Get STARTING AND DRIVING Guide for Toyota Prius 4 Door First Generation (1997-2003)

SECTION

4

STARTING AND DRIVING

Before starting the hybrid system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

How to start the hybrid system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Tips for driving in various conditionss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Winter driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Dinghy towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too . . . . . . . . . 166

161

How to start the hybrid

system— (a) Before starting

the hybrid system

Before starting the hybrid

system

(b) Turning on the hybrid

system

1. Check the area around the vehicle be-

fore entering it.

2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle,

head restraint height and steering

wheel angle.

3. Adjust the inside and outside rear view

mirrors.

40p001b

40p002a

4. Lock all doors.

5. Fasten seat belts.

When you get in the vehicle, check

whether the “READY” light is on or

not.

1. Apply the parking brake firmly.

Before starting the hybrid system, be sure

to follow the instructions in “(a) Before

starting the hybrid system”.

CAUTION

2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-

sories.

Your vehicle does not produce any

noise or vibration when the vehicle is

ready to start with the “READY” light

on. Be careful not to start the vehicle

abruptly by depressing the accelera-

tor pedal inadvertently.

Normal starting procedure

3. Put the running mode selector lever in

”P”.

Turn and hold the ignition switch to

“START” with the brake pedal depressed.

The “READY” light starts blinking. After a

few seconds, the blinking “READY” light

remains on and a beep sounds. (If the

ambient temperature is low, such as dur-

ing winter driving conditions, it may take

time until the “READY” light is on.) Then

release your hand from the ignition switch.

4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it

to the floor until driving off.

162

Tips for driving in various

conditions

When the ignition switch is turned to on

or off, you may hear a sound coming from

the hybrid vehicle battery in the trunk.

However, this does not indicate any

trouble.

D Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.

CAUTION

This will allow you much better control.

D Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-

sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving

onto high, sharp−edged objects and

other road hazards. Failure to do so

can lead to severe tire damage result-

ing in tire bursts.

D Before driving off, make sure the

parking brake is fully released and

that the parking brake reminder

light is off.

NOTICE

D Do not leave your vehicle unat-

The “READY” light does not come on

when the selector lever is put in a

position other than “P”. Depress the

brake pedal and put the selector lever

in “P” and turn the ignition switch to

“START” again.

tended with the “READY” light on.

Drive slowly when passing over bumps

or travelling on a bumpy road. Other-

wise, the impact could cause severe

damage to the tires and/or wheels.

D Do not rest your foot on the brake

pedal while driving. It can cause

dangerous overheating, needless

wear, and poor fuel economy.

D When parking on a hill, turn the front

wheels until they touch the curb so

that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the

parking brake, and put the selector le-

ver into “P”. If necessary, block the

wheels.

D To drive down a long or steep hill,

reduce your speed and downshift.

Remember, if you ride the brakes

excessively, they may overheat and

not work properly.

If there is a problem somewhere in the

hybrid system, the hybrid system malfunc-

tion warning light will come on in place of

the “READY” light. If this happens, contact

Toyota dealer.

D Washing your vehicle or driving through

deep water may get the brakes wet. To

see whether they are wet, check that

there is no traffic near you, and then

press the pedal lightly. If you do not

feel a normal braking force, the brakes

are probably wet. To dry them, drive

the vehicle cautiously while lightly

pressing the brake pedal with the park-

ing brake pulled. If they still do not

work safely, pull to the side of the road

and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.

D Be careful when accelerating or

braking on a slippery surface. Sud-

den acceleration or engine braking,

could cause the vehicle to spin or

skid.

NOTICE

When you start the hybrid system at

a lowered outside temperature, it may

take longer before the blinking

“READY” light changes to stay on.

163

Winter driving tips

Make sure you have

protection of coolant.

a

proper freeze

Make sure the engine oil viscosity is

suitable for the cold weather.

D Do not drive in excess of the speed

limit. Even if the legal speed limit

permits it, do not drive over 140

km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle

has high−speed capability tires.

Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph)

may result in tire failure, loss of

control and possible injury. Be sure

to consult a tire dealer to determine

whether the tires on your vehicle

are high−speed capability tires or

not before driving at such speeds.

