place, and check the engine after it has cooled completely. (P. 528)
The trip information display at low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to warm up before using the liquid crystal
information display. At extremely low temperatures, the information display
monitor may respond slowly, and display changes may be delayed.

259 2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)Press the display position adjust-
ment switch to select ON or OFF.
Press and hold the “SET” switch.
STEP 3
System check display
After switching the “POWER” switch to ON mode, “welcome to PRIUS +” is
displayed while system operation is checked. When the system check is
complete, the normal screen will return.
When driving on snowy roads or in other bright environments
When the highest level of brightness has been reached, the display can be
made even brighter by pressing and holding “” on the brightness control
button.
Pressing “” on the brightness control button or turning the “POWER” switch
off will cause the brightness level to revert to the original level.
Head-up display
The head-up display may seem dark and hard to see when viewed
through sunglasses, especially polarized sunglasses.
Adjust the brightness of the head-up display or remove your sunglasses.
When the head-up display is turned off, it will remain off even if the power
switch is turned to ON mode after the power switch has been turned off.
When the 12-volt battery is disconnected
The head-up display settings will be reset.
STEP 4

283 2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
Changing the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
Pressing the button changes
the vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance as follows:
Long
Medium
Short
The vehicle-to-vehicle distance
is set automatically to long
mode when the “POWER”
switch is turned to ON mode.
If a vehicle is running ahead of
you, the preceding vehicle
mark will also be displayed.
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance settings
Select a distance from the table below. Note that the distances
shown correspond to a vehicle speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance increases/decreases in accordance with
vehicle speed.
Preceding vehicle mark
Distance optionsVehicle-to-vehicle distance
LongApproximately 50 m (160 ft.)
MediumApproximately 40 m (130 ft.)
ShortApproximately 30 m (100 ft.)

298
2-4. Using other driving systems
PRIUS +_OM_OM47821E_(EE)
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following sys-
tems operate automatically in response to various driving situations.
Be aware, however, that these systems are supplementary and
should not be relied upon too heavily 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
TRC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spin-
ning when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel