1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Owners Manual

4RUNNER (1998)
BEFORE FOLD- DOWN REAR SEAT
Stow the rear seat belts as shown
in the illustration.
This prevents the belts from falling
out when you fold the seatback.
NOTICE
The seat belts must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.

4RUNNER (1998)
1. Remove the head restraint, and
swing the bottom cushion up by
pulling the lock rel ease strap. Be
certain to replace the head re-
straint.
It is hinged at the front edge, so just
lift it up.
CAUTION
When returning the bottom cush-
ion to its place: Do not forget to pull out the
buckle of the side seatbelts and
center seatbelt and arranged
them in their proper position
for ready use.
Make sure the bottom cushion
is securely locked by trying to
pull up the edge of the cushion
near the lock release straps.

4RUNNER (1998)
2. Unlock the seatback and fold it
down.
This will enlarge the luggage compart-
ment as far as the raised seat cush-
ion. See ºLuggage stowage precau-
tionsº in Part 2 for precautions to
observe in loading luggage.
If desired, each seatback may be
folded separately.
CAUTION
When returning the seatback to
the upright position: Make sure the seat belts are
not twisted or caught in the
seatback and are arranged in
their proper position for readyuse.
Make sure the seatback is se-
curely locked by pushing for-
ward and rearward on the top
of the seatback. Be certain to
replace the head restraints.
Head restraints

4RUNNER (1998)
Front
Rear
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. On some models, you can also move
the head restraint forward or back-
ward. If such adjustment is desired,
pull or push the head restraint.

4RUNNER (1998)
The head restraint is most effective
when it is close to your head. There-
fore, using a cushion on the seatback
is not recommended.
CAUTION
Adjust the top of the head re-
straint so that it is closet to
the top of your ears.
After adjusting the head re-
straint, make sure it is locked
in position.
Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.
Toyota 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 acci-
dents.
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
ºChild restraintº for details.
If a child is too large for a child re-
straint system, the child should sit in
the rear seat and must be restrained
using the vehicle's seat belt. Accord-
ing 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 proper-
ly. If an accident occurs and the seat
belts are not worn properly, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag may
cause death or serious 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 or death during emergency brak-
ing or a collision. Also do not let the
child sit on your lap. It does not pro-
vide sufficient restraint.
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 recommendation.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions

4RUNNER (1998)
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 inju-
ry or death in the event of sudden
braking or a collision.
When using the seat belts, ob-
serve the following: Use the belt for only one per-
son at a time. Do not use a
single belt for two or more
peopleÐeven children.Avoid reclining the seatbacks
too much. The seat belts pro-
vide maximum protection when
the seatbacks are in the upright
position. (Refer to the seat ad-
justment instructions.)
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 periodi-
cally. Check for cuts, fraying,
and loose parts. Damaged parts
should be replaced. Do not dis-
assemble or modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If
they need cleaning, use a mild
soap solution or lukewarm wa-
ter. Never use bleach, dye, or
abrasive cleanersÐthey may se-
verely weaken the belts.
Replace the belt assembly (in-
cluding bolts) if it has been
used in a severe impact. The
entire assembly should be re-
placed even if damage is not
obvious.

4RUNNER (1998)
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 ad-
justs to your size and the seat posi-
tion.
The retractor will lock the belt during
a sudden stop or on impact. It also
may lock if you lean forward too
quickly. 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
completely extended and is then re-
tracted even slightly, the belt is locked
in that position and cannot be ex-
tended. This feature is used to hold
the child restraint system securely.
(For details, see ºChild restraintº in
this chapter.) To free the belt again,
fully retract the belt and then pull the
belt out once more.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 pre-
vent you from properly latching
the tab and buckle.
If the seat belt does not func-
tion normally, immediately con-
tact your Toyota dealer. Do not
use the seat until the seat belt
is fixed. It cannot protect an
adult occupant or your child
from injury.
ÐFront and rear outside se
belts

4RUNNER (1998)
Seat belts with an adjustable shoul-
der anchorÐ
Adjust the shoulder anchor position
to your size.
To raise: Slide the anchor up.
To lower: Push in the lock release
button and slide the anchor down.
After adjustment make sure the an-
chor is locked in position.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder
belt is positioned across the cen-
ter of your shoulder. The belt
should be kept away from your
neck, but not fa lling off your
shoulder. Failure to do so could
reduce the amount of protection
in an accident and cause serious
injuries in a collision.