396
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
7-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
● To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■ Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
● Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■ Antenna installation and removal precautions
●Before driving, ensure that the antenna is installed.
● When the antenna is removed, such as before entering an automatic car
wash, make sure to store it in a suitable place so as not to lose it. Also,
before driving, make sure to reinstal l the antenna in its original position.
■ When using a high pressure car wash
Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following parts. The parts may be damaged if they
come into contact with high-pressure water.
●Traction related parts
● Steering parts
● Suspension parts
● Brake parts
404
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
7-2. Maintenance
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly(without uneven pedal effort or catching).
Hybrid transmission
“Park” mechanism• When parked on a slope and the shift position
is in P, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clear-ance from the floor? ( P. 542)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of free play? ( P. 542)
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when
the brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes are applied.
Head restraints• Do the head restraints move smoothly andlock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function prop-erly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake pedal movesmoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Seat belts• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct
amount of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds com- ing from the steering wheel.
471
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
8
When trouble arises
8-1. Essential information
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an
emergency
Steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet and firmly depress it.
Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly as this will increase the effort
required to slow the vehicle.
Shift the shift position to N.
If the shift position is shifted to N
After slowing down, stop the vehicle in a safe place by the road.
Stop the hybrid system.
If the shift position cannot be shifted to N
Keep depressing the brake pedal with both feet to reduce vehicle
speed as much as possible.
To stop the hybrid system,
press and hold the power
switch for 2 consecutive sec-
onds or more, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place by the road.
Only in an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop
the vehicle in the normal way, stop the vehicle using the follow-
ing procedure:
1
2
3
4
3
Press and hold for 2 seconds or more,
or press briefly for 3 times or more
4
WARNING
■If the hybrid system has to be turned off while driving
Power assist for the steering wheel will be lost, making the steering wheel
heavier to turn. Decelerate as much as possible before turning off the hybrid
system.
5
4748-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergency
towing eyelets. This should only be attempted on hard surfaced roads
for a short distance at under 18 mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.Take out the towing eyelet. ( P. 507)
Remove the eyelet cover using
a flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a
rag between the screwdriver and
the vehicle body as shown in the
illustration.
Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by
hand.
Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut
wrench or hard metal bar.
Emergency towing
Emergency towing procedure
1
2
3
4
4758-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
8
When trouble arises
Securely attach cables or chains to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehicle body.
Enter the vehicle being towed and start the hybrid system.
If the hybrid system does not start, turn the power switch to ON mode.
Shift the shift position to N and release the parking brake.
■While towing
If the hybrid system is off, the power assist for the brakes and steering will not
function, making steering and braking more difficult.
■ Wheel nut wrench
Wheel nut wrench is instal led in luggage compartment. ( P. 507)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
■ While towing
●When towing using cables or chains, avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelet, cables or chains. The towing eyelet,
cables or chains may become dam aged, broken debris may hit people and
cause serious damage.
● Do not turn the power switch off.
This may lead to an accident as the front wheels will be locked by the
parking lock.
■ Installing towing eyelets to the vehicle
●The towing eyelets are only for the vehicle equipped with them. Do not use
the towing eyelets for another vehicle, and do not use the towing eyelets
for this vehicle on another vehicle.
● Make sure that towing eyelets are installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets may come loose during towing.
5
6
7
Be sure to transport the vehicle with the
front wheels raised or with all four wheels
raised off the ground. If the vehicle is
towed with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged or electricity gen-
erated by the operation of the motor may
cause a fire to occur depending on the
nature of the damage or malfunction.
4798-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
8
When trouble arises
SRS warning lightIndicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The front passenger occupant classification system; or
• The seat belt pretensioner system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
ABS warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS; or
• The brake assist system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Electric power steering system warning light (warning
buzzer)
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing) system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
(Flashes or
illuminates)
(If equipped)
PCS warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the PCS (Pre-Collision System)
or that the system is temporarily unavailable due to the
vehicle being extremely hot/cold, or dirt around a front
sensor, etc.
Follow the instructions displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. ( P. 216, 478)
If the PCS (Pre-Collision System) or VSC (Vehicle Stability
Control) system is disabled, the PCS warning light will illu-
minate.
P. 216
Slip indicator light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The VSC system;
• The TRAC system; or
• The hill-start assist control system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
The light will flash when the above systems and/or ABS
are operating.
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions
4808-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
LDA indicator (warning buzzer)Indicates that the LDA (Lane D eparture Alert with steering
control) system is not available temporarily or has
detected a malfunction when the warning light is illumi-
nated in yellow and a warning message is displayed on
the multi-information display.
P. 226
High coolant temperature warning light
Changes from a flashing to a solid light when the engine
coolant temperature increases
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place. ( P. 528)
(If equipped)
Automatic headlight leveling system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the automatic headlight leveling
system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Open door warning light (warning buzzer)*2
Indicates that a door is not fully closed
Check that all the doors are closed.
Low fuel level warning light
Indicates that remaining fuel is approximately 1.6 gal.
(6.0 L, 1.3 Imp.gal.) or less
Refuel the vehicle.
Driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
(warning buzzer)
*3
Warns the driver and/or front passenger to fasten their
seat belts
Fasten the seat belt.
If the front passenger’s seat is occupied, the front
passenger’s seat belt also needs to be fastened to
make the warning light (warning buzzer) turn off.
Rear passengers’ seat belt reminder lights (warning
buzzer)
*4
Warns the rear passengers to fasten their seat belts
Fasten the seat belt.
Master warning light
A buzzer sounds and the warning light comes on and
flashes to indicate that the master warning system has
detected a malfunction.
P. 487
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions
4828-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS v_OM_OM47B78U_(U)
■SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front impact
sensors, side impact sensors (front), side impact sensors (front door), side
impact sensors (rear), driver’s seat position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle
switch, front passenger occupant classification system (ECU and sensors),
“PASSENGER AIR BAG” indicator, front passenger’s seat belt buckle switch,
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, airbags, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. ( P. 4 1 )
■ Front passenger detection sensor, seat belt reminder and warning
buzzer
●If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front passenger detec-
tion sensor may cause the warning light to flash and the warning buzzer to
sound even if a passenger is not sitting in the seat.
● If a cushion is placed on the seat, the sensor may not detect a passenger,
and the warning light may not operate properly.
■ Electric power steering system warning light (warning buzzer)
When the 12-volt battery charge becomes insufficient of 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 empty?
If it is, fill the fuel tank immediately.
● 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.