2000 TOYOTA CELICA Owners Manual

Celica_U
402000 CELICA (OM20735U)
CAUTION
High−positioned lap belts and
loose −fitting belts both could cause
serious injuries due to sliding un-
der the lap belt during a collision
or other unintended result. Keep
the lap belt positioned as low on
hips as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.
To release the belt, press the buckle −re-
lease button and allow the belt to re-
tract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull
it out and check for kinks or twists. Then
make sure it remains untwisted as it re-
tracts.The seat belt can be stowed in the
tongue holder when not in use.
CAUTION
The seat belt must be removed from
the tongue holder when the seat belt
is in use.
—Stowing the front
passenger ’s seat belt
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
412000 CELICA (OM20735U)
—Seat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened se-
curely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
When using the seat belt extender,
observe the following. Failure to fol-
low these instructions could result in
less effectiveness of the seat belt re-
straint system in case of vehicle acci-
dent, increasing the chance of per-
sonal injury.
Never use the seat belt extender if
you can fasten the seat belt without
it.
Remember that the extender pro-
vided for you may not be safe when
used on a different vehicle, or for
another person or at a different
seating position than the one origi-
nally intended for.
To connect the extender to the seat
belt, insert the tab into the seat belt
buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on
the buckle−release buttons of the ex-
tender and the seat belt are both facing
outward as shown.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
When releasing the seat belt, press on
the buckle −release button on the extender,
not on the seat belt. This helps prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend-
er itself.
When not in use, remove the extender
and store in the vehicle for future use.
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
422000 CELICA (OM20735U)
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender is not
twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact 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.
—Front seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger ’s seat
belt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in response to a severe fron-
tal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock
of a severe frontal impact, the front seat
belts are quickly drawn back in by the
retractors so that the belts snugly restrain
the front seat occupants.
The front seat belt pretensioners are acti-
vated even with no passenger in the front
seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and
angles may cause the front seat belt pre-
tensioners and SRS airbags not to operate
all together.This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the “ON” 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, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, door side air-
bag sensors, front seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see “Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers” in Section 1−5.)
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
432000 CELICA (OM20735U)
The front seat belt pretensioner system
mainly consists of the following compo-
nents and their locations are shown in the
illustration.1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies
4. Airbag sensor assembly
The front seat belt pretensioners are con-
trolled by the airbag sensor assembly. The
airbag sensor assembly consists of a saf-
ing sensor and airbag sensor. When the front seat belt pretensioners are
activated, an operating noise may be
heard and a small amount of smoke
−like
gas may be released. This gas is harm-
less and does not indicate that a fire is
occurring.
Once the front seat belt pretensioners
have been activated, the seat belt retrac-
tors remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open
the front seat belt pretensioner as-
semblies, airbag sensor or surround-
ing area or wiring. Doing any of
these may cause sudden operation of
the front seat belt pretensioners or
disable the system, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious inju-
ries.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
front seat belt pretensioners in some
cases.
 Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two −way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Repairs on or near the front seat
belt retractor assemblies
 Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
 Modification of the front end struc-
ture
 Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
 Repair made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure or con-
sole
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
442000 CELICA (OM20735U)
This front seat belt pretensioner system
has a service reminder indicator to inform
the driver of operating problems. If either
of the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags or
pretensioners. Contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible to service the
vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or the light remains on.
The light comes on or flashes while
driving.
If either front seat belt does not retract
or can not be pulled out due to a
malfunction or activation of the relevant
front seat belt pretensioner.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the front seat belt pretensioners
to operate.
Either front seat belt pretensioner as-
sembly or surrounding area is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for the driver and
front passenger in addition to the pri-
mary safety protection provided by the
seat belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-
ing. The SRS airbags help to reduce inju-
ries mainly to the driver’s or front passen-
ger ’s head or chest caused by 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 properly.
SRS driver and front
passenger airbags
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
452000 CELICA (OM20735U)
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seat belt restraint
system by the driver when the SRS air-
bags inflated.
CAUTION
A driver or front passenger too close
to the steering wheel or dashboard
during airbag deployment can be
killed or seriously injured. Toyota
strongly recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the “ON” position.
It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS airbags are operating
properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, door side air-
bag sensors, front seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see “Service remainder indicators
and warning buzzers” in Section 1−5.)The SRS airbag system is designed to
activate in response to a severe frontal
impact within the shaded area between
the arrows in the illustration.
The SRS airbags will deploy if the severi-
ty of the impact is above the designed
threshold level, comparable to an approxi-
mate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision 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 SRS airbags
may not deploy.
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
462000 CELICA (OM20735U)
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 “underrides”, or goes under,
the bed of a truck, etc.).
It is possible that in some collisions at the
lower zone of airbag sensor detection and
activation the SRS airbags and seat belt
pretensioners will not operate all together.
For the safety of all occupants, always
wear your seat belts properly.
Collision from the rear
Collision from the side Vehicle rollover
The SRS airbags are not designed to
inflate if the vehicle is involved in a
side or rear collision, if it rolls over, or
if it is involved in a low −speed frontal
collision.
Hitting a curb, edge
of pavement or
hard material Falling into or
jumping over a
deep hole
Landing hard or vehicle falling
The SRS airbags may deploy if a seri-
ous impact occurs to the underside of
your vehicle. Some examples are shown
in the illustration.
ProCarManuals.com

Celica_U
472000 CELICA (OM20735U)
The SRS airbag system consists mainly of
the following components, and their loca-
tions are shown in the illustration.1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Airbag module for front passenger (airbag and inflator)
4. Airbag sensor assembly
5. Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator)
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and center airbag sensor. In a severe frontal impact, the sensors
detect deceleration and the system trig-
gers the airbag inflators. Then a chemical
reaction in the inflators quickly fills the
airbags with non
−toxic gas to help restrain
the forward motion of the occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
and residue along with non −toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This gas is nor-
mally harmless; however, for those who
have delicate skin, it may cause a minor
skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
any potential 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 desi gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swelling.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, dashboard) 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 air-
bags may break the windshield as the
vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a pas-
senger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.
ProCarManuals.com