2000 Lexus GS300 airbag

SECTION 1 ± 6
11 3
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Comfort adjustment
Front seats 113. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints 120. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt and telescopic steering wheel 125. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors 127. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside rear view mirror 131. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts 133. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbags 149. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint 173. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving position memory system 200. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FRONT SEATS
Front seat precautions

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
11 4
CAUTION
The side airbags are installed in the driver and front
passenger seats. Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean over the front door when the vehicle is in
use. The side airbag inflates with considerable speed
and force; you may be killed or severely injured.
Do not modify or replace the seats or the surface of
the 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.
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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
133
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt precautions
Lexus 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 accidents.
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 on
page 173 for details.
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. According 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 properly. Do not let the child sit on your lap. It
does not provide sufficient restraint. If an accident
occurs and the seat belts are not worn properly, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag may cause severe
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 braking or a collision.
Pregnant woman. Lexus recommends the use of a
seat belt. Ask your doctor for specificrecommendations. The lap belt should be worn securely
and as low as possible over the hips and not on the waist.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
143
Front seat belt pretensioners
16G132
The driver and front passenger's seat belt
pretensioners are designed to be activated in
response to a severe frontal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock of a severe
frontal impact, the front seat belt is quickly drawn back
by the retractor so that the belt snugly restrains the front
seat occupants.
The seat belt pretensioners are activated even with no
passenger in the front seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and angles may
cause the seat belt pretensioners and SRS airbags not
to operate all together.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
144
16G022
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is
turned to the ªACCº or ªONº position. It goes off
after about 6 seconds. This means the front seat
belt pretensioners are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, side airbag sensor assemblies, front airbag
sensors, inflators, seat belt pretensioner assembly,
warning light, interconnecting wiring and power sources.
(For details, see ªService reminder indicators and
warning buzzersº on page 63.)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
145
16G134

1Front airbag sensor
2Seat belt pretensioner assembly
3SRS warning light
4Airbag sensor assembly
The seat belt pretensioner system consists mainly of the
above components, and their locations are shown in the
illustration.
The seat belt pretensioner is controlled by the airbag
sensor assembly. The airbag sensor assembly consists
of a safing sensor and airbag sensor.
When a seat belt pretensioner is activated, an operating
noise may be heard and a small amount of smoke±like
gas may be released. This gas is harmless and does not
indicate that a fire is occurring.
Once the seat belt pretensioner has been activated, the
seat belt retractor remains locked.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
146
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open the front seat belt
pretensioner assemblies, airbag sensor or surrounding
area or wiring. Doing any of these may cause sudden
operation of the front seat belt pretensioners or disable
the system, which could result in death or serious
injury.
Failure to follow the instruction can result in death or
serious injury.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
149
SRS AIRBAGS
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags
are designed to provide further protection for the
driver and front passenger in addition to the primary
safety protection provided by the seat belts.
16G020b

Driver and front passenger airbags
In response to a severe frontal impact, the driver and
front passenger airbags work together with the seat
belts to help reduce injury by inflating. The driver
and front passenger airbags help to reduce injuries
mainly to the driver's or front passenger's head or
chest directly hitting the steering wheel or
dashboard.
The front passenger airbag is activated even with no
passenger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt.