Toyota Prius (2023 year). Manual in english

450

4-6. Driving tips

◆

When braking

Make sure to operate the brakes gently and in a timely manner. A
greater amount of electrical energy can be regenerated when slow-
ing down.

◆

Delays

Repeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at
traffic lights, will lead to bad fuel economy. Check traffic reports
before leaving and avoid delays as much as possible. When driving
in a traffic jam, gently release the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to
move forward slightly while avoiding overuse of the accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control excessive gasoline consumption.

◆

Highway driving

Control and maintain the vehicle at a constant speed. Before stop-
ping at a toll booth or similar, allow plenty of time to release the
accelerator and gently apply the brakes. A greater amount of elec-
trical energy can be regenerated when slowing down.

◆

Air conditioning

Use the air conditioning only when necessary. Doing so can help
reduce excessive gasoline consumption.
In summer: When the ambient temperature is high, use the recircu-
lated air mode. Doing so will help to reduce the burden on the air
conditioning system and reduce fuel consumption as well.
In winter: Because the gasoline engine will not automatically cut out
until it and the interior of the vehicle are warm, it will consume fuel.
Also, fuel consumption can be improved by avoiding overuse of the
heater.

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4-6. Driving tips

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◆

Checking tire inflation pressure

Make sure to check the tire inflation pressure frequently. Improper
tire inflation pressure can cause poor fuel economy.
Also, as snow tires can cause large amounts of friction, their use on
dry roads can lead to poor fuel economy. Use tires that are appro-
priate for the season.

◆

Luggage

Carrying heavy luggage will lead to poor fuel economy. Avoid carry-
ing unnecessary luggage. Installing a large roof rack will also cause
poor fuel economy.

◆

Warming up before driving

Since the gasoline engine starts up and cuts out automatically
when cold, warming up the engine is unnecessary. Moreover, fre-
quently driving short distances will cause the engine to repeatedly
warm up, which can lead to excess fuel consumption.

452

4-6. Driving tips

Winter driving tips

●

Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tempera-
tures.

• Engine oil
• Engine/power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid

●

Have a service technician inspect the condition of the 12-volt bat-
tery.

●

Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set of tire
chains for the front tires.

Ensure that all tires are the same size and brand, and that chains match
the size of the tires.

Perform the following according to the driving conditions:

●

Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is frozen.
Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice. Wipe away
the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.

●

To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in
front of the windshield.

●

Check for and remove any excess ice or snow that may have accu-
mulated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s roof, chassis, around the
tires or on the brakes.

●

Remove any snow or mud from the bottom of your shoes before
getting in the vehicle.

Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before
driving the vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a man-
ner appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions.

Preparation for winter

Before driving the vehicle

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4-6. Driving tips

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Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced speed suitable to road con-
ditions.

Park the vehicle and shift the shift position to P and block the wheel
under the vehicle without setting the parking brake. The parking brake
may freeze up, preventing it from being released. If the vehicle is
parked without setting the parking brake, make sure to block the
wheels.
Failure to do so may be dangerous because it may cause the vehicle
to move unexpectedly, possibly leading to an accident.

Use the correct tire chain size when mounting the tire chains. Chain
size is regulated for each tire size.

Side chain

3.0 mm (0.12 in.)
30.0 mm (1.18 in.)
10.0 mm (0.39 in.)

Cross chain

4.0 mm (0.16 in.)
25.0 mm (0.98 in.)
14.0 mm (0.55 in.)

Regulations regarding the use of tire chains vary depending on loca-
tion and type of road. Always check local regulations before installing
chains.

When driving the vehicle

When parking the vehicle

Selecting tire chains

1
2
3

4
5
6

Regulations on the use of tire chains

454

4-6. Driving tips

■

Tire chain installation

Observe the following precautions when installing and removing chains:

●

Install and remove tire chains in a safe location.

●

Install tire chains on the front tires only. Do not install tire chains on the rear
tires.

●

Install tire chains on front tires as tightly as possible. Retighten chains after
driving 0.5 - 1.0 km (1/4 - 1/2 mile).

●

Install tire chains following the instructions provided with the tire chains.

WARNING

■

Driving with snow tires

Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or
serious injury.

●

Use tires of the specified size.

●

Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.

●

Do not drive at speeds in excess of the speed limit or the speed limit spec-
ified for the snow tires being used.

●

Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.

■

Driving with tire chains

Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely,
and may cause death or serious injury.

●

Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 50 km/h (30 mph), whichever is lower.

●

Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.

●

Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shifting
operations that cause sudden engine braking.

●

Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle con-
trol is maintained.

●

Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) (if equipped).

■

When parking the vehicle

When parking the vehicle without applying the parking brake, make sure to
chock the wheels. If you do not chock the wheels, the vehicle may move
unexpectedly, possibly resulting in an accident.

