1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
PRIUS c_U
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■ When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. ( P. 263)
■ For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are similar to conventional vehicles, and it
is necessary to refrain from activities such as sudden accelera tion. (P. 269)
■ Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the r ain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properl y.
■ Restraining the hybrid system o utput (Brake Override System)
● When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the
hybrid system output may be restrained.
● A warning message is displayed on the multi-information display while the
system is operating. ( P. 494)
■ Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)
● When the following unusual operation is performed, the hybrid s ystem out-
put may be restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted (from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to
R) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on
the multi-information display. (D includes B position) ( P. 494)
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed too much while the veh icle is in
reverse.
● While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In such a case, deactivate TRAC
( P. 264) to cancel Drive-Start Control so that the vehicle may b ecome able
to escape from the mud or fresh snow.
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3
1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turni ng the hybrid
system off while driving will not cause loss of steering or bra king control,
however, power assist to the steering will be lost. This will m ake it more
difficult to steer smoothly, so you should pull over and stop t he vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: P. 467
● Use engine braking (shift position B) to maintain a safe speed when driv-
ing down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 200)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal sp eed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicl e has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may resu lt in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed c apability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
1744-1. Before driving
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippa ge and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads m ay prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.
■ When shifting the shift lever
● Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is i n a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may result in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving f orward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the ve hicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Shifting the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
hybrid system. Engine braking is not available when N is select ed.
● Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pe dal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to any position other than P or N may lead to unex-
pected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an acci dent and
result in death or serious injury.
■ If you hear a squealing or scrap ing noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.
1774-1. Before driving
4
Driving
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidental ly move the
shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or
fire due to hybrid system 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.
■ When braking
● When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this ma y cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other sid e. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the electronically controlled brake system does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal sh ould be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance wi ll increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the other(s) will still operate. In t his case, the
brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking
distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
NOTICE
■ When driving the vehicle
● Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same tim e during
driving, as this may restrain the hybrid system output.
● Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. F ailure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate sud denly if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
2294-5. Toyota Safety Sense C
4
Driving
PRIUS c_U
The system can detect the following:
P. 2 3 2
● Vehicles
● Pedestrians
■Pre-collision warning
When the system determines
that the possibility of a frontal
collision is high, a buzzer will
sound and a warning message
will be displayed on the multi-
information display to urge the
driver to take evasive action.
■Pre-collision brake assist
When the system determines that the possibility of a frontal colli-
sion with a vehicle or pedestrian is high, the system applies greater
braking force in relation to how strongly the brake pedal is
depressed.
PCS (Pre-Collision System)
The pre-collision system uses the front sensor to detect objects
( P. 229) in front of the vehicle. When the system determines
that the possibility of a front al collision with an object is h igh, a
warning operates to urge the driver to take evasive action and
the potential brake pressure is increased to help the driver av oid
the collision. If the system determines that the possibility of a
frontal collision with an object i s extremely high, the brakes are
automatically applied to help av oid the collision or help reduce
the impact of the collision.
The pre-collision system can b e disabled/enabled and the warnin g
timing can be changed. ( P. 2 3 2 )
Detectable objects
System functions
2304-5. Toyota Safety Sense C
PRIUS c_U■
Pre-collision braking
If the system determines that the
possibility of a frontal collision is
extremely high, a buzzer will sound and the brakes are automati -
cally applied to help avoid the collision or reduce the impact of the
collision.
WARNING
■ Limitations of the pre-collision system
● The driver is solely responsible for safe driving. Always drive safely, taking
care to observe your surroundings.
Do not use the pre-collision system instead of normal braking o perations
under any circumstances. This system will not prevent collision s or lessen
collision damage or injury in every situation. Do not overly re ly on this sys-
tem. Failure to do so may lead to an accident, resulting in dea th or serious
injury.
● Although this system is designed to help avoid a collision or h elp reduce
the impact of the collision, its effectiveness may change according to vari-
ous conditions, therefore the system may not always be able to achieve
the same level of performance.
Read the following conditions carefully. Do not overly rely on this system
and always drive carefully.
• Conditions under which the system may operate even if there is no pos-
sibility of a collision: P. 234
• Conditions under which the system may not operate properly: P. 236
● Do not attempt to test the operation of the pre-collision syste m yourself
Depending on the objects used for testing (dummies, cardboard o bjects
imitating detectable objects, etc.), the system may not operate properly,
possibly leading to an accident.
■ Pre-collision braking
● When the pre-collision braking function is operating, a large a mount of
braking force will be applied.
● If the vehicle is stopped by the operation of the pre-collision braking func-
tion, the pre-collision braking function operation will be canceled after
approximately 2 seconds. Depress the brake pedal as necessary.
● The pre-collision braking function may not operate if certain o perations are
performed by the driver. If the accelerator pedal is being depressed
strongly or the steering wheel is being turned, the system may determine
that the driver is taking evasive action and possibly prevent t he pre-colli-
sion braking function from operating.
● In some situations, while the pre-collision braking function is operating,
operation of the function may be canceled if the accelerator pe dal is
depressed strongly or the steering wheel is turned and the syst em deter-
mines that the driver is taking evasive action.
2384-5. Toyota Safety Sense C
PRIUS c_U• If the wheels are misaligned
• If a wiper blade is blocking the camera sensor
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely high speeds
• When driving on a hill
• When there is a laser reflecting object (manhole cover, reflec
tive plate,
etc.), steps, or a protrusion in front of your vehicle
• If the radar sensor or camera sensor is misaligned
● In some situations such as the following, sufficient braking fo rce may not be
obtained, preventing the system from performing properly:
• If the braking functions cannot operate to their full extent, such as when
the brake parts are extremely cold, extremely hot, or wet
• If the vehicle is not properly maintained (brakes or tires are excessively
worn, improper tire inflation pressure, etc.)
• When the vehicle is being driven on a gravel road or other sli ppery sur-
face
■ If VSC is disabled
●If VSC is disabled ( P. 265), the pre-collision brake assist and pre-collision
braking functions are also disabled.
● The PCS warning light will turn on and “VSC TURNED OFF PRE-COLL I-
SION BRAKE SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE” will be displayed on the multi-i nfor-
mation display. • If the front of the vehicle is raised or
lowered
2504-6. Using the driving support systems
PRIUS c_U
To change the set speed, operate the lever until the desired se t speed
is obtained.
Increases the speed
Decreases the speed
Fine adjustment: Momentarily
move the lever in the desired direc-
tion.
Large adjustment: Hold the lever in
the desired direction.
The set speed will be increased or decreased as follows:
Fine adjustment: By approximately 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time th e lever is
operated.
Large adjustment: The set speed can be increased or decreased c ontinu-
ally until the lever is released.
Pulling the lever toward you
cancels the c onstant speed
control.
The speed setting is also canceled
when the brakes are applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes
the constant speed control.
Resuming is available when the
vehicle speed is more than approx-
imately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Adjusting the set speed
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2
Canceling and resuming t he constant speed control
1
2