TOYOTA PRIUS PHV 2012 Owners Manual

5
When trouble arises
531
5-1. Essential information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
NOTICE
■
To prevent damaging the vehicle
When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent causing serious damage to the hybrid transmission when
towing using a wheel-lift type truck
Never tow this vehicle from the rear with the front wheels on the ground.
■ To prevent body damage when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.
■ To prevent causing serious damage to the hybrid transmission in
emergency towing
Never tow a vehicle from the rear with four wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to the hybrid transmission.

532
5-1. Essential information
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
■ Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air cond itioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● High engine coolant temperatur e warning light flashes or
comes on
■ Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the hybrid system
■ Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running roughly
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, s pongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

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When trouble arises
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PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a war ning light tur ns on or a war ning buzzer sounds
Stop the vehicle immediately. Continuing to drive the vehicle
may be dangerous.The following warning indicates a possible problem in the brake sys-
tem. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
*: Parking brake engaged warning buzzer:
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven at a speed of approximately 3 mph
(5 km/h) or more.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Brake system warning light and warning buzzer (red
indicator)
*
• Low brake fluid
• Malfunction in the brake system This light also comes on when the parking brake is not
released. If the light turns off after the parking brake is
fully released, the system is operating normally.
Calmly perform the following actio ns if any of the warning lights
comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but then goes
off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the system.
However, if this continues to o ccur, have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer.

534 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Stop the vehicle immediately.The following warning indicates the possibility of damage to the vehi-
cle that may lead to an accident. Immediately stop the vehicle in a
safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
Charging system warning light Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle’s charging system
High coolant temperature warning light Indicates that the coolant temperature is too high
Changes from a flashing to a solid light when the engine
coolant temperature increases.

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When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
Failure to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to
the system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada) Malfunction indicator lamp
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The hybrid system;
• The electronic engine control system; or
• The electronic throttle control system
SRS warning light Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The front passenger occupant classification system; or
• The seat belt pretensioner system
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
ABS warning light Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS; or
• The brake assist system
Electric power steering syst em warning light (warn-
ing buzzer) Indicates a malfunction in the EPS system

536 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(Flashes)
(If equipped) Pre-collision system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the pre-collision system
The warning light will operate as follows, even when the
system is not malfunctioning:
• The light will flash quickly when the system is operating. (P. 335)
• The light will turn on when the pre-collision braking is disabled. ( P. 336)
• The light will turn on when the system cannot tempo- rarily be used. ( P. 551)
(Turns on) Slip indicator light
Indicates a malfunction in:
•VSC;
• TRAC; or
• Hill-start assist control
Flashes when the above systems and/or ABS are oper-
ating. ( P. 329)
Brake system warning light (yellow indicator) Indicates a malfunction in:
• The regenerative braking system; or
• The electronically controlled brake system

(Flashes)
(If equipped) Automatic headlight leveling system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the automatic headlight level-
ing system

(Flashes)
(If equipped) Cruise control indicator
Indicates a malfunction in the cruise control/dynamic
radar cruise control

(Flashes)
(If equipped) Radar cruise control indicator
Indicates a malfunction in the dynamic radar cruise con-
trol

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When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Follow the correction procedures.
After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning light goes off.
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection procedure
Open door warning light
(warning buzzer)
*1
Indicates that a door is
not fully closed Check that all the
doors are closed.
Low fuel level warning
light Indicates remaining fuel
is approximately 1.6 gal.
(6.0 L, 1.3 Imp.gal.) or
less Refuel the vehicle.
Driver’s seat belt
reminder light (warning
buzzer)
*2
Warns the driver to fasten
his/her seat belts. Fasten the seat
belt.
(On the instrument panel)
Front passenger’s seat
belt reminder light
(warning buzzer)
*2
Warns the front passen-
ger to fasten his/her seat
belt.Fasten the seat
belt.

538 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection procedure
Tire pressure warning
light
When the light comes
on:
Low tire inflation pres-
sure such as
• Natural causes ( P. 540)
• Flat tire ( P. 448) Adjust the tire
inflation pressure
to the specified
level.
The light will turn
off after a few
minutes. In case
the light does
not turn off even
if the tire infla-
tion pressure is
adjusted, have
the system
checked by your
Toyota dealer.
When the light comes
on after blinking for 1
minute:
Malfunction in the tire
pressure warning sys-
tem
(  P. 542) Have the system
checked by your
Toyota dealer.
Master warning light
The warning light comes
on and flashes to indicate
that the master warning
system has detected a
malfunction. P. 5 4 6

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When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
*1: Open door warning buzzer:
The open door warning buzzer sounds to alert one or more of the doors is
not fully closed (with the vehicle hav ing reached a speed of 3 mph [5 km/h]).
*2: Seat belt warning buzzer:
The driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts reminder sounds to alert the
driver and front passenger that his or her seat belt is not fastened. The
buzzer sounds intermittently for 10 seconds after the vehicle has reached a
speed of at least 12 mph (20 km/h). Then, if the seat belt is still unfastened,
the buzzer will sound in a different tone for 20 more seconds.
■ SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front impact
sensors, side impact sensors (front), si de impact sensors (rear), driver’s seat
position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle switch, front passenger occupant
classification system (ECU and sensors), “AIR BAG ON” indicator light, “AIR
BAG OFF” indicator light, front passenger’s seat belt buckle switch, seat belt
pretensioner assemblies, airbags, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. ( P. 184)
■ Front passenger occupant classifi cation system (ECU and sensors),
seat belt reminder and warning buzzer
● If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front passenger
occupant classification system (ECU and sensors) may cause the warn-
ing light to flash and the warning buzzer to sound even if a passenger is
not sitting in the seat.
● If a cushion is placed on the seat, the front passenger occupant classifi-
cation system (ECU and sensors) may not detect a passenger, and the
warning light may not operate properly.

540 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
■Electric power steering system warning light
When the 12-volt battery charge becomes insufficient or the voltage tempo-
rarily drops, the electric power steering system warning light may come on.
■ If the malfunction indicator lamp comes on while driving
First check the following:
● Is the fuel tank cap loose?
If it is, tighten it securely.
The malfunction indicator lamp will go off after several driving trips.
If the malfunction indicator lamp does not go off even after several trips, con-
tact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level.
Pushing the tire pressure warning reset switch will not turn off the tire
pressure warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks and tire inflat ion pressure changes caused by tem-
perature. In this case, adjusting the tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).