1996 TOYOTA CELICA Owners Manual

20ProCarManuals.com

Part 1SeatsFront seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment precautions
21
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-3
Seats, Seat belts, Steering
wheel and Mirrors

Seats

Front seats

Fold-down rear seat

Head restraints

Seat belts

SRS airbags

Child restraint

Tilt steering wheel

Outside rear view mirrors

Anti-glare inside rear view
mirror
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 belt 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 prop-
erly 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
braking 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

22
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Pull the lever up. Then slide the seat to
the desired position with slight body
pressure and release the lever.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING
LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the driver and
the passenger are sitting up straight
and well back in the seats. If you are
reclined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces
directly to the abdomen. Therefore,
in the event of a frontal collision, the
risk of personal injury may increase
with increasing recline of the seat-
back.!
3. DRIVER'S SEAT CUSHION ANGLE
ADJUSTING KNOB
Turn the knob either way.
For easy access to the rear seat, do
this.
1. Lift the seatback angle adjusting lever
or press the pedal behind the seatback.
The seat will slide forward slightly.
2. Move the seat to the front-most posi-
tion.
After passengers are in, lift up the seat-
back and return the seat until it locks.
CAUTION

After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat forward and rear-
ward to make sure it is secured in
place.

Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.!
ÐAdjusting front seats
ÐMoving passenger's seat
for rear seat entry
ProCarManuals.com

23
1. Pull up the seatback security lock
lever 1 to the unlock position.
2. Pull up the lock release button 2.
3. Fold down the seatback.
Each seatback may be folded separately.
This will enlarge the trunk room (coupe) or
luggage compartment (liftback) as far as
the front seatbacks. See Luggage stow-
age precautionsº in Part 2 for precautions
to observe in loading luggage.
CAUTION
When returning the seatback to the
upright position:

Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.

Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seat-
back.!
For your safety, adjust the head re-
straint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
On some models, you can also move the
head restraint forward or backward. If
such adjustment is desired, pull or push
the head restraint.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
Fold-down rear seat Head restraints
ProCarManuals.com

24
CAUTION!

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

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

Do not drive with the restraints re-
moved. Toyota recommends that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. 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, have the child sit slightly closer to
the center of the vehicle so that the belt
lays across the shoulder.
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
possible 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 likely
to suffer serious bodily injury in the
event of s udden braking or a collision.
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.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
ProCarManuals.com

24
CAUTION!

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

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

Do not drive with the restraints re-
moved. Toyota recommends that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. 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, have the child sit slightly closer to
the center of the vehicle so that the belt
lays across the shoulder.
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
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the injury,
first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
CAUTION!
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury in the
event of s udden braking or a collision.
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.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
ProCarManuals.com

25

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 se-
vere impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.

Front passenger's seat onlyÐRe-
place the belt if the warning label
under the sleeve can be seen. The
warning label, REPLACE BELTº,
will appear if the belt receives a
severe impact or other force.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.
ÐSeat belts
ProCarManuals.com

26
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.
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hipsÐnot on your waist, then adjust
it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder por-
tion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION!

High-positioned lap belts and
loose-fitting belts both could in-
crease the chance of injury due to
sliding under the lap belt during a
collision. Keep the lap belt posi-
tioned as low on your hip bone as
possible.

For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.
To release the belt, press the buckle-
release button and allow the belt to re-
tract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull it
out and check for kinks or twists. Then
make sure it remains untwisted as it re-
tracts.
ProCarManuals.com