IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY for Your Toyota Prius 4 Door Second Generation (2004-2009)

SECTION  
5
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY  
If your vehicle will not start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356  
If your hybrid system stalls while driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360  
If your vehicle overheatss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360  
If you have a flat tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361  
If your vehicle needs to be towed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372  
If you lose your keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375  
If you cannot operate back door opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376  
355  
If your vehicle will not start—  
(a) Simple checks  
(b) Jump starting  
Before making these checks, make sure  
you have followed the correct starting  
procedure given in “How to start the  
hybrid system” on page 348 and that you  
have sufficient fuel. Also check whether  
the other keys will start the hybrid  
system. If they work, your key may be  
broken. Have the key checked at your  
Toyota dealer. If none of your keys work,  
there may be a malfunction in the hybrid  
vehicle immobilizer system. Call your  
Toyota dealer. (See “Keys” on page 20.)  
If the instrument cluster is shown in  
appropriate brightness when the hybrid  
system is in the “IG−ON” mode—  
If the 12 volt battery is discharged, the  
hybrid system can be started by jump  
starting. Depending on the vehicle con-  
dition, the engine may not start.  
The hybrid vehicle system is suspected to  
be faulty. Contact your Toyota dealer.  
To avoid serious personal injury and  
damage to your vehicle which might re-  
sult from battery explosion, acid burns,  
electrical burns, or damaged electronic  
components, these instructions must be  
followed precisely.  
If the 12 volt battery is discharged, you  
cannot access to the 12 volt battery in the  
luggage compartment because the back  
door cannot be opened. Use the exclusive  
jump starting terminal in the engine  
compartment. For details, see “JUMP  
STARTING PROCEDURE” on page 357.  
If the instrument cluster dims or the  
instrument cluster display turns off  
with the hybrid system on—  
1. Check that the 12 volt battery terminals  
are tight and clean.  
2. If the 12 volt battery terminals are  
O.K., the 12 volt battery is discharged.  
You may try jump starting. See “(b)  
Jump starting” for further instructions.  
NOTICE  
If the 12 volt battery is discharged  
with the transaxle in “P”, your vehicle  
cannot be moved unless the front  
wheels are raised. This is because the  
front wheels are locked by means of  
the parking lock mechanism.  
NOTICE  
Hybrid vehicles cannot be push−  
started.  
If you are unsure about how to follow this  
procedure, we strongly recommend that  
you seek the help of a competent qualified  
technician or towing service.  
356  
NOTICE  
CAUTION  
z The battery used for boosting must  
be 12 V. Do not jump start unless  
you are sure that the booster bat-  
tery is correct.  
Booster battery contains sulfuric  
acid which is poisonous and corro-  
sive. Wear protective safety glasses  
when jump starting, and avoid spil-  
ling acid on your skin, clothing, or  
vehicle.  
z After jump starting procedure, the  
hybrid system may not start by  
pushing the “POWER” switch. In  
that case, push it once again. If the  
“READY” light does not come on,  
contact your Toyota dealer.  
If you should accidentally get acid  
on yourself or in your eyes, remove  
any contaminated clothing and flush  
the affected area with water imme-  
diately. Then get immediate medical  
attention. If possible, continue to  
apply water with a sponge or cloth  
while en route to the medical office.  
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE  
1. Apply the parking brake and turn off  
the headlight switch and interior light.  
The gas normally produced by  
a
2. Turn off the hybrid system and remove  
the key if inserted.  
battery will explode if a flame or  
spark is brought near. Use only  
standardized jumper cables and do  
not smoke or light a match while  
jump starting.  
3. Open the hood and fuse block cover  
shown in the above illustration.  
357  
7. If the engine in the vehicle with the  
booster battery is not running, start it  
and let it run for a few minutes. During  
jump starting, run the engine at about  
2000 rpm with the accelerator pedal  
lightly depressed.  
