1996 TOYOTA CAMRY child seat

9
CAUTION!
Before driving, be sure that the
doors are closed and locked, espe-
cially when small children are in the
vehicle. Along with the proper use of
seat belts, locking the doors helps
prevent the driver and passengers
from being thrown out from the ve-
hicle during an accident. It also
helps prevent the doors from being
opened unintentionally.
LOCKING WITH REAR DOOR CHILD-
PROTECTORS
Turn the lock knob to the LOCKº
position as shown on the label.
This feature allows you to lock a rear door
so it can be opened from the outside only,
not from inside. We recommend using this
feature whenever small children are in the
vehicle.The windows can be operated with the
switch on each side door.
The power windows work when the igni-
tion switch is in the ONº position. Howev-
er, if both front doors are closed, they work
for 60 seconds even after the ignition
switch is turned off. They stop working
when either front door is opened.
OPERATING THE DRIVER'S WINDOW
Use the switch on the driver's door.
Normal operation: The window moves
as long as you hold the switch.
To open: Lightly push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
Power windows
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11

Never leave small children alone in
the vehicle, especially with the igni-
tion key still inserted. They could
use the power window switches
and get trapped in a window. Unat-
tended children can become in-
volved in serious accidents.
To open the trunk lid from the outside,
insert the master key and turn it clock-
wise.
See Luggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load-
ing luggage.
To close the trunk lid, lower it and press
down on it. After closing the trunk lid, try
pulling it up to make sure it is securely
closed.
CAUTION!
Keep the trunk lid closed while driv-
ing. This not only keeps the luggage
from being thrown out but also pre-
vents exhaust gases from entering
the vehicle.
To open the trunk lid from the driver's
seat, pull up on the lock release lever.
ÐLock release lever Trunk lid (sedan and coupe)Ð
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14
Move the lock lever to the LOCKº
position as shown on the label.
This feature allows you to lock a back door
so it can be opened from the outside only,
not from inside. We recommend using this
feature whenever small children are in the
vehicle.
CAUTION!

Before driving, be sure that the
doors are closed and locked.
Along with the proper use of seat
belts, locking the back door helps
prevent the passengers from be-
ing thrown out from the vehicle
during an accident. It also helps
prevent the back door from being
opened unintentionally.

Keep the back door closed while
driving. This not only keeps the
luggage from being thrown out
but also prevents exhaust gases
from entering the vehicle.
To open the hood, pull the hood lock
release lever under the dash. The hood
will spring up slightly. In front of the
vehicle, press up on the auxiliary
catch lever and lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, check to see that
you have not forgotten any tools, rags,
etc. Then lower the hood and make sure
it locks into place. If necessary, press
down gently on the front edge to lock it.
ÐBack door child protector
(with third seat) Hood
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Part 1SeatsFront seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment precautions
19
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-3
Seats, Seat belts,
Steering wheel
and Mirrors

Seats

Front seats

Rear seats

Head restraints

Seat belts

SRS airbags

Child restraint

Tilt steering wheel

Outside rear view mirrors

Anti-glare inside rear view
mirror

Vanity mirrors
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION!

Do not drive with the vehicle occu-
pants not properly seated, such as
sitting on top of a folded-down
seatback, or in the luggage
compartment. Persons not proper-
ly seated and restrained by seat
belts can be severely injured in the
event of emergency braking or a
collision.

During driving, do not let passen-
gers stand up or move around be-
tween seats. Balance can be un-
steady and severe injuries can oc-
cur in the event of emergency brak-
ing or a collision.Adjust the driver's seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of the
driver.
CAUTION!

Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.

When adjusting the seat, be care-
ful not to hit the seat against a pas-
senger or luggage.

After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.

After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.

Do not put objects under the seats
as they may interfere with the seat-
lock mechanism or unexpectedly
push up the seat position adjust-
ing lever; the seat may suddenly
move, causing the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

While adjusting the seat, do not
put your hands under the seat or
near the moving parts. You may
jam your hands or fingers.
ProCarManuals.com

30Toyota recommends that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts pro-
vided. Failure to do so could increase the
chance of injury and/or the severity of injury
in accidents.
Baby or small child. Use a child restraint
system which fits your vehicle. See Child
restraintº for details.
Child. If a child is too large for a child re-
straint system, the child should sit in the
rear seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle's seat belt. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the front
seat. Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. If the
shoulder belt falls across the child's neck or
face, move the child to the center position
and use the center lap belt.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends
the use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as pos -
sible over the hips and not on the waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the injury,
however, first check with your doctor.
CAUTION!
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more like-
ly to suffer serious bodily injury in
the event of sudden braking or a col-
lision.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following:

Use the belt for only one person at
a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more peopleÐeven chil-
dren.

Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seat-
backs are in the upright position.
(See the seat adjustment instruc-
tions.)

Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care
that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or doors.

Inspect the belt system periodical-
ly. Check for cuts, fraying, and
loose parts. Damaged parts should
be replaced. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.

Keep the belts clean and dry. If they
need cleaning, use a mild soap
solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive clean-
ersÐthey may severely weaken the
belts.

Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assem-
bly should be replaced even if
damage is not obvious.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
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31
Seat belts with a seat belt hangerÐ
Make sure that the seat belt hanger is
secured in raised position. If it is not,
be sure to raise the seat belt hanger
until it locks in position.
You will hear a click when the seat belt
hanger locks in position.Adjust the seat as needed (front seats
only) and sit up straight and well back
in the seat. To fasten your belt, pull it
out of the retractor and insert the tab
into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts
to your size and the seat position.
The retractor will lock the belt during a
sudden stop or on impact. It also may lock
if you lean forward too quickly. A slow,
easy motion will allow the belt to extend,
and you can move around freely.
If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the
retractor, firmly pull the belt and release it.
You will then be able to smoothly pull the
belt out of the retractor.When a passenger's shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that posi-
tion and cannot be extended. This feature
is used to hold the child restraint system
securely. (For details, see Child restraintº
in this chapter.) To free the belt again, fully
retract the belt and then pull the belt out
once more.
CAUTION!

After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt is not twisted.

Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.

If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer.
ÐFront seat belts and rear
outside seat belts
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38
The center airbag sensor assembly con-
sists 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 air-
bags with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help
restrain the forward motion of the occu-
pants.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 inju-
ries, 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 them-
selves will not be hot. The airbags are de-
signed to inflate only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the air-
bags may break the windshield as the ve-
hicle buckles. In vehicles with a passen-
ger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.
CAUTION!

The SRS airbag system is de-
signed only as a supplement to
the primary protection of the seat
belt systems of the driver and
front passenger. The front seat oc-
cupants are particularly suscepti-
ble 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 con-
cerning the seat belt system, see
Seat beltsº in this chapter.

A baby or small child who is too
small to use a seat belt should be
properly secured in a rear seat us-
ing a child restraint system.
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39

Do not use a rear-facing child re-
straint system in the front seat be-
cause the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the passenger airbag may
cause severe injury to the child.
Vehicles with a passenger airbag
display a caution label on the pas-
senger side instrument panel as
shown above to remind you not to
install a rear-facing child restraint
system on the front seat.
When using a forward-facing
child restraint system in the front
seat, the seat must be moved as far
back as possible. For instructions
concerning the installation of a
child restraint system, see Child
restraintº in this chapter.
Do not sit on the edge of the seat
or lean over the dashboard when
the vehicle is in use. The airbags
inflate with considerable speed
and force; you may be severely in-
jured. Sit up straight and well back
in the seat, and always use your
seat belt.
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