load capacity TOYOTA PRIUS 2003 1.G Owners Manual

12
The hybrid system automatically con-
trols the level of electrical power re-
maining in the hybrid vehicle battery.
With the selector lever in a position
other than “N”, electricity is generated
and charging occurs when the level of
electrical power in the hybrid vehicle
battery decreases. It is unnecessary to
charge the hybrid vehicle battery from
outside.
INFORMATION:
The gasoline engine starts and stops
automatically. (It stops during a low
load driving, deceleration or when the
vehicle stopped.)
If the “READY” light remains on, you
can start your vehicle using the electric
motor even with the gasoline engine
stopped.
The gasoline engine may not stop auto-
matically in the following conditions:
 During under gasoline engine warm
up
 During hybrid vehicle battery charg-
ing
 When the air conditioning is used in
the “MAX” mode, the gasoline engine
is frequently used. If the output control warning light ()
comes on in the instrument cluster, the
hybrid vehicle battery temperature is
low or high, or the hybrid vehicle bat-
tery capacity is decreased with the se-
lector lever at “R” during driving. As it
does not indicate the failure of the sys-
tem, you can continue driving but avoid
hard acceleration because the power is
insufficient (which is caused by the bat-
tery power deterioration).
The vehicle runs in combination with
the gasoline and electric power. Pay
special attention to the following items.
Be careful of a high voltage and high
temperature.
Your vehicle is equipped with the orange
colored cables connected to the hybrid
vehicle battery which contain a high volt-
age (about 300 V) and to other high volt-
age parts.
CAUTION
Do not touch or come in contact with
orange cables or battery terminals.
Electric shock may cause serious in-
jury or death. Read all caution labels.
A electric motor, coolant radiator and
some other parts reach high temperature
when you are driving. Caution labels are
applied to these parts. Carefully observe
the instructions on these caution labels.
10.Precautions for use

160
30p003
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are
secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION
Do not place anything on the pack-
age tray behind the rear seatback
or luggage cover. Such items may
be thrown about and possibly injure
people in the vehicle during sudden
braking or an accident.
Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver’s field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight given in Sec-
tion 9.
114.Brake pad wear limit
indicators
115.Luggage stowage
precautions

222
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation
valve caps.
Without the valve caps,
dirt or moisture could get into the
valve core and cause air leakage. If
the caps have been lost, have new
ones put on as soon as possible.
82p004b
Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tire tread for the tread wear
indicators. If the indicators show, re-
place the tires.
The tires on your Toyota have builtin
tread wear indicators to help you know
when the tires need replacement. When
the tread depth wears to 1.6 mm (0.06
in.) or less, the indicators will appear. If
you can see the indicators in two or more
adjacent grooves, the tire should be re-
placed. The lower the tread, the higher
the risk of skidding.
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost
if the tread wears down below 4 mm
(0.16 in.). If you have tire damage such as cuts,
splits, cracks deep enough to expose
the fabric, or bulges indicating internal
damage, the tire should be replaced.
If a tire often goes flat or cannot be prop-
erly repaired due to the size or location
of a cut or other damage, it should be
replaced. If you are not sure, consult with
your Toyota dealer.
If an air loss occurs while driving, do not
continue driving with a deflated tire. Driv-
ing even a short distance can damage a
tire beyond repair.
Any tires which are over 6 years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This also applies to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use only the
same size and construction as original-
ly installed and with the same or great-
er load capacity.
163.Checking and replacing
tires

224
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is usu-
ally caused by incorrect tire pressure, im-
proper wheel alignment, outofbalance
wheels, or severe braking.
CAUTION
Do not include a compact spare tire
when rotating the tires. It is designed
for temporary use only.
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select the same
size, construction and load capacity as
the original tires on your Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the front w
heels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure
to install them in the same direction when
replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
NOTICE
Do not attempt to use a tire chain on
the compact spare tire, as it may re-
sult in damage to the vehicles as well
as the tire.
Installing snow tires and
chains165.