1997 TOYOTA CAMRY steering
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3
1. Power rear view mirror control
switch
2. Headlight and turn signal switch
3. Wiper and washer switches
4. Clock
5. Emergency flasher switch
6. Car audio
7. Rear window and outside rear view
mirror defoggers switch
8. Air conditioning controls
9. Front ashtray
10. Power outlet
11. Cigarette lighter
12. Ignition switch
13. Cruise control switch
14. Tilt steering lock release lever
15. Traction control system off switch
16. Instrument panel light control knob
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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
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
Sun visors
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 sitting on
top of a folded-down seatback, or
in the luggage compartment. Per-
sons not properly seated and not
properly restrained by seat belts
can be severely injured in the event
of emergency braking or a colli-
sion.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency 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.
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.
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33
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection to the driver and
front passenger when added to the pri-
mary protection provided by the seat
belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the
SRS airbags work together with the seat
belts to help preventing or reduce injury by
inflating, in order to decrease the likeli-
hood of the driver's or front passenger's
head or chest directly hitting the steering
wheel or dashboard. The passenger air-
bag is activated even with no passenger
in the front seat.This indicator comes on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the SRS airbags
are operating properly.
The SRS airbag warning light system
monitors the airbag sensor assembly, in-
flators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing and power sourcesThe SRS airbag system is designed to
activate in response to a severe frontal
impact within the shaded area be-
tween the arrows in the illustration.
The SRS airbags will deploy if the severity
of the impact is above the designed
threshold level, comparable to an approxi-
mate 20 km/h (14 mph) collision when im-
pacting straight into a fixed barrier that
does not move or deform.
If the severity of the impact is below the
above threshold level, the SRS airbags
may not deploy.
SRS airbags
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Page 37 of 215
34 However, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign
pole, which can move or deform on im-
pact, or if it is involved in an underride col-
lision (e.g. a collision in which the noise of
the vehicle underridesº, or goes under,
the bed of a truck.
It is possible with collision severity at the
marginal level of airbag sensor detection
and activation that only one of your ve-
hicle's two airbags will deploy.
For the safety of all occupants, be sure to
always wear seat belts.
The SRS airbags are not designed to
inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a
side or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if
it is involved 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 Passenger airbag module (airbag and
inflator)
3 Airbag sensor assembly.
4 Steering wheel pad (airbag and inflat-
or)
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.
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Page 38 of 215
35
In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflators momentairly 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 or argon 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 designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the seat belt sys-
tems of the driver and front passen-
ger. The front seat occupants are
particularly susceptable to injury if
they do not wear their seat belts;
when sudden braking or a collision
occurs, they may be thrown for-
ward. To obtain maximum protec-
tion in an accident, the driver and
all passengers in the vehicle
should always wear their seat belts
when driving because serious in-
juries can result to unrestrainted
occupants. For instructions and
precautions concering the seat
belt systems, 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.
Never put a rear-facing child re-
straint system in the front seat be-
cause the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the passenger airbag can
cause severe injury to the child.
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37
Do not put objects on or in front of
the dashboard or steering wheel
pad that houses the airbag system.
They might restrict inflation or
cause personal injury as they are
projected rearward.
Do not modify, remove or open
any components or wiring, such
as the steering wheel, column
cover, front passenger airbag
cover, front passenger airbag,
center airbag sensor assembly.
Doing any of these may cause
sudden SRS airbag inflation or
disable the system, which could
result in death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious inju-
ries.
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of
the SRS airbag system in some
cases.
Installation of electronic items
such as a mobile two-way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
Modification of the suspension
system
Modification of the front end
structure
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 front
end structure, console, steering
column, steering wheel or dash-
board near the front passenger
airbag
NOTICE
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38
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 airbags. Contact your To-
yota dealer as soon as possible to service
the 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 airbags have 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
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.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.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
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 Seat beltsº for details.CAUTION!
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained using a seat belt or child
restraint system depending on the
age and size of the child. Holding
a child in your arms is not a substi-
tute for a child restraint system. In
an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle's in-
terior.
Child restraintÐ
ÐChild restraint precautions
ProCarManuals.com
Page 42 of 215
38
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 airbags. Contact your To-
yota dealer as soon as possible to service
the 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 airbags have 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
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.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.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
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 Seat beltsº for details.CAUTION!
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained using a seat belt or child
restraint system depending on the
age and size of the child. Holding
a child in your arms is not a substi-
tute for a child restraint system. In
an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle's in-
terior.
Child restraintÐ
ÐChild restraint precautions
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