flat tire TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN 2012 Owner's Manual

489
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Proper inflation is critical to save tire performance
Keep your tires properly inflated. Otherwise, the following conditions
may occur and result in an accident causing death or serious injury:
●Excessive wear
●Uneven wear
●Poor handling
●Possibility of blowouts resulting from overheated tires
●Poor sealing of the tire bead
●Wheel deformation and/or tire separation
●A greater possibility of tire damage from road hazards
NOTICE
■When inspecting and adjusting tire inflation pressure
Be sure to put the tire valve caps back on.
Without the valve caps, dirt or moisture could get into the valve and
cause air leakage, which could result in an accident. If the caps are lost,
replace them as soon as possible.

491
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
4
Maintenance and care
■When replacing wheels
The wheels of your vehicle are equipped with tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters that allow the tire pressure warning system to
provide advance warning in the event of a loss in tire inflation pressure.
Whenever wheels are replaced, tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters must be installed. (→P. 4 7 7 )
CAUTION
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a different size from those recommended in
the Owner’s Manual, as this may result in a loss of handling control.
●Never use an inner tube in a leaking wheel which is designed for a
tubeless tire. Doing so may result in an accident, causing death or seri-
ous injury.
■When installing the wheel nuts
●Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
Oil and grease may cause the wheel nuts to be excessively tightened,
leading to bolt or disc wheel damage. In addition, the oil or grease can
cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel may fall off, causing an
accident and resulting in death or serious injury. Remove any oil or
grease from the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
●Be sure to install the wheel nuts with
the tapered ends facing inward.
Installing the nuts with the tapered
ends facing outward can cause the
wheel to break and eventually cause
the wheel to come off while driving,
which could lead to an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
Ta p e r e d portion

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 conditioning after use is normal.)
●Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
●High engine coolant temperature warning light flashes or
comes on
■Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
●Excessive tire squeal when cornering
●St rang e noises re la te d 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
●Ve h i c l e p u l l s h e a v i l y t o o n e s i d e w h e n b r a k i n g
●Ve h i c l e p u l l s h e a v i l y t o o n e s i d e w h e n d r i v i n g o n a l e v e l r o a d
●Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

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. 5 4 0 )
•Flat tire (→P. 4 4 8 )
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
To y o t a d e a l e r .
When the light comes
on after blinking for 1
minute:
Malfunction in the tire
pressure warning sys-
tem
(→P. 5 4 2 )
Have the system
checked by your
To y o t a d e a l e r.
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

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 inflation pressure changes caused by tem-
perature. In this case, adjusting the tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).

5
When trouble arises
541
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
■If the tire pressure warning system is not functioning
The tire pressure warning system will be disabled in the following condi-
tions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If tires not equipped with tire pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters are used
●If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is
not registered in the tire pressure warning computer
●If the tire inflation pressure is 73 psi (500 kPa, 5.1 kgf/cm2 or bar) or
higher
The tire pressure warning system may be disabled in the following condi-
tions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If electronic devices or facilities using similar radio wave frequencies
are nearby
●If a radio set at a similar frequency is in use in the vehicle
●If a window tint that affects the radio wave signals is installed
●If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, particularly around the
wheels or wheel housings
●If non-genuine Toyota wheels are used (Even if you use Toyota
wheels, the tire pressure warning system may not work properly with
some types of tires.)
●If tire chains are used

5
When trouble arises
543
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
CAUTION
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause a 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 probable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires.
If a tire is flat, repair the flat tire by using emergency tire puncture
repair kit.
●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 leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning system may not activate immediately.
■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 the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load information label], you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)

544
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
CAUTION
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS-tire pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure 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 efficiency 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 maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).
Yo u r v e h i c l e h a s a l s o b e e n e q u i p p e d w i t h a T P M S ( t i r e p r e s s u r e w a r n i n g
system) malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not operat-
ing properly. The TPMS (tire pressure warning system) malfunction indi-
cator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure
warning light). When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illumi-
nated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as
long as the malfunction exists. When the malfunction indicator is illumi-
nated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.

566
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
If you have a flat tire
A puncture caused by a nail or screw passing through the tire
tread can be repaired temporarily using the emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit. (The kit contains a bottle of sealant. The sealant
can be used only once to temporarily repair one tire without
removing the nail or screw from the tire.) After temporarily repair-
ing the tire with the kit, have the tire repaired or replaced by your
To y o ta d e a l e r.
■Before repairing the tire
●St op the veh i cle in a safe place on a hard, flat surface.
●Set the parking brake.
●Shift the shift position to P.
●St op the hyb rid system.
●Turn on the emergency flashers.
■Location of the emergency tire puncture repair kit
Side deck board
Emergency tire puncture repair kit

576
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47818U_(U)
Check the specified tire inflation pressure.
Tire inflation pressure is specified on the label on the driver’s side
pillar as shown. (→P. 6 1 9 )
Start the hybrid system. (→P. 2 3 8 )
To i n j e c t t h e s e a l a n t a n d i n f l a t e
the tire, turn the compressor
switch on.
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