Scion tC. Service Manual - part 10

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1-7. Safety information

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Child restraint systems with a top tether strap

Fold the seatback while pulling
the seatback angle adjustment
lever up. Return the seatback
and secure it at the first lock
position.

Secure the child restraint system
using the seat belt or the LATCH
anchors, and adjust the head
restraint to the uppermost posi-
tion.

Latch the hook onto the anchor
bracket and tighten the top tether
strap.

Make sure the top tether strap is
securely latched.

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

■

Laws and regulations pertaining to anchorages

The LATCH system conforms to FMVSS225 or CMVSS210.2.
Child restraint systems conforming to FMVSS213 or CMVSS213 specifica-
tions can be used.
This vehicle is designed to conform to SAE J1819.

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CAUTION

■

When installing a booster seat 

To prevent the belt from going into ALR lock mode, do not fully extend the
shoulder belt. ALR mode causes the belt to tighten only. This could cause
injury or discomfort to the child. (

P. 79)

■

When installing a child restraint system

Follow the directions given in the child restraint system installation manual
and fix the child restraint system securely in place.
If the child restraint system is not correctly fixed in place, the child or other
passengers may be seriously injured or even killed in the event of sudden
braking, sudden swerving or an accident.

●

If the driver’s seat interferes with the
child restraint system and prevents it
from being attached correctly, attach
the child restraint system to the right-
hand rear seat.

●

Adjust the front passenger seat so that
it does not interfere with the child
restraint system.

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CAUTION

■

When installing a child restraint system

●

When installing a child restraint system on the rear center seat, adjust both
seatbacks as upright as possible. The seatbacks must be adjusted to the
same angle. Otherwise, the child restraint system cannot be securely
restrained and this may cause death or serious injuries in the event of sud-
den braking, sudden swerving or an accident.

●

When a booster seat is installed, always ensure that the shoulder belt is
positioned across the center of the child’s shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from the child’s neck, but not so that it could fall off the child’s
shoulder. Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury in the event
of sudden braking, sudden swerving or an accident.

●

Ensure that the belt and tab are securely locked and the seat belt is not
twisted.

●

Shake the child restraint system left and right, and forward and backward
to ensure that it has been securely installed.

●

After securing a child restraint system, never adjust the seat.

●

Follow all installation instructions provided by the child restraint system
manufacturer.

●

When securing some types of child restraint systems in rear seats, it may
not be possible to properly use the seat belts in positions next to the child
restraint without interfering with it or affecting seat belt effectiveness. Be
sure your seat belt fits snugly across your shoulder and low on your hips. if
it dose not, or if it interferes with the child restraint, move to a different
position. Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

●

Only put a forward-facing child restraint
system on the front seat when unavoid-
able. 
When installing a forward-facing child
restraint system on the front passenger
seat, move the seat as far back as pos-
sible even if the “AIR BAG OFF” indica-
tor light is illuminated. Failure to do so
may result in death or serious injury if
the airbags deploy (inflate).

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CAUTION

■

Do not use a seat belt extender

If a seat belt extender is used when installing a child restraint system, the
seat belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, which could cause
death or serious injury to the child or other passengers in the event of sud-
den braking, sudden swerving or an accident.

■

To correctly attach a child restraint system to the anchors

When using the LATCH anchors, be sure that there are no foreign objects
around the anchors and that the seat belt is not caught behind the child
restraint system. Make sure the child restraint system is securely attached,
or it may cause death or serious injury to the child or other passengers in the
event of a sudden braking, sudden swerving or an accident.

When driving

2

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2-1. Driving procedures

Driving the vehicle............  150

Engine (ignition) switch 

(vehicles without a 
smart key system)..........  165

Engine (ignition) switch 

(vehicles with a 
smart key system)..........  169

Automatic transmission....  178

Manual transmission ........  185

Turn signal lever ..............  187

Parking brake...................  188

Horn .................................  189

2-2. Instrument cluster

Gauges and meters .........  190

Indicators and 

warning lights .................  194

2-3. Operating the lights and 

windshield wipers

Headlight switch...............  199

Windshield wipers and 

washer ...........................  204

Rear window wiper and 

washer ...........................  208

2-4. Using other driving systems

Cruise control...................  211

Driving assist systems .....  215

2-5. Driving information

Cargo and luggage ..........  220

Vehicle load limits ............  225

Winter driving tips ............  226

Trailer towing ...................  232

Dinghy towing (automatic 

transmission) .................  233

Dinghy towing (manual 

transmission) .................  234

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2-1. Driving procedures

Driving the vehicle

The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driv-

ing:

■

Starting the engine 
P. 165, 169

■

Driving

Automatic transmission

With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D.
(

P. 178)

Release the parking brake. (

P. 188)

Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.

