Toyota Prius (2008) manual

Toyota Prius User-Guide Eighth Edition, Eighth Revision for the ICONIC (2004-2009) model DRIVING .......................................... 2  Just Drive It ! .............................. 2  Startup ........................................ 2  Shutdown ................................... 3  Cruise-Control ............................ 3[...]

DRIVING Just Drive It ! Vital Info Ignore the technol ogy! It's too easy t o get preoccupie d with everything Prius automatically does for you, esp ecially with the Multi-Display providing constant performance information. The hybrid system was designed so you could to drive it like a tradition al car. That way, you can enjoy the remarkably sm[...]

Engine Warm-Up Reducing Emission s is the highest priority for Prius. It strives to remain a AT-PZ EV (Advanced Technology - Partial Zero Emissi on Vehicle) at all tim es, which means the catalytic-converter must be kept hot… even if it requires con suming some fuel to accomplish that. Fortunately, you still get better than aver age mileag e, eve[...]

Reverse Beeper Disable Some owners find the reverse beepe r distracting. Alth ough there isn't a m ethod to change the repetitive beeping to just a short warning, there is a way to disable it completely. To do that, carefully follow these steps: 1. Switch to the odometer/trip value to disp lay "ODO" by push ing the “ODO TRIP” but[...]

Hybrid Driving From a Stop The gasoline e ngine is most efficient when running ar ound 70% maxim u m. So i f you can't press lightly enough on the pedal to accelerate using only electricity, go ahead and press a little harder than usual. That brisk (but not aggressive) in crease in speed will save a small am ount of gas, resulting in an overal[...]

Stealth Driving Engine Off While the gasoline engine is off and you’re driving using just battery power, the mode you’re in is called "stealth" (since the vehicle motion is totally silent). Invoking "st ealth" is easy once the engi ne has warmed up (and you aren't r unning the A/C or Heate r too heavily). While driving,[...]

Charge-Level Green When th e charge -level of the battery- pack (displa yed on the E nergy Scr een) exceeds 6 bars, the color will change t o Green . This is simply a convenience feature to make the SOC (State-Of-Charge) easier to notice. Once the level reaches 8 bars, no further detail is shown even though charging continues. That is b ecause the [...]

Multi-Display Screen Off ! Many new owners accide ntally discov er the off button. Innocently pr essing it causes them to panic, because the Multi-Display unexpectedly goes blac k. Don’t worry though. It’s easy to turn back on. 1. Press the " INFO " button on the left, n ext to the Multi-Display. 2. On the screen that appears, press t[...]

Outside Air Vent Changing the "Air Conditio ner" mode to draw in air directly from the outside for cooling rather than allowing it to be influenced by th e heater-core isn’t an obvious process, but it is surprisin gly easily once yo u know how. Many people call this "open ing the vent" and it is used most frequently in th e su[...]

UNDERST ANDING MPG Measurement Lifetime LIFETIME is t he most useful measurem ent. Total m iles driven, divided by total gallons cons umed, informs y ou how efficiently the car has perform ed overall. Tank TANK is the measurement between each fill up. You press the RESET button when the tank is full. The resul ts are informative, but not perfectly [...]

On the Highway Just like with traditional vehicles, efficiency drops the faster you drive on the highway. 60 MPH (96 km /h) is more effici ent than 70 MPH ( 113 km/h). Spe eding up to 7 5 MPH (121 km /h), you'll observe MPG drop even more. It pay s to drive slower (obey the speed-limit). Think of it this way, pedaling a bicycle rapidly takes m[...]

External Loads Any type of accessory rack for carrying external loads (Receiver, Roof, or Strap-On) will cause aerodynamic drag. So, expect a MPG drop when you use one. Engine Warm-Up Short Trips are horribly inefficient for all ve hicles. Prius is no exception; however, it’s far more noticeable since the Multi-Display provides immediate feedback[...]

EPA Estimates Purpose The intent of the EPA efficiency values posted on each new vehi cle window-sticker is o nly to provide a basis for comparison, not an actual MPG expectati on... as commonly believed. Read the fine-print on this digital scan of an actual 2004 Prius window -sticker, keeping in m ind that even though t he values changed beginning[...]

Gentle Acceleration The testing procedures utilize gentle acceleration, which does not represent the way people actually drive anym ore. For example, when merging ont o a highway now, much more harsh acc eleration is required. The tests don’t reflect the MPG penalty that causes. So unless you acceleration as slowly as when the test was performed [...]

