overheating TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN 2014 Owners Manual

18
1. Charging operation
PRIUS PHV_QG_OM47866U_(U)
CAUTION
■Battery charger
The battery charger is located under the luggage compartment. Observe the
following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury from burns or electric
shocks.
●Do not touch the battery charger during charging, as it becomes hot.
●Do not disassemble, repair or modify the battery charger.
If repair is necessary, consult your Toyota dealer.
■Routine inspection
Check the following points regularly.
If use is continued without inspection, fire or electric shock may occur,
possibly resulting in death or serious injury.
●The charging cable, plug, charging connector, CCID (Charging Circuit
Interrupting Device) etc. have not been damaged
●The outlet has not been damaged
●The plug can be securely inserted into the socket
●The plug does not get extremely hot during use
●The tip of the plug has not been deformed
●The plug is not dirtied by dust etc.
Inspect the plug after removing it from the outlet.
■Maintaining the charging cable
When the cable is dirty, first remove the dirt with a hard, wringed cloth, and
then wipe the cable with a dry cloth. Do not wash with water, as doing so
could cause a fire or electrical shock when charging, which could lead to
death or serious injury.
■When not using the charging cable for a long time
Remove the plug from the outlet. Dust could accumulate on the plug or in
the outlet, possibly causing overheating which could lead to a fire.
Also, keep the cable in a place free from moisture.

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4. Things you must know
PRIUS PHV_QG_OM47866U_(U)
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction battery) air vents
●Do not put foreign objects near the air vents. The hybrid battery (traction
battery) may overheat, leading to a reduction in hybrid battery (traction
battery) output or a malfunction.
●Clean the air vents regularly to prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery)
from overheating.
●Do not wet or allow foreign substances to enter the air vents as this may
cause a short circuit and damage the hybrid battery (traction battery).
●Do not carry large amounts of water such as water cooler bottles in the
vehicle. If water spills onto the hybrid battery (traction battery), the battery
may be damaged. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
●If the rear seat belt becomes separated from the guide, it could obstruct
the hybrid battery (traction battery) air vent. Set the rear seat belt into the
guide to use.
There are air intake vents on the side of
the rear right seatback and on the front
corner of the left rear seat cushion for the
purpose of cooling the hybrid battery
(traction battery). If the vents become
blocked, the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) may overheat, leading to a reduction
in hybrid battery (traction battery) output.

51
1-1. Plug-in hybrid system
1
Before driving
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction battery) air vents
●Do not put foreign objects near the air vents. The hybrid battery (traction
battery) may overheat, leading to a reduction in hybrid battery (traction
battery) output or a malfunction.
●Clean the air vents regularly to prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery)
from overheating.
●Do not wet or allow foreign substances to enter the air vents as this may
cause a short circuit and damage the hybrid battery (traction battery).
●Do not carry large amounts of water such as water cooler bottles in the
vehicle. If water spills onto the hybrid battery (traction battery), the battery
may be damaged. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
●If the rear seat belt becomes separated from the guide (→P. 1 5 4 ) , i t c o u l d
obstruct the hybrid battery (traction battery) air vent. Set the rear seat belt
into the guide to use.
■Notice about fuel
For plug-in hybrid vehicles, fuel may remain in the tank for a long time and
undergo changes in quality depending on the how the vehicle is used.
Refuel at least 5.3 gal.(20 L, 4.4 Imp.gal.) of fuel every 6 months (refuel a
total of at least 5.3 gal. [20 L, 4.4 Imp.gal.] over a 6-month period), as this
may affect components of the fuel system or the gasoline engine.

108
1-2. Charging
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
CAUTION
■Routine inspection
Check the following points regularly.
If use is continued without inspection, fire or electric shock may occur,
possibly resulting in death or serious injury.
●The charging cable, plug, charging connector, CCID (Charging Circuit
Interrupting Device) etc. have not been damaged
●The outlet has not been damaged
●The plug can be securely inserted into the socket
●The plug does not get extremely hot during use
●The tip of the plug has not been deformed
●The plug is not dirtied by dust etc.
Inspect the plug after removing it from the outlet.
■Maintaining the charging cable
When the cable is dirty, first remove the dirt with a hard, wringed cloth, and
then wipe the cable with a dry cloth. Do not wash with water, as doing so
could cause a fire or electrical shock when charging, which could lead to
death or serious injury.
■When not using the charging cable for a long time
Remove the plug from the outlet. Dust could accumulate on the plug or in
the outlet, possibly causing overheating which could lead to a fire.
Also, keep the cable in a place free from moisture.

