1997 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

24
CAUTION!
Adjustments should not be made while the vehicle is moving.
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 maximum protection
when the passengers 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.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
1. Remove the head restraint. Unlock
the seatback and fold it down.
Folding up the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See Luggagestowage precautionsº in Part 2 for precau-
tions to observe in loading luggage.2. Unlock the seat cushion. Swing the
whole seat up and forward.
ÐFolding up rear seats (2-door models)

25
3. Lock the raised bottom cushion inplace by attaching the support rod
onto the hook. Then store the head
restraint in the head restraint re-
straining holes in the bottom cush-ion.When returning the rear seat to its
original position, first remove the
head restraint. Unlock the seat and re-
turn it. Be certain to replace the headrestraint.
CAUTION!
When returning seats to their origi-
nal position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rearward on the top of the seat-
back or by trying to pull up the
edge of the bottom cushion.

26
BEFORE FOLDING REAR SEAT
Stow the rear seat belts as shown in
the illustration.
This prevents the belts from falling out
when you fold the seatbacks.
NOTICE
The seat belts must be stowed before you fold the seatback.
FOLDING REAR SEAT
1. Remove the head restraint. Unlock the seatback and fold it down.
Folding up the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See Luggage stowage precautionsº in Part 2 for precau-
tions to observe in loading luggage.2. Unlock the seat cushion. Swing the
whole seat up and forward.
ÐFolding up rear seats (4-door models)

27
3. Lock the raised bottom cushion inplace by clipping the strap to the
hook. Then store the head restraint
in the head restraint retaining holes
in the bottom cushion.When returning the rear seat to its
original position, first remove the
head restraint. Unlock the seat and re-
turn it. Be certain to replace head re-straint.
CAUTION!
When returning seats to their origi- nal position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seat-
back or by trying to pull up the
edge of the bottom cushion.

28
Rear seats
Front seatsRear
seats: Remove the head restraint.
Then pull out the strap to unlock the
seatback, and push down the seat-back.
Front seats: Remove the head re-
straint and slide the seat to the front-
most position. Then unlock the seat- back and push it down.
CAUTION!
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving;
use the seat in the normal position.
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seatback forward and
rearward to make sure it is secured
in place. Be certain to replace headrestraint.
Before closing the back door, make
sure the rear headrests are removed
from the flattened seats.
NOTICE
Rear seats
Front seats
Flattening seatbacks (2-door models)
Flattening seatbacks(4-door models)

29
Rear
seats: Pull out the strap to unlock
the seatback, and push down the seat- back.
Front seats: Remove the head re-
straint and slide the seat to the front-
most position. Then unlock the seat-back and push it down.
CAUTION!
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving;
use the seat in the normal position.
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seatback forward and
rearward to make sure it is secured
in place. Be certain to replace headrestraint.
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.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, usinga cushion on the seatback is not recom- mended.
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 head re-
straints removed.
ÐHead restraints

30
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 seat belts are not worn
properly, the force of the rapid inflation 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: 2-door models-
Have
the child sit slightly closer to the cen-
ter of the vehicle so that the belt lays
across the shoulder. 4-door models- Move the child to the center position and use the center lap belt.
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 specificrecommendations.
CAUTION!
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing in their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury in theevent of sudden braking or a colli-sion.
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 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.
Seat belts- -Seat belt precautions

31
Inspect the belt system periodical-
ly. Check for cuts, fraying and
loose parts. Damaged parts
should be replaced. Do not disas- semble 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
cleaners-they may severely weak-
en the belts.
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assem-
bly should be replaced even if
damage is not obvious.
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 quiclky. A slow, easy motion will allow the belt to extend,
and you can move around freely. 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.
ÐFront seat belts and rear outside seat belts