2008 Revisions Beginning with 2008 model s, the EPA testing procedures were updat ed to also include t he following efficiency-lo wering influences: • Faster Speeds & Acceleration • Air Conditioner Use • Colder Outside Temperatures Mileage will still vary based upon the following: • How & Where You Dri ve • Vehicle Condition &[...]

Seasonal Cycles All Vehicles Seasonal cycles affect all vehicles , not just hybrids. But with a Pr ius, you are m uch more aware of the MPG changes due to having a Multi-Display con stantly informing you of efficiency differences. With traditional veh icles, owners typically were not aware how m uch of an affect climate has on their vehicle’s per[...]

Seasonal MPG It is som etimes helpful t o consider efficie ncy based on sea sonal data, by gr ouping months with like temperatures together. The followi ng graph is a col lection of over 5 years of data from a Prius used in Minnesota. Notice how the group of warm er months delivers MP G much higher t han those in the winter. That follows t he patte[...]

LEV (Low Emission Vehicle) The least stringent emission standar d for all new cars sold in California beyond 200 4. ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) 50% cleaner than the averag e new 2003 model year vehicl e; rated for 100,000 miles. SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) 90% cleaner than the averag e new 2003 model year vehicl e; rated for 120,[...]

Gas Prices Planning Ahead This graph was generated using data from actual fill- ups over the p ast 8 years in Minnesota. It was added to the document sim ply for the benefit of Prius (and ot her hybrid) o wners, to make them feel better about their purch ase decision. Rather than believing the so-called exp erts that claimed this would neve r happe[...]

NURTURING Filling the Tank Fill Speed It is best t o use the slowest sett ing (the farthest latch on the pum p-handle); otherwis e, the pump could shut off prem aturely giving you an inaccurate indica tion of "full". Topping Off Don't! Once the pump aut omatically stops, don't trying squeezi ng any more fuel into the tank. More [...]

Emission Bladder Inside the gas tank is a flexible bladder. It contracts and expands to fill the empty void that would otherwise be filled with va por as gasoline is consumed. The reduct ion of vapor em issions helps to keep Prius extraord inarily clean. Overfilling should be avoided, since adding gas after the pump automatically stops can create p[...]

Polishing Owner Tests "Nu Finish" is one of the longer lastin g paint protective products that have work ed well. If you’re looking for a glossy polish to get t hrough an entire wi nter without reappl ication, give t hat a try. Tire Care To prevent accelerated wear an d maximize miles before replacem ent, follow these suggestions: Month[...]

PSI convenience Tire pressure needs to be routinely chec ked (for all vehicles, not just Pri us). Temperature drops cause PSI to decrease. Heat ca used by driving increases PSI, m aking measurements inaccurate until cool. MPG & Safety are directly dependent on properly maintained PSI. Prius owners have found a way to make this simple: use a cor[...]

Tire Upgrades Iconic Prius co mes with standard, ru n-of-the-mill tires. In other words, t hey are fairly typi cal. So some owne rs are pleased with them and others ch oose to upgrade. DISCLAIMER: The ideas, suggestions, and opinions offered here have not been endorsed by the manufacture r of those specific components or To yota Motor Corporation. [...]

Original Tire Goodyear Integrity Iconic Prius comes with these tires stand ard. They are s ometimes referred to as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) tires. 185 / 65 R15 44 PSI (3.0 bar) maximum 1168 lbs. (530 kg) load maximum Standard Rolling Resistance 855 Revs per mile 10/32 inch Tread-Depth 86S Speed & Load Rating " A " Tractio[...]

Upgrade Tire Michelin Harmony 185 / 65 R15 44 PSI (3.0 bar) maximum 1168 lbs. (530 kg) load maximum Standard Rolling Resistance 848 Revs per mile 11/32 inch Tread-Depth 86S Speed & Load Rating " A " Traction " B " Temperature 740 Treadwear 80,000 (128,748 km) Mile Warranty Upgrade Tire Goodyear ComforTred 185 / 65 R15 44 PSI[...]

Grille Blocking Efficiency & Emissio ns are both dependent upon w armth. During th e winter, colder temperatures re quire the en gine to run m ore t o provide that. By blocking the grilles, warmth can be retained longer. With less cold air hitting the radiator and passing thr ough to the engine com partment (along with an accompanyi ng aerod yn[...]

