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Toyota Service Information and Where To Find It
(History)
Toyota Service Information and Where To Find It
As useful as PriusChat discussions can be, sometimes it’s best to consult the troubleshooting and repair information published by Toyota, as used by authorized dealers. This page explains how that information is organized and where to find it. (Parts catalogs and part numbers will be covered separately.)
Service Information
These publications are generally issued in separate editions for each model and destination market. The Repair Manual for a fourth-generation Prius car built for sale in the U.S., for example, has different content than the manuals for similar cars sold in Europe, Japan, or Australia.
The Repair Manual and other materials are written to aid experienced technicians in maintenance and repair work, not as basic “how to” guides for persons without training or experience in automotive service. They also aren’t engineering design documents. Systems are described only in general terms, and while the main specifications are stated, other details are often omitted unless needed for a specific procedure. Thresholds for changes in system behavior or DTCs, for example, are generally not disclosed; in the explanations for many DTCs, “TMC's intellectual property” is shown, meaning the information is omitted as a trade secret of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Where To Find It
Free Databases
Toyota Subscription Databases
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
Unofficial Sources
Can’t I just buy a book from Chilton or Haynes?
Service Information
These publications are generally issued in separate editions for each model and destination market. The Repair Manual for a fourth-generation Prius car built for sale in the U.S., for example, has different content than the manuals for similar cars sold in Europe, Japan, or Australia.
Repair Manual (RM) — Contains troubleshooting and repair information, including detailed procedures for all diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and selected other symptoms; and instructions for removal, disassembly, inspection, adjustment, reassembly, and installation of most of the car’s parts. Also includes service data; torque specifications; information on special service tools, equipment, and materials; and cautions and notices for avoiding personal injury and property damage. Generally omits part numbers and fastener sizes. Other automakers use the terms “service manual,” “shop manual,” “workshop manual,” or “maintenance manual” to describe their equivalents.
Electrical Wiring Diagram (EWD) — Contains detailed diagrams of the car’s electrical wiring interconnection system, including wire colors, connector pinouts, fuses, ground points, component locations, and harness routing. Internal circuit information is provided for relay and junction blocks, but not typically for other electronic control units. Describes techniques and materials for repair of wire harnesses, terminals, and connectors; for older models, some of this repair information was generic and came in a supplementary "Wire Harness Repair Manual" described below. For later models, the EWD is presented using a patented interactive viewer, described in this thread (which also describes how to get to the structured table-of-contents display from the unstructured search-results list you may see first). An example of the steps of looking something up in the EWD is given in this post. A further example showing the details that appear after clicking “[+] Wire Harness Repair” is in this post.
New Car Features (NCF) — Contains major specifications and general information about the car’s systems and how they operate, including functional diagrams and qualitative explanations of software and control mechanisms. For Prius model years 2002–2003 (first generation) and 2005–2009 (second generation), these books describe only changes since the previous model year; refer to the 2001 and 2004 editions, respectively, for complete information.
Collision Repair Manual (Repair Manual for Collision Damage) — Describes repair methods for the body and its panels, including permissible locations for welding, cutting, and joining. Gives two-dimensional and three-dimensional measurements for body alignment, also useful in checking for collision damage. Identifies locations for sealing, undercoating, and anti-rust treatments.
Service Data Sheet (Non-U.S. Only) — Two-page summary of important service data, such as fluid quantities and alignment specifications.
Owner’s Manual — Contains “Maintenance and care” and “When trouble arises” sections with information and procedures for servicing by owners. Includes basic vehicle specifications and requirements for operating fluids.
Warranty and Maintenance Guide (U.S. Only) — Contains the legal terms of the basic, hybrid system, powertrain, restraint systems, corrosion perforation, and emission control warranties. Describes the maintenance schedule required to preserve warranty coverage and briefly explains each of the maintenance items.
Outside the U.S., this information appears in other documents, such as the Maintenance Schedule and Owner’s Manual Supplement published in Canada.
Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) — Supplement other publications by providing information, explaining how to fix problems, or announcing software updates. Some bulletins address general topics related to repair or dealer operations. In the U.S., a Pre-Delivery Service bulletin and check sheet for are issued for each new model.
Bulletins are issued in at least three separate series for the U.S., for Canada, and for Europe and other countries. Incomplete lists of TSBs for the U.S. are available in PriusChat threads for the fourth-generation Prius and Prius Prime.