Exclusive jump starting  
terminal cover  
Exclusive jump  
starting terminal  
Positive  
terminal  
(“+” mark)  
Booster  
battery  
Jumper  
cable  
4. Open the exclusive jump starting termi-  
nal cover.  
8. Connect the jumper cables in the order  
a, b, c, d.  
5. If the booster battery is installed in  
another vehicle, make sure the ve-  
hicles are not touching. Turn off all  
unnecessary lights and accessories.  
a. Connect the clamp of the positive  
(red) jumper cable to the exclusive  
jump starting terminal.  
b. Connect the clamp at the other end  
of the positive (red) jumper cable to  
the positive (+) terminal on the  
booster battery.  
When boosting, use the battery of  
matching or higher quality. Any other  
battery may be difficult to jump start  
with. If jump starting is difficult, charge  
the battery for several minutes.  
6. If required, remove all the vent plugs  
from the booster batteries. Lay a cloth  
over the open vents on the batteries.  
(This helps reduce the explosion haz-  
ard, personal injuries and burns.)  
358  
10. Start the hybrid system. Make sure the  
“READY” light is on. If the hybrid bat-  
tery warning light comes on in the mul-  
tiinformation display, the hybrid battery  
is also discharged. Contact your Toyota  
dealer.  
Jumper  
cable  
11. Carefully disconnect the cables in the  
exact reverse order: the negative cable  
and then the positive cable.  
Negative  
terminal  
(“–” mark)  
12. Carefully dispose of the battery cover  
cloths—they may now contain sulfuric  
acid.  
Booster  
battery  
13. If removed, replace all the battery vent  
plugs.  
Connecting point  
c. Connect the clamp of the negative  
(black) jumper cable to the negative  
(–) terminal on the booster battery.  
If the cause of your 12 volt battery dis-  
charging is not apparent (for example,  
lights left on), you should have it checked  
at your Toyota dealer.  
CAUTION  
d. Connect the clamp at the other end  
of the negative (black) jumper cable  
to a solid, stationary, unpainted, me-  
tallic point of the vehicle with the  
discharged battery.  
When making the connections, to  
avoid serious injury, do not lean over  
the battery or accidentally let the  
jumper cables or clamps touch any-  
thing except the correct battery termi-  
nals or the ground.  
If the first start attempt is not success-  
ful...  
Check that the clamp on the jumper  
cables are tight. Recharge the discharged  
battery with the jumper cables connected  
for several minutes and restart your hybrid  
system in the normal way.  
The recommended connecting point is  
shown in the following illustration:  
9. Charge the discharged battery with the  
jumper cables connected for approxi-  
mately 5 minutes. At this time, run the  
engine in the vehicle with the booster  
battery at about 2000 rpm with the ac-  
celerator pedal lightly depressed.  
If the another attempt is not successful,  
the battery may be depleted. Have it  
checked at your Toyota dealer.  
359  
If your hybrid system stalls  
while driving  
If your vehicle overheats  
If your hybrid system stalls while driving...  
If your high coolant temperature warn-  
ing light comes on, if you experience a  
loss of power, or if you hear a loud  
knocking or pinging noise, the hybrid  
system has probably overheated. You  
should follow this procedure...  
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from the  
radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.  
However, note that water draining from  
the air conditioning is normal if it has  
been used.  
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping  
a straight line. Move cautiously off the  
road to a safe place.  
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.  
3. Try starting the hybrid system again.  
CAUTION  
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve-  
hicle and turn on your emergency  
flashers. Push the “P” position switch  
and apply the parking brake. Turn off  
the air conditioning if it is being used.  
If the hybrid system will not start, see “If  
your vehicle will not start” on page 356.  
When the hybrid system is running,  
keep hands and clothing away from  
the moving fan and engine drive  
belts.  
CAUTION  
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the  
radiator or reservoir, stop the hybrid  
system. Wait until the steam subsides  
before opening the hood. If there is no  
coolant boiling over or steam, leave the  
hybrid system running and make sure  
the electric cooling fan is operating. If  
it is not, turn the hybrid system off.  