MAINTENANCE Oil Changes Efficiency Refer to the " Increasing MP G "section. 5,000 Miles or 6 Months 5,000 m iles (8,000 km ) or 6 months, whichever come s first. Having the engine shut off frequen tly and not using it as the so le propulsion source will allow oil to last longer than in tradition al vehicles. It simply isn't exposed t[...]

Overfilling This is an unfortunate reality that far too much owners have to face. Oil pumped from bulk barrels into your engine is commonly not carefully measured by dealers an d quick oil-change places. So make sure to check the level yourself after the servi ce is complete. If the oil-level is beyond "full", insist that they remove the [...]

With the cover rem oved and placed over to the right , you can see the top (clean side) of replaceable air-filter over the engine and the secondary permanent filter bonded to the cover itself. The underside of the engine air-filter is where d irt, bugs, and leaf particles are trapped. If there is excessive build up, replace it. (Not e: The rubber g[...]

Window Wipers Front Blades Replacing the t wo wiper blades i n the front is surpri singly easy. You d on’t even have to rem ove the wiper assembly from the car (thoug h you can, if you want). About every 30,00 0 miles or so (about 48,000 km) it will becom e necessary. Just carefully squeeze the rubber at the far left (shown above) an d pull inwar[...]

Rear Blade To pivot the wiper arm upward, all you have to do is remove the clamp. It is the 2.5 inch (6 cm) piece of flexible plastic at the base, where it connects to the windo w. Just pull both sides out and slide it toward you. With that plastic off, the access to the blade is now possible. You can lift the arm up to get at the underside of i t.[...]

Air-Conditioning Filter Access There is a Hepa filter for the Air-Conditioning system directly behin d the glove-bo x, which can be changed without tools. Every 30,000 miles or so (around 48,000 km) replacement will be needed. Open the bottom glove-b ox, and then remove all the con tents (since they will end up falling out all over the fl oor other[...]

Light Bulbs Hatch Replacement There are 2 light bulbs which illuminate the license plate in back, as shown to the right. If either needs to be replaced, they are accessible from the vehicle interi or. Toyota Part: 00 234 - 00192 (approximate cost: $1.70 each) With the hatch open, p ry the hatch cover aw ay from the metal. It’s held in place by aq[...]

There are ope nings in the metal hatch door you just e xposed, one for each l icense bulb. Rotate the entire assembly in a counter-clockwise direction. If it is really tight, use a pliers for better grip. To the left is a close-up of t he area where the license bulb was. That gray object is the harness. Below is the light socket that was attached t[...]

OPTIONS SKS: Smart-Entry It is proximity detection system that automatically senses a wire less transmitter (called a "FOB") in your pocket or purse, allowing you to unlock the doors & hatch without the need to use a physical key or push a button on a remo te. Touchless Unlock Reaching into the handle ar ea on the outside of the Drive[...]

SKS: FOB Battery The battery within the FOB has been lasting between 4 to 5 y ears f or the typical owner with SKS. Without the wireless feature, it is expected to last even longer. Status Check Press any but ton on the FOB. If the red miniat ure indicator-light i n the upper-right corner does not illuminate, the battery charge-lev el has grown lo [...]

Homelink It is a set of buttons on the rear-view mirror available for cu stom programming, to supplement your other re motes. Garage Door To program a Homelink butt on on your mi rror to open & cl ose your garage-d oor, do the foll owing: 1) If the mirror is off, t urn it on. (The indicator light will be a steady green.) 2) Press the desire d p[...]

Navigation Adaptive Volume Increases the v olume of the Navi gation System's gui dance information w hen going over 50 MPH (80 km/ h). Mark Button When you get to a common de stination or one that was particul arly difficult t o find, take adva ntage of the "Mark " button on the Multi-Disp lay (only visi ble when you have the ex tend[...]

V OICE-RECOGNITION Help Command Help Command List Help Navigation - Commands I'm Hungry POI Off Route Overview Compass Mode Heading Up North Up Louder Softer Repeat Repeat Voice Cancel No Yes Short Mark Mark This Point Zoom In Zoom Out Lexus Dealer Lexus Dealership Toyota Dealer Toyota Dealership Previous Start Point Previous Starting Point Ri[...]

Navigation - Locations Airport American Food American Restaurant Amusement Park ATM Auto Club Auto Service Auto Service and Maintenance Automobile Club Bank Barber Shops Beauty and Barber Shops Botanical Garden Bus Station Business Facility Campground Car Wash Casino Chinese Food Chinese Restaura nt Cinema City Center City Hall Civic Center Coffee [...]

