Page 507 of 640
5
When trouble arises
507
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
■
Electric power steering system warning light (warning buzzer)
When the 12-volt battery charge becomes insufficient or the voltage tempo-
rarily drops, the electric power steering system warning light may come on
and the warning buzzer may sound.
■ If the malfunction indicator lamp comes on while driving
First check the following:
● Is the fuel tank cap loose?
If it is, tighten it securely.
The malfunction indicator lamp will go off after several driving trips.
If the malfunction indicator lamp does not go off even after several trips, con-
tact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level.
Pushing the tire pressure warning re set switch will not turn off the tire
pressure warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks and tire inflat ion pressure changes caused by tem-
perature. In this case, adjusting the tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will
not turn off even though the flat tire has been replaced with the spare
tire. Replace the spare tire with the re paired tire and adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure. The tire pressure wa rning light will go off after a few min-
utes.
Page 509 of 640
5
When trouble arises
509
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
■If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after blinking
for 1 minute
If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after blinking for 1
minute when the “POWER” switch
is turned to ON mode, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.
■ Customization
The vehicle speed linked seat belt reminder buzzer can be disabled.
(Customizable features P. 596) However, Toyota recommends that the
seat belt reminder buzzer be operational to alert the driver and front passen-
ger when seat belts are not fastened.
CAUTION
■ If both the ABS and the brake system warning lights remain on
Stop your vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact your Toyota
dealer. The vehicle will become extremely unstable during braking, and the
ABS system may fail, which could cause an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
■ 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.
Page 510 of 640
510 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
CAUTION
■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.
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label (tire and load information label). (If your vehicle has tires of a differ-
ent size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load information label], you should determine the
proper tire inflation pr essure for those tires.)
Page 511 of 640
5
When trouble arises
511
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
CAUTION
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS-ti re pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltal e (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale (tire pre ssure warning light) illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi ciency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illu mination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) malfunction indicator to indi cate when the system is not operat-
ing properly. The TPMS (tire pressure warning system) malfunction indi-
cator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure
warning light). When the system det ects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute an d then remain continuously illumi-
nated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as
long as the malfunction exists. When the malfunction indi cator is illumi-
nated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
Page 513 of 640
5
When trouble arises
513
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
If a warning message is displayed
If a warning is shown on the multi-information display, stay calm and
perform the following actions:
Master warning light
Multi-information display
The master warning light also
comes on or flashes in order to
indicate that a message is cur-
rently being displayed on the
multi-information display.
If any of the warning light turns on again after performing the fol-
lowing actions, contact your Toyota dealer.
Page 514 of 640
514 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
Stop the vehicle immediately.A buzzer sounds and a warning message is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display. The following warnings indicate the possibility of dam-
age to the vehicle that may lead to an accident. Immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.
Warning messageDetails
Indicates an abnormal engine oil pressure. The warning light may turn on if the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
Indicates a malfunction in the hybrid system.
Page 515 of 640
5
When trouble arises
515
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
Have the vehicle inspected 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 messageDetails
(If equipped) Indicates a malfunction in the LED headlight system.
Indicates a malfunction in the P position control sys-
tem.
In this situation, there is a possibility that the parking
lock mechanism will not work.
When parking, park the vehicle on a flat surface and
apply the parking brake securely. Also, it may not be
possible to turn the “POWER” switch off. If this hap-
pens, applying the parking brake will enable the
switch to be turned off.
Indicates that the cooling performance of the hybrid
battery is low.
Page 524 of 640
524 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
Have the malfunction repaired immediately.After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning message and light turn off.
Interior buzzerExterior buzzerWarning messageDetailsCorrection procedure
Once
(Comes on for 15 seconds.)
(Flashes) The electronic
key is not
detected when
attempting to
start the hybrid
system.
Confirm
the loca-
tion of the
electronic
key.
Once 3 times (Flashes)An open door
other than the
driver’s door is
closed while the
electronic key is
outside the
detection range
and the
“POWER”
switch is in
ACCESSORY
or ON mode.
Confirm
the loca-
tion of the
electronic
key.
