2001 Lexus GS300 steering

SECTION 1 ± 6
73
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Comfort adjustment
Front seats74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt and telescopic steering wheel79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside rear view mirror82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbags94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving position memory system127 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
74
FRONT SEATS
Front seat precautions
CAUTION
The side airbags are installed in the driver and front
passenger seats, observe the following precautions.
Do not lean over the front door when the vehicle is in
use. The side airbag inflates with considerable speed
and force; you may be killed or severely injured.
Do not use accessories for the seats which cover the
parts where the side airbags inflate. Such
accessories may prevent the side airbags from
activating correctly, causing death or serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats or upholstery of
the seats with side airbags. Such changes may
disable the system, or cause the side airbags to
inflate accidentally, resulting in death or serious
injury. Consult your Lexus dealer if you insist on
modifications of this kind.
Seat adjustment precautions
Adjust the driver's seat so that the foot pedals, steering wheel
and instrument panel controls are within easy reach of the
driver.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the seat while the vehicle is moving as
the seat may unexpectedly move and cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Be careful not to hit the seat against a passenger,
luggage or the rear seat.
NOTICE
Do not operate the control switch in more than one
dimension at a time. It may cause electrical overload.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
79
TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING
WHEEL
Adjustment of steering wheel tilt
16G010b
To adjust the tilt of the steering wheel, push the control
switch upward or downward to set it to the desired
position.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering wheel while the vehicle is
moving. It may cause the driver to mishandle the
vehicle and an accident may occur resulting in death or
serious injuries.
Adjustment of telescopic steering column
16G011b
To adjust the steering column length, push the control
switch forward or backward to set the steering wheel to
the desired position.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering column while the vehicle is
moving. It may cause the driver to mishandle the
vehicle and an accident may occur resulting in death or
serious injuries.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
80
Auto tilt away*
16G012b
When the ignition key is removed, the steering column
moves forward away from the driver and also tilts up for
easy exit and entry.
When the key is inserted in the ignition switch, the steering
column returns to the previously set position.
NOTE: *This feature can be set inoperative. Ask your
Lexus dealer for details.
OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS
16G013
Adjust the mirror so that you can just see the side of your
vehicle in the mirror.
When the inside rear view mirror darkens in ºAUTOº mode, the
outside rear view mirrors also darken to reduce the reflection
of the headlights of the following vehicle. For details, see
ºInside rear view mirrorº on page 82.
When you push the rear window defogger switch, the heater
panels in the outside rear view mirrors will quickly clear the
mirror surface.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is moving.
It may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and
an accident may occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
94
16G136
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible.
The front parts of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration)
were involved in an accident that did not 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.
16G020c

Driver and front passenger airbags
In response to a severe frontal impact, the driver and front
passenger airbags work together with the seat belts to
help reduce injury by inflating. The driver and front
passenger airbags help to reduce injuries mainly to the
driver's or front passenger's head or chest directly hitting
the steering wheel or dashboard.
The front passenger airbag will not activate when no
passenger is sitting in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
95 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 front airbags are inflated.
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.
16G021b

Side airbags
In response to a severe side impact, the side airbags for
the driver or front passenger work together with the seat
belts to help reduce injury by inflating. The side airbags
help to reduce injuries mainly to the driver's or front
passenger's chest.
The side airbag on the passenger seat will not activate when
no passenger is sitting in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
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 side airbags are inflated.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
100
16G144b

1Side airbag module (airbag and inflator)
2Airbag module for front passenger
(airbag and inflator)
3Side and curtain shield airbag sensors
4Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator)
5SRS warning light
6Airbag sensor assembly
7Front airbag sensors
8Curtain shield airbag module (airbag and inflator)
The SRS airbag system consists mainly of the above
components, and their locations are shown in the illustration.
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor and
airbag sensors.In a severe frontal impact, the driver and front passenger
airbag sensors detect deceleration and the system triggers the
front airbag inflators. In a severe side impact, the side and
curtain shield airbag sensor triggers the side and curtain shield
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
104
16G031a
Do not allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the
front passenger seat. The front airbag inflates with
considerable 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
instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 108.
16G032
Do not put objects or your pets on or in front of the
dashboard or steering wheel pad that houses the
driver and front passenger airbag system. They
might restrict inflation or cause death or serious
injury as they are projected rearward by the force of
the deploying airbags. Likewise, the driver and front
passenger should not hold things in their arms or on
their knees.