1164-1. Before driving
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
●Vehicles with a continuously variable transmission: Always apply the park-
ing brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever in P but the parking brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident.
Vehicles with a manual transmission: Always apply the parking brake,
stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire
due to engine 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.
1184-1. Before driving
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle (vehicles with a manual transmission)
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain driving torque.
●Do not shift gears unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed. After shifting,
do not release the clutch pedal abruptly. Doing so may damage the clutch,
transmission and gears.
●Observe the following to prevent the clutch from being damaged.
• Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
• Do not use any gear other than the 1st gear when starting off and mov-
ing forward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
• Do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle when stopping on an uphill
grade.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R when the vehicle is still moving. Doing so
may damage the clutch, transmission and gears.
■When parking the vehicle (vehicles with a continuously variable trans-
mission)
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for
an extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
1294-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
■Turning the key from “ACC” to “LOCK”
Shift the shift lever to P (continuously variable transmission) or N (manual
transmission). (→P. 131, 137)
■If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. (→P. 66)
Contact your Toyota dealer.
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■Key reminder function
A buzzer sounds if the driver’s door is opened while the engine switch is in
the “LOCK” or “ACC” position to remind you to remove the key.Push in the key and turn it to the
“LOCK” position.
1
2
When starting the engine, the engine
switch may seem stuck in the “LOCK”
position. To free it, turn the key while turn-
ing the steering wheel slightly left and
right.
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution when driving
Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position while driving. If, in an
emergency, you must turn the engine off while the vehicle is moving, turn
the engine switch only to the “ACC” position to stop the engine. An accident
may result if the engine is stopped while driving. (→P. 283)
1334-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
To enter 7-speed sport sequential shiftmatic mode, shift the shift lever
to M. Gear steps can then be selected by operating the shift lever,
allowing you to drive in the gear step of your choosing.
Upshifting
Downshifting
The gear changes once every time
the shift lever is operated.
The selected gear step, from M1 to
M7, will be displayed in the meter.
However, even when in the M position, the gear steps will be auto-
matically changed if the engine speed is too high, or too low.
■Gear step functions
●You can choose from 7 levels of engine braking force.
●A lower gear step will provide greater engine braking force than a higher
gear step, and the engine speed will also increase.
■If the 7-speed sport sequential shiftmatic mode indicator does not come
on even after shifting the shift lever to M
This may indicate a malfunction in the continuously variable transmission
system. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the transmission will operate in the same manner as when
the shift lever is in D.)
■When the vehicle comes to a stop with the shift lever in the M position
●The transmission will automatically downshift to M1 once the vehicle is
stopped.
●After a stop, the vehicle will start off in M1.
●When the vehicle is stopped, the transmission is set at M1.
Changing gear steps in the M position
1
2
1864-6. Using the driving support systems
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
◆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
◆TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from
spinning when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
◆Hill-start assist control
Helps to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward when starting on
an incline
◆EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to
turn the steering wheel
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following
systems operate automatically in response to various driving
situations. Be aware, however, that these systems are supple-
mentary and should not be relied upon too heavily when operat-
ing the vehicle.
1884-6. Using the driving support systems
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
■Turning off both TRAC and VSC systems
To turn the TRAC and VSC systems off, press and hold for more than 3
seconds while the vehicle is stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will come on and the “Traction Control Turned
Off” will be shown on the multi-information display.
Press again to turn the systems back on.
■When the message is displayed on the multi-information display show-
ing that TRAC has been disabled even if has not been pressed
TRAC and hill-start assist control cannot be operated. Contact your Toyota
dealer.
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, TRAC and VSC
systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate
that a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are
operating. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.
■Automatic reactivation of TRAC and VSC systems
After turning the TRAC and VSC systems off, the systems will be automati-
cally re-enabled in the following situations:
●When the engine switch is turned to the “LOCK” position
●If only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC will turn on when vehicle
speed increases
If both the TRAC and VSC systems are turned off, automatic re-enabling will
not occur when vehicle speed increases.
■Reduced effectiveness of the EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS system is reduced to prevent the system from
overheating when there is frequent steering input over an extended period of
time. The steering wheel may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur, refrain
from excessive steering input or stop the vehicle and turn the engine off. The
EPS system should return to normal within 10 minutes.
1894-6. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)■Operating conditions of hill-start assist control
When the following four conditions are met, the hill-start assist control will
operate:
●Vehicles with a continuously variable transmission: The shift lever is in a
position other than P or N (when starting off forward/backward on an upward
incline).
●Vehicles with a manual transmission: The shift lever is in a position other
than R when starting off forward on an upward incline or in R when starting
off backward on an upward incline.
●The vehicle is stopped.
●The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
●The parking brake is not engaged.
■Automatic system cancelation of hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn off in any of the following situations:
●Vehicles with a continuously variable transmission: The shift lever is moved
to P or N.
●Vehicles with a manual transmission: The shift lever is shifted to R when
starting off forward on an upward incline or from R when starting off back-
ward on an upward incline.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed.
●The parking brake is engaged.
●Approximately 2 seconds elapse after the brake pedal is released.
1904-6. Using the driving support systems
COROLLA iM_U (OM12K64U)
WARNING
■The ABS does not operate effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping performance have been exceeded (such as
excessively worn tires on a snow covered road).
●The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on wet or slick roads.
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating may exceed that of nor-
mal conditions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle’s stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, especially in the
following situations:
●When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
●When driving over bumps in the road
●When driving over roads with potholes or uneven surfaces
■TRAC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be achievable while driving on slip-
pery road surfaces, even if the TRAC system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in conditions where stability and power may be
lost.
■Hill- start assist control does not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on hill-start assist control. Hill-start assist control may
not operate effectively on steep inclines and roads covered with ice.
●Unlike the parking brake, hill-start assist control is not intended to hold the
vehicle stationary for an extended period of time. Do not attempt to use
hill-start assist control to hold the vehicle on an incline, as doing so may
lead to an accident.
■When the VSC is activated
The slip indicator light flashes. Always drive carefully. Reckless driving may
cause an accident. Exercise particular care when the indicator light flashes.
■When the TRAC or VSC system is turned off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed appropriate to the road condi-
tions. As these are the systems help ensure vehicle stability and driving
force, do not turn the TRAC or VSC system off unless necessary.