Campaign Publications — Explain safety recalls and service campaigns. Unlike bulletins, which apply only to vehicles that have specific problems or meet stated criteria, a service campaign or safety recall is an instruction to dealers to repair or inspect every vehicle in a certain group, even if it doesn’t have any related symptoms. Owners are notified about campaigns and recalls.
Collision Repair Information Bulletins (CRIB) (U.S. Only) — Contain policies and position statements related to body and collision repairs. Most apply to all models.
Accessory Installation Manuals — Step-by-step instructions for Toyota Genuine port-installed (PIO), dealer-installed (DOP), and post-production (PPO) options and accessories. Issued separately for the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
Emergency Response Guide and Quick Guides — Explain precautions to be taken when handling damaged vehicles at the collision scenes and afterwards, including information about air bags, seat belt pretentioners, gas-filled dampers, high voltage, and hybrid batteries. The generic Emergency Response Guide is supplemented by model-specific Quick Guides.
Hybrid Vehicle Dismantling Manual — Explains procedures for safe end-of-life disposal, including precautions for high voltage safety and removal of the hybrid vehicle battery.
Toyota Warranty Policy and Procedures Manual (U.S. Only) — Explains Toyota’s requirements for reimbursing dealer claims for warranty parts and labor. Useful for understanding dealer behavior. Applies to all models.
Electrical Wiring Diagram (EWD) — Contains detailed diagrams of the car’s electrical wiring interconnection system, including wire colors, connector pinouts, fuses, ground points, component locations, and harness routing. Internal circuit information is provided for relay and junction blocks, but not typically for other electronic control units. Describes techniques and materials for repair of wire harnesses, terminals, and connectors; for older models, some of this repair information was generic and came in a supplementary "Wire Harness Repair Manual" described below. For later models, the EWD is presented using a patented interactive viewer, described in this thread (which also describes how to get to the structured table-of-contents display from the unstructured search-results list you may see first). An example of the steps of looking something up in the EWD is given in this post. A further example showing the details that appear after clicking “[+] Wire Harness Repair” is in this post.
Generic supplement for older models, not a substitute for the Electrical Wiring Diagram: as mentioned above, some older models' Electrical Wiring Diagrams avoided duplicating certain generic information on repair techniques and materials, found instead in the Wire Harness Repair Manual (PDF). While this generic publication is no substitute for the Electrical Wiring Diagram for a car, it is sometimes useful for an understanding of general repair techniques and materials, and can be read without a subscription. It cannot substitute for the Electrical Wiring Diagram when looking for details specific to a car.
New Car Features (NCF) — Contains major specifications and general information about the car’s systems and how they operate, including functional diagrams and qualitative explanations of software and control mechanisms. For Prius model years 2002–2003 (first generation) and 2005–2009 (second generation), these books describe only changes since the previous model year; refer to the 2001 and 2004 editions, respectively, for complete information.
Collision Repair Manual (Repair Manual for Collision Damage) — Describes repair methods for the body and its panels, including permissible locations for welding, cutting, and joining. Gives two-dimensional and three-dimensional measurements for body alignment, also useful in checking for collision damage. Identifies locations for sealing, undercoating, and anti-rust treatments.
Service Data Sheet (Non-U.S. Only) — Two-page summary of important service data, such as fluid quantities and alignment specifications.
Owner’s Manual — Contains “Maintenance and care” and “When trouble arises” sections with information and procedures for servicing by owners. Includes basic vehicle specifications and requirements for operating fluids.
Warranty and Maintenance Guide (U.S. Only) — Contains the legal terms of the basic, hybrid system, powertrain, restraint systems, corrosion perforation, and emission control warranties. Describes the maintenance schedule required to preserve warranty coverage and briefly explains each of the maintenance items.
Outside the U.S., this information appears in other documents, such as the Maintenance Schedule and Owner’s Manual Supplement published in Canada.
Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) — Supplement other publications by providing information, explaining how to fix problems, or announcing software updates. Some bulletins address general topics related to repair or dealer operations. In the U.S., a Pre-Delivery Service bulletin and check sheet for are issued for each new model.
Bulletins are issued in at least three separate series for the U.S., for Canada, and for Europe and other countries. Incomplete lists of TSBs for the U.S. are available in PriusChat threads for the fourth-generation Prius and Prius Prime.
Campaign Publications — Explain safety recalls and service campaigns. Unlike bulletins, which apply only to vehicles that have specific problems or meet stated criteria, a service campaign or safety recall is an instruction to dealers to repair or inspect every vehicle in a certain group, even if it doesn’t have any related symptoms. Owners are notified about campaigns and recalls.
