1998 Lexus ES300 seats

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
74
serious injuries, it may also cause minor burns or abrasions and swellings.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, dashboard, front seats)\
may
be hot for several minutes, but the airbags themselves will not be hot. \
The
airbags are designed to inflate only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the driver and front passenger airbags \
may
break
the windshield as the vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a front passeng\
er
airbag, the windshield may also be damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.
CAUTION
 The SRS is designed only as a supplement to the primary
protection of the driver side and front passenger side seat
belt systems. The front seat occupants can be killed or
seriously injured by an inflating airbag if they do not wear
the available seat belts. During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver or front passenger can
move forward into direct contact with or close proximity to
the airbag which may then deploy during the collision. To
obtain maximum protection in an accident, the driver and
all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts.
Wearing a seat belt during an accident reduces the chances
of death or serious injuries or being thrown out of the
vehicle. For instructions and precautions concerning the
seat belt system, see ºSeat beltsº on page 64.
 Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children
can be killed or seriously injured by a deploying airbag. An
infant or child who is too small to use a seat belt should be
properly secured using a child restraint system. Lexus
strongly recommends that all infants and children be
placed in the rear seat of the vehicle and properly
restrained. The rear seat is the safest for infants and
children. For instructions concerning the installation of a
child restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 80 .

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76
16E028
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.
16E126
Do not lean against the front door when the vehicle is in use. The side
airbag inflates with considerable speed and for ce; you may be killed
or seriously injured.
 Do not apply excessive weight to the outer side of the front seats on
vehicles with side airbags.
 The child head should not be leaned against the vicinity of the part
where the side airbag activates.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
78
16E127
Do not attach a cup holder or any other device on or around the door.
When the side airbag inflates, the cup holder or any other device will
be thrown with great force, or the side airbag may not activate
correctly, resulting in death or serious injury. Likewise, the driver
and front passenger should not hold things in their arms or on their
knees.
 Do not use accessories for the seats which cover the parts where the
side airbags should inflate. Such accessories may prevent the side
airbags from activating correctly, causing death or serious injury.
 Do not modify or remove any wiring. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components, such as the steering wheel column cover,
front passenger airbag cover, front seats, airbag sensor assembly or
seat belt assemblies. Doing any of these may cause sudden SRS
operation or disable the system, which could result in death or
serious injury.
 Do not modify or replace the seats or surface of the front seats with
side airbags. Such changes may disable the system or cause the side
airbags to inflate, resulting in death or serious injury. Consult your
Lexus dealer.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death or serious
injuries.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your
Lexus dealer. Such changes can interfere with proper operation of the
SRS 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 and side structure of the
passenger compartment.
 Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow plow,
winches or any other equipment to the front end.
 Repairs made on or near the front fenders, front end structure,
console, steering column, steering wheel, dashboard near the front
passenger airbag, front seats or seat belt assembly.

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80

The front seat belt retractor assembly or surrounding area has been
damaged.
 The front part of the vehicle and portion of the doors (shaded in the
illustration) were involved in an accident that did not cause the SRS to
work.
 The surface of the seats with the side airbags or the pad section of the
steering wheel or front passenger airbag cover (shaded in the illustration)
is scratched, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
CHILD RESTRAINT
Child restraint precautions
Lexus 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 o\
f
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 ºSeat beltsº on
page 64 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 which
conforms to the size of the child and is put on the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.

MAINTENANCE
182
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500 miles). See page 208 for additional
information.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, water or other fluid after the vehicl\
e
has been parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes or notice any leak, h\
ave
the cause found and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check
that all doors, including trunk lid, operate smoothly and all latches lo\
ck
securely. Make sure the engine hood secondary latch secures the hood when
the primary latch is released.
Vehicle interior
Items listed below should be checked regularly, e.g. while performing
periodic services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlight, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal lights, and o\
ther
lights are working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators and warning buzzers function
properly.
Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified freeplay. Be alert for changes in steering
condition, such as hard steering, excessive freeplay or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc.
operate smoothly. Check that the head restraints move up and down smoothly
and that the locks hold securely in any latched position.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as buckles, retractors and anchors operat\
e
properly and smoothly. Make sure the belt webbing is not cut, frayed, worn
or damaged.