2674-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)
WARNING
■ Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or
serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
● Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
● Do not drive at speeds in excess of the speed limit or the speed limit spec-
ified for the snow tires being used.
● Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.
■ Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely,
and may cause death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 50 km/h (30 mph), whichever is lower.
● Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
● Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shifting
operations that cause sudden engine braking.
● Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle con-
trol is maintained.
■ When parking the vehicle
When parking the vehicle without applying the parking brake, make sure to
chock the wheels. If you do not chock the wheels, the vehicle may move
unexpectedly, possibly resulting in an accident.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from any authorized Toyota
dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional or
legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the opera-
tion of the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters.
■ Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.
299
6Maintenance and care
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 300
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 305
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements.................... 308
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions ...................... 311
Hood .................................. 313
Positioning a floor jack ....... 315
Engine compartment.......... 317
12-volt battery .................... 327
Tires ................................... 331
Tire inflation pressure ........ 343
Wheels ............................... 345
Air conditioning filter .......... 347
Wiper rubber replacement ..................... 349
Electronic key battery ........ 351
Checking and replacing fuses ................................ 353
Light bulbs ......................... 357
3096-2. Maintenance
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
■Where to go for maintenance service?
In order to maintain your vehicle in the best possible condition, Toyota recom-
mends that maintenance service operations as well as other inspections and
repairs be carried out by authorized Toyota dealers or repairers or other duly
qualified and equipped professionals. For repairs and services covered by
your warranty, please visit an authorized Toyota dealer or repairer, who will
use genuine Toyota parts in repairing any difficulties you may encounter.
There can also be advantages in utilizing authorized Toyota dealers or repair-
ers for non-warranty repairs and services, as members of the Toyota network
will be able to expertly assist you with any difficulties you may encounter.
Your Toyota dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped profes-
sional will perform all of the scheduled maintenance on your vehicle reliably
and economically due to their experience with Toyota vehicles.
■ Does your vehicle need repairs?
Be on the alert for changes in performance and sounds, and visual tip-offs
that indicate service is needed. Some important clues are:
●Engine missing, stumbling or pinging
● Appreciable loss of power
● Strange engine noises
● A fluid leak under the vehicle (However, water dripping from the air condi-
tioning system after use is normal.)
● Change in exhaust sound (This may indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and have the exhaust system checked
immediately.)
● Flat-looking tires, excessive tire squeal when cornering, uneven tire wear
● Vehicle pulls to one side when driven straight on a level road
● Strange noises related to suspension movement
● Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling brake pedal, pedal almost
touches the floor, vehicle pulls to one side when braking
● Engine coolant temperature c ontinually higher than normal ( →P. 380, 444)
If you notice any of these clues, take your vehicle to any authorized Toyota
dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional as
soon as possible. Your vehicle may need adjustment or repair.
3316-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
Tires
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Worn tread
The location of treadwear indica-
tors is shown by the “TWI” or “∆”
marks, etc., molded on the sidewall
of each tire.
Check spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and help
extend tire life, Toyota recom-
mends that tire rotation is carried
out approximately every 10000 km
(6000 miles).
Do not fail to initialize the tire pres-
sure warning system after tire rota-
tion.
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
Checking tires
1
2
3
Tire rotation
Front
3326-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a warning light. (→P. 381)
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter.
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pressure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID
codes registered by any authorized Toyota dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional. ( →P. 333)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
● When rotating front and rear tires which have different tire infla-
tion pressures
● When changing the tire size
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system
3346-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to expose
the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage.
● A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size or
location of a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with any authorized Toyota dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional.
■ Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not regis-
tered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driving for
about 10 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minute and stays
on to indicate a system malfunction.
■ Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it
has seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■ Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation pres-
sure checks. Make sure to check tire inflation pressure as part of your routine
of daily vehicle checks.
■ If the tread on snow tires wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost.
3366-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)■
The initialization operation
●Make sure to carry out initialization after adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before carrying out initialization or tire
inflation pressure adjustment.
● If you have accidentally turned the power switch off during initialization, it is
not necessary to press the reset switch again as initialization will restart
automatically when the power switch has been turned to ON mode for the
next time.
● If you accidentally press the reset switch when initialization is not necessary,
adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified level when the tires are
cold, and conduct initialization again.
■ Warning performance of the tire pressure warning system
The warning of the tire pressure warning system will change in accordance
with the conditions under which it was initialized. For this reason, the system
may give a warning even if the tire pressure does not reach a low enough
level, or if the pressure is higher than the pressure that was adjusted to when
the system was initialized.
■ When initialization of the tire pressure warning system has failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the following
cases, the settings have not been recorded and the system will not operate
properly. If repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are
unsuccessful, have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Toyota dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
● When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pressure
warning light does not blink 3 times.
● After carrying out the initialization procedure, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving for 20 minutes.
3416-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS +_OM_OM47888E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
WARNING
■ When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to parts of the drive train as well as
dangerous handling characteristics, which may lead to an accident resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Do not mix tires of different makes, models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably different treadwear.
● Do not use tire sizes other than those recommended by Toyota.
● Do not mix differently constructed tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply
tires).
● Do not mix summer, all season and snow tires.
● Do not use tires that have been used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know how they were used previously.
● Vehicles with a compact spare tire: Do not tow if your vehicle has a com-
pact spare tire installed.
● Vehicles with an emergency tire puncture repair kit: Do not tow anything if
a tire that has been repaired using the emergency tire puncture repair kit is
installed. The load on the tire may cause unexpected damage to the tire.
■ When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not operate the tire pressure warning reset switch without first adjusting
the tire inflation pressure to the specified level. Otherwise, the tire pressure
warning light may not come on even if the tire inflation pressure is low, or it
may come on when the tire inflation pressure is actually normal.