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4-6. Driving tips

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NOTICE

■

Repairing or replacing snow tires (vehicle with the tire pressure warn-
ing system)

Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer or legitimate
tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the opera-
tion of the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters.

■

Fitting tire chains (vehicle with the tire pressure warning system)

The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.

457

Interior features

5-1. Using the air conditioning

system and defogger

Automatic air conditioning

system .............................458

Seat heaters ......................468

5-2. Using the interior lights

Interior lights list.................470

• Front interior light ..........471
• Front personal lights......471
• Rear interior light ...........472

5-3. Using the storage features

List of storage features ......473

• Glove box ......................474
• Console box ..................474
• Cup holders ...................475
• Bottle holders/

door pockets..................476

• Auxiliary boxes ..............477
• Seat back pockets .........478

Luggage compartment

features............................479

5-4. Using the other interior

features

Other interior features........485

• Sun visors......................485
• Vanity mirrors ................485
• Power outlets.................486
• Wireless charger ...........487
• Armrest..........................493
• Coat hooks ....................493
• Assist grips ....................494

458

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

Automatic air conditioning system

■

Adjusting the temperature setting

Move the temperature setting
knob upwards to increase the
temperature and downwards to
decrease the temperature.

is not pressed, the

system will blow ambient tem-
perature air or heated air.

Air outlets and fan speed are automatically adjusted according
to the temperature setting.
The illustrations below are for left-hand drive vehicles.
The button positions and shapes will differ for right-hand drive
vehicles.

Air conditioning controls

Temperature
setting knob

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5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

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■

Fan speed setting

Move the fan speed setting
knob upwards to increase the
fan speed and downwards to
decrease the fan speed.

The fan speed is shown on the
display. (7 levels)

Press

to turn the fan off.

■

Change the airflow mode

Move the airflow change knob
upwards or downwards to
change the airflow mode.

The air outlets used are
switched each time the knob is
operated.

Air flows to the upper body
Air flows to the upper body
and feet
Air flows to the feet
Air flows to the feet and the
windshield defogger oper-
ates

■

Other functions

●

Switching between outside air and recirculated air modes
(



P. 461)

●

Defogging the windshield (



P. 462)

●

Defogging the rear window and outside rear view mirrors
(



P. 463)

Fan speed
setting knob

Airflow change
knob

1
2

3
4

460

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

Press .

Adjust the temperature setting. (



P. 458)

Press .

The cooling and dehumidification function switches between on and

off each time

is pressed.

To stop the operation, press

When in automatic mode, the air outlet modes and fan speed levels
are not displayed in the air conditioning control panel display.

■

Automatic mode indicator

If the fan speed setting or air flow modes are operated, the
indicator goes off. However, automatic mode for functions other
than that operated is maintained.

■

Adjusting the temperature for driver and passenger seats sep-
arately (DUAL mode)

To turn on the DUAL mode, perform the following either operation:

●

Press .

●

Adjust the temperature setting of the passenger side with the
passenger side temperature adjustment knob.

The

indicator illuminates when the DUAL mode is on.

Using automatic mode

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5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

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This function automatically controls the air conditioning airflow so that
priority is given to the front seats. When the front passenger seat is
not occupied, airflow may switch to only the driver’s seat. Unneces-
sary air conditioning is suppressed, contributing to increased fuel effi-
ciency.
Front seat concentrated airflow mode operates in the following situa-
tions.

●

No passengers are detected in the rear seats

●

The windshield defogger is not operating

While operating,

illuminates.

■

Manually turning front seat concentrated airflow mode on/off

In front seat concentrated airflow mode, directing airflow to the front
seats only and to all seats can be switched via switch operation.
When the mode has been switched manually, automatic airflow
control stops operating.

Press

on the air conditioning operation panel and switch the

airflow.

●

Indicator illuminated: Airflow to the front seats only

●

Indicator off: Airflow to all the seats

■

Switching between outside air and recirculated air modes

Press .

The mode switches between outside air mode and recirculated air mode

each time

is pressed.

The

indicator illuminates when the recirculated air mode is

selected.

Front seat concentrated airflow mode (S-FLOW)

Other functions

462

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

■

Blower customization

Fan speed setting during the automatic mode operation can be cus-
tomized.

To change the fan speed setting mode, press

Each time

is pressed, the fan speed setting mode changes as

follows.
“NORMAL”



“ECO”



“FAST”



“NORMAL”

When “ECO” is displayed in the air conditioning control panel display,
the air conditioning is controlled with low fuel consumption prioritized
such as reducing fan speed, etc.
When “FAST” is displayed in the air conditioning control panel display,
fan speed will be increased.

■

Defogging the windshield

Defoggers are used to defog the windshield and front side win-
dows.

Press .

