495
6Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior .......... 496
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior ........... 502
6-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements.................... 505
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions ...................... 508
Hood .................................. 511
Positioning a floor jack ....... 513
Engine compartment.......... 514
Tires ................................... 528
Tire inflation pressure ........ 537
Wheels ............................... 539
Air conditioning filter .......... 542
Cleaning the hybrid battery
(traction battery) air intake
vent and filter ................... 545
Wiper insert
replacement ..................... 550
Electronic key battery ........ 554
Checking and replacing
fuses ................................ 557
Light bulbs ......................... 561
4966-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
●Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any dirt
and dust.
●Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
●For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thoroughly
with water.
●Wipe away any water.
●Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehicle. Start washing from the front of
the vehicle. Make sure to extend the mirrors before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface,
parts (wheel, etc.) and harm your vehicle’s paint.
●Rear spoiler may not be washable in some automatic car washes. There
may also be an increased risk of damage to vehicle.
■High pressure car washes
As water may enter the cabin, do not bring the nozzle tip near the gaps
around the doors or perimeter of the windows, or spray these areas continu-
ously.
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in
prime condition:
4976-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
■Note for a smart entry & start system
If the door handle becomes wet while the electronic key is within the effective
range, the door may lock and unlock repeatedly. In that case, follow the fol-
lowing correction procedures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 2 m (6 ft.) or more separate from the vehicle
while the vehicle is being washed. (Take care to ensure that the key is not
stolen.)
●Set the electronic key to battery-saving mode to disable the smart entry &
start system. (P. 189)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent.
●Wash detergent off with water immediately after use.
●To protect the paint from damage, make sure to observe the following pre-
cautions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, such as after driv-
ing or parking in hot weather
■Brake pads and calipers
Rust may form if the vehicle is parked with wet brake pads or disc rotors,
causing them to stick. Before parking the vehicle after it is washed, drive
slowly and apply the brakes several times to dry the parts.
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Front side windows water-repellent coating (if equipped)
The following precautions can extend the effectiveness of the water-repellent
coating.
●Remove any dirt, etc. from the front side windows regularly.
●Do not allow dirt and dust to accumulate on the windows for a long period.
Clean the windows with a soft, damp cloth as soon as possible.
●Do not use wax or glass cleaners that contain abrasives when cleaning the
windows.
●Do not use any metallic objects to remove condensation build up.
■Plated portions
If dirt cannot be removed, clean the parts as follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with an approximately 5% solution of neutral
detergent and water to clean the dirt off.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining moisture.
●To remove oily deposits, use alcohol wet wipes or a similar product.
4996-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
● Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
● To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■ To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms
When lifting the wiper arms away from the windshield pull the driver side
wiper arm upward first, and repeat for the passenger’s side. When returning
the wipers to their original position, do so from the passenger’s side first.
■ Cleaning the exterior lights
● Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
● Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
5006-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
NOTICE
■Handling the decorative resin parts (for vehicles equipped with 17-inch
wheels)
● Make sure to observe the following when handling wheels equipped with
decorative resin parts. Failure to observe these precautions may result in
damage to the decorative resin parts or wheels.
• Do not remove the decorative resin parts
When decorative resin parts removal is necessary, contact any autho-
rized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
● If there is rattling in the decorative resin parts, or strange sounds from the
wheel area when driving, have your wheels inspected by any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
■ When using an automatic car wash (vehicles with rain-sensing wind-
shield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in the position, the wipers may operate and the
wiper blades may be damaged.
• Do not hold the tire by the decorative
resin parts to lift up or carry the tire.
5306-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a warning light. (P. 584)
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter.
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pressure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID
codes registered by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota autho-
rized repairer, or any reliable repairer. (P. 531)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
●When rotating front and rear tires which have different tire infla-
tion pressures
●When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when chang-
ing traveling speed or load weight.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system (if equipped)
5326-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to expose
the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage.
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size or
location of a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
■Replacing tires and wheels (vehicles with the tire pressure warning sys-
tem)
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not regis-
tered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driving for
about 10 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minute and stays
on to indicate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it
has seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks (vehicles with the tire pressure
warning system)
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation pres-
sure checks. Make sure to check tire inflation pressure as part of your routine
of daily vehicle checks.
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost.
■Low profile tires (vehicles with 215/45R17 tires)
Generally, low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance
will be reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when compared to standard tires.
Be sure to use snow tires or tire chains on snowy and/or icy roads and drive
carefully at a speed appropriate for road and weather conditions.
5336-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
■Situations in which the tire pressure warning system may not operate
properly (if equipped)
●In the following cases, the tire pressure warning system may not operate
properly.
• If non-genuine Toyota wheels are used.
• When a replacement tire is used, the system may not operate correctly
due to the structure of the replacement tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains etc. are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire is equipped.
• 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 the tire inflation pressure is extremely higher than the specified level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is not
registered in the tire pressure warning computer.
●Performance may be affected in the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station, large dis-
play, airport or other facility that generates strong radio waves or electri-
cal noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or other
wireless communication device
●When the vehicle is parked, the time taken for the warning to start or go off
could be extended.
●When tire inflation pressure declines rapidly for example when a tire has
burst, the warning may not function.