STARTING AND DRIVING -> How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too for Your Toyota Prius 4 Door Second Generation (2004-2009)

How to save fuel and make  
your vehicle last longer, too  
Trailer towing  
Improving fuel economy is easyjust 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:  
Do not rest your foot on brake ped-  
al. This causes premature wear, over-  
heating and poor fuel economy.  
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.  
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-  
rect pressure. Underinflation causes  
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page  
405 for instructions.  
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.  
Do not carry unneeded weight in  
your vehicle. Excess weight puts  
a
heavier load on the engine, causing  
greater fuel consumption.  
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.  
Toyota does not recommend towing a  
trailer with your Toyota. Toyota also  
does not recommend the installation of  
a tow hitch or the use of a tow hitch  
Avoid jackrabbit starts.  
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free  
from mud, etc. This not only lessens  
weight but also helps prevent corro-  
sion.  
Avoid continuous speeding up and  
slowing down. Stopandgo driving  
wastes power.  
carrier for  
a
wheelchair, scooter, bi-  
cycle, etc. Your Toyota is not designed  
for trailer towing or for the use of tow  
hitch mounted carriers.  
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.  
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.  
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams  
whenever possible.  
353  
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.  
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