4768-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS c_U
●Fluid leaks un der the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air conditioning a fter use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● is shown on the multi-information display
● Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the hybrid system
● Engine missing, stumb ling or running roughly
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one s ide when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling, pedal almost touch es
the floor
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the followi ng symptoms, your vehicle proba -
bly needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms
4808-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS c_U
*1: Brake system warning buzzer: When there is a possible problem that could affect braking perf ormance,
the warning light will come on and a warning buzzer will sound.
*2: Parking brake engaged warning buzzer P. 205, 489
*3: Driver’s seat belt buzzer: Vehicles without a smart key system: The driver’s seat belt buzzer sounds
to alert the driver that his or her seat belt is not fastened. Once the power
switch is turned to the “ON” position, the buzzer sounds for 6 seconds. If
the vehicle reaches a speed of 12 mph (20 km/h), the buzzer sounds once.
If the seat belt is still unfastened after 24 seconds, the buzzer will sound
intermittently for 10 seconds. Then, if the seat belt is still unfastened, the
buzzer will sound in a different tone for 20 more seconds.
Vehicles with a smart key system: The driver’s seat belt buzzer sounds to
alert the driver that his or her seat belt is not fastened. Onc e the power
switch is turned to ON mode, the buzzer sounds for 6 seconds. I f the vehi-
cle reaches a speed of 12 mph (20 km/h), the buzzer sounds once. If the
seat belt is still unfastened after 24 seconds, the buzzer will sound intermit-
tently for 10 seconds. Then, if the seat belt is still unfasten ed, the buzzer
will sound in a different tone for 20 more seconds.
Front passenger’s seat belt buzzer:
The front passenger’s seat belt buzzer sounds to alert the fron t passenger
that his or her seat belt is not fastened. The buzzer sounds on ce if the
vehicle reaches a speed of 12 mph (20 km/h). If the seat belt i s still unfas-
tened after 24 seconds, the buzzer will sound intermittently fo r 10 seconds.
Then, if the seat belt is still unfastened, the buzzer will sou nd in a different
tone for 20 more seconds.
Tire pressure warning light When the light comes on:
Low tire inflation pressure such as
• Natural causes ( P. 4 8 1 )
• Flat tire ( P. 502)
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified
level.
The light will turn off after a few minutes. In case
the light does not turn off even if the tire inflation
pressure is adjusted, have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
When the light comes on after blinking for 1 minute:
Malfunction in t he tire pressure warning system
( P. 4 8 2 )
Have the system checked by your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions
4818-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
PRIUS c_U
■SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front impact
sensors, side impact sensors (front door), side impact sensors (front), side
impact sensors (rear), driver’s seat belt buckle switch, front passenger occu-
pant classification system, “AIR BAG ON” indicator light, “AIR BAG OFF” indi-
cator light, front passenger’s seat belt buckle switch, seat be lt pretensioners
(front), airbags, interconnecting wiring and power sources. ( P. 41)
■ Front passenger detection senso r, passenger seat belt reminder and
warning buzzer
● If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front pas senger detec-
tion sensor may cause the warning light to flash and the warnin g 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 wa rning light (warning buzzer)
When the 12-volt battery charge becomes insufficient or the vol tage 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 light will go off after several driving trips.
If the light does not go off even after several trips, contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level. Push-
ing the tire pressur e warning reset switch will not turn off the tire pressure
warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural caus es
The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural caus es such
as natural air leaks and tire inflation pressure changes caused by tem-
perature. In this case, adjusting the tire inflation pressure w ill turn off the
warning light (afte r a few minutes).
■When a tire is replace d with a spare tire
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure war ning valve
and transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will not
turn off even though the flat tire has been replaced with the s pare tire.
Replace the spare tire with the repaired tire and adjust the ti re inflation
pressure. The tire pressure war ning light will go off after a few minutes.
4828-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS c_U■
If the tire pressure warning system is not functioning
P. 438
■
If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after bl inking
for 1 minute
If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after bl inking for 1
minute when the power switch is turned to the “ON” position (ve hicles
without a smart key system) or the power switch is turned to ON mode
(vehicles with a smart key system) , have it checked by your Toyota
dealer.
■ Customization that can be configured at Toyota dealer
The vehicle speed linked seat belt reminder buzzer can be disab led. (Cus-
tomizable features: P. 558) However, Toyota recommends that the seat belt
reminder buzzer be operational to alert the driver and front pa ssenger when
seat belts are not fastened.
■ Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not be heard because of noisy pla ce or an
audio sound.
WARNING
■ When the electric power steering system warning light comes on
The steering wheel may become extremely heavy.
When steering wheel operations are heavier than usual, grip the steering
wheel firmly and operate it using more force than usual.
■
If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause a loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust t he tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inf lation pres-
sure adjustment, it is probable that you have a flat tire. Chec k the tires.
If a tire is flat, change it with the spare tire and have the f lat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires dete riorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning system may not activate immediately.
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.
5028-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS c_U
●Stop the vehicle in a safe place on a hard, flat surface.
● Set the parking brake.
● Shift the shift lever to P.
● Stop the hybrid system.
● Turn on the emergency flashers. ( P. 466)
If you have a flat tire
Your vehicle is equipped with a spare tire. The flat tire can b e
replaced with the spare tire.
For details about tires: P. 4 3 3
WARNING
■If you have a flat tire
Do not continue driving with a flat tire.
Driving even a short distance wit h a flat tire can damage the tire and the
wheel beyond repair, which cou ld result in an accident.
Before jacking up the vehicle
5048-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■Using the tire jack
Observe the following precautions.
Improper use of the tire jack may cause the vehicle to suddenly fall off
the jack, leading to death or serious injury.
●Do not use the tire jack for any purpose other than replacing t ires or
installing and removing tire chains.
●Only use the tire jack that comes with this vehicle for replacing a flat
tire.
Do not use it on other vehicles, and do not use other tire jack s for
replacing tires on this vehicle.
●Put the jack properl y in its jack point.
●Do not put any part of your body under the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack.
●Do not start or run the hybrid system while your vehicle is sup ported by
the jack.
●Do not raise the vehicle w hile someone is inside.
●When raising the vehicle, do not put an object on or under the jack.
●Do not raise the vehicle to a height greater than that required to
replace the tire.
●Use a jack stand if it is nece ssary to get under the vehicle.
●When lowering the vehicle, make sure that there is no-one near the
vehicle. If there are people nearb y, warn them vocally before lowering.
5078-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
PRIUS c_U
Chock the tires.
For vehicles with steel wheels,
remove the wheel cover using
the wrench.
To protect the wheel cover, place
a rag between the wrench and
the wheel cover.
Slightly loosen the wheel nuts
(one turn).
Vehicles with steel wheels: Make
sure to remove the wheel cover
before loosening the wheel nuts.
Replacing a flat tire
1
Flat tireWheel chock positions
FrontLeft-hand sideBehind the rear right-hand side tire
Right-hand sideBehind the rear left-hand side tire
RearLeft-hand sideIn front of the front right-hand side tire
Right-hand sideIn front of the front left-hand side tire
2
3