Get Driving -> Before driving Guide for Toyota bZ4X SUV First Generation (2022-2024)

219

5-1. Before driving

5-1.Before driving

■ Parking the vehicle

Driving the vehicle

1 Depress the brake pedal to

stop the vehicle completely.

The following procedures

should be observed to

ensure safe driving:

2 If the parking brake is

released, set the parking

brake. (P.243)

Make sure the parking brake indi-

cator light is on.

Driving procedure

3 Shift the shift position to P.

(P.237)

■ Before starting the EV sys-

tem

Check that the shift position indica-

tor shows P and the parking brake

indicator is illuminated.

Check that the charging cable is

disconnected. (P.105, 113)

■ Starting the EV system

P.231

4 Press the power switch to

stop the EV system.

5 Slowly release the brake

■ Driving

pedal.

1 With the brake pedal

depressed, shift the shift

position to D. (P.237)

6 Lock the door, making sure

that you have the electronic

key on your person.

5

Check that the shift position indica-

tor shows D.

If parking on a hill, block the wheels

as needed.

2 If the parking brake is set,

release the parking brake.

(P.243)

■ Starting off on a steep

uphill

If the parking brake is in automatic

mode, the parking brake will be

released automatically. (P.243)

3 Gradually release the brake

pedal and gently depress the

accelerator pedal to acceler-

ate the vehicle.

1 Firmly depress the brake

pedal and shift the shift posi-

tion to D.

The hill-start assist control will be

activated.

2 Set the parking brake.

(P.243)

■ Stopping

3 Release the brake pedal and

gently depress the accelera-

tor pedal to accelerate the

vehicle.

1 Depress the brake pedal.

2 If necessary, set the parking

brake. (P.243)

If the vehicle is to be stopped for an

extended period of time, shift the

shift position to P. (P.237)

4 Release the parking brake.

(P.243)

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

220

5-1. Before driving

■When starting the vehicle

■When starting off on a uphill

Always keep your foot on the

brake pedal while stopped with

the “READY” indicator is illumi-

nated. This prevents the vehicle

from creeping.

The hill-start assist control will acti-

vate. (P.387)

■Driving in the rain

●Drive carefully when it is raining,

because visibility will be reduced,

the windows may become fogged-

up, and the road will be slippery.

■When driving the vehicle

●Do not drive if you are unfamil-

iar with the location of the brake

and accelerator pedals to avoid

depressing the wrong pedal.

●Drive carefully when it starts to

rain, because the road surface will

be especially slippery.

• Accidentally depressing the

accelerator pedal instead of the

brake pedal will result in sudden

acceleration that may lead to an

accident.

●Refrain from high speeds when

driving on an expressway in the

rain, because there may be a

layer of water between the tires

and the road surface, preventing

the steering and brakes from

operating properly.

• When backing up, you may twist

your body around, leading to a

difficulty in operating the pedals.

Make sure to operate the pedals

properly.

■Restraining the EV system out-

put (Brake Override System)

●When the accelerator and brake

pedals are depressed at the same

time, the EV system output may

be restrained.

• Make sure to keep a correct

driving posture even when mov-

ing the vehicle only slightly. This

allows you to depress the brake

and accelerator pedals properly.

●A warning message is displayed

on the multi-information display

while the system is operating.

• Depress the brake pedal using

your right foot. Depressing the

brake pedal using your left foot

may delay response in an emer-

gency, resulting in an accident.

■Breaking in your new Toyota

To extend the life of the vehicle,

observing the following precautions

is recommended:

●For the first 200 miles (300 km):

●The driver should pay extra

attention to pedestrians. As

there is no engine noise, the

pedestrians may misjudge the

vehicle’s movement. Even

though the vehicle is equipped

with the Acoustic Vehicle Alert-

ing System, drive with care as

pedestrians in the vicinity may

still not notice the vehicle if the

surrounding area is noisy.

Avoid sudden stops.

●For the first 600 miles (1000 km):

• Do not drive at extremely high

speeds.

• Avoid sudden acceleration.

• Do not drive at a constant speed

for extended periods.

WARNING

Observe the following precau-

tions.

Failure to do so may result in

death or serious injury.

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

221

5-1. Before driving

●Do not drive across a river or

WARNING

through other bodies of water.

