
801-3. Hybrid system
PRIUS c_U■
Sounds and vibrations sp ecific to a hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sound or vibration even though the vehic le is able to
move with the “READY” indicator is illuminated. For safety, app ly the parking
brake and make sure to shift the shift lever to P when parked.
The following sounds or vibrations may occur when the hybrid sy stem is
operating and are not a malfunction:
● Motor sounds may be heard from the engine compartment.
● Sounds may be heard from the hybrid battery (traction battery) under the
rear seats when the hybrid system starts or stops.
● Relay operating sounds such as a snap or soft clank will be emi tted from the
hybrid battery (traction battery), under the rear seats, when the hybrid sys-
tem is started or stopped.
● Sounds from the hybrid system may be heard when the back door is open.
● Sounds may be heard from the transmission when the gasoline engine
starts or stops, when driving at low speeds, or during idling.
● Engine sounds may be heard when accelerating sharply.
● Sounds may be heard due to regenerative braking when the brake pedal is
depressed or as the accelerator pedal is released.
● Vibration may be felt when the gasoline engine starts or stops.
● Cooling fan sounds may be heard from the air intake vent on the side of the
lower part of the rear left seat.
■ Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System
In the following cases, the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System so und may be
difficult for pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other people and vehicles in
the surrounding area to hear:
● When there is a lot of noise in the vicinity
● When it is raining or during strong winds
● When in the area surrounding the rear of the vehicle, rather than in front of
the vehicle
■ Maintenance, repair, recycling, and disposal
Contact your Toyota dealer regarding maintenance, repair, recyc ling and dis-
posal. Do not dispose of the vehicle yourself.

821-3. Hybrid system
PRIUS c_U
There is an air intake vent on the
side of the lower part of the rear
left seat for the purpose of cooling
the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery). When the air intake vent is
blocked, the battery operations
will be restricted and cause a
decline in fuel consumption.
When a certain level of impact is detected by the impact sensor , the
emergency shut off system blocks the high voltage current and stops
the fuel pump to minimize the ri sk of electrocution and fuel leakage. If
the emergency shut off system activates, your vehicle will not restart.
To restart the hybrid system , contact your Toyota dealer.
A message is automatically displ ayed when a malfunction occurs in
the hybrid system or an improper operation is attempted.
If a warning message is shown on
the multi-information display, read
the message and follow the
instructions. ( P. 488)
Hybrid battery (traction battery) air intake vent
Emergency shut off system
Hybrid warning message

871-3. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
PRIUS c_U
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction battery) air intake vent
● Do not place objects that will block the air intake vent. When the air intake
vent is blocked, the battery operations will be restricted and cause a
decline in fuel consumption.
● Clean the air intake vent regularly to prevent the hybrid batte ry (traction
battery) from overheating.
● Do not get water or foreign materials in the air intake vent as this may
cause a short circuit and damage the hybrid battery (traction b attery).
● Do not carry large amounts of water such as water cooler bottle s in the
vehicle. If water spills onto the hybrid battery (traction batt ery), the battery
may be damaged. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota deale r.
● There is a filter installed to the air intake vent. When the fi lter remains
noticeably dirty even after cleaning the air intake vent, filte r cleaning or
replacement is recommended. For information regarding filter cl eaning or
replacement, contact your Toyota dealer.
● If “MAINTENANCE REQUIRED FOR TRACTION BATTERY COOLING
PARTS SEE OWNER’S MANUAL” is shown on the multi-information dis -
play, the air intake vent and filter may be clogged. Refer to P . 404 for infor-
mation on how to clean the air intake vent.

2034-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
PRIUS c_U
*: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in the D
position for normal driving.
Suitable for enhancing the fuel economy, because the torque cor re-
sponding to the accelerator pedal depression amount can be gene r-
ated more smoothly than it is in normal conditions and the oper ation
of the air conditioning system ( heating/cooling) will be minimized.
Eco drive mode
When Eco drive mode is turned on,
the “ECO MODE” indicator will
come on.
Pressing the Eco drive mode
switch again turns Eco drive mode
off.
■ Operation of the air conditioning system in Eco drive mode
Eco drive mode controls the heating/cooling operations and fan speed of the
air conditioning system to enhance fuel efficiency. ( P. 376) To improve air
conditioning performance, adjust the temperature setting or fan speed, or turn
off Eco drive mode.
■ When the accelerator p edal is depressed while the shift position is in N
A buzzer will sound to inform the driver that the shift positio n is in N.
Shift position purpose
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*
BPosition for engine braking
Selecting Eco drive mode