Audio Audio Audio On Audio Off Radio AM AM Radio FM FM Radio FM1 FM2 Program Seek Down Seek Up CD CD Changer Disc Down Disc Up Next Disc Next Track Previous Disc Previous Tr ack Skip Backward Track Down Track Up SAT SAT1 SAT2 SAT3 Satellite Radio Satellite Radio 1 Satellite Radio 2 Satellite Radio 3 Type Down Type Up Cassette Tape Fast Forward Play[...]

OT H E R Battery-Pack Replacement The power m anagement system was desi gned to maxim ize battery life. It rig orously works to always keep t he charge-level at opt imum, by never fully draining or fully recharging it . And you can clearly see that by watching the indicator on the Multi-Display. Lab testing has demonstrated that the battery-pack wi[...]

Hidden Release From inside t he hidden storage area underneath the fl oorboard, remove t he tiny black panel on the side closest to the hatch, and then pok e your finger through that hole into the metal casing. There's a smooth tiny metal latch there. (T oyota definitely wanted to m ake that in accessible from outside.) Pulling it up pops the [...]

Height Reduction For those of you th at don’t want to reach so high to close the hatch, try this alteration: Connect a piece of string on e ach end the pressure-arm with hooks. Just a simple restrictive device like this is all it takes. Preventing that pressure-arm from extending all the way reduces the height of the hatch when open. And when you[...]

External Cargo Roof-Rack Removable & Lockable roof-racks can be used fo r kayaks, canoes, bikes , and cargo carriers. Yakima is t he brand shown i n the photo below. Thule & Saris brands are also availabl e. That particular config uration above uses the following rack components: • Q-Towers (# 0124 ) $130 • Q-124 Clips (# 0724) $60 • [...]

Strap-On Rack Inside is t he ideal method of t ransporting bike s. But if you require that room for carrying people or cargo instead, a strap-on rack can be used. The photo on the left shows t he 3 bike model of the Saris Bones rack. It straps on very securely with only a minim al amount of press ure on the glass. M ost of the bike w eight is suppo[...]

Safety Catch It never hurts to have a safety catch for protecting your external cargo. After all, wh en towing a trailer, there’s always 2 chains used for t he purpose of keeping cargo attached if the primary co nne ction should sli p. That same type of seconda ry ensure can be added for Pri us when carrying items on the roo f too. The photo to t[...]

For further sec uring of a rack on the roof or to he lp hold carg o itself on the rear of the Prius (like bikes supported by a rack sitting on the bumper), there’s a place to attach a rope for that too. The hinge for the hatch itself is a very sturdy connection poin t available that is outside the waterseal. Simply tie a rope to it as shown in th[...]

Side Mirrors Blind-Spot As with m ost all vehicles, Prius has a blind-spot immediately to the left-rear of the driver. The solution to that is carefully aiming the mirror on the side. You can also add a blind-spot mirro r to it, the very same way as with other vehicles. The photo a bove shows a blind -spot mirror i nstalled, outside the driver-side[...]

Internal Storage Hidden Drawer This drawer often takes a very lo ng time for owne rs to discover, since it is located underneath the cupholders between the fron t seats near the floor. It is ideally f or storing tissue. By removing them from the standard cardbo ard box, a surprisingl y large stack can be neatly placed inside. Prius User-Guide (Icon[...]

Operational Details Stealth or Electric-Only or Reverse When power to the wheels is supp lied entirely by the large motor using on ly the battery-pack, it is called “Electric- Only”. This can occur at any speed. The only requirement is that the us e of gas by the engine must cease; however, t he motion of t he engine may st ill continue. Whe n [...]

Engine Drive + Charge Sometimes the electricity being generated by the small motor isn ’t needed. In that case, whi ch happens freque ntly while cruisi ng on a highway, it is sent to the battery-pack for rechargi ng. Add itionally, note that the A/C system is powered only by electricity, meaning it can take a dvantage of this situation… a desig[...]

Stand-By or Gliding This is the state of the system at rest but still on. You’ll see it when power to the wheels isn’t needed; that’s both when the vehicle is s topped and when it is gliding. The eng ine may be idling or off. Transmission Type " Planetary " is the type of CVT that Pri us utilizes. It has nothing in common with the o[...]