This may cause electric/elec-

tronic components to short cir-

cuit, damage the EV system or

cause other serious damage to

the vehicle.

●During normal driving, do not

turn off the EV system. Turning

the EV system off while driving

will not cause loss of steering or

braking control, however, power

assist to the steering will be lost.

This will make it more difficult to

steer smoothly, so you should

pull over and stop the vehicle as

soon as it is safe to do so.

In the event of an emergency,

such as if it becomes impossible

to stop the vehicle in the normal

way: P.507

●Do not drive in excess of the

speed limit. Even if the legal

speed limit permits it, do not

drive over 85 mph (140 km/h)

unless your vehicle has high-

speed capability tires. Driving

over 85 mph (140 km/h) may

result in tire failure, loss of con-

trol and possible injury. Be sure

to consult a tire dealer to deter-

mine whether the tires on your

vehicle are high-speed capabil-

ity tires or not before driving at

such speeds.

●Use regenerative braking to

maintain a safe speed when

driving down a steep hill.

Using the brakes continuously

may cause the brakes to over-

heat and lose effectiveness.

(P.240)

■When driving on slippery

road surfaces

5

●If “Regenerative braking lim-

ited. Press brake to decelerate.”

appears on the multi-informa-

tion display, firmly depress the

brake pedal to decelerate the

vehicle. (P.524)

●Sudden braking, acceleration

and steering may cause tire

slippage and reduce your ability

to control the vehicle.

●Sudden acceleration or regen-

erative braking due to shift

changing could cause the vehi-

cle to skid, resulting in an acci-

dent.

●Do not adjust the position of the

steering wheel, the seat, or the

inside or outside rear view mir-

rors while driving.

Doing so may result in a loss of

vehicle control.

●After driving through a puddle,

lightly depress the brake pedal

to make sure that the brakes

are functioning properly. Wet

brake pads may prevent the

brakes from functioning prop-

erly. If the brakes on only one

side are wet and not functioning

properly, steering control may

be affected.

●Always check that all passen-

gers’ arms, heads or other parts

of their body are not outside the

vehicle.

●AWD models: Do not drive the

vehicle off-road.

This is not a AWD vehicle

designed for off-road driving.

Proceed with all due caution if it

becomes unavoidable to drive

off-road.

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

222

5-1. Before driving

WARNING

■If you hear a squealing or

scraping noise (brake pad

wear limit indicators)

■When shifting the shift posi-

tion

Have the brake pads checked and

replaced by your Toyota dealer as

soon as possible.

Rotor damage may result if the

pads are not replaced when

needed.

It is dangerous to drive the vehicle

when the wear limits of the brake

pads and/or those of the brake

discs are exceeded.

●Do not let the vehicle roll back-

ward while a forward driving

position is selected, or roll for-

ward while the shift position is in

R.

Doing so may result in an acci-

dent or damage to the vehicle.

●Do not shift the shift position to

P while the vehicle is moving.

Doing so can damage the trans-

mission and may result in a loss

of vehicle control.

■When the vehicle is stopped

●Do not depress the accelerator

pedal unnecessarily.

If the shift position is in any

position other than P or N, the

vehicle may accelerate sud-

denly and unexpectedly, caus-

ing an accident.

●Do not shift the shift position to

R while the vehicle is moving

forward.

Doing so can damage the trans-

mission and may result in a loss

of vehicle control.

●In order to prevent accidents

due to the vehicle rolling away,

always keep depressing the

brake pedal while stopped with

the “READY” indicator is illumi-

nated, and apply the parking

brake as necessary.

●Do not shift the shift position to

a driving position while the vehi-

cle is moving backward.

Doing so can damage the trans-

mission and may result in a loss

of vehicle control.

●If the vehicle is stopped on an

incline, in order to prevent acci-

dents caused by the vehicle roll-

ing forward or backward, always

depress the brake pedal and

securely apply the parking

brake as needed.

●Changing the shift position to N

while the vehicle is moving will

disengage the hybrid system.

Regenerative braking is not

available with the EV system

disengaged.

●Be careful not to change the

shift position with the accelera-

tor pedal depressed.

■When the vehicle is parked

●Do not leave glasses, cigarette

lighters, spray cans, or soft

drink cans in the vehicle when it

is in the sun.

