I loan my Prius to my girlfriend and daughter, so I put together a cheat sheet that I keep in the top glove compartment. They read the first hint about unlocking & opening the door and thought I must think they are idiots - until they tried the first time. Here's the text of the sheet for you to use, comment on, or abuse. Prius Cheat Sheet UNLOCK & ENTRY · Key fob in purse beside car · Wrap fingers around driver’s door handle, wait a second, open. STARTING · Leave key fob in purse · Foot on brake · Push round power button on lower dash · Dash reads “Ready” · Gas engine starts by itself later. DRIVING · Foot on brake · Move gear lever to left, then up, then release for reverse · Move gear lever to left, then down, then release for drive · Leave extra room when braking – brakes can feel bad on rough surfaces, just keep pushing the brake pedal. PARKING · Foot on brake · Push “P” button beside gear shift for park · Push round power button. LOCKING · Key fob in purse beside car · Touch ridged top front of driver’s door handle to lock car. CAR WASH · If you need to take the car through an automatic car wash, put the transmission in neutral by holding the shifter in the “N” position for a couple seconds until the dash light indicates “N”.
Haha. Mine came with a large 4-page (it's a folded, laminate) cheat sheet with start up and APGS/IPA instructions (among other things)
Actually, my daughter and/or her boyfriend have hand-washed my cars a number of times. My girlfriend is less likely to, as she knows I don't like to use automatic carwashes except occasionally in the winter. However, if/when her Malibu dies, she'll be driving the Prius full time.
Add to the Car wash thing: Turn off climate control. Using A/C while in neutral for an extended amount of time can drain the Hybrid Battery.
yea, i keep that in kitchen and insist if someone who hasn't driven it before wants to use it to be sure to take it along. I actually had my younges drive with me around the block when he borrowed it to pick up flatscreen tv. I also showed him pwr button so i wouldn't hear about pick up.... (he didn't complain). By the way, I like the keep key fob in purse! so true!
In a word, your cheat sheet is BRILLIANT! We picked up our new Prius yesterday, and sorta got stuck at our first stop (for lunch). Used your sheet to sort things out (foot not on brake when depressing power button, I think). Funny, I looked over the armload of Toyota books and cards that came with the car last night. There were no fewer than 3 "quick start" guides, all of which are thoroughly confusing and mutually contadictory. And in Jinglish. One of them (a plastic coated trifold) was so thoroughly bad as to be funny. So, compliments on your clean and simple cheat sheet. Suggest Toyota adopt it as is.
Last night my adult daughter was telling me about the second time my girlfriend borrowed the car and couldn't open the door. (I don't know what she did as I never lock my cars in the garage.) The cheat sheet was of no use as it was in the car. My daughter reminded her that the fob has an unlock button, so she fished it out of her purse and opened the car that way. I love my girlfriend dearly and she works in systems, but she is a bit of a Luddite when it comes to automotive electronics.
