1997 TOYOTA AVALON belt

Indicator symbols on the instrument panel5
Anti-lock brake system warning light *1Brake system warning light *1
Seat belt reminder light*1
Discharge warning light*1
Low oil pressure warning light*1
Malfunction indicator lamp*1
Low fuel level warning light *1
Open door warning light*1
SRS airbag warning light*1
Turn signal indicator lightsTraction control system off
indicator/warning light*
1
Rear light failure warning light*1
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9
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH
POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH
Push the switch.
To lock: Push the switch on the front side.
To unlock: Push the switch on the rear
side.
All the doors lock or unlock simultaneous-
ly.
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 feat ure whenever small children are in
the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Before driving, be sure that the
doors are closed and locked, espe-
cially when small children are in the
vehicle. A long 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.
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Part 1SeatsFront seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment precautions
23
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-3
Seats, Seat belts, Steering
wheel and Mirrors


Seats

Front seats

Head restraints

Seat heaters

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 belt provided.
CAUTION

Do not drive with the occupants
not properly seated such as sit-
ting on top of a folded-down seat-
back, or in the luggage compart-
ment. Persons not properly
seated and not properly re-
strained by seat belts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.

During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe in-
juries 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 careful
not 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 posi-
tion.

After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.!
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24

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 catch
and injure your hands or fingers.1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING
LEVER
Pull the lever up. Then slide the seat to
the desired position with slight body
pressure and release 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 in a frontal or rear
collision when the driver and the
passenger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are re-
clined, 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.
ÐAdjusting front seats
(manual seat)
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261. SEAT POSITION AND SEAT CUSH-
ION HEIGHT ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.
Do not place anything under the front
seats. It might interfere with the seat-lock
mechanism.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat-
back at that position.
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 in frontal or rear col-
lision when the driver and the pas-
senger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are re-
clined, 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 LUMBAR SUP- PORT ADJUSTING LEVER
Pull the lever forward until you have
reached your desired position. To re-
duce the lumbar su pport, pull the lever
back toward its original position.
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.
You can also move the head restraint for-
ward or backward, pull or push the head
restraint.
The head restraining is most effective
when it is close to your head. Therefore,
using a cushion on the seat back is not rec-
ommended.
Head restraints
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28
NOTICE
Do not put unevenly weighed ob-jects on the seat and do not stick
sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.)into the seat.
When cleaning the seats, do notuse organic substances (paintthinner, benzine, alcohol, gaso-line, etc.). They may damage the
heater and seat surface.
To prevent the battery from beingdischarge, turn the switch on
when the engine is running.
Toyota strongly urges 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.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See Child 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. If an acci-
dent occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause serious injury
to the child. Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel
on either rear or front seats. An unre-
strained child could suffer serious injury
during emergency braking or a collision.
Also, do not let the child sit on your lap. It
does not provide sufficient restraint.
If the shoulder belt falls across the child's
neck or face, have the child sit slightly
closer to the buckle side or the seat 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.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
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28
NOTICE
Do not put unevenly weighed ob-jects on the seat and do not stick
sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.)into the seat.
When cleaning the seats, do notuse organic substances (paintthinner, benzine, alcohol, gaso-line, etc.). They may damage the
heater and seat surface.
To prevent the battery from beingdischarge, turn the switch on
when the engine is running.
Toyota strongly urges 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.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See Child 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. If an acci-
dent occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause serious injury
to the child. Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel
on either rear or front seats. An unre-
strained child could suffer serious injury
during emergency braking or a collision.
Also, do not let the child sit on your lap. It
does not provide sufficient restraint.
If the shoulder belt falls across the child's
neck or face, have the child sit slightly
closer to the buckle side or the seat 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.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
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29
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.
(Refer to the seat adjustment in-
structions.)

Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care
that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or side 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 se-
vere impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.

Front passenger's seat only (ex-
cept the center position of bench
front seat)-Replace the belt if the
warning label under the sleeve can
be seen. The warning label, RE-
PLACE BELTº, will appear if the
belt receives a severe impact or
other force.
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