2000 TOYOTA TACOMA belt

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When a seat belt pretensioner is acti-
vated, 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 occur-
ring.
Once the seat belt pretensioner has been
activated, the seat belt retractor remains
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 personal inju-
ry.
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
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 pretensioner 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
 Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure or con-
sole
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 ACC" or
ON" position, or 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 preten-
sioner.

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The front seat belt pretensioner assem-
bly or surrounding area has been dam-
aged.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that did not cause the seat
belt pretensioners to operate.
The front seat belt pretensioner assem-
bly is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for occupants in the
following seats in addition to the prima-
ry safety protection provided by the
seat belts.
Models with separate front seatsThe
SRS airbags are designed to protect
the driver and front passenger.
Models with bench front seatsThe
SRS airbags are designed to protect
the driver and right−front passenger.
They are not designed to protect occu-
pant in the center position. In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help prevent or reduce injury
by inflating. The SRS airbags help to re-
duce injuries mainly to the driver’s or front
passenger ’s head or chest directly hitting
the steering wheel or dashboard. When
the passenger airbag manual on−off switch
is in the ON" position, the passenger air-
bag is activated even with no passenger
in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt.
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.
SRS driver and
front passenger airbags

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This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACC" or
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 inflators, warning light, interconnect-
ing wiring and power sources. (For details,
see Service remainder indicators and
warning buzzers" in Section 1−5.)
TABLE 1: A PASSENGER RISK GROUP
Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) who must ride in the front seat because:
Vehicle has no rear seat;
Vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear−facing infant seat;
or
The infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant’s physician,
makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat because:
Vehicle has no rear seat:
Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever possible,
children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front because no space is
available in the rear seat(s) of vehicle; or
The child has a medical condition which, according to the child’s physician,
makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so that the driver can
constantly monitor the child’s condition.
Medical condition. A passenger has a medical condition which according to his
or her physician:
Causes the passenger airbag to pose a special risk for the passenger: and
Makes the potential harm from the passenger airbag in a crash greater than the
potential harm from turning off the airbag and allowing the passenger, even if
belted, to hit the dashboard, or windshield in a crash.
For more detailed information concerning about the passenger risk group, please
contact NHTSA at 1−800−424−9393 or Transport Canada at 1−800−333−0371.

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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.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.
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.

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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.CAUTION
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by an
inflating airbag if they do not wear
the available seat belts. During sud-
den braking just before a collision,
an unrestrained driver or front pas-
senger can move forward into direct
contact with or close proximity to
the airbag which may then deploy
during the collision. To ensure max-
imum protection in an accident, the
driver and all passengers in the ve-
hicle must wear their seat belts.
Wearing a seat belt during an acci-
dent reduces the chances of death
or serious injury or being thrown
out of the vehicle. For instructions
and precautions concerning the seat
belt system, see Seat belts" in this
section.
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. As to double cab
models, Toyota 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 sys-
tem, see Child restraint" in this
section.

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Do not sit on the edge of the seat
or lean over the dashboard when
the vehicle is in use. The airbags
inflate with considerable speed and
force; you may be killed or serious-
ly injured. Sit up straight and well
back in the seat, and always use
your seat belt.Do not allow a child to stand up,
or to kneel on the front passenger
seat. The airbag inflates with con-
siderable speed and force; the child
may be killed or seriously injured.
Do not hold a child on your lap or
in your arms. Use a child restraint
system in the rear seat. For instruc-
tions concerning the installation of
a child restraint system, see Child
restraint" in this section.
Do not put objects or your pets on
or in front of the dashboard or
steering wheel pad that houses the
airbag system. They might restrict
inflation or cause death or serious
injury as they are projected rear-
ward by the force of deploying air-
bags. Likewise, the driver and front
passenger should not hold things in
their arms or on their knees.

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Toyota 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 SAEJ1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child should sit in the seat
and must be restrained using the vehicle’s
seat belt. See Seat belts" for details.
CAUTION
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained using a seat belt or child
restraint system depending on the
age and size of the child. Holding
a child in your arms is not a sub-
stitute for a child restraint system.
In an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle’s inte-
rior.
NORMAL−CAB MODELS
Toyota strongly urges use of a
proper child restraint system which
conforms to the size of the child.
XTRA−CAB MODELS
Toyota strongly urges use of a
proper child restraint system which
conforms to the size of the child
and is put on the rear seat. Accord-
ing to accident statistics, the child
is safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat.
Never put infant or child age 1 to
12 in a passenger risk group on the
right front seat with the passenger
airbag manual on−off switch in the
ON" position. In the event of an
accident, the force of the rapid
inflation of the passenger airbag
can cause death or serious injury
to the child.
If you must put infant or child age
1 to 12 in a passenger risk group
on the right front seat, make sure
the passenger airbag manual on−off
switch is in the OFF" position and
that the indicator light is on. (For
details, see SRS driver and front
passenger airbags" in this section.)
Make sure that you have complied
with all installation instructions pro-
vided by the child restraint
manufacturer and that the system is
properly secured.
Child restraint
Child restraint precautions

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Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small
child or baby must itself be properly
restrained on the seat with either the
lap belt or the lap portion of the lap/
shoulder belt. You must carefully con-
sult the manufacturer’s instructions
which accompany the child restraint
system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child
restraint system following the manufactur-
er ’s instructions about the appropriate age
and size of the child for the child 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 fol-
lowing illustrations.
The child restraint system should be
installed on the rear seat if your vehicle
is equipped with rear seats. According to
accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than
in the front seat.CAUTION
Never put infant or child age 1 to
12 in a passenger risk group on the
right front seat with the passenger
airbag manual on−off switch in the
ON" position. In the event of an
accident, the force of the rapid
inflation of the passenger airbag
can cause death or serious injury
to the child.
If you must put infant or child age
1 to 12 in a passenger risk group
on the right front seat, make sure
the passenger airbag manual on−off
switch is in the OFF" position and
that the indicator light is on. (For
details, see SRS driver and front
passenger airbags" in this section.)
After installing the child restraint
system, make sure it is secured in
place according to the manufactur-
er’s instructions. If it is not re-
strained securely, it may cause
death or serious injury to the child
in the event of a sudden stop or
accident.
When not using the child restraint system,
keep it secured with the seat belt. This
will prevent it from injuring passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or accident.