
17Pictorial index
PRIUS c_UWindshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 214
Precautions against winter season  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 274
Fuel filler door  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 221
Refueling method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 221
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 538
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 435
Tire size/inflation pressure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . P. 543
Winter tires/tire chain  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . P. 274
Checking/rotation/tire pressur e warning system . . . . . . . . .P. 435
Coping with flat tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . P. 505
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 419
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 419
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 539
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 529
Headlights/daytime running lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 208
Parking lights/front turn signal lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 206, 208
Side turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 206
Front fog lights
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 212
Front side marker lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 208
Stop lights/tail lights /rear side marker lights/
rear turn signal lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 206, 208
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 202
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 208
4
5
6
7
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving  
(Replacing method: P. 458, Watts: P. 544)
*: If equipped
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 

2754-7. Driving tips
4
Driving
PRIUS c_U
●Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to P without setting  the
parking brake. The parking brake  may freeze up, preventing it from
being  released.  If  the  vehicle  is  parked  without  setting  the  pa rking
brake, make sure t o block the wheels.
Failure to do so may be dangerou s because it may cause the vehi-
cle to move unexpectedly, pos sibly leading to an accident.
● If  the  vehicle  is  parked  without   setting  the  parking  brake,  confirm
that the shift lever c annot be moved out of P
*.
*: The  shift  lever  will  be  locked  if  it  is  attempted  to  be  shifte d  from  P  to  any
other position without depressing the brake pedal. If the shift  lever can be
shifted from P, there may be a problem with the shift lock syst em. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
Use  the  correct  tire  chain  size   when  mounting  the  tire  chains.  Chain
size is regulated for each tire size.
Side chain 
(0.12 in. [3.0 mm] in diameter) 
Cross chain
(0.16 in. [4.0 mm] in diameter) 
Regulations  regarding  the  use  of  tire  chains  vary  depending  on  loca-
tion and type of road. Always chec k local regulations before installing
chains.
When parking the vehicle
Selecting tire chains
1
2
Regulations on the use of tire chains 

2764-7. Driving tips
PRIUS c_U
■Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions when installing and removing  chains:
●Install and remove tire cha ins in a safe location. 
●Install tire chains on the front tires only. Do not install tir e chains on the
rear tires.
●Install  tire  chains  on  front  tires  as  tightly  as  possible.  Reti ghten  chains
after driving 1/4   1/2 mile (0.5   1.0 km).
●Install tire chains following th e instructions provided with th e tire chains. 
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of acciden ts. 
Failure  to  do  so  may  result  in  a  loss  of  vehicle  control  and  ca use  death  or
serious injury.
● Use tires of the size specified.
● Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
● Do  not  drive  in  excess  of  75  mph  (120  km/h),  regardless  of  the  type  of
snow tires being used.
● Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.
■ Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of acciden ts. 
Failure  to  do  so  may  result  in  the  vehicle  being  unable  to  be  d riven  safely,
and may cause death or serious injury.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tir e chains being
used, or 30 mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
● Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
● Avoid  sudden  acceleration,  abrupt  steering,  sudden  braking  and  shifting
operations that cause sudden engine braking.
● Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that v ehicle con-
trol is maintained.
● Do not use LDA (Lane Departure Alert) system. 

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. 

4477-3. 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. 436)
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) 

5499-1. Specifications
9
Vehicle specifications
PRIUS c_U
Tire size( P. 551)
TUBELESS or TUBE TYPE
A tubeless tire does not have a tube and air is directly put into the tire.
A tube type tire has a tube insi de the tire and the tube mainta ins the air
pressure.
Radial tires or bias-ply tires
A radial tire has “RADIAL” on the sidewall. A tire not marked “ RADIAL”
is a bias-ply tire.
Summer tires or all season tires ( P. 439)
An all  season tire  has  “M+S”  on the sidewall. A tire not marked  “M+S”
is a summer tire.
Location of treadwear indicators ( P. 435)
DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN) ( P. 550)
Tire ply composition and materials
Plies are layers of rubber-coated parallel cords. Cords are the  strands
which form the p lies in a tire.
Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure  ( P. 555)
Maximum cold tire in flation pressure  ( P. 555)
This means the press ure to which a tire may be inflated.
Uniform tire quality grading
For details, see “Uniform Tire Q uality Grading” that follows.
“TEMPORARY USE ONLY” ( P. 515)
A  compact  spare  tire  is  identified  by  the  phrase  “TEMPORARY  USE
ONLY”  molded  on  its  sidewall.  This  tire  is  designed  for  tempora ry
emergency use only.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 

5509-1. Specifications
PRIUS c_U
DOT symbol*
Tire Identification Number (TIN)
Tire manufacturer’s identification mark
Tire size code
Manufacturer’s optional tire type code (3 or 4 letters)
Manufacturing week
Manufacturing year
Manufacturer’s code
*: The DOT symbol certifies that the  tire  conforms  to  applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Typical DOT and Tire Iden tification Number (TIN)
Ty p e  AType B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8