Get Before driving -> Driving the vehicle Guide for Toyota Prius 4 Door Fourth Generation (2016-2022)

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4-1. Before driving

Driving the vehicle

The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe

driving:

Starting the hybrid system

P. 241

Driving

1

With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift position to D.

(P. 251)

Check that the shift position indicator shows D.

2

Release the parking brake. (P. 258)

3

Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelera-

tor pedal to accelerate the vehicle.

Stopping

1

With the shift position in D, depress the brake pedal.

2

If necessary, set the parking brake.

If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift

^{position to P. (}P. 252)

Parking the vehicle

1

Stop the vehicle completely.

2

Set the parking brake. (P. 258)

3

Shift the shift position to P. (P. 252)

Check that the shift position indicator shows P.

4

Press the power switch to stop the hybrid system.

5

Slowly release the brake pedal.

6

Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on your

person.

If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.

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4-1. Before driving

Starting off on a steep uphill

1

Firmly set the parking brake with the brake pedal depressed, and

then shift the shift position to D.

2

3

Release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal.

Release the parking brake.

■When starting off on an uphill

The hill-start assist control will activate. (P. 409)

■For fuel-efficient driving

Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are similar to conventional vehicles, and it

is necessary to refrain from activities such as sudden acceleration. (P. 415)

■Driving in the rain

●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-

dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.

●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-

4

cially slippery.

●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 sur-

face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.

■Restraining the hybrid system output (Brake Override System)

●When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the

hybrid system output may be restrained.

●A warning message is displayed on the multi-information display while the

system is operating. (P. 596)

■“ECO Accelerator Guidance” (P. 128)

It is easier to drive in an Eco-friendly manner by driving while referring to the

“ECO Accelerator Guidance” display. Also, by using the “ECO Accelerator

Guidance”, it is easier to increase the Eco score evaluation.

●When starting off:

While staying within the “ECO Accelerator Guidance” range, gradually

depress the accelerator pedal and accelerate to the desired speed. If exces-

sive acceleration is avoided, the “Eco-Start” score will increase.

●When driving:

After accelerating to the desired speed, release the accelerator pedal and

drive at a stable speed within the “ECO Accelerator Guidance” range. By

keeping the vehicle within the “ECO Accelerator Guidance” range, the “Eco-

Cruise” score will increase.

●When stopping:

When stopping the vehicle, early releasing the accelerator pedal will cause

the “Eco-Stop” score to increase.

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4-1. Before driving

■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)

●When the following unusual operation is performed, the hybrid system out-

put may be restrained.

• When the shift position is shifted from R to D/B, D/B to R, N to R, P to D/

^B*, P to R* with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message

appears on the multi-information display. If a warning message is shown

on the multi-information display, read the message and follow the instruc-

tions.

• When the accelerator pedal is depressed too much while the vehicle is in

reverse.

●While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trou-

ble escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRAC

(P. 410) to cancel Drive Start Control so that the vehicle may become

able to escape from the mud or fresh snow.

*: Depending on the situation, the shift position may not be changed.

■Breaking in your new Toyota

To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-

mended:

●For the first 200 miles (300 km):

Avoid sudden stops.

●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):

• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.

• Avoid sudden acceleration.

• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country

Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability

of the correct fuel. (P. 655)

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■When starting the vehicle

Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY”

indicator is illuminated. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.

■When driving the vehicle

●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-

erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.

• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake

pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.

• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-

culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.

• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the

vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelera-

tor pedals properly.

• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake

pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-

ing in an accident.

4

●The driver should pay extra attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is

powered only by the electric motor (traction motor). As there is no engine

noise, the pedestrians may misjudge the vehicle’s movement. Even

though the vehicle is equipped with the vehicle proximity notification sys-

tem, drive with care as pedestrians in the vicinity may still not notice the

vehicle if the surrounding area is noisy.

●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials

such as leaves, paper or rags.

