2000 TOYOTA ECHO Owners Manual (in English)

ECHO_U
242000 ECHO (OM52411U)
Seats
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a
folded−down seatback, or in the
luggage compartment. Persons not
properly seated and/or properly re-
strained by seat belts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of
the driver.
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a pas-
senger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats
except putting in the auxiliary box.
The objects may interfere with the
seat−lock mechanism or unexpect-
edly push up the seat position ad-
justing lever; the seat may suddenly
move, causing the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. You may catch
and injure your hands or fingers.
Front seats
Seat adjustment
precautions

ECHO_U
252000 ECHO (OM52411U)
SU13001
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Pull the lever up. Then slide the seat
to the desired position with slight body
pressure and release the lever. 2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection in a frontal or rear
collision when the driver and the pas-
senger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are
reclined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces
directly to the abdomen. Therefore, in
the event of a frontal collision, the
risk of personal injury may increase
with increasing recline of the seat-
back.
SY13002b
For easy access to the rear seat, do
this.
1. Lift the seatback angle adjusting lever or press the pedal behind the seat-
back.
The seat will slide forward.
2. Move the seat to the front−most posi- tion.
After passengers are in, lift up the seat-
back and return the seat until it locks.
Adjusting front seats Moving passenger’s seat
for rear seat entry
(2−door models)

ECHO_U
262000 ECHO (OM52411U)
CAUTION
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat forward and rear-
ward to make sure it is secured in
place.
Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.
Fold−down rear seat
SU13003
(A) FOLDING DOWN REAR SEAT1. Pull up the seatback security lock lever 1 to the unlock position.
2. Pull up the lock release button 2.
3. Fold down the seatback.
Each seatback may be folded separately.
SU13004
This will enlarge the trunk as far as the
seatbacks. See " Luggage stowage precau-
tions" in Section 2 for precautions to ob-
serve for loading luggage.
NOTICE
Make sure the luggage loaded in the
enlarged trunk will not damage the
webbing of the rear center seat belt
when the left seatback is folded
down.

ECHO_U
272000 ECHO (OM52411U)
CAUTION
When returning the seatback to the
upright position:
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in the proper
position and are ready to use.
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Failure to do so will prevent seat
belt from operating properly.
SU13005
(B) PREVENTING DAMAGE TO REARCENTER SEAT BELT WEBBING
When folding down the left seatback, if
the luggage loaded in the enlarged
trunk will damage the webbing of the
rear center seat belt, disconnect the
rear center seat belt to prevent damage.
Insert the key into the hole (light gray)
on the buckle to release tab 1 (light
gray), and allow the belt to retract.
CAUTION
Disconnect the rear center seat belt
only under the above mentioned cir-
cumstances; do not disconnect it in
other circumstances.

ECHO_U
282000 ECHO (OM52411U)
SU13006
(C) BEFORE RETURNING REAR SEAT
Before returning the seatback to the
upright position, make sure to correctly
connect the center seat belt for ready
use.
Insert tab 1 (light gray) into the buckle
with light gray buckle−release button.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
CAUTION
Be careful not to mix up the proper
match of tab and buckle. Do not
insert tab 1 (light gray) into other
buckle than the one with light gray
buckle release button. (See "Seat
belts" in this Section for proper
matching of the buckles and tabs.)
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
Make sure the belt is not twisted or
caught in the seatback and that it
is arranged in the proper position
for ready use.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer.
Head restraints
SY13011
Front seat
SU13007
Rear seat

ECHO_U
292000 ECHO (OM52411U)
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head re-
straint so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.
After adjusting the head restraint,
make sure it is locked in position.
Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained 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 ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See "Child restraint"
for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould 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. If an
accident occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious 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 in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
Pregnant woman.
Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
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 or
death in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following:
Seat belts
Seat belt precautions

ECHO_U
302000 ECHO (OM52411U)
Use the belt for only one person at
a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more peopleeven children.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seatbacks
are in the upright position. (Refer
to the seat adjustment instructions.)
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 re-
placed. 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 clean-
ersthey may severely weaken the
belts. (See "Cleaning the interior"
in Section 5.)
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.
SY13014a
Adjust the seat as needed (front seats
only) and sit up straight and well back
in the seat. To fasten your belt, pull it
out of the retractor and insert the tab
into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts
to your size and the seat position.
The retractor will lock the belt during a
sudden stop or on impact. It also may
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A
slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend, and you can move around freely.
Front and rear seat belts

ECHO_U
312000 ECHO (OM52411U)
If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the
retractor, firmly pull the belt and release
it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.
When a passenger ’s shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see "Child
restraint" in this Section.) To free the belt
again, fully retract the belt and then pull
the belt out once more.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt 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.
SY13015
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to
your size.
To raise: Slide the anchor up.
To lower: Push in the lock release button
and slide the anchor down.
After adjustment make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt
is positioned across the center of
your shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from your neck, but not
falling off your shoulder. Failure to
do so could reduce the amount of
protection in an accident and cause
serious injures in a collision.