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Hybrid system features

Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics different fromconventional vehicles. Be sure you are closely familiar with the char-acteristics of your vehicle, and operate with care.

The hybrid system combines the use of a gasoline engine and anelectric motor (traction motor) according to driving conditions,improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions.

Gasoline engineElectric motor (Traction motor)

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Vehicle Proximity Notification System

When the gasoline engine is off while driving, a sound is produced towarn pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other people and vehiclesin the surrounding area that the vehicle is approaching. The pitch ofthe sound adjusts according to vehicle speed. When vehicle speed isapproximately 16 mph (25 km/h) or more, the warning system turnsoff.

■ When stopped/during start off The gasoline engine stops* when the vehicle is stopped. Duringstart-off, the electric motor (traction motor) drives the vehicle. Atslow speeds or when traveling down a gentle slope, the engineis stopped* and the motor is used.

*: However, when the hybrid battery (traction battery) needs to becharged or while the engine is being warmed up, the gasolineengine may not stop automatically. (→P. 26)

■ During normal drivingThe gasoline engine is predominantly used. The electric motor(traction motor) charges the hybrid battery as necessary.

■ When accelerating sharplyThe power of the hybrid battery (traction battery) is added to thatof the gasoline engine via the electric motor (traction motor).

■ When braking (regenerative braking)The electric motor (traction motor) charges the hybrid battery(traction battery).

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■Regenerative brakingIn the following situations, kinetic energy is converted to electric energy anddeceleration force can be obtained in conjunction with the recharging of thehybrid battery (traction battery).

●The accelerator pedal is released.

●The brake pedal is depressed with the shift lever in D or B.

■EV drive indicator lamp

■Conditions in which the gasoline engine may not stopThe gasoline engine starts and stops automatically. However, it may not stopautomatically in the following conditions:

●During gasoline engine warm-up

●During hybrid battery (traction battery) charging

●When the temperature of the hybrid battery (traction battery) is high orlow

●When the heater is switched on

The EV drive indicator lamp comes onwhen driving the vehicle using only theelectric motor (traction motor).

Displayed when “ECO Score” or thebasic display of “ECO Savings” isselected. (→P. 189)

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■Charging the hybrid battery (traction battery)●As the gasoline engine charges the hybrid battery (traction battery), the

battery does not need to be charged from an outside source. However, ifthe vehicle is left parked for a long time the hybrid battery will slowly dis-charge. For this reason, be sure to drive the vehicle at least once everyfew months for at least 30 minutes or 10 miles (16 km). If the hybrid bat-tery becomes fully discharged and you are unable to jump-start the vehi-cle with the 12-volt battery, contact your Toyota dealer.

● If the shift lever is in N, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will not becharged. Always put the shift lever in P when the vehicle is stopped.When driving in heavy traffic, operate the vehicle with the shift lever in Dor B to avoid discharging the battery.

■Charging the 12-volt battery→P. 477

■After the 12-volt battery has discharged or has been changed orremoved The gasoline engine may not stop even if the vehicle is running on the hybridbattery (traction battery). If this continues for a few days, contact your Toyotadealer.

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■Sounds and vibrations specific to a hybrid vehicleThere may be no engine sounds or vibration even though the vehicle is ableto move. For safety, apply the parking brake and make sure to shift the shiftlever to P when parked.

The following sounds or vibrations may occur when the hybrid system isoperating and are not a malfunction:

●Motor sounds may be heard from the engine compartment.

●Sounds may be heard from the hybrid battery (traction battery) behindthe rear seats when the hybrid system starts or stops.

●Sounds from the hybrid system may be heard when the back door isopen.

●Sounds may be heard from the transmission when the gasoline enginestarts or stops, when driving at low speeds, or during idling.

●Engine sounds may be heard when accelerating sharply.

●Sounds may be heard due to regenerative braking when the brake pedalis depressed.

●Vibration may be felt when the gasoline engine starts or stops.