Doing so may result in the fol-

lowing:

Changing the shift position to

any positions other than P or N

may lead to unexpected rapid

acceleration of the vehicle that

may cause an accident and

result in death or serious injury.

After changing the shift position,

make sure to confirm the cur-

rent shift position displayed on

the shift position indicator inside

the meter.

• Gas may leak from a cigarette

lighter or spray can, and may

lead to a fire.

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

223

5-1. Before driving

■When taking a nap in the vehi-

WARNING

cle

• The temperature inside the

vehicle may cause the plastic

lenses and plastic material of

glasses to deform or crack.

Always turn the EV system off.

Otherwise, you may accidentally

move the shift lever or depress

the accelerator pedal, causing the

vehicle to unintentionally move,

which can lead to an accident,

resulting in death or serious injury.

• Soft drink cans may fracture,

causing the contents to spray

over the interior of the vehicle,

and may also cause a short cir-

cuit in the vehicle’s electrical

components.

■When braking

●When the brakes are wet, drive

more cautiously.

●Do not leave cigarette lighters in

the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter

is in a place such as the glove

box or on the floor, it may be lit

accidentally when luggage is

loaded or the seat is adjusted,

causing a fire.

Braking distance increases

when the brakes are wet, and

this may cause one side of the

vehicle to brake differently than

the other side. Also, the parking

brake may not securely hold the

vehicle.

●Do not attach adhesive discs to

the windshield or windows. Do

not place containers such as air

fresheners on the instrument

panel or dashboard. Adhesive

discs or containers may act as

lenses, causing a fire in the

vehicle.

●If the electronically controlled

brake system does not operate,

do not follow other vehicles

closely and avoid hills or sharp

turns that require braking.

5

In this case, braking is still pos-

sible, but the brake pedal

should be depressed more

firmly than usual. Also, the brak-

ing distance will increase. Have

your brakes fixed immediately.

●Do not leave a door or window

open if the curved glass is

coated with a metallized film

such as a silver-colored one.

Reflected sunlight may cause

the glass to act as a lens, caus-

ing a fire.

●The brake system consists of 2

or more individual hydraulic sys-

tems; if one of the systems fails,

the other(s) will still operate. In

this case, the brake pedal

●Always apply the parking brake,

shift the shift position to P, stop

the EV system and lock the

vehicle.

Do not leave the vehicle unat-

tended while the “READY” indi-

cator is illuminated.

If the vehicle is parked with the

shift position in P but the park-

ing brake is not set, the vehicle

may start to move, possibly

leading to an accident.

should be depressed more

firmly than usual and the brak-

ing distance will increase. Have

your brakes fixed immediately.

■If the vehicle becomes stuck

(AWD models)

Do not spin the wheels exces-

sively when any of the tires is up

in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in

sand, mud, etc. This may damage

the driveline components or pro-

pel the vehicle forward or back-

ward, causing an accident.

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

224

5-1. Before driving

●Short in electrical components

NOTICE

■When driving the vehicle

●Traction battery caused by

water immersion

●Do not depress the accelerator

and brake pedals at the same

time during driving, as this may

restrain the EV system output.

In the event that you drive on a

flooded road and the vehicle is

flooded, be sure to have your Toy-

ota dealer check the following:

●Do not use the accelerator

pedal or depress the accelera-

tor and brake pedals at the

same time to hold the vehicle on

a hill.

●Brake function

●Changes in quantity and quality

of transmission fluid, etc.

●Lubricant condition for the bear-

ings and suspension joints

■Avoiding damage to vehicle

parts

(where possible), and the func-

tion of all joints, bearings, etc.

●Do not turn the steering wheel

fully in either direction and hold

it there for an extended period

of time.

Doing so may damage the

power steering motor.

●Components connected to the

traction battery.

If the shift control system is dam-

aged by flooding, it may not be

possible to shift the shift position

to P, or from P to other positions.

In this case, contact your Toyota

dealer.

●When driving over bumps in the

road, drive as slowly as possible

to avoid damaging the wheels,

underside of the vehicle, etc.

■If you get a flat tire while driv-

■When parking the vehicle

ing

Always set the parking brake, and

shift the shift position to P. Failure

to do so may cause the vehicle to

move or the vehicle may acceler-

ate suddenly if the accelerator

pedal is accidentally depressed.

