
2724-7. Driving tips
PRIUS c_U
◆Delays
Repeated  acceleration  and  deceleration,  as  well  as  long  waits  at
traffic  lights,  will  lead  to  bad  fuel  economy.  Check  traffic  re ports
before leaving and avoid delays as much as possible. When drivi ng
in a traffic jam, gently release the brake pedal to allow the v ehicle to
move  forward  slightly  while  avoiding  overuse  of  the  accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control  excessive gasoline consumption.
◆Highway driving
Control and maintain the vehicle at a constant speed. Before st op-
ping  at  a  toll  booth  or  similar,  allow  plenty  of  time  to  releas e  the
accelerator  and  gently  apply  the  brakes. A  greater  amount  of  el ec-
trical energy can be regenerated when slowing down.
◆Air conditioning
Use  the  air  conditioning  only  when  necessary.  Doing  so  can  help
reduce excessive gasoline consumption.
In summer: When the ambient tempe rature is high, use the recircu-
lated  air  mode.  Doing  so  will  help  to  reduce  the  burden  on  the  air
conditioning system and reduce fuel consumption as well.
In winter: Because the gasolin e engine will not automatically cut out
until it and the interior of the vehicle are warm, it will cons ume fuel.
Also, fuel consumption  can be improved by avoiding overuse of t he
heater.
◆Checking tire inflation pressure
Make  sure  to  check  the  tire  inflation  pressure  frequently.  Impr oper
tire inflation pressure can cause poor fuel economy.
Also, as snow tires can cause large amounts of friction, their use on
dry  roads can lead to poor  fuel economy. Use tires that are  app ro-
priate for the season.
◆Luggage
Carrying heavy luggage will lead  to poor fuel economy. Avoid carry-
ing unnecessary luggage. Installing  a large roof rack will also cause
poor fuel economy. 

399
7Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U7-1.  Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 400
Cleaning and protecting  the vehicle interior ........... 403
7-2.  Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 409
General maintenance........ 412
Emission inspection and  maintenance (I/M) 
programs......................... 415
7-3.  Do-it-yourself  maintenance
Do-it-yourself service  precautions ..................... 416
Hood ................................. 419
Positioning a floor jack ...... 421
Engine compartment ......... 422
12-volt battery ................... 431
Tires .................................. 435
Tire inflation pressure ....... 444
Wheels .............................. 447
Air conditioning filter.......... 449
Wireless remote control/ electronic key battery ...... 451
Checking and  replacing fuses ................ 454
Light bulbs......................... 458 

4147-2. Maintenance
PRIUS c_U
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors• Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock system work prop-erly?
Fluid leaks• There should not be any signs of fluid leakageafter the vehicle has been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire inflati on pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or exces- sively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the
maintenance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield  wipers/rear
window  wiper  (if
equipped)
• The  wiper  blades  should  not  show  any  signs
of  cracking,  splitting,  wear,  contamination  or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/
rear window without streaking or skipping.
WARNING
■If the hybrid system is operating
Turn  the  hybrid  system  off  and  ensure  that  there  is  adequate  ve ntilation
before performing maintenance checks. 

416
PRIUS c_U
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself  ser vice precautions
If  you  perform  maintenance  by  yourself,  be  sure  to  follow  the
correct procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsCheck points
12-volt battery condition  (P. 431) • Grease
• Conventional wrench 
(for terminal clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level
(P. 428)
• FMVSS  No.116  DOT  3  or  SAE  J1703  brake
fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine/power  control
unit coolant level (P. 426)
• “Toyota  Super  Long  Life  Coolant”  or  a  similar
high  quality  ethylene  glycol  based  non-sili-
cate,  non-amine,  non-nitrite  and  non-borate
coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid tech-
nology
For the U.S.A.: 
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 50% coolant and 50% deionized water.
For Canada: 
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 55% coolant and 45% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding coolant)
Engine oil level (P. 423)• “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( P. 454)• Fuse with same amperage rating as original
Light bulbs (P. 458)
• Bulb with same number and wattage rating as
original
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
• Wrench
Radiator and condenser
(P. 428)
Tire inflation pressure
( P. 444)• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source 