●Cooling fan sounds may be heard from the air intake vent on the side ofthe lower part of the rear left seat.

■Vehicle Proximity Notification SystemIn the following cases, the Vehicle Proximity Notification System sound maybe difficult for pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other people and vehi-cles in the surrounding area to hear:

●When there is a lot of noise in the vicinity

●When it is raining or during strong winds

●When in the area surrounding the rear of the vehicle, rather than in frontof the vehicle

■Maintenance, repair, recycling, and disposalContact your Toyota dealer regarding maintenance, repair, recycling and dis-posal. Do not dispose of the vehicle yourself.

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Before driving

Hybrid system precautions

Take care when handling the hybrid system, as it contains a highvoltage system (about 520 V at maximum) as well as parts thatbecome extremely hot when the hybrid system is operating. Obeythe caution labels attached to the vehicle.

Caution labelService plugAir conditioning compressorElectric motor (traction motor)

Power control unit with DC/DC converterHybrid battery (traction bat-tery)High voltage cables (orange)

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Hybrid battery air vent

There is an air intake vent on theside of the lower part of the rearleft seat for the purpose of cool-ing the hybrid battery (tractionbattery). If the vent becomesblocked, the hybrid battery mayoverheat, leading to a reductionin hybrid battery output.

Emergency shut off system

When a certain level of impact is detected by the impact sensor, theemergency shut off system blocks off the high voltage current andstops the fuel pump to minimize the risk of electrocution and fuelleakage. If the emergency shut off system activates, your vehicle willnot restart. To restart the hybrid system, contact your Toyota dealer.

Hybrid warning message

A message is automatically displayed when a malfunction occurs inthe hybrid system or an improper operation is attempted.

If a warning message is shownon the multi-information display,read the message and follow theinstructions. (→P. 441)

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■ If a warning light comes on, a warning message is displayed, or the 12-volt battery has been disconnectedThe hybrid system may not start. In that case, try to start the system again. Ifthe “READY” indicator does not come on, contact your Toyota dealer.

■Running out of fuelWhen the vehicle has run out of fuel and the hybrid system cannot bestarted, refuel the vehicle with at least enough gasoline to make the low fuellevel warning light (→P. 433) stop flashing. If there is only a small amount offuel, the hybrid system may not be able to start. (The minimum amount offuel to add to make the low fuel level warning light stop flashing is about 1.3gal. [5.0 L, 1.1 Imp. gal.] when the vehicle is on a level surface. This valuemay vary when the vehicle is on a slope.)

■Electromagnetic waves●High voltage parts and cables on the hybrid vehicles incorporate electro-

magnetic shielding, and therefore emit approximately the same amountof electromagnetic waves as conventional gasoline powered vehicles orhome electronic appliances.

●Your vehicle may cause sound interference in some third party-producedradio parts.

■Hybrid battery (traction battery)The hybrid battery (traction battery) has a limited service life. The lifespan ofthe hybrid battery (traction battery) can change in accordance with drivingstyle and driving conditions.

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CAUTION

■High voltage and high temperature precautionsThe vehicle has high voltage DC and AC systems as well as a 12-volt sys-tem. DC and AC high voltage is very dangerous and can cause severe burnsand electric shock that may result in death or serious injury.

●Never touch, disassemble, remove or replace the high voltage parts,cables or their connectors.

●The hybrid system will become hot after starting as the system uses highvoltage. Be careful of both the high voltage and the high temperature, andalways obey the caution labels attached to the vehicle.

●Never try to open the service plugaccess hole located under the rearseat. The service plug is used onlywhen the vehicle is serviced and is sub-ject to high voltage.

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CAUTION

■Road accident cautionsIf your vehicle is involved in an accident, observe the following precautionsto reduce the risk of death or serious injury:

●Stop the vehicle in a safe place to prevent subsequent accidents, shift theshift lever to P, apply the parking brake, and turn the hybrid system off.(→P. 148)

●Do not touch the high voltage parts, cables or connectors. Carefully checkto see if there are exposed high voltage parts or cables.

