Page 497 of 770
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
Page 498 of 770

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:
Page 499 of 770

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.
Page 500 of 770

4986-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the engine compartment. Doing so may
cause the electrical components etc. to catch fire.
■ When cleaning the windshield (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
● When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor
● If something bumps against the windshield
● If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps into
the raindrop sensor
■ Precautions regarding the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has
cooled sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.
■ Precaution regarding the rear bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if
equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped or scratched, the system may mal-
function. If this occurs, consult any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in the posi-
tion, the wipers may operate unexpect-
edly in the following situations, and may
result in hands being caught or other
serious injuries and cause damage to the
wiper blades.
● When the upper part of the windshield
where the raindrop sensor is located is
touched by hand
Off
Page 501 of 770

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.
Page 502 of 770

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.
Page 503 of 770

5016-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
6
Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■When using a high pressure car wash
● When washing the vehicle, do not spray the camera or its surrounding
area directly with a high pressure washer. Shock applied from high pres-
sure water may cause the device to not operate normally.
● Do not spray water directly on the radar which is equipped behind the
emblem. Otherwise it may cause the device to be damaged.
● Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pressure water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
● Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 30 cm (11.9 in.) away from the vehicle
body. Otherwise resin section, such as moldings and bumpers, may be
deformed and damaged. Also, do not continuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
● Do not spray the lower part of the windshield continuously.
If water enters the air conditioning system intake located near the lower
part of the windshield, the air conditioning system may not operate cor-
rectly.
● Do not wash the underside of the vehicle using a high pressure car
washer.
■ When raising the windshield wiper arms
Make sure to hold the hook parts of the
wiper arms to raise them.
Do not hold only the wiper blades when
raising them, or it may cause deformation
of the wiper blades.
Hook parts
Page 504 of 770

5026-1. Maintenance and care
PRIUS_OM_OM47F32E_(EE)
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty surfaces
with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
●If dirt cannot be removed, wipe it off with a soft cloth dampened with
neutral detergent diluted to approximately 1%.
Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
remaining traces of detergent and water.
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
●Wipe off any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool detergent.
●Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
all remaining traces of detergent.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining
moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded and ventilated area.
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
●Wipe it off with a soft cloth dampened with neutral detergent diluted
to approximately 1%.
●Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
remaining traces of detergent and water.
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle’s interior
and keep it in top condition:
Protecting the vehicle interior
Cleaning the leather areas
Cleaning the synthetic leather areas