Your coolant must contain ethylene−glycol

type coolant for proper corrosion

See 209 page in Section 8−2 for recom-

mended viscosity. Leaving a heavy sum-

mer oil in your vehicle during winter

months may cause harder starting. If you

are not sure about which oil to use, call

your Toyota dealer—he will be pleased to

help.

a

protection of aluminum components. Use

“TOYOTA Long Life Coolant” or equivalent.

See 210 page in Section 8−2 for details

about coolant type selection.

NOTICE

Keep the door locks from freezing.

Squirt lock de−icer or glycerine into the

locks to keep them from freezing.

Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or

plain water alone.

D Do not continue normal driving

when the brakes are wet. If they are

wet, your vehicle will require a lon-

ger stopping distance, and it may

pull to one side when the brakes

are applied. Also, the parking brake

will not hold the vehicle securely.

Use a washer fluid containing an anti−

freeze solution.

When it is extremely cold, we recommend

to use 60% solution for your Toyota, to

provide protection down to about −50°C

(−58°F). Do not use more than 70% solu-

tion for better coolant performance.

This product is available at your Toyota

dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow

the manufacturer’s directions for how

much to mix with water.

Check the condition of the auxiliary

battery and cables.

NOTICE

Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of

any auxiliary battery, so it must be in top

shape to provide enough power for winter

starting. Section 8−3 tells you how to

visually inspect the auxiliary battery. Your

Toyota dealer will be pleased to check the

level of charge.

Do not use engine antifreeze or any

other substitute as washer fluid be-

cause it may damage your vehicle’s

paint.

164

Dinghy towing

Trailer towing

Do not use your parking brake when

there is a possibility it could freeze.

When parking, put the selector lever into

“P” and block the rear wheels. Do not use

the parking brake, or snow or water accu-

mulated in and around the parking brake

mechanism may freeze, making it hard to

release.

40p050

40p003a

Keep ice and snow from accumulating

under the fenders.

Ice and snow built up under your fenders

can make steering difficult. During bad

winter driving, stop and check under the

fenders occasionally.

Your vehicle is not designed to be

dinghy towed (with four wheels on the

ground) behind a motorhome.

Toyota does not recommend towing a

trailer with your Toyota. It is not de-

signed for trailer towing.

Depending on where you are driving,

we recommend you carry some emer-

gency equipment.

NOTICE

Some of the things you might put in the

vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,

bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,

jumper cables, etc.

Do not tow your vehicle with four

wheels on the ground.

This may

cause serious damage to your ve-

hicle.

165

How to save fuel and make

your vehicle last longer, too

Improving fuel economy is easy−just take

it easy. It will help make your vehicle last

longer, too. Here are some specific tips

on how to save money on both fuel and

repairs:

D Do not rest your foot on brake ped-

al. This causes premature wear, over-

heating and poor fuel economy.

CAUTION

Never turn off the hybrid system to

coast down hills. Your power steering

and brake booster will not function

without the hybrid system running.

Also, the emission control system op-

erates properly only when the hybrid

system is running.

D Maintain a moderate speed on high-

ways. The faster you drive, the greater

the fuel consumption. By reducing your

speed, you will cut down on fuel con-

sumption.

D Keep your tires inflated at the cor-

rect pressure. Underinflation causes

tire wear and wastes fuel. See page

214 in Section 8−2 for instructions.

D Keep the front wheels in proper

alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and

slow down on rough roads. Improper

alignment not only causes faster tire

wear but also puts an extra load on

the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.

D Do not carry unneeded weight in

your vehicle. Excess weight puts

a

heavier load on the engine, causing

greater fuel consumption.

D Accelerate slowly and smoothly.

Avoid jackrabbit starts.

D Keep the bottom of your vehicle free

from mud, etc. This not only lessens

weight but also helps prevent corro-

sion.

D Avoid continuous speeding up and

slowing down. Stop−and−go driving

wastes power.

D Keep your vehicle tuned−up and in

top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-

er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil

and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.

all lower engine performance and con-

tribute to poor fuel economy. For longer

life of all parts and lower operating

costs, keep all maintenance work on

schedule, and if you often drive under

severe conditions, see that your ve-

hicle receives more frequent mainte-

nance.

D Avoid unnecessary stopping and

braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try

to time the traffic signals so you only

need to stop as little as possible or

take advantage of through streets to

avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-

tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-

den braking. This will also reduce wear

on your brakes.

D Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams

whenever possible.

166

STARTING AND DRIVING for Your Toyota Prius 4 Door First Generation (1997-2003)

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