There really isn't much to remember, I'll go over some points at the end.
- "Priuses have unique ignition features. The "key" is a plastic device that should always stay plugged into the dashboard. Do not remove it!
This is "odd" advice at best, unless you want the car stolen. You remove the fob when you leave the car and plug it back in when you return. The door chime is to remind you to take it with you. It can only be removed when the Prius is powered down and it only goes in one way.
- To Park and Power off, press the rectangular Park button on the dash and then press the Power button on the dash.
You only need to press the Power button on the dash (with your foot firmly on the brake pedal). The Prius automatically goes into Park when powering down.
Now that we've gotten the bad advice out of the way. Here's a typical driving scenario.
- Enter the Prius, buckle up, adjust mirrors, and put the fob in the slot.
- Release the parking brake.
- Press the brake pedal firmly and press the power button. The dash lights up you will hear a beep and there will be a READY sign displayed.
- With your foot still on the brake move the shift lever to D.
- Remove your foot from the brake and drive normally.
- When you back up, you will hear beeping. This is to inform you that you are in reverse. Because the shift lever always goes back to a central position after making a selection, the only visual clue you have is the PRNDB display on the dash--something you won't look at after the first couple of times.
- When you arrive at your destination park the Prius and then with your foot on the brake press the power button to turn the Prius off. All the display should go black and you will see the red security light blink (it looks like a car). Engage the parking brake (a lot of people don't do this, but that's what it's there for). The headlights will go off when you open the driver's door.
- Remove the fob, unbuckle and exit. Use the button on the fob to lock the Prius.
That's it. Not too hard. Toyota has done a remarkable job of making the Prius drive similar to an old fashioned car. They could have made it drive far differently.
One last thing: Emergencies.
It's very unlikely that you will encounter an emergency condition, but preparation is the best prevention. These aren't supposed to scare you, and many of them aren't Prius specific, but going over them is a good idea.
The Prius is equipped with ABS. To use "stomp, stay, steer". Stomp on the brakes hard. Stay on the brakes--don't pump. Steer away from the collision if possible.
Ice and too-fast cornering. The Prius is equipped with vehicle stability control which will prevent doughnuts if you are going anything like a reasonable speed for conditions. If this should engage the "slippery" idiot light will flash and there will be a chime to warn you that it's kicked in. There isn't anything for you to do other than go "Whew, the Prius just saved me".
Flubbing a start. It's possible to not start correctly either because the power button didn't make good contact or the brake wasn't pressed firmly enough. The typical sign is that the shift indicator will be in neutral and the ready light won't be on. To reset, press the park button. Then with your foot solidly on the brake pedal, press the power button.
All the idiot lights go on and there is a message about the transmission in the display. This happens because you have the driver's door ajar and the Prius is in D. The door ajar idiot light is on, but it's easy to miss amid all the other warnings. You might want to try this while stopped just to see what happens.
Unintended acceleration. This can happen if something jams the accelerator pedal. Pop cans or other debris on the floor are the usual cause. Note that I've never had this happen in over 100,000 miles of Prius driving but should this happen to you, just press the park button. This will put the Prius in neutral if you're going faster than seven mph. Unlike an old fashioned car, this will not damage the Prius in any way. If you are going under seven mph it will go straight to park and there will be a rather dramatic lurch (You did fasten your seatbelt, right?). You'll notice that the engine speed will slow down then and you can pull over safely and remove the debris that has jammed the accelerator pedal. You can force the Prius to power down by pressing and holding the power button for several seconds. The park button does not have to be held down, just pressed.
Traction control. The Prius is equipped with rather aggressive traction control. This is to protect the smaller electric motor from over-spinning. When braking on irregular surfaces it sometimes kicks in. This causes the regenerative braking to stop and the friction braking to take over. There is a feeling that the car is lurching forward for a split second. Just press a bit harder on the brakes. This is generally a sign that you are braking to hard or that the tires are worn. Anticipating stops earlier is the best way to prevent this--it's also a good way to get better mpg.
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