1999 Lexus GS300 airbag

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
146The driver and front passenger airbags and seat belt
pretensioners are designed to activate in response
to a severe frontal impact within the shaded area
between the arrows in the illustration.
There may be the case that the driver and passenger
airbags and seat belt pretensioners will not activate with
such an impact in which the occupant wearing the seat
belt correctly would not get serious injury.
The driver and front passenger airbags and seat belt
pretensioners will work if the severity of the impact is
above the designed threshold level, comparable to an
approximate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision in the U.S.A.
and 30 km (18 mph) collision in Canada when impacting
straight into a fixed barrier that does not move or deform.
If the severity of the impact is below the above threshold
level, the driver and front passenger airbags and seat
belt pretensioners may not work.However, this threshold velocity will be considerably
higher if the vehicle strikes an object, such as a parked
vehicle or sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if it is involved in an underride collision (e.g.
a collision in which the nose of the vehicle ºunderridesº,
or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
It is possible with collision severity at the marginal level
of driver and passenger airbag sensor detection and
activation that only one of your vehicle's driver and front
passenger airbags and seat belt pretensioners will work.
For the safety of all occupants, be sure to always wear
seat belts.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
147
16G024

1Collision from the rear
2Vehicle rollover
The driver and front passenger airbags and seat belt
pretensioners are not designed to inflate if the
vehicle is subjected to a rear impact, if it rolls over,
or if it is involved in a low±speed frontal collision.
The side airbags are designed to inflate when the
passenger compartment gets a severe impact from
the side.
The side airbags may rather not to activate in the impact
in which the occupant wearing the seat belt correctly
would not get serious injury.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
148
16G025

1Collision from the side at an angle
2Collision from the side to the vehicle body
other
than the passenger compartment
The side airbags may not inflate if the vehicle is
subjected to a collision from the side at an angle, or
a collision to the side of the vehicle body other than
the passenger compartment, which impact is not
severe enough for the passenger compartment.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
149
16G109

1Collision from the front
2Collision from the rear
3Vehicle rollover
The SRS side airbags are not designed to inflate if
the vehicle is subjected to a front or rear impact, if
it rolls over, or if it is involved in a low±speed side
collision.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
150
16G108

1Hitting a curb, edge of pavement or hard
material
2Falling into or jumping over a deep hole
3Landing hard or vehicle falling
The SRS may operate if a serious impact occurs to
the underside of your vehicle. Some examples are
shown in the illustration.
If the impact on the body of the passenger compartment
is not strong as illustrated above, the relevant side
airbag may not inflate.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
152

1Side airbag module (airbag and inflator)
2Airbag module for front passenger
(airbag and inflator)
3Side airbag sensor assembly
4Seat belt pretensioner
5Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator)
6SRS warning light
7Airbag sensor assembly
8Front airbag sensor
The SRS airbag sensor assemblies consist of a safing
sensor and driver and front passenger airbag sensors.
In a severe frontal impact, the driver and front passenger
airbag sensors detect deceleration and the system
triggers the front airbag inflators and seat belt
pretensioners. In a severe side impact, the side airbag
sensor triggers the side airbag inflator. Then a chemical
reaction in the inflators momentarily fills the airbags with
non±toxic gas to help restrain the forward or lateral
motion of the occupants. Then the inflators fill the
airbags and the seat belts are quickly drawn back in by
the retractors to help restrain forward motion of the
occupants.When the SRS operates, it produces a fairly loud noise
and release some smoke and residue along with
non±toxic gas. This does not indicate a fire. This gas is
normally harmless, however, for those who have
delicate skin, it may cause minor skin irritation. Be sure
to wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent
minor skin irritation.
Deployment 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
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 130.
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 165 .

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
154
16G057a
Never put a rear±facing child restraint system
on the front seat because the force of the rapid
inflation of the front passenger airbag can
cause death or serious injury to the child.