1999 Lexus ES300 seats

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
127
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 injury in the event of sudden braking or a
collision.
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 maximum protection when the
seatbacks are in the upright position. (See
ºAdjusting seatback angleº.)
 Be careful not to damage the belt webbing or
hardware. Take care that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or doors.
 Inspect the belt system periodically. 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 cleaners ± they may
severely weaken the belts. (See ºCleaning the
interiorº on page 447 for instructions.)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
148Deployment of the airbags happens in a fraction of a
second, so the airbags must inflate with considerable
force. While the system is designed to reduce 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 passenger
airbag, the windshield may also be damaged by
absorbing some of the force of the inflating airbag.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
153
16E126
Do not lean against the front door when the
vehicle is in use. The side airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force; 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
157
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 pad,
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. Suchchanges 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 orcompact disc player.
Modification of the suspension system.
Modification of the front end structure and sidestructure of the passenger compartment.
Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, k angaroo
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 frontpassenger airbag, front seats or seat belt
assembly.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
160In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as
soon as possible:

Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
 If either front seat belt does not retract or cannot be
pulled out due to a malfunction or activation of the
pretensioner. 
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.

MAINTENANCE
354
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 other 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 operate properly and smoothly.
Make sure the belt webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or
damaged. Accelerator pedal
Check
the pedal for smooth operation and uneven pedal
effort or catching.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and the proper
clearance and freeplay. Check the brake booster
function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do not pull to one
side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the pedal has the proper travel and that, on
a safe incline, your vehicle is held securely with only the
parking brake applied.
Automatic transmission ºParkº mechanism
Check the lock release button of the selector lever for
proper and smooth operation. On a safe incline, check
that your vehicle is held securely with the selector lever
in ºPº position and all brakes released.