1999 Lexus ES300 Owner's Manuals (in English)

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
158
16E022
This SRS has an indicator to inform the driver of
operating problems. If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction of the airbags and/or
seat belt pretensioners. Even if the seat belt
pretensioners should fail, the seat belts will operate
conventionally. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
 The light does not come on as described above.
 The light stays on or flashes.
 The light comes on or starts flashing while driving.
If the light stays on, it indicates that the driver and front
passenger airbags fail. If the light flashes, the side
airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners fail.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
159
16E128±1

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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
161
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 of 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 125 for
details.
CAUTION

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
162
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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
163
Never put a rear±facing child restraint system on the
front seat. In the event of an accident, the force of the
rapid inflation of the airbag can cause death or
serious injury if a rear±facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.
 Unless it is unavoidable, do not put a forward±facing
child restraint system on the front seat.
 A forward±facing child restraint system should be
put on the front seat only when it is unavoidable.
Always move the seat as far back as possible,
because the force of a deploying airbag could cause
death or serious injury to the child.
 Make sure you have complied with all installation
instructions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and that the system is properly
secured. Do not allow the child to lean over the front
door or around the front door even if the child is
seated in a child restraint system. It is dangerous if
the side airbag inflates, and the impact could cause
death or serious injury to the child.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
164
Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small child or baby
must itself be properly restrained on the seat with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must
carefully consult the manufacturer's instructions
which accompany by your child restraint system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child restraint system
following the manufacturer's instructions about the
appropriate age and size of the child for the restraint
system.
Install the child restraint system correctly following the
instructions provided by its manufacturer of the system.
General directions are also provided under the following
illustrations.
The child restraint system should be installed on the rear
seat. According to accident statistics, the child is safer
when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front
seat.