The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot

parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.

●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid

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. 569

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■When driving the vehicle

●Use engine braking (shift position B instead of shift position D) to maintain

a safe speed when driving down a steep hill.

Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose

effectiveness. (P. 252)

●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or

outside rear view mirrors while driving.

Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.

●Always check that all passengers’ arms, head or other parts of their body

are not outside the vehicle.

●AWD models: Do not drive the vehicle off-road.

This is not an AWD vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all

due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.

●Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.

This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage

the hybrid system or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.

●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-

mits 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 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.

■When driving on slippery road surfaces

●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and

reduce your ability to control the vehicle.

●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine

speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.

●After driving through a puddle, depress the brake pedal to make sure that

the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the

brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet

and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■When shifting the shift position

●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while a forward driving position is

selected, or roll forward while the shift position is in R.

Doing so may result in an accident or damage to the vehicle.

●Do not shift the shift position to P while the vehicle is moving.

Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle

control.

●Do not shift the shift position to R while the vehicle is moving forward.

Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle

control.

●Do not shift the shift position to a driving position while the vehicle is mov-

ing backward.

Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle

control.

4

●Changing the shift position to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage

the hybrid system. Engine braking is not available with the hybrid system

disengaged.

●Be careful not to change the shift position with the accelerator pedal

depressed.

Changing the shift position to any position 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.

Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle

control.

After changing the shift position, make sure to confirm the current shift

position displayed on the shift position indicator inside the meter.

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-

tors)

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.

■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 suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.

●In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep

depressing the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY” indicator is

illuminated, and apply the parking brake as necessary.

●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused

by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal

and securely apply the parking brake as needed.

●Avoid revving or racing the engine.

Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause

the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible

material is nearby.

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■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 following:

• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.

• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and

plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.

• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the

interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle’s

electrical components.

●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.

4

●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place con-

tainers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard. Adhe-

sive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.

●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, causing a fire.

●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift position to P, stop the hybrid

system and lock the vehicle.

Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the “READY” indicator is illumi-

nated.

If the vehicle is parked with the shift position in P but the parking brake is

not set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident.

●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the “READY” indicator is illuminated

or immediately after turning the hybrid system off.

Doing so may cause burns.

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■When taking a nap in the vehicle

Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the

shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or

fire due to hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in

a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle,

leading to death or a serious health hazard.

■When braking

●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.

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.

●If the electronically controlled assist function does not operate, do not fol-

low other vehicles closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require

braking.

In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be

depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.

Have your brakes fixed immediately.

●The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; if

one of the systems fails, the other(s) will still operate. In this case, the

brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking

distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.

■If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)

Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or

the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-

ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.

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4-1. Before driving

NOTICE

■When driving the vehicle

●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during

driving, as this may restrain the hybrid system output.

●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake

pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.

■When parking the vehicle

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 accelerate suddenly if

the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.

■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts

●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.

●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid

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damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.

■If you get a flat tire while driving

A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering

wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehi-

cle.

●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.

●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.

●The vehicle will lean abnormally.

Information on what to do in case of a flat tire: P. 599, 619

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4-1. Before driving

NOTICE

■When encountering flooded 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:

●Engine stalling

●Short in electrical components

●Engine damage caused by water immersion

In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be

sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:

●Brake function

●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, hybrid

transmission, etc.

●Lubricant condition for the bearings and suspension joints (where possi-

ble), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.

If the shift control system is damaged by flooding, it may not be possible to

shift the shift position to P, or from P to other positions. When the shift posi-

tion cannot be changed from P to any other position, the front wheels will

lock, and you will be unable to tow the vehicle with the front wheels on the

ground, as the front wheels may be locked. In this case, transport the vehi-

cle with both front wheels or all four wheels lifted. (P. 572)

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Before driving -> Driving the vehicle for Your Toyota Prius 4 Door Fourth Generation (2016-2022)

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