If the hybrid system is not operating,  
the power assist for the brakes and  
steering will not work so steering and  
braking will be much harder than usu-  
al.  
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the hy-  
brid system immediately. Call a Toyota  
dealer for assistance.  
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check  
the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add  
coolant to the reservoir while the hy-  
brid system is running. Fill it about half  
full.  
CAUTION  
To help avoid personal injury, keep  
the hood closed until there is no  
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is  
a sign of very high pressure.  
CAUTION  
Do not attempt to remove the radiator  
cap when the hybrid system and ra-  
diator are hot. Serious injury could  
result from scalding hot fluid and  
steam blown out under pressure.  
360  
If you have a flat tire—  
6. After the coolant temperature has  
cooled to normal, again check the cool-  
ant level in the reservoir. If necessary,  
bring it up to half full again. Serious  
1. Reduce your speed gradually,  
keeping a straight line. Move cau-  
tiously off the road to a safe place  
well away from the traffic. Avoid  
stopping on the center divider of  
a highway. Park on a level spot  
with firm ground.  
CAUTION  
When jacking, be sure to observe  
the following to reduce the possi-  
bility of death or serious injury:  
coolant loss indicates  
a
leak in the  
system. You should have it checked as  
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.  
Follow jacking instructions.  
2. Stop the hybrid system and turn  
on your emergency flashers.  
Do not put any part of your  
body under a vehicle sup-  
ported by a jack. Personal inju-  
ry may occur.  
3. Firmly set the parking brake.  
4. Have everyone get out of the ve-  
hicle on the side away from traffic.  
Do not start or run the hybrid  
system while your vehicle is  
supported by the jack.  
5. Read the following instructions  
thoroughly.  
Stop the vehicle at a level firm  
ground, firmly set the parking  
brake. Block the wheel diago-  
nally opposite to the one being  
changed if necessary.  
361  
NOTICE  
Make sure to set the jack prop-  
erly in the jack point. Raising  
the vehicle with jack improper-  
ly positioned will damage the  
vehicle or may allow the ve-  
hicle to fall off the jack and  
cause personal injury.  
Do not continue driving with a  
deflated tire. Driving even a  
short distance can damage a  
tire and wheel beyond repair.  
Never get under the vehicle  
when the vehicle is supported  
by the jack alone.  
Use the jack only for lifting  
your vehicle during wheel  
changing.  
Compact spare tire  
The compact spare tire is designed  
for temporary emergency use only.  
Do not raise the vehicle with  
someone in the vehicle.  
The compact spare tire is identified  
by the distinctive wording “TEM-  
PORARY USE ONLY” molded into the  
side wall of the tire.  
When raising the vehicle, do  
not place any objects on top  
of or underneath the jack.  
Raise the vehicle only high  
enough to remove and change  
the tire.  
The compact spare tire saves space  
in your luggage compartment, and its  
lighter weight helps to improve fuel  
economy and permits easier installa-  
tion in case of a flat tire.  
362  
The compact spare tire can be used  
many times, if necessary. It has tread  
life of up to 4800 km (3000 miles) de-  
pending on road conditions and your  
driving habits. When tread wear indi-  
cators appear on the tire, replace the  
tire.  
NOTICE  
CAUTION  
Your ground clearance is re-  
duced when the compact spare  
tire is installed so avoid driving  
over obstacles and drive slowly  
on rough, unpaved roads and  
speed bumps. Also, do not at-  
tempt to go through an auto-  
matic car wash as the vehicle  
may get caught, resulting in  
damage.  
The compact spare tire was de-  
signed especially for your To-  
yota. Do not use it on any other  
vehicle.  
Do not use more than one com-  
pact spare tire at the same  
time.  
See also the tire information on page  
407 for details on the tread wear indi-  
cators and other service information.  
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50  
mph) when driving with the  
compact spare tire.  
Replace the compact spare tire  
with the standard tire as soon  
as possible.  
Avoid sudden acceleration,  
sudden deceleration and sharp  
turns with the compact spare  
tire.  