4047-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U
To prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery) air intake vent from
becoming clogged, cl ean it periodically.
■Cleaning the air intake vent
Remove any dust and clogs
from the air intake vent with a
vacuum cleaner, etc.
The air intake vent has a filter
behind the air intake vent cover.
If “MAINTENANCE REQUIRED FOR TRACTION BATTERY
COOLING PARTS SEE OWNER’S MANUAL” is displayed on the
multi-information display, the filter may be clogged. Remove th e air
intake vent cover and clean the filter.
■Cleaning the air intake vent filter
The air intake vent filter is
located below the rear seat
cushion on the left side.
Remove the 2 clipsPush in the center part of
the clips
Remove the clips
Cleaning the hybrid battery (traction battery) air intake vent
1
1
2

4067-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U
Start the hybrid system and check that “MAINTENANCE
REQUIRED FOR TRACTION BATTERY COOLING PARTS SEE
OWNER’S MANUAL” is no longer displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
It may take approximately 20 minu tes for the warning message to
disappear after the hybrid syste m is started. If the warning mes-
sage does not disappear even th ough the filter has been cleaned,
have the vehicle inspect ed by your Toyota dealer.
■Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year to
maintain the quality of the vehicle's interior.
■ Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. U se a sponge
or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not use water.
Wipe dirty surfaces and let them dry. Excellent results are obt ained by keep-
ing the carpet as dry as possible.
■ Air intake vent maintenance
●If the vehicle is driven with the air intake vent clogged, the hybrid battery
(traction battery) may overheat and the fuel consumption may in crease.
● Depending on the conditions under which the vehicle is used, th e air intake
vent may need to be cleaned more regularly.
■ Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge . Also
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cut s.
■ Cleaning the air intake vent filter
●Improper handling of the air intake vent cover and filter may result in dam-
age to them. If you have any concerns about cleaning the filter , contact your
Toyota dealer.
● If the vehicle is driven with the air intake vent filter clogged, the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) may overheat and the fuel consumption m ay increase.
● Depending on the conditions under which the vehicle is used, th e air intake
vent filter may need to be cleaned more regularly.
6

4077-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U■
If “MAINTENANCE REQUIRED FO R TRACTION BATTERY COOLING
PARTS SEE OWNER’S MANUAL” is displayed on the multi-information
display
● It is possible the air intake vent or filter is clogged due to accumulated dust.
Clean the air intake vent and filter, referring to the cleaning method.
● When continuously driven in this state, the hybrid battery (traction battery)
may overheat, which may lead to the driving distance by the ele ctric motor
getting shorter, the fuel consumption worsening, and causing da mage.
Clean the air intake vent periodically to prevent dust, etc., f rom collecting in
the air intake vent or filter.
● If the massage in the multi-information display does not turn off, even if the
air intake vent is cleaned, have the vehicle inspected at your Toyota dealer.
WARNING
■Water in the vehicle
● Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle, such as on the floor, in the
hybrid battery (traction battery) air vents, and in the luggage compartment.
Doing so may cause the hybrid battery, electrical components, etc. to mal-
function or catch fire.
● Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle i nterior wet.
( P. 41)
An electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or no t function
properly, resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Cleaning the interior (esp ecially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel m ay reflect
off the windshield, obstructing the driver's view and leading t o an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
■ When cleaning the hybrid batte ry (traction battery) air intake vent/filter
● Do not use water or other liquids to clean the air intake vent/ filter. If water
is applied to the hybrid battery (traction battery) or other co mponents, a
malfunction or fire may occur.
● When the air intake vent cover, located below the rear seat cus hion on the
left side is to be removed, make sure to turn the power switch off to stop
the hybrid system.

4177-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U
Washer fluid (P. 430)
• Water or washer fluid containing antifreeze
(for winter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water or washer
fluid)
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions:
■When working on the engine compartment
● Vehicles without a smart key system: Make sure that the power s witch is in
the “LOCK” position and the “READY” indicator is off.
Vehicles with a smart key system: Make sure that the indicator on the
power switch and the “READY” indicator are both off.
● Keep hands, clothing and tools away from the moving fan and eng ine
drive belt.
● Be careful not to touch the engine, power control unit, radiator, exhaust
manifold, etc. right after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids
may also be hot.
● Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper and r ags, in the
engine compartment.
● Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel. Fuel fumes
are flammable.
■ When working near the electric cooling fan or radiator grille
Vehicles without a smart key system: The electric cooling fan m ay keep
rotating for about 3 minutes even after the power switch is tur ned to the
“LOCK” position.
With the power switch in the “ON” position, the electric coolin g fan may
automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the coolant tem-
perature is high. Be sure the power switch is in the “LOCK” position when
working near the electric cooling fan or radiator grille.
Vehicles with a smart key system: The electric cooling fan may keep rotat-
ing for about 3 minutes even after the power switch is off.
With the power switch in ON mode, the electric cooling fan may automati-
cally start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the coolant temperature
is high. Be sure the power switch is off when working near the electric cool-
ing fan or radiator grille.
ItemsCheck points