2002 Lexus ES300 airbag

INTRODUCTION
ii
New vehicle warranty
Your new vehicle is covered by the following Lexus limited
warranties:
New vehicle warranty
 Emission control systems warranty
 Others
For further information, please refer to the “Owner’s Guide”,
“Owner’s Manual Supplement” or “Warranty Booklet”.
Your responsibility for maintenance
It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure the specified
maintenance is performed. Section 5 of this Owner’s Manual
gives details of these maintenance requirements. Included in
Section 6 is general maintenance. For scheduled
maintenance information, please refer to the “Owner’s Manual
Supplement/Scheduled Maintenance”.
Accessories, spare parts and modification of
your Lexus
A wide variety of nongenuine spare parts and accessories for
Lexus vehicles are currently available in the market. You
should know that Toyota does not warrant these products and
is not responsible for their performance, repair, or
replacement, or for any damage they may cause to, or adverse
effect they may have on, your Lexus vehicle. This vehicle should not be modified with nongenuine Lexus
products. Modification with nongenuine Lexus products
could af
fect its performance, safety or durability, and may even
violate governmental regulations. In addition, damage or
performance problems resulting from the modification may not
be covered under warranty.
Spark ignition system of your Lexus
The spark ignition system in your Lexus meets all
requirements of the Canadian InterferenceCausing
Equipment Standard.
Installation of a mobile twoway radio system
As the installation of a mobile twoway radio system in your
vehicle could affect electronic systems such as the multiport
fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel injection system,
cruise control system, antilock brake system, SRS airbag
system and seat belt pretensioner system, be sure to check
with your Lexus dealer for precautionary measures or special
instructions regarding installation.
Scrapping of your Lexus
The SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioner devices in your
Lexus contain explosive chemicals. If the vehicle is scrapped
with the airbags and seat belt pretensioners left as they are,
this may cause an accident such as fire. Be sure to have the
systems of the SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioner removed
and disposed of by a qualified service shop or by your Lexus
dealer before you scrap your vehicle.

GAUGES, METERS AND SERVICE REMINDER INDICATORS
51
(c) Front Passenger’s Seat Belt ReminderLight
This light reminds you to buckle up the front passenger’s seat
belt.
Once the ignition key is tur ned to the “ON” position, the
reminder light flashes if a front passenger sits in the front
passenger seat and does not fasten the seat belt. Unless the
front passenger fastens the belt, the light keeps flashing.
If luggage load is placed on the front passenger seat,
depending on its weight and how it is placed on the seat,
builtin sensors in the seat cushion may detect the pressure,
causing the reminder light to come on.
(d) SRS Warning Light
This light comes on when the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS airbags and seat belt pretensioners are
operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side and curtain shield airbag
sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies,
driver’s seat position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle switch,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, warning light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources. If any of the following conditions occurs, this indicates a
malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by the warning
light system. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible
to service the vehicle.
 The light does not come on as described above.
 The light stays on or flashes.
 The light comes on or starts flashing while driving.
If the light stays on, it indicates that the driver and front
passenger airbags fail. If the light flashes, the side and curtain
shield airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners fail.
(e) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, stop the vehicle, turn off the
engine, and check for the cause. Look first at the engine drive
belt.
 If it is loose or broken, the generator will not charge the
battery properly.
 If the belt is O.K., there is a problem somewhere in the
charging system.
The engine ignition will continue to operate, however, until the
battery is discharged. Turn off the air conditioning, blower,
radio, etc., and drive directly to the nearest Lexus dealer or
repair shop.

INTERIOR EQUIPMENT
76
GROCERY BAG HOOK
14E125
To use the grocery bag hook, push the lower portion of the
hook.
This hook is designed for hanging things like a grocery bag.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the hook, do not hang any object
heavier than approximately 3 kg (7 lb.) on it.
COAT HOOKS
To use the coat hook, push the hook.
CAUTION
Do not hook a hanger, heavy or sharp pointed object on
the coat hook. If the curtain shield airbag inflates, those
items will be hurled away with great force or the curtain
shield airbag may not activate correctly. When you
hang clothes, hang them on the coat hook directly.

SECTION 1 – 6
91
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Comfort adjustment
Front seats92
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Head restraints 95
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Trunk storage extension 97
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Tilt steering whee l97. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
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Power adjustable pedals 98
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Outside rear view mirrors 99
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Inside rear view mirror 101
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Seat belts 106
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SRS airbags 11 5
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Child restraint 131
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Driving position memory system 150
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COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
92
FRONT SEATS
Front seat precautions
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in the driver and front
passenger seats. Observe the following precautions.
 Do not lean against the front door when the vehicle
is in use, since the side airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force. Otherwise, you may
be killed or seriously injured.
 Do not use seat accessories 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 front seats with the 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 that the seat does not hit 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
106
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt precautions
Lexus strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the
vehicle be properly restrained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase the chance of injury
and/or the severity of injury in accidents.
Child. Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child
until the child becomes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint” on page 131 for
details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle’s
seat belt. According to accident statistics, the child is safer
when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat belts should be worn
properly. Do not let the child sit on your lap. It does not provide
sufficient restraint. If an accident occurs and the seat belts are
not worn properly, the force of the rapid inflation of the airbag
may cause death or serious injury to the child.
Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel on either rear or front
seats. An unrestrained child could suffer serious injury or
death during emergency braking or a collision.
Pregnant woman. Lexus 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. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Depending on the injury,
first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.CAUTION
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 people even children.
 Avoid reclining the seatbacks too much. The seat
belts provide maximum protection when the
seatbacks are in the upright position. (See
“Adjusting seatback angle” on page 94.)
 Be careful not to damage the belt webbing or
hardware. Take care that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or doors.
 Inspect the belt system periodically. Check for cuts,
fraying, and loose parts. Damaged parts should be
replaced. 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 cleaners they may
severely weaken the belts. (See “Cleaning the
interior” on page 346 for instructions.)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
11 2
Front seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger’s seat belt pretensioners
are designed to be activated in response to a severe
frontal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock of a severe frontal
impact, the front seat belts are quickly drawn back in by the
retractors so that the belts snugly restrain the front seat
occupants.
The front seat belt pretensioners are activated even with no
passenger in the front seat.
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the “ON” position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the front seat belt pretensioners are operating
properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side and curtain shield airbag
sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies,
driver’s seat position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle switch,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, warning light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources. (For details, see
“Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers” on page 48
for instructions.)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
11 3
 1Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies
2SRS warning light
3Front airbag sensors
4Airbag sensor assembly
The front seat belt pretensioner system mainly consists of the
above components, and their locations are shown in the
illustration.
The front seat belt pretensioners are controlled by the airbag
sensor assembly. The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.
When the front seat belt pretensioners are activated, an
operating noise may be heard and a small amount of
smokelike gas may be released. This gas is harmless and
does not indicate that a fire is occurring.
Once the front seat belt pretensioners have been activated, the
seat belt retractors remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open the front seat belt
pretensioner assemblies, airbag sensor or surrounding
area or wiring. Doing so 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. Consult your Lexus dealer about
any repairs and modifications.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without
consulting your Lexus dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the front seat belt
pretensioners in some cases.
 Installation of electronic devices such as a mobile
twoway radio, cassette tape player or compact disc
player
 Repairs on or near the front seat belt retractor
assemblies
 Modification of the suspension system
 Modification of the front end structure