237
2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or
fire due to hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in
a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle,
leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled assist function does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require
braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the other(s) will still operate. In this case, the
brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking
distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.

257
2-1. Driving procedures
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
2
When driving
Par king brake
■Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
→P. 5 3 5
■Usage in winter time
→P. 3 5 1
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components
overheating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake
wear.
To s e t t h e p a r k i n g b r a k e , f u l l y
depress the parking brake
pedal with your left foot while
depressing the brake pedal
with your right foot.
(Depressing the pedal again
releases the parking brake.)
U.S.A. Canada

263
2-2. Instrument cluster
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
2
When driving
CAUTION
■To p r e v e n t a n a c c i d e n t
NOTICE
■To p r e v e n t d a m a g e t o t h e e n g i n e a n d i ts c o m p o n e n ts
The engine may be overheating if the high coolant temperature warning light
comes on or flashes. In this case, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place, and check the engine after it has cooled completely. (→P. 6 0 3 )
Do not place anything or attach a sticker
in front of the instrument cluster. The item
may obscure or obstruct the display, or
could reflect off the display, possibly
causing an accident.
Instrument cluster

332
2-4. Using other driving systems
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, VSC and
TRAC
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the hybrid
system is started, just after the vehicle begins to move, if the brake pedal
is depressed forcefully or repeatedly, or 1-2 minutes after the hybrid sys-
tem is stopped. This sound does not indicate that a malfunction has
occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are
operating. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
•Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
•A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
•The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
•The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound (whirring sound) may
be heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.
■Reduced effectiveness of the EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS system is reduced to prevent the system from
overheating when there is frequent steering input over an extended period of
time. The steering wheel may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur,
refrain from excessive steering input or stop the vehicle and turn the hybrid
system off. The EPS system should return to normal within 10 minutes.
■Electric power steering system warning light (warning buzzer)
→P. 5 4 2

400
3-5. Other interior features
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
CAUTION
■Burns
●Use caution when seating the following persons in a seat with the seat
heater on to avoid the possibility of burns:
•Babies, small children, the elderly, the sick and the physically chal-
lenged
•Persons with sensitive skin
•Persons who are fatigued
•Persons who have taken alcohol or drugs that induce sleep (sleeping
drugs, cold remedies, etc.)
●Do not cover the seat with anything when using the seat heater.
Using the seat heater with a blanket or cushion increases the temperature
of the seat and may lead to overheating.
●Do not use the seat heater more than necessary. Doing so may cause
minor burns or overheating.
NOTICE
■To p r e v e n t s e a t h e a t e r d a m a g e
Do not put heavy objects that have an uneven surface on the seat and do
not stick sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.) into the seat.
■To p r e v e n t 1 2 - v o l t b a t t e r y d i s c h a r g e
Turn the seat heaters off when the hybrid system is off.

5
When trouble arises
603
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
PRIUS PHV_OM_OM47856U_(U)
If your vehicle overheats
Correction procedures
■If the high coolant temperature warning light comes on or
flashes
St op the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the air condition-
ing system, and then stop the hybrid system.
If you see steam:
Carefully lift the hood after the steam subsides.
If you do not see steam:
Carefully lift the hood.
After the hybrid system has
cooled down sufficiently, inspect
the hoses and radiator core
(radiator) for any leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fans
If a large amount of coolant leaks,
immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.
The following may indicate that your vehicle is overheating.
●The high coolant temperature warning light (→P. 5 3 6 ) c o m e s o n
or flashes, or a loss of hybrid system power is experienced. (For
example, the vehicle speed does not increase.)
●“HYBRID SYSTEM OVERHEAT” (→P. 5 5 4 ) i s s h o w n o n t h e
multi-information display.
●St eam comes out fro m un der the ho od.
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