Manual transmission

While depressing the clutch pedal, shift the shift lever to 1.
(

P. 185)

Release the parking brake. (

P. 188)

Gradually release the clutch pedal. At the same time, gently
depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

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Stopping

Automatic transmission

With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.

If necessary, set the parking brake.

If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift
the shift lever to P or N. (

P. 178)

Manual transmission

While depressing the clutch pedal, depress the brake
pedal.

If necessary, set the parking brake.

If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift
the shift lever to N. (

P. 185)

■

Parking the vehicle

Automatic transmission

With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.

Shift the shift lever to P. (

P. 178)

Set the parking brake. (

P. 188)

Vehicles without a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position to stop the
engine.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Press the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to stop the
engine.

Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your
person.

If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

STEP 

4 

STEP 

5 

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Starting off on a steep uphill

Automatic transmission

Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever
to D.

Gently depress the accelerator pedal.

Release the parking brake.

Manual transmission

With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.

Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.

Release the parking brake.

Manual transmission

While depressing the clutch pedal, depress the brake
pedal.

Shift the shift lever to N. (

P. 185)

If parking on a hill, shift the shift lever to 1 or R as needed.

Set the parking brake. (

P. 188)

Vehicles without a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position to stop the
engine.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Press the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to stop the
engine.

Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your
person.

If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

STEP 

4 

STEP 

5 

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

STEP 

1 

STEP 

2 

STEP 

3 

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Driving in the rain

●

Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.

●

Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.

●

Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.

■

Engine speed while driving (vehicles with an automatic transmission)

In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation
to meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.

●

The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill

●

When the accelerator pedal is released

■

Breaking in your new Scion

To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is rec-
ommended:

●

For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.

●

For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):

• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

■

Operating your vehicle in a foreign country

Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. (

P. 432)

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Eco-friendly driving (vehicles with an automatic transmission)

During Eco-friendly acceleration opera-
tion (Eco driving), Eco Driving Indicator
Light will turn on. When the acceleration
pedal is depressed excessively, or when
the vehicle is stopped, the light turns off.

Eco Driving Indicator Light will not oper-
ate in the following conditions:

●

The shift lever is in anything other than
D.

●

The paddle shift switch is operated.

●

The vehicle speed is approximately 80
mph (130 km/h) or higher.

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CAUTION

■

When starting the vehicle

On vehicles with an automatic transmission, always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.

■

When driving the vehicle

●

Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal. 

• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake

pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.

• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-

culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.

• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the

vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.

• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake

pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.

●

Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.

●

On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not let the vehicle roll
backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while
the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.

●

If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehi-
cle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a
serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Scion dealer
immediately.

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CAUTION

●

On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not shift the shift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.

●

Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.

●

Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.

●

Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.

●

During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: 

P. 426

●

Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill. 
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. (

P. 179)

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CAUTION

●

Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving. 
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents,
resulting in death or serious injury.

●

Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.

●

Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.

■

When driving on slippery road surfaces

●

Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.

●

Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in
engine speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.

●

After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.

■

When shifting the shift lever (vehicles with an automatic transmission)

Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.

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CAUTION

■

If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)

Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Scion dealer as soon as
possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.

■

When the vehicle is stopped

●

Do not race the engine. 
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P (vehicles with an automatic trans-
mission only) or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly,
causing an accident.

●

Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space
and check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.

●

On vehicles with an automatic transmission, in order to prevent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal
while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as necessary.

●

If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.

●

Avoid revving or racing the engine. Running the engine at high speed
while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust system to overheat,
which could result in a fire if combustible material is nearby.

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CAUTION

■

When the vehicle is parked

●

Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle when it is in the sun. 
Doing so may result in the following:

• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a

fire.

• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and

plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.

• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the

interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehi-
cle’s electrical components.

●

Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.

●

Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.

●

Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.

●

Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P (vehicles with an
automatic transmission only), stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.

●

Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off. 
Doing so may cause burns.

●

Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it
is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead
to death or a serious health hazard.

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CAUTION

■

Exhaust gases

Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless
and odorless. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health
hazard.

●

If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the engine. In a closed
area, such as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.
This may lead to death or a serious health hazard.

●

The exhaust system should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or
crack caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise,
be sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Scion dealer.
Failure to do so may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicle, resulting in
death or a serious health hazard.

■

When taking a nap in the vehicle

Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever
or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to
engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.