’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
232001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors
Seats24
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Front seats 24
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Swing−up jump seats 27
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Folding rear seatback 27
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Head restraints 28
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Armrest 29
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Seat belts 29
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SRS driver and front passenger airbags 38
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Passenger airbag manual on−off switch 54
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Child restraint 55
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Tilt steering wheel 99
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Outside rear view mirrors 100
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Anti−glare inside rear view mirror 102
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Sun visors 103
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SECTION 1− 3
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
242001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
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.
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
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
252001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
Adjusting front seats
Separate and split bench seatNon−split bench seat
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVERPull the lever up. Then slide the seat
to the desired position with slight
body pressure and release the lever.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING LEVER (except bench seat)
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.
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
272001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
Pull the seatback lock release lever and
fold down the seatback.
Hold the lever until you have swung the
seatback forward slightly.
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 their 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.
To raise the bottom cushion, pull it up.
To lower the bottom cushion, push it
down.
See Luggage stowage precautions" in
Section 2 for precautions in loading lug-
gage.
CAUTION
When returning the bottom cushion to
its original position, make sure the
seat belts are not twisted or caught
under the bottom cushion and are ar-
ranged in their proper position and
are ready to use.
Pull the seatback lock release belt for-
ward and fold down the seat back.
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 their 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.
Folding seatback
(regular cab models)Swing−up jump seats
(Xtra−cab models)Folding rear seatback
(double cab models)
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
302001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
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.
Small−framed person or youth in a
3−point type seat belt. On models with
a bench seat, have a small−framed person
or youth sit slightly closer to the center
of the vehicle (so the shoulder belt does
not cross over the neck). On models with
separate seats, move the seat fully back-
ward .
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
recommendationsCAUTION
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:
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 side 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.
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
312001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
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.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.
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.
Front and rear outside seat
belts
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
382001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
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 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 the light 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 relevant
front seat belt pretensioner.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
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 as-
sembly or surrounding area is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
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.
SRS driver and front passenger
airbags
(vehicles with passenger
airbag manual on−off switch)
’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
572001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
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. General directions are also
provided under the following 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
Vehicles with passenger airbag
manual on−off switch
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.
Vehicles without passenger air-
bag manual on−off switch
Never put a rear−facing child re-
straint system on the front seat. In
the event of an accident, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag
can cause death or serious injury if
a rear−facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.
Unless it is unavoidable, do not put
a forward−facing child restraint sys-
tem on the front seat.
A forward−facing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to be put on
the front seat only when it is un-
avoidable. Always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the
force of the deploying airbag could
cause death or serious injury to the
child.
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.