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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. 

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YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
3-4. Switches and Controls
3
When Driving
Windshield Wipers and Washer
The ignition must be switched ON to use the wipers.
Because  heavy  ice  and  snow  can  jam  the  wiper  blades,  the  wiper  motor  is
protected  from  motor  breakdown,  overheating  and  possible  fire  b y  a  circuit
breaker. This  mechanism  will  automatically  stop  operation  of  th e  blades,  but
only for about 5 minutes.
If  this  happens,  turn  off  the  wiper  switch  and  park  off  the  rig ht-of-way,  and
remove the snow and ice.
After 5 minutes, turn on the switch and the blades should opera te normally. If
they do not resume functioning, consult your Toyota dealer as s oon as possi-
ble.  Drive  to  the  side  of  the  road  and  park  off  the  right-of-wa y.  Wait  until  the
weather clears before trying to drive with the wipers inoperative.
WARNING
■ Use only windshield washer fluid  or plain water in the reservoir
Using  radiator  antifreeze  as  washer  fluid  is  dangerous.  If  sprayed  on  the
windshield,  it  will  dirty  the  windshield,  affect  your  visibilit y,  and  could  result
in an accident.
■ Only  use  windshield  washer  fluid  mixed  with  anti-freeze  protect ion  in
freezing weather conditions
Using  windshield  washer  fluid  without  anti-freeze  protection  in  freezing
weather  conditions  is  dangerous  as  it  could  freeze  on  the  windshield  and
block your vision which could cause an accident. In addition, m ake sure the
windshield  is  sufficiently  warmed  using  the  defroster  before  spraying  the
washer fluid. 

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YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
5-3. Owner Maintenance
Engine Coolant
Inspect  the  antifreeze protection  and  coolant  level  in  the  cool ant  res-
ervoir  at  least  once  a  year—at  the  beginning  of  the  winter  seas on—
and before traveling where temperatures may drop below freezing .
Inspect  the  condition  and  connec tions  of  all  cooling  system  and
heater hoses.
Replace any that are sw ollen or deteriorated.
The coolant should be at full in the
radiator  and  between  the  F  and  L
marks  on  the  coolant  reservoir
when the engine is cool. Cooling fan
Cooling system cap
Coolant reservoir
If it is at or near L, add enough coolant to the coolant reserv oir to pro-
vide freezing and corrosion prote ction and to bring the level to F.
Securely tighten the coolant re servoir tank cap after adding co olant.
If the coolant reservoir is empty  or new coolant is required frequently,
consult your Toyota dealer.
Changing the coolant should be done by your Toyota dealer.
Inspecting Coolant Level
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YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
3995-3. Owner Maintenance
5
Maintenance and Care
WARNING
■Do  not  use  a  match  or  live  flame  in  the  engine  compartment.  DO NOT
ADD COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT
A  hot  engine  is  dangerous.  If  the  engine  has  been  running,  part s  of  the
engine  compartment  can become very  hot. You could  be burned. Ca refully
inspect the engine coolant in the coolant reservoir, but do not open it.
■   Pull  over  to  a  safe  location,  then  switch  the  ignition  to  off  and
make  sure  the  fan  is  not  running  before  attempting  to  work  near  the
cooling fan
Working near the cooling fan when it is running is dangerous. T he fan could
continue running indefinitely even if the engine has stopped an d the engine
compartment temperature is high. You could be hit by the fan an d seriously
injured.
■  Do not remove either cooling system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot
When  the  engine  and  radiator  are  hot,  scalding  coolant  and  steam  may
shoot out under pressure and cause serious injury. 

4005-3. Owner Maintenance
YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
NOTICE
●Radiator coolant will damage paint. Rinse it off quickly if spi lled.
● Use only soft (deionized) water in the coolant mixture. Water t hat contains
minerals will cut down on the coolant’s effectiveness.
● Do not add only water. Always add a proper coolant mixture.
● The engine has aluminum parts and must be protected by an ethylene-gly-
col-based coolant to prevent corrosion and freezing.
● DO  NOT  USE  coolants  Containing Alcohol,  methanol,  Borate  or  Sil icate.
These coolants could damage the cooling system.
● DO NOT MIX alcohol or methanol with the coolant. This could dam age the
cooling system.
● Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze.
This would reduce effectiveness.
●
Use of engine coolant specifical ly designed for the YARIS/YARIS  HATCHBACK
is required when replacing engine  coolant. Using engine coolant that is not spe-
cifically  designed  for  this veh icle  may  cause  serious  damage  to  the  engine and
cooling system. For questions on how to obtain this specially d esigned coolant,
contact your Toyota dealer. 