● If electric wires are exposed inside or outside your vehicle, an electricshock may occur. Never touch exposed electric wires.

● If a fluid leak occurs, do not touch the fluid as it may be strong alkalineelectrolyte from the hybrid battery (traction battery). If it comes into contactwith your skin or eyes, wash it off immediately with a large amount of wateror, if possible, boric acid solution. Seek immediate medical attention.

● If a fire occurs in the hybrid vehicle, leave the vehicle as soon as possible.Never use a fire extinguisher that is not meant for electric fires. Using evena small amount of water may be dangerous.

● If your vehicle needs to be towed, do so with the front wheels raised. If thewheels connected to the electric motor (traction motor) are on the groundwhen towing, the motor may continue to generate electricity. This maycause a fire. (→P. 425)

●Carefully inspect the ground under the vehicle. If you find that liquid hasleaked onto the ground, the fuel system may have been damaged. Leavethe vehicle as soon as possible and contact your Toyota dealer.

■Nickel-metal hydride batteryYour vehicle contains a sealed nickel-metal hydride battery. If disposed ofimproperly, it is hazardous to the environment and there is a risk of severeburns and electrical shock that may result in death or serious injury.

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NOTICE

■Hybrid battery air vent●Do not place foreign objects over or in front of the air vent. The hybrid bat-

tery (traction battery) may overheat and be damaged.

●Clean the air vent regularly to prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery)from overheating.

●Do not wet the air vent as this may cause a short circuit and damage thehybrid battery (traction battery).

●Do not carry large amounts of water such as water cooler bottles in thevehicle. If water spills onto the hybrid battery (traction battery), the batterymay be damaged.

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Before driving

Energy monitor/consumption screen

Energy monitor

Display Audio system (if equipped)Press “CAR”.

If the “Trip Information” is dis-played, touch “Energy”.

Multi-information displayPush the “DISP” switch on thesteering wheel several times toselect the energy monitor dis-play.

You can view the status of your hybrid system on the multi-informa-tion display and Display Audio system.

Display Audio system (ifequipped)Multi-information display

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Display Audio system Multi-information display

When the vehi-cle is powered by the electric motor (traction motor)

When the vehi-cle is powered by the gasoline engine

When the vehi-cle is powered by both the gas-oline engine and the electric motor (traction motor)

When the vehi-cle is charging the hybrid bat-tery (traction battery)

When there is no energy flow

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These images are examples only, and may vary slightly from actual condi-tions.

Hybrid battery (traction bat-tery) status Low Full Low Full

Display Audio system Multi-information display

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Trip Information screen (Display Audio system)

Press “CAR”. (→P. 35)

If the “Energy Monitor” screen is displayed, touch “Trip Information”.

Fuel consumption in the past15 minutesDisplays the average vehiclespeed since the hybrid systemwas started.Displays the driving time sincethe hybrid system was started.Cruising rangeRegenerated energy in thepast 15 minutesOne symbol indicates 50 Wh.Up to 5 symbols are shown.

The image is example only, and may vary slightly from actual conditions.

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Fuel consumption screen (Multi-information display)

There are 2 menu items available for the fuel consumption screen.After pressing the “DISP” switch, select one of the menu items belowand the system will change to the details screen.

The “5min Consumption”, “Past Record” and “ECO Savings Record”(→P. 194) screens are set to off (initialized settings) at the time ofshipping. (→P. 41)

■ “5min Consumption” screenDisplays the fuel consumption his-tory since the hybrid system wasstarted in intervals of 5 minutes.Current fuel consumption is simul-taneously displayed, enabling it tobe compared with fuel consump-tion of up to the last 30 minutes.

