Scion iQ. Service Manual - part 13

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Brake fluid

■

Checking fluid level

The brake fluid level should be
between the MAX and MIN lines
on the reservoir.

■

Adding fluid

Make sure to check the fluid type and prepare the necessary items.

Fluid type

FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703 brake fluid

■

Brake fluid can absorb moisture from the air

Excess moisture in the fluid can cause a dangerous loss of braking effi-
ciency. Use only newly opened brake fluid.

CAUTION

■

When filling the reservoir

Take care because brake fluid can harm your hands or eyes and damage
painted surfaces.
If fluid gets on your hands or in your eyes, flush the affected area with clean
water immediately.

If you still experience discomfort, see a doctor.

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Battery

■

Battery exterior

Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps.

Terminals

Hold-down clamp

NOTICE

■

If the fluid level is low or high

It is normal for the brake fluid level to go down slightly as the brake pads
wear or when the fluid level in the accumulator is high. 
If the reservoir needs frequent refilling, it may indicate a serious problem.

■

If you spill fluid

Be sure to wash it off with water to prevent damage to parts or paint.

■

Before recharging

When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable
and explosive. Therefore, before recharging:

●

If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to discon-
nect the ground cable.

●

Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connecting and
disconnecting the charger cables to the battery.

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CAUTION

■

Chemicals in the battery

A battery contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce
hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death
or serious injury, take the following precautions while working on or near bat-
tery:

●

Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.

●

Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.

●

Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.

●

Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.

●

Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.

●

Keep children away from the battery.

■

Where to safely charge the battery

Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a
garage or closed room where there is not sufficient ventilation.

■

How to recharge the battery

Only perform a slow charge (5A or less). 
The battery may explode if charged at a quicker rate.

■

Emergency measures regarding electrolyte

●

If electrolyte gets in your eyes 
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention. If possible, continue to apply water with a sponge or
cloth while traveling to the nearest medical facility.

●

If electrolyte gets on your skin 
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you feel pain or burning, get medical
attention immediately.

●

If electrolyte gets on your clothes 
It can soak through clothing on to your skin. Immediately take off the cloth-
ing and follow the procedure above if necessary.

●

If you accidentally swallow electrolyte 
Drink a large quantity of water or milk. Get emergency medical attention
immediately.

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Washer fluid

If any washer does not work or the low washer fluid warning light
comes on, the washer tank may be empty.

Open the lid.

Add washer fluid.

NOTICE

■

When recharging the battery

Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all
accessories are turned off.

CAUTION

■

When refilling the washer fluid

Do not refill the washer fluid when the engine is hot or running, as the
washer fluid contains alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on the engine, etc.

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NOTICE

■

Do not use any fluid other than washer fluid

Do not use soapy water or engine antifreeze instead of washer fluid. 
Doing so may cause streaking on the vehicle’s painted surfaces.

■

Diluting washer fluid

Dilute washer fluid with water as necessary. 
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the label of the washer fluid bot-
tle.

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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.

■

Tire rotation

Rotate the tires in the order
shown.

To equalize tire wear and
extend tire life, Scion recom-
mends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same inter-
val as tire inspection.

■

The tire pressure warning system

Your Scion 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. 280)

Front

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Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters

When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed. 

When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are installed,
new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes must be regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning computer and the tire pressure warning
system must be initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and trans-
mitter ID codes registered by your Scion dealer.

Initializing the tire pressure warning system

The tire pressure warning system must be initialized when rotating
the tires on vehicles differing with front and rear tire inflation pres-
sures.

When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.

■

How to initialize the tire pressure warning system

Park the vehicle in safe place and turn the engine switch off.

Initialization cannot be performed while the vehicle is moving.

Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire infla-
tion pressure level. (

P. 327)

Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire
inflation pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will
operate based on this pressure level.

Turn the engine switch to the ON position.

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Push and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the
tire pressure warning light blinks
slowly 3 times.

Wait for a few minutes with the engine switch on, and then
turn the engine switch to the ACC or LOCK position.

Registering ID codes

The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter, it is necessary to register the ID code of tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter. Have the ID code registered by your
Scion dealer.

■

When to replace your vehicle’s tires

Tires should be replaced if:

●

You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric or bulges indicating internal damage

●

A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the
size or location of a cut or other damage

If you are not sure, consult with your Scion dealer.

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Replacing tires and wheels

If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not
registered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After
driving for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunction.

■

Tire life

Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even
if they have seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.

■

If the tread wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm) on snow tires

The effectiveness of snow tires is lost.

■

Maximum load of tire

Check that the maximum load of the replacement tire is greater than 1/2
of the Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of either the front axle or the
rear axle, whichever is greater.

