tow TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 2.G User Guide

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Toyota does not recommend towing a
trailer with your Toyota. It is not de-
signed for trailer towing.Improving fuel economy is easy
−just 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:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
289 for instructions.
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.
Avoid jackrabbit starts.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop−and− go driving
wastes power.
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.
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 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.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
Keep your vehicle tunedup 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.
Trailer towing How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too

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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
If your vehicle will not start238
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If your hybrid system stalls while driving 242
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If your vehicle overheatss 242
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If you have a flat tire 243
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. . . . .
If your vehicle needs to be towed 254
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If you lose your keys 257
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. . . .
If you cannot operate back door opener 258
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SECTION 5

238
Before making these checks, make sure
you have followed the correct starting
procedure given in “How to start the
hybrid system” on page 230 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 18.)
If the instrument cluster dims or the
instrument cluster display turns off
with the hybrid system on—1. Check that the auxiliary battery termi- nals are tight and clean.
2. If the auxiliary battery terminals are O.K., the auxiliary battery is dis-
charged. You may try jump starting.
See “(b) Jump starting” for further in-
structions.
NOTICE
Hybrid vehicles cannot be push
started.
If the instrument cluster is shown in
appropriate brightness with the hybrid
system is in the “IGON” mode—
The hybrid vehicle system is suspected to
be faulty. Contact your Toyota dealer. If the auxiliary battery is discharged,
the hybrid system can be started by
jump starting. Depending on the vehicle
condition, the engine may not start.
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 auxiliary battery is discharged, you
cannot access to the auxiliary battery in
the luggage compartment because the
back door cannot be opened. Use the ex-
clusive jump starting terminal in the en-
gine compartment. For details, see “JUMP
STARTING PROCEDURE” on page 239.
NOTICE
If the auxiliary 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.
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.
If your vehicle will not start—
(a) Simple checks
(b) Jump starting

251
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.
 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.
9. Restow all the tools and jack se-
curely. Then secure the flat tire
in the luggage compartment
with the tire tiedown belts and
tiedown hooks as follows
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.
1. Before stowing the flat tire, removethe center wheel ornament by
pushing from the reverse side.
Be careful not to lose the wheel orna-
ment.
—Stowing flat tire

252
2. Put the flat tire on the center ofthe luggage storage box lid with
the outer side of the wheel facing
up. Hook one ends of the belts to
the front tie −down hooks.3. Pass the belts through the center
hole of the wheel as shown above.4. Attach the other ends of the beltsto the rear tie −down hooks.
After stowing the flat tire, check that
the tire and belts are secured.

254
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(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck——From front
—From rear
(b) Using flat bed truck 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).
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 255.
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. TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
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.
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front
—Release the parking brake.
NOTICE
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.
From rear—Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
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
If your vehicle needs to be
towed—

255
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(c) Towing with sling type truck
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-
ther from the front or rear. This may
cause body damage.
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If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice.
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.
NOTICE
 Only use specified towing eyelet;
otherwise your vehicle may be dam-
aged.
 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 hard− surfaced 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.
—Emergency towing

256
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.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.
Securely fasten the cable or chain to
the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the hybrid transaxle in “N”. The
hybrid system must be in the “IG−ON”
mode.
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 auxiliary battery is discharged.
CAUTION
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.
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1. Remove the towing eyelet as shown in the illustration.
—Installing towing eyelet

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2. Secure the towing eyelet to the hole onthe bumper by turning it clockwise.
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3. Tighten the towing eyelet securely bya wheel nut wrench.
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.
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 18.
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
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.
If you lose your keys

262
2. Wash with a mild car−wash soap,
mixed according to the manufacturer ’s
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into
the wash water. Do not rub hard—let
the soap and water remove the dirt.
Plastic wheel ornaments: The plastic
wheel ornaments are damaged easily by
organic substances. If any organic sub-
stances splashes an ornament, be sure to
wash it off with water and check if the
ornament is damaged.
CAUTION
Do not attach the heavily damaged
plastic wheel ornament. It may fly off
the wheel and cause accidents while
the vehicle is moving.
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap
or neutral detergent.
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper
faces are soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances (gaso-
line kerosene, benzine or strong sol-
vents) which may be toxic or cause
damage.
3. Rinse thoroughly—dried soap can cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hard—you might scratch
the paint. Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-
matic car wash, but remember that the
paint can be scratched by some types of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the
washing process itself. Scratching reduces
paint durability and gloss, especially on
darker colors. The manager of the car
wash should be able to advise you wheth-
er the process is safe for the paint on
your vehicle.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure to remove it before driving
your Toyota through an automatic car
wash.