
TABLE OF CONTENTS6
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 8-1.  Essential information
Emergency flashers ........... 468
If your vehicle has to be stopped in 
an emergency.................. 469
If the vehicle is trapped  in rising water .................. 471
8-2.  Steps to take in  an emergency
If your vehicle needs  to be towed ...................... 472
If you think something  is wrong ........................... 479
If a warning light turns  on or a warning buzzer 
sounds ............................. 480
If a warning message  is displayed...................... 488
If you have a flat tire .......... 505
If the hybrid system  will not start ..................... 518
If the electronic key does  not operate properly .......... 520
If the vehicle 12-volt 
battery is discharged ....... 522
If your vehicle overheats.... 529
If the vehicle  becomes stuck ................ 533
7Maintenance and care8When trouble arises 

12
PRIUS c_UThe  SRS  airbag  and  seat  belt  pretensioner  devices  in  your  Toyot
a  contain
explosive chemicals. If the vehicle is scrapped with the airbag s and seat belt
pretensioners  left  as  they  are,  this  may  cause  an  accident  such  as fire. Be
sure  to  have  the  systems  of  the  SRS  airbag  and  seat  belt  preten sioner
removed and disposed of by a qualified service shop or by your  Toyota dealer
before you scrap your vehicle.
Special handling may apply, See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/ perchlorate.
Your  vehicle  has  components  that  may  contain  perchlorate.  These   compo-
nents  may  include  airbag,  seat  belt  pretensioners,  and  wireless   remote  con-
trol batteries.
Scrapping of your Toyota
Perchlorate Material
WARNING
■ General precautions while driving
Driving under the  influence:  Never drive  your vehicle when  unde r  the  influ-
ence of alcohol or drugs that have impaired your ability to operate your vehi-
cle.  Alcohol  and  certain  drugs  delay  reaction  time,  impair  judg ment  and
reduce  coordination,  which  could  lead  to  an  accident  that  could   result  in
death or serious injury.
Defensive  driving: Always  drive  defensively. Anticipate  mistake s  that  other
drivers or pedestrians might make and be ready to avoid acciden ts.
Driver  distraction:  Always  give  your  full  attention  to  driving.  Anything  that
distracts the driver, such as adjusting controls, talking on a  cellular phone or
reading can result in a collision with resulting death or serio us injury to you,
your occupants or others.
■ General precaution regar ding children’s safety
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle, and never allow  children to
have or use the key.
Children  may  be  able  to  start  the  vehicle  or  shift  the  vehicle  into  neutral.
There is also a  danger that  children  may  injure  themselves  by p laying with
the  cigarette  lighter,  the  windows,  the  moon  roof,  or  other  fea tures  of  the
vehicle. In addition, heat build-up or extremely cold temperatu res inside the
vehicle can be fatal to children. 

811-3. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
PRIUS c_U
The illustration is an example for explanation and may differ from the
actual item.
Hybrid system precautions
Take  care  when  handling the  hybrid  system, as  it is  a  high  volt -
age system (about 520 V at maximum) as well as contains parts
that become extremely hot when  the hybrid system is operating.
Obey the warning labels attached to the vehicle.
Warning label
Service plug
Air conditioning compressor
Electric motor (traction motor) Power control unit with DC/DC
converter
Hybrid  battery  (traction  bat-
tery)
High voltage cables (orange)1
2
3
4
5
6
7 

831-3. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
PRIUS c_U
■If a  warning  light comes  on, a  warning  message is displayed,  or the 12-
volt battery has been disconnected
The hybrid system may not start. In this case, try to start the system again. If
the “READY” indicator does not come on, contact your Toyota dea ler.
■ Running out of fuel
When the vehicle has run out of fuel and the hybrid system cann ot be started,
refuel  the  vehicle  with  at  least  enough  gasoline  to  make  the  lo w  fuel  level
warning  light  ( P.  482)  go  off.  If  there  is  only  a  small  amount  of  fuel,  the
hybrid system may not be able to start. (The standard amount of  fuel is about
1.3 gal. [5.0 L, 1.1 Imp. gal.] when the vehicle is on a level surface. This value
may  vary  when  the  vehicle  is  on  a  slope. Add  extra  fuel  when  th e  vehicle  is
inclined.)
■ Electromagnetic waves
●High  voltage  parts  and  cables  on  hybrid  vehicles  incorporate  el ectromag-
netic shielding, and therefore emit approximately the same amount of elec-
tromagnetic  waves  as  conventional  gasoline  powered  vehicles  or  home
electronic appliances.
● Your  vehicle  may  cause  sound  interference  in  some  third  party-p roduced
radio parts. 
■ Hybrid battery ( traction battery)
The hybrid battery (traction battery) has a limited service life. The lifespan of
the  hybrid  battery  (traction  battery)  can  change  in  accordance  with  driving
style and driving conditions. 