363  
—Required tools and spare  
tire  
1. Get the required tools and spare  
tire.  
To remove the jack, unlock the tight-  
ening strap.  
To remove the spare tire:  
1. Remove the luggage storage box.  
2. Loosen the bolt and remove it.  
3. Remove the jack box.  
1 Wheel nut wrench  
2 Jack handle  
3 Jack  
To store the jack, make sure it is se-  
curely held by the tightening strap.  
Then take the spare tire out of the  
vehicle.  
4 Spare tire  
To open the luggage storage box, see  
“Luggage storage box” on page 314.  
When storing the spare tire, put it in  
place with the inner side of the wheel  
facing up. Then secure the tire by re-  
peating the above removal steps in  
reverse order to prevent it from flying  
forward during a collision or sudden  
braking.  
To prepare yourself for an emergency,  
you should familiarize yourself with  
the use of the jack, each of the tools  
and their storage locations.  
364  
—Blocking the wheel  
—Loosening wheel nuts  
When installing the jack box, align the  
arrows on the jack box with the ones  
on the body.  
2. Block the wheel diagonally op-  
posite the flat tire to keep the  
vehicle from rolling when it is  
jacked up.  
3. Loosen all the wheel nuts.  
Always loosen the wheel nuts before  
raising the vehicle.  
Turn the wheel nuts counterclockwise  
to loosen them. To get maximum le-  
verage, fit the wrench to the nut so  
that the handle is on the right side,  
as shown above. Grab the wrench  
near the end of the handle and pull  
up on the handle. Be careful that the  
wrench does not slip off the nut.  
When chocking the wheel, place a  
wheel block in front of one of the front  
wheels or behind one of the rear  
wheels.  
Do not remove the nuts yet—just un-  
screw them about onehalf turn in the  
order shown.  
365  
—Positioning the jack  
—Raising your vehicle  
CAUTION  
Never use oil or grease on the  
bolts or nuts. The nuts may loos-  
en and the wheels may fall off,  
which could cause a serious ac-  
cident.  
4. Position the jack at the jack  
points as shown.  
5. After making sure no one is in  
the vehicle, raise it high enough  
so that the spare tire can be  
installed.  
Make sure the jack is positioned on  
a level and solid place.  
Remember you will need more ground  
clearance when putting on the spare  
tire than when removing the flat tire.  
To raise the vehicle, insert the jack  
handle into the jack (it is a loose fit)  
and turn it clockwise. As the jack  
touches the vehicle and begins to lift,  
doublecheck that it is properly posi-  
tioned.  
366  
—Changing wheels  
CAUTION  
Never get under the vehicle when  
the vehicle is supported by the  
jack alone.  
6. Remove the wheel nuts and  
change tires.  
Before putting on wheels, remove any  
corrosion on the mounting surfaces  
with a wire brush or such. Installation  
of wheels without good metaltomet-  
al contact at the mounting surface can  
cause wheel nuts to loosen and even-  
tually cause a wheel to come off while  
driving.  
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it  
aside.  
Roll the spare wheel into position and  
align the holes in the wheel with the  
bolts. Then lift up the wheel and get  
at least the top bolt started through  
its hole. Wiggle the tire and press it  
back over the other bolts.  
367  
—Reinstalling wheel nuts  
—Lowering your vehicle  
CAUTION  
Never use oil or grease on the  
bolts or nuts. Doing so may lead  
to overtightening the nuts and  
damaging the bolts. The nuts  
may loosen and the wheels may  
fall off, which could cause a seri-  
ous accident. If there is oil or  
grease on any bolt or nut, clean  
it.  
7. Reinstall all the wheel nuts fin-  
ger tight.  
8. Lower the vehicle completely  
and tighten the wheel nuts.  
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end  
inward) and tighten them as much as  
you can by hand. Press back on the  
tire and see if you can tighten them  
more.  
Turn the jack handle counterclock-  
wise to lower the vehicle.  