A flat or damaged tire may cause

the following situations. Hold the

steering wheel firmly and gradu-

ally depress the brake pedal to

slow down the vehicle.

●It may be difficult to control your

vehicle.

■When involved in a minor

accident

●The vehicle will make abnormal

Damage to the traction battery or

battery peripheral components

could cause malfunctions. Even if

it is a minor accident, have the

vehicle inspected by your Toyota

dealer.

sounds or vibrations.

●The vehicle will lean abnor-

mally.

Information on what to do in case

of a flat tire (P.529)

■When encountering flooded

Sudden start restraint

control (Drive-Start Con-

trol [DSC])

roads

Do not drive on a road that has

flooded after heavy rain, etc.

Doing so may cause the following

serious damage to the vehicle:

When the following unusual

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

225

5-1. Before driving

operation is performed with the

accelerator pedal depressed,

the EV system output may be

restrained.

• When the shift position is

shifted to R^*.

• When the shift position is

Cargo and luggage

Take notice of the following

information about storage

precautions, cargo capac-

ity and load.

shifted from P or R to forward

drive shift position such as D^*.

WARNING

■Things that must not be car-

ried in the luggage compart-

ment

When the system operates, a mes-

sage appears on the multi-informa-

tion display. Read the message and

follow the instruction.

The following things may cause a

fire if loaded in the luggage com-

partment:

*

: Depending on the situation, the

shift position may not be

changed.

●Receptacles containing gaso-

line

●Aerosol cans

■Storage precautions

■Drive-Start Control (DSC)

5

Observe the following precau-

tions.

●When the TRAC is turned off

(P.388), sudden start restraint

control also does not operate. If

your vehicle have trouble escap-

ing from the mud or fresh snow

due to sudden start restraint con-

trol operation, deactivate TRAC

(P.388) so that the vehicle may

become able to escape from the

mud or fresh snow.

Failure to do so may prevent the

pedals from being depressed

properly, may block the driver’s

vision, or may result in items hit-

ting the driver or passengers, pos-

sibly causing an accident.

●Stow cargo and luggage in the

luggage compartment when-

ever possible.

Also, sudden start restraint control

will not operate in the following con-

ditions:

• When “X-MODE” is selected (if

equipped)

●Do not stack cargo and luggage

in the luggage compartment

higher than the seatbacks.

●Do not place cargo or luggage

in or on the following locations.

• At the feet of the driver

• On the front passenger or rear

seats (when stacking items)

• On the luggage cover (if

equipped)

• On the instrument panel

• On the dashboard

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

226

5-1. Before driving

WARNING

For example, if the “XXX”

amount equals 1400 lbs. and

there will be five 150 lb passen-

gers in your vehicle, the amount

of available cargo and luggage

load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 -

750 (5  150) = 650 lbs.)

• In front of the instrument cluster

●Secure all items in the occupant

compartment.

●When you fold down the rear

seats, long items should not be

placed directly behind the front

seats.

(5) Determine the combined

weight of luggage and cargo

being loaded on the vehicle.

That weight may not safely

exceed the available cargo and

luggage load capacity calcu-

lated in Step 4.

●Never allow anyone to ride in

the luggage compartment. It is

not designed for passengers.

They should ride in their seats

with their seat belts properly

fastened.

Capacity and distribution

(6) If your vehicle will be towing

a trailer, load from your trailer

will be transferred to your vehi-

cle. Consult this manual to

determine how this reduces the

available cargo and luggage

load capacity of your vehicle.

(P.228)

Cargo capacity depends on the

total weight of the occupants.

(Cargo capacity) = (Total load

capacity) - (Total weight of occu-

pants)

Steps for Determining Cor-

rect Load Limit 

WARNING

(1) Locate the statement “The

combined weight of occupants

and cargo should never exceed

XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your

vehicle’s placard.

■Capacity and distribution

●Do not exceed the maximum

axle weight rating or the total

vehicle weight rating.

●Even if the total load of occu-

pant’ weight and the cargo load

is less than the total load capac-

ity, do not apply the load

unevenly. Improper loading may

cause deterioration of steering

or braking control which may

cause death or serious injury.

(2) Determine the combined

weight of the driver and passen-

gers that will be riding in your

vehicle.