Information Sources Recent News http://news.goog le.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Prius&sa=N&tab=wn Toyota’s Website Information directly from Toyota itself is available here... http://www.toyota.com/prius Toyota Online Repair Manual access & downloa ding for about $10 per da y at... http://tech info.toyota.com Toyota[...]

ScanGaugeII This is a scan-t ool that provid es live data via the sta ndard ODB-II connect or found in virt ually every car now in use. That po rt which you conn ect it to is th e same one t he mechanics use to attach their ve ry expensive diagn ostic equipment . When Prius was ne w, there were no a ffordable offerings f or a device of this sort. T[...]

Informational Materials Info-Sheet (Iconic) For an illustrated summary, refer to this document. It serves as a conv enient means of introduction to all aspects of Prius. http://john1701a.com/prius /prius-infosheet.htm Energy Flow For a basic understanding of the e nergy flow within the Prius hybrid system, downlo ad a copy of this document. Each of[...]

PSD (details) This document provides a more in-depth look at the PSD. Without being overly technical, the illustrations describe how the wide variety of movements within the device relate to the operation of the hybrid ve hicle. http://john1701a.com/prius/ prius-psd_details.htm Understanding Hybrid s The underst anding of hybri ds requires m uch mo[...]

Hybrid Types There is a m ore diverse colle ction of hybrid system designs than mo st people realize. This document helps by identifying and explaining t he different t ypes available. http://john1701a.com/prius/hybrid-types_print.htm Type: FULL The most dyna mic of the hybrid ty pes is known as "Full", since it includes a second electric[...]

Type: TWO-MODE This alternate variety of the "Full" hybrid is a configuration known as "Two-Mode". It adds another power-split-device for electric motor and engine interaction, plus multip le clutches. This docum ent highlight s the differe nces you should be aware of. http://john1701a.com/prius/hybrid-type_two-mode.htm Type: AS[...]

Misconceptions: EFFICIENCY Specific details abou t hybrid misconceptions related to efficiency of the system. http://john1701a.com/prius/prius- misconceptions_efficiency.htm Misconceptions: HIGHWAY Specific details abou t hybrid misconceptions related to operatio n while on the highway. http://john1701a.com/prius/prius- misconceptions_highway.htm M[...]

Owner Summary Data from 5 years of Iconic Prius ownershi p summarized into charts & grap hs. http://john1701a.com/prius/prius-ownersummary.htm Being Green Information you should be aware of when researching & discussing hybrids. http://john1701a.com/prius/prius-beinggreen.htm Requirements Criteria that de fine genuine prog ress, the advance[...]

GL OSSAR Y ABS Anti-Lock Braking System, the feature which allows you to retain the ability to directionally control your vehicle during emergency deceleration. AC All modes o f conditioning air i nside the passenger a rea of the vehicle: Heati ng, Cooling, Venting A/C Condensing of air to cool it and to remove humidity. Assist Hybrid system with a[...]

EV Electric Vehicle, powered exclusively by a battery-pac k charged bef ore use F Fahrenheit, a measure of temper ature, (F - 32) / 1.8 = C, -15°F = -26.11°C, 0°F = -17.78°C, 15°F = -9.44°C, 32°F = 0°C, 40°F = 4.44°C, 60°F = 15.56° C, 70°F = 21.11°C, 80°F = 26.67°C FCHV Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle, a fuel-cell vehicle that takes ad van[...]

Motor The common term used to refer to the power device which operates using electricity. MPG Miles Per Gallon MSRP Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price MY2001 Model Year 2001 (which became available in the United States th e summer of 2000) NAV DVD-based GPS Navi gation System, used in Prius NiMH Nickel-Metal Hy dride, the type of m odules u[...]

Turtle Driving a Classic Prius with t he battery-pack extremely dr ained of electricity, in conditions too hot (typically above 105 F de grees), or conditi ons too cold (typical ly below -10 F deg rees), so that an orange "turtle" icon displays near the speedom eter. This warns the driver t o avoid forceful acceleration. Two-Mode GM’s f[...]

Prius User-Guide (Iconic) 67 of 67 Last Updated: 3/11/2009 Prius Generations: Original Classic Iconic 2 010 Engine HP Engine kW Engine RPM Motor/Generator 2 HP Motor/Generator 2 kW Motor/Generator 2 Torque Motor/Generator 2 RPM Motor/Generator 1 kW (rated) Motor/Generator 1 RPM 0-60 MPH (seconds) Tire Width Tire Diameter Battery-Pack Energy (W/kg) [...]