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YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
5-3. Owner Maintenance
Window Washer Fluid
Inspect  fluid  level  in  the  washer
fluid  reservoir;  add  fluid  if  neces-
sary.
Use plain water if washer fluid is unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather to prevent it from freezing.
●State or local regulations may restrict the use of volatile org anic compounds
(VOCs),  which  are  commonly  used  as  anti-freeze  agents  in  washer   fluid. A
washer fluid with limited VOC content should be used only if it  provides ade-
quate freeze resistance for all regions and climates in which t he vehicle will
be operated.
● Front and rear washer fluid is supplied from the same reservoir .
Inspecting Washer Fluid Level
E
WARNING
■Use only windshield washer fluid  or plain water in the reservoir
Using  radiator  antifreeze  as  washer  fluid  is  dangerous.  If  sprayed  on  the
windshield,  it  will  dirty  the  windshield,  affect  your  visibilit y,  and  could  result
in an accident.
■ Using Washer Fluid Without Anti- freeze Protection in Cold Weather
Operating  your  vehicle  in  temperatures  below  40  °F  (4  °C)  using  washer
fluid  without  anti-freeze  protection  is  dangerous  as  it  could  c ause  impaired
windshield  vision  and  result  in  an  accident.  In  cold  weather,  a lways  use
washer fluid with anti-freeze protection. 

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YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
6-5. Overheating
Overheating
If the high engine coolant temperature warning light turns on:
Drive safely to the side of the  road and park off the right-of-way.
Put a vehicle with an automatic t ransaxle in park (P), a manual tran-
saxle in neutral.
Apply the parking brake.
Turn off the air conditioner.
Check whether coolant or steam is escaping from the engine com-
partment.
If steam is coming from  the engine compartment
Do not go near the front of t he vehicle. Stop the engine.
Wait  until  the  steam  dissipates,  then  open  the  hood  and  start  the
engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is escaping
Open the hood and idle the engine until it cools.
Make sure the cooling fan is operating, then turn off the engin e after
the temperature has decreased.
When cool, check th e coolant level.
If it is low, look for coolant lea ks from the radiator and hoses.
■If you find a leak or other damage, or if coolant is still leak ing:
Stop the engine and call your Toyota dealer.
Cooling fan
Cooling system cap
Coolant reservoir
If  the  high  engine  coolant  temperature  warning  light  turns  on,
the vehicle loses power, or you hear a loud knocking or pinging
noise, the engine is probably too hot.
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YARIS_YARIS HATCHBACK_OM_OM99V59z_(U)
4856-5. Overheating
6
If Trouble Arises
■If  you  find  no  problems,  the  engine  is  cool,  and  no  leaks  are
obvious:
Carefully add coolant as required (P. 398).
WARNING
■   Pull  over  to  a  safe  location,  then  switch  the  ignition  to  off  and
make  sure  the  fan  is  not  running  before  attempting  to  work  near  the
cooling fan
Working near the cooling fan when it is running is dangerous. T he fan could
continue running indefinitely even if the engine has stopped an d the engine
compartment temperature is high. You could be hit by the fan an d seriously
injured.
■  Do not remove either cooling system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot
When  the  engine  and  radiator  are  hot,  scalding  coolant  and  steam  may
shoot out under pressure and cause serious injury.
■ Open the hood ONLY after steam is no longer escaping from the e ngine
Steam from an overheated engine is dangerous. The escaping stea m could
seriously burn you.
NOTICE
● If the cooling fan does not operate while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the engine and call your Toyota dealer.
● If the engine continues to overheat or frequently overheats, ha ve the cool-
ing  system  inspected.  The  engine  could  be  seriously  damaged  unl ess
repairs are made. Consult your Toyota dealer.