Collision Repair Information Bulletins (CRIB) (U.S. Only) — Contain policies and position statements related to body and collision repairs. Most apply to all models.
Accessory Installation Manuals — Step-by-step instructions for Toyota Genuine port-installed (PIO), dealer-installed (DOP), and post-production (PPO) options and accessories. Issued separately for the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
Emergency Response Guide and Quick Guides — Explain precautions to be taken when handling damaged vehicles at the collision scenes and afterwards, including information about air bags, seat belt pretentioners, gas-filled dampers, high voltage, and hybrid batteries. The generic Emergency Response Guide is supplemented by model-specific Quick Guides.
Hybrid Vehicle Dismantling Manual — Explains procedures for safe end-of-life disposal, including precautions for high voltage safety and removal of the hybrid vehicle battery.
Toyota Warranty Policy and Procedures Manual (U.S. Only) — Explains Toyota’s requirements for reimbursing dealer claims for warranty parts and labor. Useful for understanding dealer behavior. Applies to all models.
The Repair Manual and other materials are written to aid experienced technicians in maintenance and repair work, not as basic “how to” guides for persons without training or experience in automotive service. They also aren’t engineering design documents. Systems are described only in general terms, and while the main specifications are stated, other details are often omitted unless needed for a specific procedure. Thresholds for changes in system behavior or DTCs, for example, are generally not disclosed; in the explanations for many DTCs, “TMC's intellectual property” is shown, meaning the information is omitted as a trade secret of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Where To Find It
Free Databases
ChiltonLibrary — Access available at no charge through many public library websites in the U.S. and Canada to anyone with a borrower’s card. Contains TSBs; Repair Manual text and illustrations for most Prius models (older models incomplete); some Collision Repair Manual information; and Electrical Wiring Diagram pages. No New Car Features.
Toyota websites for the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Japan, etc. — Owner’s Manual, Warranty and Maintenance Guide (or local equivalent), and related literature.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (U.S.) — Has full text of safety recall notices, reports, and remedy instructions, and incomplete lists (sometimes with full text) of “manufacturer communications” such as service bulletins, organized by model and year. Covers only vehicles sold in the U.S.; foreign recalls and campaigns for similar vehicles are in a separate database.
Toyota websites for the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Japan, etc. — Owner’s Manual, Warranty and Maintenance Guide (or local equivalent), and related literature.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (U.S.) — Has full text of safety recall notices, reports, and remedy instructions, and incomplete lists (sometimes with full text) of “manufacturer communications” such as service bulletins, organized by model and year. Covers only vehicles sold in the U.S.; foreign recalls and campaigns for similar vehicles are in a separate database.
Toyota Subscription Databases
Toyota Technical Information System (techinfo.toyota.com) — Covers vehicles built for sale in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Prices start at $20 for two days (as of late 2022). No charge for owner literature, emergency response, and dismantling manuals. Subscription includes Repair Manual, New Car Features, Electrical Wiring Diagram, Collision Repair Manual, TSBs, CRIBs, accessory instructions for the U.S. market, quick training guides, handbooks for technical training courses, and the Toyota Warranty Policy and Procedures Manual. No parts catalog; see parts.toyota.com or parts.lexus.com instead.
Toyota-Tech.eu — Covers vehicles built for sale in Europe. Prices start at € 4 for one hour (as of late 2022). No charge for accessory installation manuals and certain other information. Subscription includes parts catalog, Repair Manual, New Car Features, Electrical Wiring Diagram, Collision Repair Manual, Service Data Sheet, and TSBs.
TOYOTA Service Information — Covers vehicles (PDF) built for sale in Japan since 2012, including Prius (プリウス), Prius PHV (like Prius Prime), Prius α (like Prius v), and Aqua (アクア, like Prius c) models. The website and information are in Japanese only. The price is ¥22,000 for a one-month subscription (as of late 2022).
toyotamanuals.com.au — Covers vehicles built for sale in Australia. Prices start at AU$21 for one day (as of late 2022), but information on hybrids and EVs (including Prius models) is restricted under the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme to AASRA-registered repairers.
Third-Party Subscription DatabasesToyota-Tech.eu — Covers vehicles built for sale in Europe. Prices start at € 4 for one hour (as of late 2022). No charge for accessory installation manuals and certain other information. Subscription includes parts catalog, Repair Manual, New Car Features, Electrical Wiring Diagram, Collision Repair Manual, Service Data Sheet, and TSBs.
