1996 TOYOTA TACOMA steering

21. Side vent
2. Instrument cluster
3. Automatic transmission selector lever
(column shift)
4. Center vents
5. Personal lights or interior light
6. Glovebox
7. Power door lock switch
8. Power window switches
9. Manual transmission gear shift lever or
automatic transmission selector lever (floor shift)
10. Front drive control lever
11. Tilt steering lock release lever 12. Power rear view mirror control switch
Instrument panel overview

Part 1Seats Front 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
Armrest
Seat belts
SRS airbag
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 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. Per sons not proper-
ly seated and restrained by seat
belts can be severely injured in the
event of emergency braking or acollision.
During driving, do not let passen-
gers stand up or move around be-
tween seats. Balance can be
unsteady and severe injuries can
occur 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 carefulnot to hit the seat against a passen- ger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in position.
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 adjusting 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.!

28
To connect the extender to the seat
belt, insert the tab into the seat belt
buckle so that the PRESSº signs onthe buckle-release buttons of the ex-
tender and the seat belt are both facing
outward as shown.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
When releasing the seat belt, press on the
buckle-release button on the extender, not on the seat belt. This helps prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend- er itself.
When not in use, remove the extender
and store in the vehicle for future use.
CAUTION!
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender 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.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbag is designed to provide fur-
ther protection to the driver when add-
ed to the primary protection providedby the seat belt.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the
SRS airbag works together with the seat belt to prevent or reduce injury by inflat-ing, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver's head or chest directly hitting the steering wheel.
SRS airbag

30
The SRS airbag is not designed to in-
flate if the vehicle is subjected to a side
or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if it is in-
volved in a low- speed frontal collision.The SRS airbag system mainly consists
of the following components and their
locations are shown in the illustration.
1. SRS airbag warning light
2. Steering wheel pad (airbag and inflator)
3. Airbag sensor assembly
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.In a severe frontal impact, sensor detects
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflator. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflator momentarily fills the airbag
with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help re-
strain the forward motion of the driver. When the airbag inflates, it produces a fairly loud noise and releases some
smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This isnot 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 airbag happens in a
fraction of a
second, so the airbag must in-
flate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swellings.
The steering wheel hub may be hot for
several m inutes, but the airbag will not be
hot. The airbag is designed to inflate only once.

31
CAUTION!
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the primary protection of the seat belt system of
the driver. The driver is particularlysusceptible to injury if he/she does
not wear his/her seat belt; when
sudden braking or a collision oc-
curs, he/she may be thrown for-
ward. To obtain further protection in
an accident, the driver and all pas-
sengers in the vehicle should al-ways wear their seat belts when
driving. For instructions and pre-
cautions concerning the seat belt
systems, see Seat beltsº in this
chapter.
CAUTION!
Do not put objects on the steering
wheel pad. 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, air-
bag sensor assembly. Doing any of
these may cause sudden SRS air-
bag inflation or disable the system,
which could result in personal inju-
ry.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in severe injuries.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can in-
terfere with proper operation of the SRS airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic itemssuch as a mobile two-way radio,
cassette tape player or compactdisc player
Modification of the suspension system
Modification of the front endstructure
Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow-plow, winches or any other equip-
ment to the front end
Repairs made on or near the frontconsole, steering column or steer-
ing wheel

32
This SRS airbag system has a service re-
minder indicator to inform the driver of op-
erating problems. If either of the following
conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbag. Contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible to servicethe vehicle. The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.In the following cases, contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible: The SRS airbag has been inflated.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration) was involved in an ac-
cident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering wheel
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged. Toyota strongly urges the use of child
restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
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 automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained. 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 unre-strained.
Child restraint- ÐChild restraint precautions

32
This SRS airbag system has a service re-
minder indicator to inform the driver of op-
erating problems. If either of the following
conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbag. Contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible to servicethe vehicle. The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.In the following cases, contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible: The SRS airbag has been inflated.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration) was involved in an ac-
cident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering wheel
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged. Toyota strongly urges the use of child
restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
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 automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained. 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 unre-strained.
Child restraintÐÐChild restraint precautions

38
CAUTION!
Push and pull the child restraint sys-
tem is different directions to be sure
it is secure.
3. To remove the child restraint system, press the buckle-release button.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.
When the steering wheel is in a low posi-
tion, it will spring up as you release the
lock release lever.
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.
CAUTION!
Tilt steering wheel