4367-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire  pressure  warning  valves  and   transmitters  to  detect  low  tire  infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
If  the  tire  pressure  drops  below  a  predetermined  level,  the  dri ver  is
warned by a warning light. ( P. 483)
◆Installing tire pressure warn ing valves and transmitters
When  replacing  tires  or  wheels,  tire  pressure  warning  valves  an d
transmitters must also be installed.
When  new  tire  pressure  warning  valves  and  transmitters  are
installed,  new  ID  codes  must  be  registered  in  the  tire  pressure
warning  computer  and  the  tire  pressure  warning  system  must  be
initialized.  Have  tire  pressure  warning  valve  and  transmitter  I D
codes registered by  your Toyota dealer. ( P. 437)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system  must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
● When  rotating  front  and  rear  tires  which  have  different  tire  in fla-
tion pressures
● When changing the tire size
When the tire pressure warning sy stem is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set  as the benchmark pressure.
■How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe place  and turn the power switch (vehi-
cles without a smart key system) or the power switch (vehicles
with a smart key system) off.
Initialization cannot be perfo rmed while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire i nflation
pressure level. ( P. 543)
Make  sure  to  adjust  the  tire  pre ssure  to  the  specified  cold  tire infla-
tion  pressure  level.  The  tire  pressure  warning  system  will  oper ate
based on this pr essure level.
Tire pressure warning system
1
2 

4387-3. 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. 

4397-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U■
Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of t
he replacement tire is greater than 1/2
of  the  Gross Axle  Weight  Ratings  (GAWR)  of  either  the  front  axl e  or  the
rear axle, whichever is greater.
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to hi ghway
driving under dry conditions. Si nce summer tires do not have th e same
traction  performance  as  snow  tires,  summer  tires  are  inadequate  for
driving  on  snow-covered  or  icy  ro ads.  For  driving  on  snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When  install-
ing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
●All season tires
All  season  tires  are  designed  to  provide  better  traction  in  sno w  and  to
be  adequate  for  driving  in  most  winter  conditions  as  well  as  fo r  use
year-round.  All  season  tires,  however,  do  not  have  adequate  tra ction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Al so, all
season  tires  fall  short  in  acceleration  and  handling  performanc e  com-
pared with summer tires in highway driving.
●Snow tires
For  driving  on  snow-covered  roads  or  icy  roads,  we  recommend  us ing
snow  tires.  If  you  need  snow  tires,  select  tires  of  the  same  si ze,  con-
struction  and  load  capacity  as  t he  originally  installed  tires. Since  your
vehicle  has  radial  tires  as  original  equipment,  make  sure  your  snow
tires  also  have  radial  construct ion.  Do  not  install  studded  tires  without
first  checking  local  regulations  for  possible  restrictions.  Sno w  tires
should be install ed on all wheels. ( P. 274)
■If the tread on snow tires wea rs down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost. For  the  GAWR,  see  the  Certification
Label. For the maximum load of the tire,
see  the  load  limit  at  maximum  cold  tire
inflation  pressure  mentioned  on  the
sidewall of the tire. ( P.   5 4 8 ) 

4407-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U■
If the tire pressure warning system is not functioning
The  tire  pressure  warning  syst
em  will  be  disabled  in  the  follow ing  condi-
tions:
(When the condition  becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If  tires  not  equipped  with  tire  pressure  warning  valves  and  tra nsmitters
are used
●If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmit ters is not
registered in the tire pr essure warning computer
●If  the  tire  inflation  pressure  is  70  psi  (480  kPa,  4.9  kgf/cm2  or  bar)  or
higher
The tire pressure warning system may be disabled in the followi ng condi-
tions:
(When the condition  becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If electronic devices or facilitie s using similar radio wave frequencies are
nearby
●If a radio set at a similar frequency is in use in the vehicle
●If a window tint that affects the  radio wave signals is installed
●If  there  is  a  lot  of  snow  or  ice  on  the  vehicle,  particularly  around  the
wheels or wheel housings
●If non-genuine Toyota wheels are  used (Even if you use Toyota wheels,
the tire pressure warning system may not work properly with som e types
of tires.)
●If tire chains are used
■The initialization operation
●Make sure to carry out initializ ation after adjusting the tire inflation pres-
sure.
Also, make sure the tires are co ld before carrying out initialization or tire
inflation pressure adjustment.
●If  you  have  accidentally  turned  the  power  switch  to  off  during  initializa-
tion,  it  is  not  necessary  to  press  the  reset  switch  again  as  in itialization
will restart automatically when  the power switch has been turned to the
ON mode for th e next time.
●If you accidentally press the reset switch when initialization  is not neces-
sary,  adjust  the  tire  inflation  pressure  to  the  specified  level   when  the
tires are cold, and cond uct initialization again.