
143
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
2-9. Driving Tips
2
Before Driving
Hazardous Driving
When driving on ice or in water, snow, mud, sand, or similar hazards:
• Be cautious and allow ex tra distance for braking.
• Avoid sudden braking and sudden maneuvering.
• Do  not  pump  the  brakes.  Continue  to  press  down  on  the  brake pedal. Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS) on P. 215.
• If  you  get  stuck,  select  a  lower  gear  and  accelerate  slowly.  D o  not
spin the front wheels.
• For  more  traction  in  starting  on  slippery  surfaces  such  as  ice  or
packed  snow,  use  sand,  rock  sal t,  chains,  carpeting,  or  other  non-
slip material under the front wheels.
Use snow chains only on the front wheels.
WARNING
■ Be  extremely  careful  if  it  is  necessary  to  downshift  on  slipper y  sur-
faces
Downshifting  into  lower  gear  while  driving  on  slippery  surfaces   is  danger-
ous.  The  sudden  change  in  tire  speed  could  cause  the  tires  to  s kid.  This
could lead to loss of vehicle control and an accident. 

146
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
2-9. Driving Tips
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire chains, window scraper, flares, a
small shovel, jumper  cables, and a small bag of sand or salt.
Ask your Toyota dealer  to check the following:
• Have the proper ratio of ant ifreeze in the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on P. 398.
• Inspect the battery and its cabl es. Cold reduces battery capacity.
• Use an engine oil appropriate for the lowest ambient temperatures that the vehicle w ill be driven in (P. 395).
• Inspect the ignition  system for damage and  loose connections.
• Use washer fluid made with antifreeze but do not use engine cool-
ant antifreeze for washer fluid ( P. 402).
●Do not use the parking brake in freezing weather as it may freeze. Instead,
shift to 1 or R with a manual transaxle and to P with an automa tic transaxle.
Block the rear wheels.
● Remove snow before driving. Snow left on the windshield is dang erous as it
could obstruct vision.
● Do not apply excessive force to a window scraper when removing  ice or fro-
zen snow on the mirror glass and windshield.
● Never  use  warm  or  hot  water  for  removing  snow  or  ice  from  windo ws  and
mirrors as it could result in the glass cracking.
● Drive  slowly.  Braking  performance  can  be  adversely  affected  if  snow  or  ice
adheres  to  the  brake  components.  If  this  situation  occurs,  drive  the  vehicle
slowly,  releasing  the  accelerator  pedal  and  lightly  applying  the  brakes  sev-
eral times until the brake performance returns to normal. 

149
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
2-9. Driving Tips
2
Before Driving
Driving In Flooded Area
WARNING
■Dry  off  brakes  that  have  become  wet  by  driving  slowly,  releasin g  the
accelerator  pedal  and  lightly  applying  the  brakes  several  times  until
the brake performance returns to normal
Driving  with  wet  brakes  is  dangerous.  Increased  stopping  distan ce  or  the
vehicle pulling to  one  side  when braking  could  result in  a  seri ous accident.
Light braking will indicate whether the brakes have been affect ed.
NOTICE
Do  not  drive  the  vehicle  on  flooded  roads  as  it  could  cause  sho rt  circuiting
of  electrical/electronic  parts,  or  engine  damage  or  stalling  fr om  water
absorption.  If  the  vehicle  has  been  immersed  in  water,  consult  your Toyota
dealer. 

182
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
3-3. Transaxle
The  selector  position  is  indicated
when the ignition is switched ON.
■Gear position indication
In  manual  shift  mode,  the  “M”  of  the  shift  position  indication illumi-
nates and the numeral for the  selected gear is displayed.
The warning light turns on when  the system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on P. 173.
• The  shift  position  indicator  light  in  the  combination  meter  il lumi-
nates. Refer to Warning/I ndicator Lights on P. 173.
• The selector lever must be in P or N to operate the starter.
■P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevent s the front wheels from rotating.
■R (Reverse)
In  position  R,  the  vehicle  moves  only  backward.  You  must  be  at a
complete  stop  before  shifting  to  or  from  R,  except  under  rare  c ir-
cumstances as explained i n Rocking the Vehicle (P. 145).
■N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle a re  not  locked. The  vehicle  will roll
freely  even  on  the  slightest  inc line  unless  the  parking  brake  o r
brakes are on.
Apply  the  parking  brake  or  depress  the  brake  pedal  before  moving  the
selector lever from N to prevent the vehicle from moving unexpe ctedly.
■
D (Drive)
D  is  the  normal  driving  position.  From  a  stop,  the  transaxle  wi ll
automatically shift through a 6-gearsequence.
Shift Position Indication
Warning Light
Transaxle Ranges 

YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
1913-3. Transaxle
3
When Driving
■Passing
For  extra  power  when  passing  another  vehicle  or  climbing  steep
grades,  depress  the  accelerator  fully.  The  transaxle  will  shift to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed.
Some models:
The  accelerator  pedal  may  initially  feel  heavy  as  it  is  being  d epressed,
then  feel  lighter  as  it  is  depressed  further.  This  change  in  pe dal  force
aids the engine control system in determining how much the acce lerator
pedal  has  been  depressed  for  performing  kickdown,  and  functions  to
control whether or not kickdown should be performed.
■
Climbing steep gra des from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped position: Depress the brake pedal.
Shift to D or M1, depending on the load weight and grade steep-
ness.
Release the brake pedal wh ile gradually accelerating.
■Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to lower gears, depending  on
load  weight  and  grade  steepnes s.  Descend  slowly,  using  the
brakes only occasionally to p revent them from overheating.
Driving Tips
WARNING
■Do  not  let  the  vehicle  move  in  a   direction  opposite  to  the  direction
selected by the selector lever
Do  not  let  the  vehicle  move  backward  with  the  selector  lever  in  a forward
position, or do not let the vehicle move forward with the selec tor lever in the
reverse  position.  Otherwise,  the  engine  may  stop,  causing  the  loss  of  the
power  brake  and  power  steering  f unctions,  and  make  it  difficult  to  control
the vehicle which could result in an accident.
1
2
3 

209
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
3-5. Brake
3
When Driving
Brake System
This  vehicle  has  power-assisted brakes  that  adjust  automatically
through normal use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by applying greater  forc e than
normal  to  the  brake  pedal.  But  the  distance  required  to  stop  wi ll  be
greater than usual.
Foot Brake
WARNING
■ Do not coast with the engine stalled or turned off, find a safe   place  to
stop
Coasting  with  the  engine  stalled  or  turned  off  is  dangerous.  Br aking  will
require  more  effort,  and  the  brake’s  power-assist  could  be  depleted  if  you
pump the brake. This will cause longer stopping distances or even an acci-
dent.
■ Shift to a lower gear whe n going down steep hills
Driving  with  your  foot  continuously  on  the  brake  pedal  or  steadily  applying
the brakes for long distances is dangerous. This causes overheated brakes,
resulting in longer stopping distances or even total brake fail ure. This could
cause  loss  of  vehicle  control  and  a  serious  accident.  Avoid  con tinuous
application of the brakes.
■ Dry  off  brakes  that  have  become  wet  by  driving  slowly,  releasin g  the
accelerator  pedal  and  lightly  applying  the  brakes  several  times  until
the brake performance returns to normal
Driving  with  wet  brakes  is  dangerous.  Increased  stopping  distan ce  or  the
vehicle pulling to  one  side  when braking  could  result in  a  seri ous accident.
Light braking will indicate whether the brakes have been affect ed.
■ To apply the brakes correctly
● Wear shoes appropriate for driving in order to avoid your shoe  contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the accelerator pedal.
● Always  depress  the  brake  pedal  with
the  right  foot. Applying  the  brakes  with
the  unaccustomed  left  foot  could  slow
your  reaction  time  to  an  emergency  sit-
uation  resulting  in  insufficient  braking
operation. 

210
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
3-5. Brake
■Setting the parking brake
Depress  the  brake  pedal  and
then  firmly  pull  the  parking
brake  lever  fully  upwards  with
sufficient force to hold the vehi-
cle in a stationary position.
■Releasing the parking brake
Depress  the  brake  pedal  and
pull  the  parking  brake  lever
upwards, then press the
release  button.  While  holding
the  button,  lower  the  parking
brake  lever  all  the  way  down  to
the released position.
NOTICE
Do not drive with your foot held on the clutch pedal or brake pedal, or hold
the clutch pedal depressed halfway unnecessarily. Doing so could result in
the following:
● The clutch and brake parts will wear out more quickly.
● The brakes can overheat and adversely affect brake performance.
Parking Brake 

YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
2113-5. Brake
3
When Driving
For  parking  in  snow,  refer  to  Winter  Driving  (P.  146)  regarding  parking
brake use.
The warning light turns on when  the system has a malfunction.
Refer  to  Contact  Your  Toyota  Dealer  and  Have  Vehicle  Inspected  on
P. 493.
When  the  disc  brake  pads
become  worn,  the  built-in  wear
indicators contact the disc plates.
This causes a screeching noise to
warn  that  the  pads  should  be
replaced.
When you hear this noise, consul t your Toyota dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
In  high  humidity  weather  conditions,  brake  noises,  such  as  brake  squeak  or
brake squeal can be heard. It does not indicate a malfunction.
NOTICE
Driving  with  the  parking  brake  on  will  cause  excessive  wear  of  the  brake
parts.
Warning Light
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
WARNING
■ Do not drive with worn disc pads
Driving with worn disc pads is dangerous. The brakes could fail  and cause a
serious  accident.  As  soon  as  you  hear  a  screeching  noise  consult  your
Toyota dealer.