TOYOTA Service Information — Covers vehicles (PDF) built for sale in Japan since 2012, including Prius (プリウス), Prius PHV (like Prius Prime), Prius α (like Prius v), and Aqua (アクア, like Prius c) models. The website and information are in Japanese only. The price is ¥22,000 for a one-month subscription (as of late 2022).
toyotamanuals.com.au — Covers vehicles built for sale in Australia. Prices start at AU$21 for one day (as of late 2022), but information on hybrids and EVs (including Prius models) is restricted under the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme to AASRA-registered repairers.
ALLDATAdiy.com — Covers vehicles built for sale in the U.S., including many Prius models. Prices start at $19.99 for a one-month, single-vehicle subscription (as of late 2022).
Mitchell1DIY (eAutoRepair.net) — Covers vehicles built for sale in the U.S. and Canada, including many Prius models. Some subjects are omitted, and many of the wiring diagrams are redrawn, not Toyota’s originals. Prices start at $19.99 for a one-month, single-vehicle subscription (as of late 2022).
FAINES — Covers vehicles from several manufacturers built for sale in Japan; all information in Japanese. Subscriptions seem to be available only to members of the Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association and related organizations.
Printed BooksMitchell1DIY (eAutoRepair.net) — Covers vehicles built for sale in the U.S. and Canada, including many Prius models. Some subjects are omitted, and many of the wiring diagrams are redrawn, not Toyota’s originals. Prices start at $19.99 for a one-month, single-vehicle subscription (as of late 2022).
FAINES — Covers vehicles from several manufacturers built for sale in Japan; all information in Japanese. Subscriptions seem to be available only to members of the Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association and related organizations.
For model years 2011 and earlier, Toyota published the Repair Manual, New Car Features, Electrical Wiring Diagram, and Collision Repair Manual books in printed form. Reprints may still be available from Toyota’s distributor, Helm, Inc., but they are costly: $961 for the five-volume Repair Manual set for a 2011 Prius, for example. Used copies are sometimes available on eBay.
Helm, Inc., also sells printed copies of the Owner’s Manual and related literature for U.S. vehicles, through the current model year.
Helm, Inc., also sells printed copies of the Owner’s Manual and related literature for U.S. vehicles, through the current model year.
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
Electronic Technical Manual (電子技術マニュアル) — Formerly sold by Toyota in Japan, these discs contain the Repair Manual, New Car Features, and Electrical Wiring Diagram, all in Japanese, for vehicles built for sale in Japan. Sometimes available on Yahoo! Japan auctions, but you may need to use an agency to buy one, since many of the sellers don’t deal with foreigners.
Toyota Service Information (Global Service Information Center) — Equivalent to the Electronic Technical Manual discs for other countries. Produced for Toyota dealers and distributors in locations without reliable Internet access. Some older editions are available for purchase on Toyota-Tech.eu; others are apparently not available to the public.
Toyota Service Information (Global Service Information Center) — Equivalent to the Electronic Technical Manual discs for other countries. Produced for Toyota dealers and distributors in locations without reliable Internet access. Some older editions are available for purchase on Toyota-Tech.eu; others are apparently not available to the public.
Unofficial Sources
Copies of Toyota manuals, of varying quality and completeness, circulate unofficially on the Internet. To avoid contributing to copyright infringement, and because links to them tend not to work for very long, no sources for these are given here.
Can’t I just buy a book from Chilton or Haynes?
Perhaps, if you have an older model, but the book may not contain the information you need. Chilton published a 304-page book (ISBN 1-56392-691-1) for the 2001–2008 Prius, and Haynes published a 256-page book (ISBN 1-62092-066-2) for the 2001–2012 Prius. Trying to cover more than one generation of vehicles in a fairly slim volume doesn’t leave room for much detail, and these books really can’t be considered effective substitutes for the Toyota publications.
Bentley’s 648-page book (ISBN 0-8376-1766-9) is limited to the second-generation Prius (2004–2008) and so may be more successful, but it’s still not nearly as comprehensive as the factory publications. It’s discussed in this thread.
Bentley’s 648-page book (ISBN 0-8376-1766-9) is limited to the second-generation Prius (2004–2008) and so may be more successful, but it’s still not nearly as comprehensive as the factory publications. It’s discussed in this thread.
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