1995 Lexus ES300 steering

SECTION 1 – 6
47
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Comfort adjustment
Front seats48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trunk storage extension50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Headrests51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt steering wheel51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside rear view mirror53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbags60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
48
FRONT SEATS
Seat adjustment precautions
Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot pedals, steering wheel
and instrument panel controls are within easy reach of the
driver.
CAUTION:

Do not adjust the seat while the vehicle is moving as the
seat may unexpectedly move and cause the driver to
lose control of the vehicle.

Be careful not to hit the seat against a passenger,
luggage or the rear seat.
NOTICE:
Do not operate the control switch in more than one
dimension at a time. It may cause electrical overload.
Adjusting front seats
Seat position control switch,
seat cushion angle and height
control switch
Seatback angle
control switch

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
51
HEADRESTS
Unlock
To raise the headrest, pull it up. To lower it, press the lock
release button and push the headrest down. To move the
headrest forward, pull on the top.
Pulling the top of the headrest forward as far as it can go will
return it to the upright position.
The headrest is most effective when it is close to your head.
Therefore, using a cushion on the seatback is not
recommended.
CAUTION:

Adjust the top of the headrest so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.

After adjusting the headrest, make sure it is locked in
position.

Do not drive with the headrests removed.
TILT STEERING WHEEL
Unlock
Lock release lever
To change the steering wheel angle, hold the steering
wheel, pull up the lock release lever, tilt the steering wheel
to the desired angle and release the lever.
The steering wheel will spring up to the highest position when
the lock release lever is pulled up.
CAUTION:

Do not adjust the steering wheel while the vehicle is
moving.

After adjusting the steering wheel, try moving it up and
down to make sure it is locked in position.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
60
SRS AIRBAGS
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags are
designed to provide further protection to the driver and
front passenger when added to the primary protection
provided by the seat belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the SRS airbags
work together with the seat belts to prevent or reduce
injury by inflating, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver’s or front passenger’s head or face directly
hitting the steering wheel or dashboard.
The passenger airbag is activated even with no passenger in
the front seat.
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the “ACC” or “ON” position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the SRS airbags are operating
properly.
The SRS airbag warning light system monitors the front airbag
sensors, center airbag sensor assembly, inflators, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power sources.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
62
Front airbag sensor
Steering wheel
pad assembly
(airbag and
inflator)
SRS airbag warning light
Passenger airbag module
(airbag and inflator)
Center airbag sensor assembly
Front airbag sensor
The center airbag sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor
and center airbag sensor.
In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect deceleration and the
system triggers the airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflators momentarily fills the airbags with non-toxic
nitrogen gas to help restrain the forward motion of the
occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a fairly loud noise and
release some smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This is not
harmful and does not indicate a fire. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happen in a fraction of a second, so
the airbags must inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor burns or abrasions and swellings.Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, dashboard)
may be hot for several minutes, but the airbags themselves will
not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may break the
windshield as the vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a passenger
airbag the windshield may also be damaged by absorbing
some of the force of the inflating airbag.
CAUTION:

The SRS airbag system is designed only as a
supplement to the primary protection of the seat belt
systems of the driver and front passenger. The front
seat occupants are particularly susceptible to injury if
they do not wear their seat belts; when sudden braking
or a collision occurs, they may be thrown forward. To
obtain further protection in an accident, the driver and
all passengers in the vehicle should always wear their
seat belts when driving. For instructions and
precautions concerning the seat belt system, see
“SEAT BELTS” on page 54.

A baby or small child who is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured in a rear seat using a child
restraint system.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
64

Do not put objects on or in front of the dashboard or
steering wheel pad that houses the airbag system. They
might restrict inflation or cause personal injury as they
are projected rearward.

Do not modify, remove or open any component or
wiring, such as the steering wheel, column cover, front
passenger airbag cover, front passenger airbag, center
airbag sensor assembly or front airbag sensors. Doing
any of these may cause sudden SRS airbag inflation or
disable the system, which could result in personal
injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in severe
injuries.
NOTICE:
Do not perform any of the following changes without
consulting your Lexus dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the SRS airbag system
in some cases.

Installation of electronic items such as a mobile
two-way radio, cassette tape player or compact disc
player.

Modification of the suspension system.

Repairs made on or near the front fenders, front
console, steering column, steering wheel or
dashboard near the front passenger airbag.

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66
The pad section of the steering wheel or front passenger
airbag cover (shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
CHILD RESTRAINT
Child restraint precautions
Lexus strongly urges the use of child restraint system for
children small enough to use it.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A. and Canada now
require the use of a child restraint system.
CAUTION:
For effective protection in automobile accidents and
sudden stops, children must be properly restrained.
Holding a child in your arms is not a substitute for a child
restraint system. In an accident, the child can be crushed
against the windshield, or between you and the vehicle’s
interior if you are unrestrained.
Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must
itself be restrained on the seat with either the lap belt or
the lap portion of the lap / shoulder belt.
The child restraint system should conform to the size of the
child and properly fit the vehicle seat. For greater safety, the
child restraint system should be installed in the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
When installing a child restraint system, refer to the
instructions provided by its manufacturer and follow the
directions under the following illustrations.
CAUTION:
After installing the child restraint system, make sure it is
secured in place. If it is not restrained securely, it may
cause injury to the child in the event of a sudden stop or
accident.
When not using the child restraint system, keep it secured with
the seat belt or place it in the trunk or somewhere other than
in the passenger compartment. This will prevent it injuring
passengers in the event of a sudden stop or accident.