841-3. Hybrid system
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■High voltage and high temperature precautions
This vehicle has high voltage DC and AC systems as well as a 12 -volt sys-
tem.  DC  and  AC  high  voltage  is  very  dangerous  and  can  cause  sev ere
burns and electric shock that may result in death or serious in jury.
● Never  touch,  disassemble,  remove  or  replace  the  high  voltage  pa rts,
cables or their connectors.
● The hybrid system will become hot after starting as the system  uses high
voltage. Be careful of both the high voltage and the high tempe rature, and
always obey the warning labels attached to the vehicle.
● Never  try  to  open  the  service  plug
access hole located under the rear seat.
The  service  plug  is  used  only  when  the
vehicle is serviced and is subject to high
voltage. 

861-3. Hybrid system
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■Hybrid battery (traction battery)
● Never resell, hand over or modify the hybrid battery. To preven t accidents,
hybrid batteries that have been removed from a disposed vehicle  are col-
lected through Toyota dealer. Do not dispose of the battery yourself.
Unless the battery is properly collected, the following may occ ur, resulting
in death or serious injury:
• The hybrid battery may be illegally disposed of or dumped, and  it is haz-
ardous  to  the  environment  or  someone  may  touch  a  high  voltage  p art,
resulting in an electric shock.
• The  hybrid  battery  is  intended  to  be  used  exclusively  with  you r  hybrid
vehicle. If the hybrid battery is used outside of your vehicle or modified
in  any  way,  accidents  such  as  electric  shock,  heat  generation,  smoke
generation, an explosion and electrolyte leakage may occur.
When reselling or handing over your vehicle, the possibility of an accident
is  extremely  high  because  the  person  receiving  the  vehicle  may  not  be
aware of these dangers.
● If  your  vehicle  is  disposed  of  without  the  hybrid  battery  havin g  been
removed, there  is  a  danger  of  serious  electric  shock  if  high  vo ltage  parts,
cables  and  their  connectors  are  touched.  In  the  event  that  your   vehicle
must  be  disposed  of,  the  hybrid  battery  must  be  disposed  of  by  your
Toyota  dealer  or  a  qualified  service  shop.  If  the  hybrid  battery  is  not  dis-
posed  of  properly,  it  may  cause  electric  shock  that  can  result  in  death  or
serious injury. 

2744-7. Driving tips
PRIUS c_U
●Use  fluids  that  are  appropriate  t o  the  prevailing  outside  tempera-
tures. • Engine oil
• Engine/power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid
● Have  a  service  technician  inspect  the  condition  of  the  12-volt  bat-
tery.
● Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set  of tire
chains for the front tires.
Ensure  that  all  tires  are  the  same  size  and  brand,  and  that  cha ins  match
the size of the tires.
Perform the following according  to the driving conditions: 
● Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is fr ozen.
Pour  warm  water  over  the  frozen  area  to  melt  the  ice.  Wipe  away
the water immediately to p revent it from freezing. 
● To  ensure  proper  operation  of  the  climate  control  system  fan,
remove  any  snow  that  has  accumulated  on  the  air  inlet  vents  in
front of the windshield. 
● Check for and remove any excess ic e or snow that may have accu-
mulated  on  the  exterior  lights,  vehicle's  roof,  chassis,  around  the
tires or on the brakes.
● Remove  any  snow  or  mud  from  the  bottom  of  your  shoes  before
getting in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a safe distance between you  and
the vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced speed suitable to roa d con-
ditions.
Winter driving tips
Carry  out  the  necessary  preparations  and  inspections  before
driving  the  vehicle  in  winter. Always  drive  the  vehicle  in  a  ma n-
ner appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions. 
Pre-winter preparations
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle 

3355-10. Bluetooth® phone (Multimedia system)
5
Audio system
PRIUS c_U
Display the phone screen. (P.   3 3 2 )
Select the “Dial Pad” tab a nd enter a phone number.
To delete the input phone number, select  . 
For the first digit, you can enter “+” by selecting “ ” for a while.
Press the   switch on the steering wheel or select  .
You can dial a number from the contact data imported from your  cellu-
lar phone. The system has one contact for each registered phone . Up
to 2500 contacts may be  stored in each contact.
Display the phone screen. ( P.   3 3 2 )
Select “Contacts” tab.
Choose the desir ed contact to call from the list.
Choose the number and then pre ss the   switch on the steering
wheel or select  .
You can transfer the phone numbers in a Bluetooth
® phone to the sys-
tem. 
Operation methods differ between PBAP (Phone Book Access Profil e)
compatible and PBAP incompatible Bluetooth
® phones. If the cellular
phone  does  not  support  either  PBAP  or  OPP  (Object  Push  Profile)
service, you cannot t ransfer contacts.
Making a call
Once a Bluetooth®  phone  is  registered,  you  can  make  a  call
using the following procedure:
Dialing
Dialing from the  contacts list 
When the contact is empty
1
2
3
1
2
3
4