Use only the wheel nut wrench to  
tighten the nuts. Do not use other  
tools or any additional leverage other  
than your hands, such as a hammer,  
pipe or your foot. Make sure the  
wrench is securely engaged over the  
nut.  
Tighten each nut a little at a time in  
the order shown. Repeat the process  
until all the nuts are tight.  
368  
—Stowing flat tire  
9. Restow all the tools and jack se-  
curely. Then secure the flat tire  
in the luggage compartment  
with the tire tie−down belts and  
tie−down hooks as follows  
CAUTION  
When lowering the vehicle,  
make sure all portions of your  
body and all other persons  
around will not be injured as  
the vehicle is lowered to the  
ground.  
CAUTION  
Before driving, make sure all the  
tools and jack are securely in  
place in their storage location to  
reduce the possibility of person-  
al injury during a collision or  
sudden braking.  
Have the wheel nuts tightened  
with torque wrench to 103 N·m  
(10.5 kgf·m, 76 ft·lbf), as soon  
as possible after changing  
wheels. Otherwise, the nuts  
may loosen and the wheels  
may fall off, which could cause  
a serious accident.  
1. Before stowing the flat tire, remove  
the center wheel ornament by  
pushing from the reverse side.  
Be careful not to lose the wheel orna-  
ment.  
Do not attach a heavily dam-  
aged plastic wheel ornament.  
It may fly off the wheel and  
cause accidents while the ve-  
hicle is moving.  
369  
2. Put the flat tire on the center of  
the luggage storage box lid with  
the outer side of the wheel facing  
up. Hook one ends of the belts to  
the front tiedown hooks.  
3. Pass the belts through the center  
hole of the wheel as shown above.  
4. Attach the other ends of the belts  
to the rear tiedown hooks.  
After stowing the flat tire, check that  
the tire and belts are secured.  
370  
—After changing wheels  
10. Check the air pressure of the re-  
placed tire.  
CAUTION  
CAUTION  
Adjust the air pressure to the specifi-  
cation designated on page 429. If the  
pressure is lower than specified, drive  
slowly to the nearest Toyota dealer  
and fill to the correct pressure.  
Make sure the rear seats are in  
Take due care in handling the or-  
nament to avoid unexpected per-  
sonal injury.  
their original position.  
When carrying the flat tire, se-  
cure it using a tire tie−down  
belts. Otherwise, the flat tire  
may fly out in case of the sud-  
den braking or an accident, re-  
sulting in death or serious inju-  
ry.  
Do not forget to reinstall the tire infla-  
tion valve cap as dirt and moisture  
could get into the valve core and pos-  
sibly cause air leakage. If the cap is  
missing, have a new one put on as  
soon as possible.  
As soon as possible after changing  
wheels, tighten the wheel nuts to the  
torque specified on page 429 with a  
torque wrench. Have a technician re-  
pair the flat tire.  
After repairing the flat tire, change it  
with compact spare tire and reinstall  
the wheel ornament.  
371  
If your vehicle needs to be  
towed—  
If towing is necessary, we recommend  
you to have it done by your Toyota  
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-  
vice. In consultation with them, have  
your vehicle towed using either (a) or  
(b).  
TOWING PRECAUTIONS:  
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck—  
—From front  
Use a safety chain system for all towing,  
and abide by the state/provincial and local  
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground  
must be in good condition. If they are  
damaged, use a towing dolly.  
Only when you cannot receive a towing  
service from a Toyota dealer or com-  
mercial tow truck service, tow your ve-  
hicle carefully in accordance with the  
instructions given in “—Emergency tow-  
ing” on page 373.  
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck  
From front—Release the parking brake.  
NOTICE  
—From rear  
When lifting wheels, take care to en-  
sure adequate ground clearance for  
towing at the opposite end of the  
raised vehicle. Otherwise, the under-  
body of the towed vehicle will be  
damaged during towing.  
Proper equipment will help ensure that  
your vehicle is not damaged while being  
towed. Commercial operators are generally  
aware of the state/provincial and local  
laws pertaining to towing.  
