Page 436 of 596

4367-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
■When to replace your vehicle's tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough t o
expose the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or c annot be properly repaired due to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire press ure warning valve and transmitt er is not reg-
istered, the tire pressure warni ng system will not work properly. A f t e r d r i v -
ing for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blink s for 1
minute and stays on to indi cate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified techni cian even
if it has seldom or never been u sed or damage is not obvious.
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks. Make sure to chec k tire inflation pressure as part of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.
■Low profile tires (vehicles with P195/50R16 tires)
Generally, low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire gr ip perfor-
mance will be reduced on snowy and /or icy roads when compared to
standard tires. Be sure to use snow tires or tire chains on sno wy and/or
icy roads and drive carefully at a speed appropriate for road a nd weather
conditions.
Page 440 of 596

4407-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
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 accide nt
resulting in death o r serious injury.
●Do not mix tires of different ma kes, models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of re markably different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other th an those recommended by Toyota.
●Do not mix differently constructed tires (radial, bias-belted o r bias-ply
tires).
●Do not mix summer, all season and snow tires.
●Do not use tires that have b een used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not kn ow how they were used previous ly.
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a compact spare tire installed.
■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. O therwise, the
tire pressure warning light may not come on even if the tire in flation
pressure is low, or it may come on when the tire inflation pres sure is
actually normal.
Page 442 of 596
4427-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
The recommended cold tire infla-
tion pressure and tire size are dis-
played on the tire and loading
information label. (P. 541)
Tire valve
Tire pressure gauge
Remove the tire valve cap.
Press the tip of the tire press ure gauge onto the tire valve.
Read the pressure using the gauge gradations.
If the tire inflation pressure is not at the recommended level, adjust
the pressure.
If you add too much air, press the center of the valve to defla te.
Tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure
Inspection and adjustment procedure
1
2
1
2
3
4
Page 445 of 596

4457-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U
When replacing wheels, care should be taken to ensure that they are
equivalent to those removed in load capacity, diameter, rim wid th and
inset
*.
Replacement wheels are available at your Toyota dealer.
*: Conventionally referred to as “offset”.
Toyota does not recommend using the following:
● Wheels of different sizes or types
● Used wheels
● Bent wheels that hav e been straightened
● Use only Toyota wheel nuts and wrenches designed for use with
your aluminum wheels.
● When rotating, repairing or changi ng your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight afte r driving 1000 miles (1600 km).
● Be careful not to damage the aluminum wheels when using tire
chains.
● Use only Toyota genuine balance weights or equivalent and use a
plastic or rubber hammer w hen balancing your wheels.
■When replacing wheels
The wheels of your vehicle are equipped with tire pressure warn ing
valves and transmitters that allow the tire pressure warning sy stem to
provide advance warning in the event of a loss in tire inflatio n pressure.
Whenever wheels are replaced, tir e pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters must be installed. ( P. 434)
Wheels
If a wheel is bent, cracked or heavily corroded, it should be
replaced. Otherwise, the tire may separate from the wheel or
cause a loss of handling control.
Wheel selection
Aluminum wheel pre cautions (if equipped)
Page 446 of 596

4467-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a different size from those recommended in
the Owner's Manual, as this may result in a loss of handling control.
●Never use an inner tube in a leaking wheel which is designed fo r a
tubeless tire. Doing so may resu lt in an accident, causing death or seri-
ous injury.
■When installing the wheel nuts
●Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
Oil and grease may cause the wheel nuts to be excessively tight ened,
leading to bolt or disc wheel damage. In addition, the oil or g rease can
cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel may fall off, caus ing an
accident and resulting in death or serious injury. Remove any oil or
grease from the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
NOTICE
■Replacing tire pressure warn ing valves and transmitters
●Because tire repair or replacement may affect the tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters, make sure to have tires serviced b y your
Toyota dealer or other qualified service shop. In addition, make sure to
purchase your tire pressure warning valves and transmitters at your
Toyota dealer.
●Ensure that only genuine Toyota wheels are used on your vehicle.
Tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not work prop erly
with non-genuine wheels.
●Be sure to install the wheel nuts with
the tapered ends facing inward.
Installing the nuts with the tapered
ends facing outward can cause the
wheel to break and eventually cause
the wheel to come off while driving,
which could lead to an accident
resulting in death o r serious injury.Tapered
portion
Page 483 of 596

4838-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■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 p ressure
label (tire and load information label). (If your vehicle has t ires of a dif-
ferent size than the size indica ted on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load information label], you should de termine
the proper tire inflation p ressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS -tire pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Acco rdingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure warning ligh t) 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 efficiency and tire tread lif e, and may
affect the vehicle’s handl ing and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintena nce, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS (tire pressure warn-
ing system) malfunction indicato r to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS (tire pressure warning system) mal func-
tion indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure
warning light). When the system detects a malfunction, the tell tale will
flash for approximately one mi nute and then remain continuously illumi-
nated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle star t-ups
as long as the malfunction exists . When the malfunction indicator is illu-
minated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tir e pres-
sure as intended.
TPMS (tire pressure warning system) malfunctions may occur for a vari-
ety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or al ternate tires
or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS (tire pressure w arning
system) from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS (tire pres-
sure warning system) malfunction telltale after replacing one o r more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the TPMS (tire pressure warning sys tem) to
continue to function properly.
Page 541 of 596
5419-1. Specifications
9
Vehicle specifications
PRIUS c_U
15-inch tires
16-inch tires
Tires and wheels
Tire sizeP175/65R15 84H, T125/70D16 96M
(spare)
Tire inflation pressure
(Recommended cold
tire inflation pressure)Front:
38 psi (260 kPa, 2.6 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Rear: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Spare:
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Never exceed the maximum cold tire infla-
tion pressure indicated on the tire sidewall.
Wheel size 15 5J, 16 4T (spare)
Wheel nut torque 76 ft•lbf (103 N•m, 10.5 kgf•m)
Tire size P195/50R16 83V, T125/70D16 96M
(spare)
Front and rear tire inflation
pressure
(Recommended cold tire
inflation pressure)Front:
32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Rear:
29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Spare: 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Never exceed the maximum cold tire infla-
tion pressure indicated on the tire sidewall.
Wheel size 16 6J, 16 4T (spare)
Wheel nut torque 76 ft•lbf (103 N•m, 10.5 kgf•m)
Page 546 of 596
5469-1. Specifications
PRIUS c_U
Full-size tire
Compact spare tire
Tire information
Typical tire symbols