2001 Lexus ES300 Driver seat

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
153


SRS front airbags
In response to a severe frontal impact, the SRS front
airbags work together with the seat belts to help
reduce injury by inflating. The SRS front airbags
help to reduce injuries mainly to the driver's or front
passenger'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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
154
CAUTION
The driver or front passenger too close to the steering
wheel or dashboard during airbag deployment can be
killed or seriously injured. Lexus strongly recommends
that:
The driver sit as far back as possible from the
steering wheel while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
 The front passenger sit as far back as possible from
the dashboard.
 All vehicle occupants be properly restrained using
the available seat belts.
16E257

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
155


SRS side airbags
In response to a severe side impact, the SRS side
airbags work together with the seat belts to help
reduce
injury by inflating. The SRS side airbags help
to reduce injuries mainly to the driver's or front
passenger's chest.
The SRS side airbag on the passenger seat is activated
even with no passenger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
156
CAUTION
SRS side airbags inflate with considerable force. To
avoid potential death or serious injury when they inflate,
the driver and front passenger must:
 Wear their seat belts properly.
 Remain properly seated with their back upright and
against the seat at all times.
16E179
The 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 SRS airbags
are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side airbag sensors,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators,
warning light, interconnecting wiring and power sources.
(For details, see ªService reminder indicators and
warning buzzersº on page 60 for instructions.)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
163
In a severe frontal impact, the sensors detect
deceleration and the system triggers the front airbag
inflators. In a severe side impact, the side airbag sensor
triggers the side airbag inflator. Then a chemical
reaction in the inflators quickly fills the airbags with
non±toxic gas to help restrain the forward or lateral
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 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 designed to reduce serious
injuries, it may also cause minor burns or abrasions and
swelling.
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
164
CAUTION
The SRS airbag system 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 the inflating airbags if they do not wear the
available seat belts properly. During sudden braking
just bef ore 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 ensure maximum
protection in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly. Wearing a seat belt properly during an
accident 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 ªSeat beltsº on page 136.
 Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and
children can be killed or seriously injured by the
deploying ai rbags. 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 ªChild restraintº on page 175 .

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
204
DRIVING POSITION MEMORYSYSTEM
The micro computer can memorize the positions of the
driver's seat and outside rear view mirrors. Two dif ferent
driving position profiles can be entered into the
computer's memory.
Recording a driving position in the computer's memory
can only be done when the ignition key is in the ªONº
position and the selector lever is in the ªPº position.
Setting a driving position
16E047

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
205
1. Adjust the driver's seat and outside rear view
mirrors to the desired position.
2. While
pushing the ªSETº button, push button ª1º
or ª2º until the signal beeps.
The beep sound means that the positions are recorded
in the computer's memory. By repeating these two steps and pressing the
remaining button, the driving position for another driver
can be recorded.
To set a new memorized position, select the desired
position and perform step 2. The previous memory will
be erased and the new position will be set.
To make only slight changes to an already memorized
position, the easiest way is to first activate the
memorized position, then make the desired changes
and perform step 2 above.