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is  
towed incorrectly. Although most operators  
know the correct procedure, it is possible  
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to  
your vehicle, make sure the following pre-  
cautions are observed. If necessary, show  
this page to the tow truck driver.  
From rear—Use a towing dolly under the  
front wheels.  
(b) Using flat bed truck  
NOTICE  
Never tow  
a
vehicle from the rear  
with the front wheels on the ground,  
as this may cause serious damage to  
the transmission.  
(b) Using flat bed truck  
372  
—Emergency towing  
(c) Towing with sling type truck  
NOTICE  
z Only use specified towing eyelet;  
otherwise your vehicle may be dam-  
aged.  
z Never tow a vehicle from the rear  
with four wheels on the ground.  
This may cause serious damage to  
the transaxle.  
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer  
it and operate the brakes.  
Towing in this manner may be done only  
on hardsurfaced roads for a short dis-  
tance and at low speeds. Also, the  
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and  
brakes must all be in good condition.  
(c) Towing with sling type truck  
If towing is necessary, we recommend  
you to have it done by your Toyota  
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-  
vice.  
NOTICE  
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-  
ther from the front or rear. This may  
cause body damage.  
If towing service is not available in an  
emergency, your vehicle may be tempo-  
rarily towed by a cable or chain se-  
cured to emergency towing eyelet in-  
side of front bumper. Use extreme  
caution when towing vehicles.  
373  
—Installing towing eyelet  
Before towing, release the parking brake  
and put the hybrid transaxle in “N”. The  
hybrid system must be in the “IGON”  
mode.  
CAUTION  
Use extreme caution when towing ve-  
hicles. Avoid sudden starts or erratic  
driving maneuvers which would place  
excessive stress on the emergency  
towing eyelet and towing cable or  
chain. The eyelet and towing cable or  
chain may break and cause serious  
injury or damage.  
In the following cases, as the front wheels  
might be locked by means of the parking  
lock mechanism, your vehicle cannot be  
towed by another vehicle using a rope.  
Have your vehicle carried with the front  
wheels or all the wheels raised.  
If the parking mechanism fails.  
If the 12 volt battery is discharged.  
NOTICE  
1. Remove the towing eyelet as shown in  
the illustration.  
CAUTION  
Use only a cable or chain specifically  
intended for use in towing vehicles.  
Securely fasten the cable or chain to  
the towing eyelet provided.  
If the hybrid system is not running,  
the power assist for the brakes and  
steering will not work so steering and  
braking will be much harder than usu-  
al.  
374  
If you lose your keys  
You can purchase a new key at your  
Toyota dealer if you can give them the  
key number and master key.  
Even if you lose only one key, contact  
your Toyota dealer to make a new key. If  
you lose all your master keys, you cannot  
make new keys; the whole hybrid vehicle  
immobilizer system must be replaced.  
See the suggestion given in “Keys” on  
page 20.  
If your keys are locked in the vehicle and  
you cannot get a duplicate, many Toyota  
dealers can still open the door for you,  
using their special tools. If you must  
2. Secure the towing eyelet to the hole on  
the bumper by turning it clockwise.  
3. Tighten the towing eyelet securely by  
a wheel nut wrench.  
break  
a
window to get in, we suggest  
breaking the smallest side window be-  
cause it is the least expensive to replace.  
Be extremely cautious to avoid cuts from  
the glass.  
CAUTION  
When installing the eyelet on the ve-  
hicle, be sure to tighten the eyelet  
securely. If the eyelet is loose, it may  
come off when being towed and re-  
sult in death or serious injury.  
375  
If you cannot operate back  
door opener  
If the back door opener does not oper-  
ate, you can open the back door from  
the inside.  
2. Pull the lever with the back door mo-  
tor, open the back door.  
Be sure to have the back door opener  
checked/repaired by your Toyota dealer.  
To open the back door from inside, per-  
form the following procedure.  
1. Open the luggage storage box (See  
“Luggage storage box” on page 314.)  
and remove the cover.  
376