spare tire TOYOTA PRIUS 2010 3.G Owners Manual

441
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
■Checking tires
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Worn tread
The location of treadwear
indicators is shown by the
“TWI” or “” marks, etc.,
molded on the sidewall of
each tire.
Check spare tire condition
and inflation pressure if not
rotated.
■ Tire rotation
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and
extend tire life, Toyota recom-
mends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same inter-
val as tire inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire
pressure warning system
after tire rotation.
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Front

442 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmittersWhen replacing tires or wheels, ti re pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new tire pressure warn ing valve and transmitter ID codes
must be registered in the tire pres sure warning computer and tire
pressure warning system must be initialized. Have tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter ID codes registered by Toyota dealer. 
(  P. 444)
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances
●When rotating the tires on vehicles differing with front and rear
tire inflation pressures.
● When changing the tire inflation pressure by changing traveling
speed or load weight, etc.
● When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current
tire inflation pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.
■ The tire pressure warning system
Your Toyota is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that
uses tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low
tire inflation pressure before serious problems arise. (P. 499)
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter.

452 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
.
■Tire inflation pressure check interval
You should check tire inflation pressure every 2 weeks, or at least once a
month.
Do not forget to check the spare.
■ Inspection and adjustment procedure
Tire valve
Tire pressure gauge
Remove the tire valve cap.
Press the tip of the tire pressure gauge onto the tire valve.
Read the pressure using the graduations of the gauge.
If the tire inflation pressure is not within the recommended
levels, adjust tire pressure. 
If you add too much air, pres s the center of the valve to
lower.
After completing the tire inflation pressure measurement
and adjustment, apply soapy water to the valve and check
for leakage.
Reinstall the tire valve cap.
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STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP6

5
When trouble arises
503
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■
Front passenger detection sensor and passenger seat belt reminder
● If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front passenger
detection sensor may cause the warning light to flash, even if a passen-
ger is not sitting in the seat.
● If a cushion is placed on the seat, the sensor may not detect a passen-
ger, and the warning light may not operate properly.
■
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 does not turn off the tire
pressure warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes caused by temper-
ature. In this case, adjusting the ti re inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire
The compact spare tire is not equipped with the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will
not turn off even though the flat tire is replaced with the spare tire.
Replace the spare tire with the repair ed tire and adjust the proper tire
inflation pressure. The ti re pressure warning light will turn off after a few
minutes.

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When trouble arises
505
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1
minute frequently
If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute fre-
quently when the “POWER” switch is
turned to ON mode, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.
■ Customization that can be co nfigured at Toyota dealer
The vehicle speed linked seat belt reminder buzzer can be disabled. 
(Customizable features P. 587)
However, Toyota recommends that the seat belt reminder buzzer be opera-
tional to alert the driver and front passenger that the seat belts are not fas-
tened.
CAUTION
■ When the electric power steering warning light comes on
The steering wheel may become extremely heavy. 
If the steering wheel becomes heavier than usual when operating, firmly
hold and operate it using more force than usual.
■
If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment, it is pr obable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires.
If the tire is flat, change to the spare tire and have the flat tire repaired
by the nearest Toyota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air loss should occur
The tire pressure warning syste m may not activate immediately.

506 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label (tire and load information label). (If your vehicle has tires of a differ-
ent size than the size indicated on th e vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load informa tion label], you should determine the
proper tire inflation pr essure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your v ehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS-tire pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltal e (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressu re telltale (tire pressure warning light) illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi ciency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire main tenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illu mination of the TPMS low ti re pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).

524
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
If you have a flat tire
Remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare provided.
■Before jacking up the vehicle
●Stop the vehicle on a hard, flat surface.
● Set the parking brake.
● Shift the shift position to “P”.
● Stop the hybrid system.
● Turn on the emergency flashers.
■ Location of the spare tire, jack and tools
Center auxiliary box
Wheel nut
wrench
Jack handle
Spare tire Towing
eyelet
Jack

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When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■
Compact spare tire
The compact spare tire saves space in your luggage compart-
ment, and its lighter weight helps to enhance fuel economy and
permits easier installation in case of a flat tire.
The compact spare tire is
designed for temporary emer-
gency use only.

5
When trouble arises
527
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Taking out the spare tire
Loosen the center fastener that
secures the spare tire.
Replacing a flat tire
Chock the tires.
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STEP1
Flat tireWheel chock positions
Front Left-hand side Behind the rear right-hand side tire
Right-hand side Behind the rear left-hand side tire
Rear Left-hand side In front of the front right-hand side tire
Right-hand side In front of the front left-hand side tire

5
When trouble arises
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5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Remove all the wheel nuts and
the tire.
When resting the tire on the
ground, place the tire so that the
wheel design faces up to avoid
scratching the wheel surface.
Installing the spare tire
Remove any dirt or foreign mat-
ter from the wheel contact sur-
face.
If foreign matter is on the wheel
contact surface, the wheel nuts
may loosen while the vehicle is
in motion, and the tire may
come off the vehicle.
Install the spare tire and loosely
tighten each nut by hand to
approximately the same amount.
Tighten the wheel nuts until the
tapered portion comes into
loose contact with the disc
wheel sheet.
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STEP1
STEP2
Disc wheel 
sheet
Tapered portion