Set

to outside air mode if the recirculated air mode is used. (It

may switch automatically.)
To defog the windshield and the side windows early, turn the air flow and
temperature up.

The

indicator illuminates when the defoggers are on.

To return to the previous mode, press

again when the wind-

shield is defogged.

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5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

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■

Defogging the rear window and outside rear view mirrors

Defoggers are used to defog the rear window and to remove rain-
drops, dew and frost from the outside rear view mirrors.

Press .

Defoggers switch between on and off each time

is pressed.

The

indicator illuminates when the defoggers are on.

The defoggers will automatically turn off after approximately 15 minutes.

■

Eco score (A/C score)



P. 150

■

Location of air outlets

The air outlets and air volume
change according to the
selected airflow mode.

■

Adjusting the air flow direction

Direct air flow to the left or right,
up or down.

Air outlets

464

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

■

Opening and closing the air outlets

■

Using automatic mode

Fan speed is adjusted automatically according to the temperature setting and
the ambient conditions.
Therefore, the fan may stop for a while until warm or cool air is ready to flow

immediately after

is pressed.

■

Setting confirmation screen

■

Operation of automatic airflow control

●

In order to maintain a comfortable interior, airflow may be directed to seats
without passengers immediately after the hybrid system is started and at
other times depending on the outside temperature.

●

After the hybrid system is started, if passengers move around inside or
enter/exit the vehicle, the system cannot accurately detect the presence of
passengers and automatic airflow control will not operate.

■

Operation of manual airflow control

Even if the function is manually switched to directing airflow to only the
front seats, when a rear seat is occupied, it may automatically direct air-
flow to all seats.



Left side outlet/right side outlet



Center outlets

Open the vent
Close the vent

When changing the settings of the air
conditioning system, the setting confirma-
tion screen is shown as a pop-up on the
multi-information display.
Press

of the meter control switches to

go back to the previous screen.

1
2

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5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

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■

To return to automatic airflow control

With the indicator off, turn the power switch off.
After 60 minutes or more elapse, turn the power switch to ON.

■

Front seat concentrated airflow mode (S-FLOW) operation

■

Changing settings using the multi-information display

The air conditioning system settings can be changed on the

screen

of the multi-information display. (



P. 148)

■

Fogging up of the windows

●

The windows will easily fog up when the humidity in the vehicle is high.

Turning

on will dehumidify the air from the outlets and defog the

windshield effectively.

●

If you turn

off, the windows may fog up more easily.

●

The windows may fog up if the recirculated air mode is used.

■

When driving on dusty roads

Close all windows. If dust thrown up by the vehicle is still drawn into the vehi-
cle after closing the windows, it is recommended that the air intake mode be
set to outside air mode and the fan speed to any setting except off.

■

Outside/recirculated air mode

●

Setting to the recirculated air mode temporarily is recommended in prevent-
ing dirty air from entering the vehicle interior and helping to cool the vehicle
when the outside air temperature is high.

●

Outside/recirculated air mode may automatically switch depending on the
temperature setting or the inside temperature.

■

Fresh air intake system while parking

When parking, the system automatically switches to outside air mode to
encourage better air circulation throughout the vehicle, helping to reduce
odors that occur when starting the vehicle.

When

is pressed, the front seat

concentrated airflow mode (S-FLOW) sta-
tus is displayed on the multi-information
display.

466

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

■

Operation of the air conditioning system when the blower customization
is set to “ECO”

●

In the “ECO” mode, the air conditioning system is controlled as follows to
prioritize fuel efficiency:
• Engine speed and compressor operation controlled to restrict heating/

cooling capacity

• Fan speed restricted when automatic mode is selected

●

To improve air conditioning performance, perform the following operations:
• Adjust the fan speed
• Adjust the temperature setting
• Set the blower customization to “FAST” or “NORMAL” mode.

●

When the driving mode is set to Eco driving mode, the fan speed setting
mode will be changed to “ECO” mode automatically. Even in this case, the

fan speed control mode can be changed by pressing

. (



P. 351)

■

When the outside temperature falls to nearly 0



C (32



The dehumidification function may not operate even when

is pressed.

■

Ventilation and air conditioning odors

●

To let the fresh air in, set the air conditioning system to the outside air mode.

●

During use, various odors from inside and outside the vehicle may enter into
and accumulate in the air conditioning system. This may then cause odor to
be emitted from the vents.

●

In order to suppress odors that occur when the air conditioning system
starts, fresh air is automatically taken in when parked.

●

To reduce potential odors from occurring, the start timing of the blower may
be delayed for a short period of time immediately after the air conditioning
system is started in automatic mode.

■

Air conditioning filter



P. 542

■

Customization

Settings (e.g. outside/recirculated air mode) can be changed.
(Customizable features:



P. 670)

Toyota Prius (2023 year). Manual in english - page 27