1997 Lexus ES300 child seat

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT

63
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt precautions
Lexus strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the
vehicle be properly restrained 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.
Child. Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child
until the child becomes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See ªChild restraintº for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint 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.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat belts should be
worn properly. Do not let the child sit in your lap. It does not
provide sufficient restraint. If an accident occurs and the
seat belts are not worn properly, the force of the rapid
inflation of the airbag may cause severe injury to the child.
Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel on either rear or
front seats. An unrestrained child could suffer serious injury
during emergency braking or a collision.
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. Lexus 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 the waist.
Injured person. Lexus 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 sudden 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 people ± even
children.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too much. The seat
belts provide maximum protection when the
seatbacks are in the upright position. (See
ªAdjusting seatback angle.º)
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 periodically. Check for
cuts, fraying, and loose parts. Damaged parts
should be replaced. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.

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64
Keep the belts clean and dry. If they need cleaning,
use a mild soap solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive cleaners ± they may
severely weaken the belts.
Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it
has been used in a severe impact. The entire
assembly should be replaced even if damage is
not obvious.
Fastening front and rear seat belts
Adjust the seat as needed 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
seat position.The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on
impact. It may also lock if you lean forward to quickly. A slow,
easy motion will allow the belt to extend, and you can move
around freely.
When a passenger's shoulder belt is completely extended
and is then retracted even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This feature is used to hold
the child restraint system securely. (For details, see ªChild
restraintº on page 76.) To free the belt again, fully retract the
belt and then pull the belt out once more.
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.
CAUTION!
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and
buckle are locked and tha 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 Lexus dealer. Do not
use the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot
protect an adult occupant or your child from
injury.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
67 You will hear a click when the tab locks into the 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 extender 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 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 Lexus dealer. Do not
use the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot
protect an adult occupant or your child from
injury.
Front seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger's seat belts are
equipped with a pretensioner which is designed to be
activated in response to a severe frontal impact.
The airbag system and each pretensioner operates
independently because each has its own separate sensor.
A pretensioner sensor is located in each front seat belt
retractor assembly. When the pretensioner sensor detects
the shock of a severe frontal impact, the front seat belt is
quickly drawn back in by the retractor so that the belt snugly
restrains the front seat occupant.
When a seat belt pretensioner is activated, an operating
noise may be heard and a small amount of smoke±like gas
may be released. This gas is harmless and does not indicate
that a fire is occuring.
Once the seat belt pretensioner has been activated, the seat
belt retractor remains locked.

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72
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.
Never put a rear±facing child restraint system in
the front seat because the force of the rapid
inflation of the passenger airbag can cause death
or serious injury to the child.
Move seat fully back
A forward±facing child restraint system should
be put on the front seat only when it is
unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back as
possible, because the force of the deploying
airbag could cause death or serious injury to the
child. For instructions concerning the installation
of a child restraint system, see ªChild restraintº
on page 76.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
73
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 killed or seriously injured. Sit
up straight and well back in the seat, and always
use your seat belt.Do not allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the
front passenger seat. The airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force; the child may be
killed or seriously injured.
Do not hold a child on your lap or in your arms.
Use a child restraint system in the rear seat. For
instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see ªChild restraintº on page 76.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
76
The pad section of the steering wheel or front passenger
airbag cover (shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables before
contacting your Lexus dealer.
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.
Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child
should sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle's seat belt. See ªSeat beltsº on page 63 for details.
CAUTION!
For effective protection in automobile accidents
and sudden stops, children must be properly
restrained using a seat belt or child restraint
depending on age and size. 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.
Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child
restraint conforms to the size of the child on the
rear seat. According to accident statistics, the
child is safer when properly restrained in the rear
seat than in the front seat.
Never install of rear±facing child restraint system
on the front seat. In the event of an accident, the
force of the rapid inflation of the airbag can cause
death or serious injury if a rear±facing child
restraint system is installed on the front seat.
Unless it is unavoidable, do not install a
forward±facing child restraint system on the front
seat.

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77
A forward±facing child resistant system should
be put on the front seat only when it is
unavoidable. Always move the seat as far back
as possible, because the force of a deploying
airbag could cause death or serious injury to the
child. Make sure you have compiled with all
installation instructions provided by the child
restraint manufacturer and that the system is
properly secured.
Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must
itself be properly restrained on the seat with either the
lap or the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must
carefully consult the manufacturer's instructions
which accompany by your child restraint system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child restraint system
following the manufacturer's instructions about the
appropriate age and size of the child for the restraint system.
Install the child restraint system correctly following the
instructions provided by its manufacturer of the system.
General directions are also provided under the following
illustrations.
The child restraint system should be installed on the rear
seat. According to accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
CAUTION
Never install of rear±facing child restraint system
on the front seat. In the event of an accident, the
force of the rapid inflation of the airbag can cause
death or serious injury if a rear±facing child
restraint system is put on the front seat.
Unless it is unavoidable, do not put a
forward±facing child restraint system on the front
seat.
,A forward±facing child restraint system should
be put on the front seat only when it is
unavoidable.. Always move the seat as far back
as possible, because the force of deploying
airbag could cause death or serious injury to the
child.
After installing the child restraint system, make
sure it is secured in place according to the
manufacturer 's instructions. If it is not restrained
securely, it may cause death or serious 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.
Your vehicle has anchors for securing the strap of a child
restraint system. The anchor nuts are welded beneath the
sheet metal to permit installation of an anchor bracket for a
child restraint system.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
78To install an anchor bracket, use an 8 mm X 30 mm X 1.25
mm coarse thread metric bolt and a 15 mm (0.6 in.) spacer.
Note that the bolts accompanying many child restraint
systems are not metric. You can damage the anchor nuts on
your vehicle if you force bolts with different thread into the
anchor nuts.
For instructions about how to install the anchor bracket, see
ªTop strap anchors and locations.º
If your child restraint system does not provide any of the
necessary parts, you can purchase the following items from
your Lexus dealer.
CRS installation kit (Part No. 04731±22012)
± contains 1 bolt, 3 types of spacer and 1 locking clip.
Bolt (Part No. 91511±60830)Types of child restraint system
Child restraint systems are classified into the following 3
types depending on the child's age and size.
(A) Infant seat
(B) Convertible seat
(C) Booster seat
Install the child restraint system following the instructions
provided by its manufacturer.
(A) Infant seat