2001 Toyota Prius Owners Manual - Page 172

Trailer towing Do not use your parking brake when there is a possibility it could freeze. When parking, put the selector lever into "P" and block the rear wheels. Do not use the parking brake, or snow or water accumulated in and around the parking brake mechanism may freeze, making it hard to release. Keep ice and snow from accumulating under the fenders. Ice and snow built up under your fenders can make steering difficult. During bad winter driving, stop and check under the fenders occasionally. Depending on where you are driving, we recommend you carry some emergency equipment. Some of the things you might put in the vehicle are tire chains, window scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel, jumper cables, etc. How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too Getting more kilometers/mileage from a liter/gallon of fuel is easy-just take it easy. It will help make your vehicle last longer, too. Here are some specific tips on how to save money on both fuel and repairs: 40p003a D Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure. Underinflation causes tire wear and wastes fuel. See page 213 in Section 8-2 for instructions. D Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess weight puts a heavier load on the engine, causing greater fuel consumption. Toyota does not recommend towing a trailer with your Toyota. It is not designed for trailer towing. D Accelerate slowly and Avoid jackrabbit starts. slowing down. wastes power. smoothly. D Avoid continuous speeding up and Stop-and-go driving D Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try to time the traffic signals so you only need to stop as little as possible or take advantage of through streets to avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden braking. This will also reduce wear on your brakes. whenever possible. D Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams 165