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■ “Past Record”

There are 2 types of displays for the past record.Personal best and monthly average can be changed between on thesettings screen. (→P. 41)

Personal BestDisplays the best 3 fuel consumption records and the current fuelconsumption ranking.

Depending on whether the odometer or trip meter is displayed, thedisplayed contents differ.

● When the odometer is displayed: the record since the hybridsystem was started is displayed.

● When the trip meter is displayed: the record since the trip meterwas reset is displayed. The record for trip meter A and trip meterB is displayed separately.

The top 100 rankings are displayed. Records that are outside the top 100are not displayed as a ranking.

Monthly AverageDisplays average fuel consumption by the month.

The current month, the last 3 months and the same month last year aredisplayed, enabling a comparison to be made.

The past record can be reset on the settings screen. (→P. 41)

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■Remaining hybrid battery (traction battery) charge displayThe charge amount of the hybrid battery (traction battery) is automaticallycontrolled by the hybrid system. For this reason, even if electricity is recov-ered via the regenerative braking, or electricity is generated via the gasolineengine, the displayed hybrid battery (traction battery) charge amount maynot reach the highest level (level 8). However, this does not indicate a mal-function.

■Resetting the consumption data (Display Audio System)Selecting “Clear” on the “Trip Information” screen will reset the fuel con-sumption and the regenerated energy for the past 15 minutes. Selecting“Yes” on the following screen will confirm resetting of all the data.

■Menu screen selection (Multi-information display)

Press the “DISP” switch and select “Set-tings & Screen Off”. Press and hold the“DISP” switch while the cursor is on“Menu Screen Selection” to change to thesettings screen.

The following screen changes and set-tings can be performed:

• The eco savings record screen can beswitched on or off. (→P. 185)

• The 5 minute fuel consumption screencan be switched on or off.

• Past record can be reset.• The past record screen can be

switched between off, monthly aver-age and personal best.

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Hybrid vehicle driving tips

For economical and ecological driving, pay attention to the followingpoints:

■ Using Eco drive mode→P. 174

■ Use of Hybrid System IndicatorBy keeping Hybrid System Indicator within Eco area, more Eco-friendlydriving may be possible. (→P. 195)

■ When braking the vehicleMake sure to operate the brakes gently and in good time. A greateramount of electrical energy can be retained when slowing down.

■ DelaysRepeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at trafficlights, will lead to bad fuel consumption. Check traffic reports beforeleaving and avoid delays as much as possible. When encountering adelay, gently release the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to move for-ward slightly while avoiding overuse of the accelerator pedal. Doing socan help control excessive gasoline consumption.

■ Highway drivingControl your speed and keep at a constant speed. Also, before stop-ping at a toll booth or similar, allow plenty of time to release the acceler-ator and gently apply the brakes. A greater amount of electrical energycan be retained when slowing down.

■ Air conditioningUse the air conditioning only when necessary. Doing so can help con-trol excessive gasoline consumption.In summer: In high temperatures, use the recirculated air mode. Doingso will help to reduce the burden on the air conditioning and reduce fuelconsumption as well.In winter: Because the gasoline engine will not automatically cut outuntil the gasoline engine and the interior of the vehicle are warm, it willconsume fuel. Also, fuel consumption can be improved by avoidingoveruse of the heater.

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■ Checking tire inflation pressureMake sure to check the tire inflation pressure frequently. Improper tireinflation pressure can cause poor fuel consumption.Also, as snow tires can cause large amounts of friction, their use on dryroads can lead to poor fuel consumption. Use a tire that is appropriatefor the season.

■ LuggageCarrying heavy luggage can lead to poor fuel consumption. Avoid car-rying unnecessary luggage. Installing a large roof rack can also causepoor fuel consumption.

■ Warming up before drivingSince the gasoline engine starts up and cuts out automatically whencold, warming up the engine is unnecessary. Moreover, frequently driv-ing short distances will cause the engine to repeatedly warm up, whichcan lead to poor fuel consumption.