(3) Subtract the combined

weight of the driver and passen-

gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.

(4) The resulting figure equals

the available amount of cargo

and luggage load capacity.

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

227

5-1. Before driving

load

Calculation formula for

your vehicle

As shown in the example above,

if the number of occupants

increases, the cargo and lug-

gage load will be reduced by an

amount that equals the

increased weight due to the

additional occupants. In other

words, if an increase in the num-

ber of occupants causes an

excess of the total load capacity

(combined weight of occupants

plus cargo and luggage load),

you must reduce the cargo and

luggage on your vehicle.

Cargo capacity

Total load capacity (vehicle

capacity weight) (P.552)

When 2 people with the com-

bined weight of A lb. (kg) are rid-

ing in your vehicle, which has a

total load capacity (vehicle

capacity weight) of B lb. (kg),

the available amount of cargo

and luggage load capacity will

be C lb. (kg) as follows:

WARNING

■When loading cargo on the

roof luggage carrier (if

equipped)

5

Observe the following precau-

tions:

●Place the cargo so that its

weight is distributed evenly

between the front and rear

axles.

B^*2lb. (kg) - A^*1lb. (kg) = C^*3lb.

(kg)

●If loading long or wide cargo,

never exceed the vehicle overall

length or width. (P.552)

*1

:A = Weight of people

*2

:B = Total load capacity

●Before driving, make sure the

cargo is securely fastened on

the roof luggage carrier.

*3

:C = Available cargo and luggage

load

●Loading cargo on the roof lug-

gage carrier will make the cen-

ter of gravity of the vehicle

higher. Avoid high speeds, sud-

den starts, sharp turns, sudden

braking or abrupt maneuvers,

otherwise it may result in loss of

control or vehicle rollover due to

failure to operate this vehicle

correctly and result in death or

serious injury.

In this condition, if 3 more passen-

gers with the combined weight of D

lb. (kg) get on, the available cargo

and luggage load will be reduced E

lb. (kg) as follows:

C lb. (kg) - D^*4lb. (kg) = E^*5lb.

(kg)

*4

:D = Additional weight of people

*5

:E = Available cargo and luggage

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

228

5-1. Before driving

WARNING

Vehicle load limits

●If driving for a long distance, on

rough roads, or at high speeds,

stop the vehicle now and then

during the trip to make sure the

cargo remains in its place.

Vehicle load limits include

total load capacity, seating

capacity, TWR (Trailer

Weight Rating) and cargo

capacity.

●Do not exceed 165.3 lb. (75 kg)

cargo weight on the roof lug-

gage carrier.

 Total load capacity (vehicle

capacity weight): P.552

NOTICE

Total load capacity means the

combined weight of occu-

pants, cargo and luggage.

■When loading cargo on the

roof luggage carrier (if

equipped)

Be careful not to scratch the sur-

face of the panoramic moon roof

(if equipped).

 Seating capacity: P.552

Seating capacity means the

maximum number of occu-

pants whose estimated aver-

age weight is 150 lb. (68 kg)

per person.

 TWR (Trailer Weight Rat-

ing)

Toyota does not recommend

towing a trailer with your vehi-

cle.

 Cargo capacity

Cargo capacity may increase

or decrease depending on the

weight and the number of

occupants.

■Total load capacity and seating

capacity

These details are also described on

the tire and loading information

label. (P.493)

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

229

5-1. Before driving

Trailer towing

WARNING

■Overloading the vehicle

Toyota does not recom-

mend towing a trailer with

your vehicle. Toyota also

does not recommend the

Do not overload the vehicle. It

may not only cause damage to

the tires, but also degrade steer-

ing and braking ability, resulting in

an accident.

installation of a tow hitch or

the use of a tow hitch car-

rier for a wheelchair,

scooter, bicycle, etc. Your

vehicle is not designed for

trailer towing or for the use

of tow hitch mounted carri-

ers.

5

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

230

Dinghy towing

5-1. Before driving

Your vehicle is not designed

to be dinghy towed (with 4

wheels on the ground)

behind a motor home.

NOTICE

■To avoid serious damage to

your vehicle

Do not tow your vehicle with 4

wheels on the ground.

Owner's Manual_USA_M42G23_en

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