2001 Lexus ES300 belt

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150
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 these instructions can result in death
or serious injuries.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your Lexus dealer. Suchchanges 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 orcompact disc player
Repairs on or near the front seat belt retractorassemblies
Modification of the suspension system
Modification of the front end structure
Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, kangaroobar, etc.), snowplow, winches or any otherequipment to the front end
Repair made on or near the front fenders, frontend structure or console

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151
16E179
This front seat belt pretensioner system has a service
reminder indicator to inform the driver of operating
problems. If any of the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags or pretensioners.
Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the ignition key is
turned to the ªACCº or ªONº position, or the light
remains on.
 The light comes on or flashes while driving.
 If either front seat belt does not retract or cannot be
pulled out due to a malfunction or activation of the
relevant front seat belt pretensioner.

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152
16E230
In the following cases, contact your Lexus 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 assembly or
surrounding area is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.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.
16E231

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.)

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157
16E023
The SRS front 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 front airbags will deploy if the severity of the
impact is above the designed threshold level,
comparable to an approximate 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 front 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 ªunderridesº,
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.