■

Tire types

1 Summer tires

Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway
driving under dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When
installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.

2 All season tires

All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most winter conditions, as well as for use
year round. All season tires, however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also,
all season tires fall short in acceleration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway driving.

For the GAWR, see the Certification
Label. For the maximum load of the
tire, see the load limit at maximum cold
tire inflation pressure mentioned on the
sidewall of the tire. (

P. 332)

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3 Snow  tires

For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using
snow tires. If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load capacity as the originally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible restriction. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels. (

P. 151)

■

Initializing the tire pressure warning system

Initialize the tires with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to the specified
level.

■

If you push the tire pressure warning reset switch accidentally

If initialization is performed, adjust the tire inflation pressure to the speci-
fied level and initialize the tire pressure warning system again.

■

When the initialization of the tire pressure warning system has
failed

Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the follow-
ing cases, the settings has not been recorded and the system will not
operate properly. If repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure
settings are unsuccessful, have the vehicle inspected by your Scion
dealer.

●

When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pres-
sure warning light does not blink 3 times.

●

After carrying out the initialization procedure, the tire pressure warn-
ing light blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving for about 20
minutes.

■

Routine tire inflation pressure checks

The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks. Make sure to check tire inflation pressure as part of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.

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■

Tire pressure warning system certification

FCC ID: PAXPMV107J

FCC ID: HYQ13BCX

For vehicles sold in U.S.A.

NOTE:
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

FCC WARNING:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsi-
ble for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equip-
ment.

For vehicles sold in Canada

NOTE:
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may
not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference,
including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

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CAUTION

■

When inspecting or replacing tires

Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents. 
Failure to do so may cause damage to parts of the drive train, as well as
dangerous handling characteristics, which may lead to an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.

●

Do not mix tires of different makes, models or tread patterns. 
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably different treadwear.

●

Do not use tire sizes other than those recommended by Scion.

●

Do not mix differently constructed tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply
tires).

●

Do not mix summer, all season and snow tires.

●

Do not use tires that have been used on another vehicle.

●

Do not use tires if you do not know how they were used previously. 

■

When initializing the tire pressure warning system

Do not operate the tire pressure warning reset switch without first adjust-
ing the tire inflation pressure to the specified level. Otherwise, the tire
pressure warning light may not come on even if the tire inflation pressure
is low, or it may come on when the tire inflation pressure is actually nor-
mal.

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NOTICE

■

Repairing or replacing tires, wheels, tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters and tire valve caps

●

When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters, contact your Scion dealer as the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters may be damaged if not handled cor-
rectly.

●

When replacing tire valve caps, do not use tire valve caps other than
those specified. The cap may become stuck.

■

To avoid damaging the tire pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters

When a tire is repaired with liquid sealants, the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter may not operate properly. If a liquid sealant is
used, contact your Scion dealer or other qualified service shop as soon
as possible. Make sure to replace the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter when replacing the tire. (

P. 223)

■

Driving on rough roads

Take particular care when driving on roads with loose surfaces or pot-
holes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire inflation pressure, reducing
the cushioning ability of the tires. In addition driving on rough roads may
cause damage to the tires themselves, as well as the vehicle’s wheels
and body.

■

If tire inflation pressures become low while driving

Do not continue driving, or your tires and/or wheels may be ruined.

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Tire inflation pressure

■

Tire inflation pressure

The recommended cold tire inflation pressure and tire size is dis-
played on the tire and loading information label. (

P. 327)

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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 inflate the tire. 
If you add too much air, press 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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Tire inflation pressure check interval

You should check tire inflation pressure every two weeks, or at least
once a month.

■

Effects of incorrect tire inflation pressure

Driving with incorrect tire inflation pressure may result in the following:

●

Reduced fuel efficiency

●

Reduced driving comfort and tire life

●

Reduced safety

●

Damage to the drive train

If a tire needs frequent refilling, have it checked by your Scion dealer.

■

Instructions for checking tire inflation pressure

When checking tire inflation pressure, observe the following:

●

Check only when the tires are cold. 
If your vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours and has not been
driven for more than 1 mile or 1.5 km, you will get an accurate cold
tire inflation pressure reading.

●

Always use a tire pressure gauge. 
The appearance of the tire can be misleading. In addition, tire infla-
tion pressures that are even just a few pounds off can degrade ride
and handling.

●

Do not bleed or reduce tire inflation pressure after driving. It is normal
for the tire inflation pressure to be higher after driving.

●

Never exceed the vehicle capacity weight. 
Passengers and luggage weight should be placed so that the vehicle
is balanced.