Hey everyone! I just got a 2023 Toyota Yaris Cross and I love it so far! It’s honestly more than enough for my needs, but I’ve got a couple of questions that I’m not sure about. The dealership wasn’t much help, so I’m hoping someone here can give me some advice.
What’s the right way to park this car? It’s my first car with a CVT, and I’ve read different things online. Some people say you should do the same as with manual cars: Neutral, handbrake, then park. Others say this doesn’t apply to CVTs. The dealership just told me to do whatever, but I don’t want to damage the engine or transmission.
How do I do a cold start correctly? Where I live, it’s usually around 6-7°C. The engine doesn’t always start the first time, and when it does, it makes a loud sound when going up a hill near my house. Is this normal? I’ve noticed the engine is cold when this happens, so I’m worried I’m doing something wrong.
Sorry if I made some mistakes, English isn’t my first language!
For parking, if the ground is flat, just put it in park.
If there’s an incline, keep your foot on the brake, put it in neutral, set the handbrake, then let go of the brake so the handbrake holds the weight of the car. After that, put it in park.
As for cold starts, if it’s really cold, you should let the engine idle for a few minutes before putting any load on it, especially if you need to climb a hill.
@Flynn
Thanks for the advice! That’s exactly what I was looking for. I want to avoid putting unnecessary stress on the engine and transmission.
About the cold start, I noticed that when the battery is full, the petrol engine doesn’t start. I’ll try turning on the AC like you suggested to warm it up before I go.
The parking brake automatically applies when you put it in park, so you don’t need to do anything other than stop and shift into park. For cold starts, if you turn the heater to ‘Hi’, the engine will run while trying to heat up the cabin.
@Zorion
I get that the parking brake engages automatically, but when I’m parked on an incline, I thought the engine/transmission might have to hold the car’s weight.
@AloisSpewer
No, the parking brake holds the car on hills, not the transmission. A lot of people think the parking gear is for holding the car in place, but it’s actually meant for parking only. Using it to hold the weight is hard on the transmission.
Spence said: @GaryRoberts
Right, it’s meant for parking, not emergencies. But if the regular brakes fail, the handbrake should be used to stop the car.
No, it’s not an emergency brake. It’s designed to hold the car when parked. Emergency brakes are used to stop a car in a real emergency.
AloisSpewer said: @GaryRoberts
Got it! Thanks for explaining all of this. This is my first Toyota, and I just want to make sure I’m doing things right.
As long as you do the regular maintenance and take care of it, your Toyota will last for a long time.
The Yaris Cross has an automatic handbrake. So, you don’t need to worry about neutral. When you shift to park, the handbrake automatically engages.
The loud sound you hear when starting in the cold is just the motor generators. It’s normal. In cold weather, the engine might kick in faster than usual because the hybrid battery coolant is also cold. This is common with hybrid systems. Just give it some time to warm up!
@Vic
Yes, it does apply the handbrake automatically, but I was worried the CVT would be holding the car’s weight when on an incline. It seems like it engages the brake first, so that’s good.
For starting the engine, I found out that turning on the AC helps force it to start. But depending on the situation, it might not always be necessary. I’m just trying to be careful, especially with the hill I have to go up.
What concerns me more is the oil. How do I know the engine has run long enough to heat up and get rid of any moisture? I’m asking because the hybrid system turns the engine on and off frequently.
You can skip the neutral step. As long as you keep the brake pressed, the parking brake will engage automatically when you shift into park. This is standard in every new Toyota.
With older cars where the parking brake doesn’t engage automatically, you would go from neutral to handbrake, then let off the brake and press it again before shifting to park. This ensures the weight is on the handbrake, not the transmission.
For the engine, if it’s a gasoline engine, you can let it idle for 3-4 minutes before going anywhere. For hybrids, it’s a bit trickier. I’m not sure how the system works, but that’s why I switched fields from being a mechanic to something else!
