2002 Lexus IS300 Gauges, Meters And Service Reminder Indicators / LEXUS 2002 IS300 SEDAN OWNER'S MANUAL (OM9997X)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
84Injured 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
ºAdjusting seatback angleº on page 74.)
 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 ºCleaning the
interiorº on page 284 for instructions.)
 Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it has
been used in a severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage is not obvious.
Fastening front and rear seat belts
SV16013
Adjust the seat as needed 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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
85
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.
When a passenger's shoulder belt is completely extended and
is then retracted even slightly, the belt is locked in that position
and cannot be extended. This feature is used to hold the child
restraint system securely.
(For details, see ºChild restraintº on
page 104.) To free the belt again, fully retract the belt and then
pull the belt out once more.
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.
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 Lexus dealer. Do not use
the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect
an adult occupant or your child from injury.
SV16014
Adjust the position of the lap and shoulder belts.
1
Position the lap belt as low as possible on your hips ± not
on your waist.
2 Adjust it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder portion
upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both high±positioned lap belts and loose±fitting
belts could cause serious injuries due to sliding
under the lap belt during a collision or other
unintended result. Keep the lap belt positioned as
low on hips as possible.
 For your safety, do not place the shoulder belt under
your arm.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
86
SV16015
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to your size.
To raise the anchor position, push the anchor up. To lower the
anchor position, support the anchor while you push the lock
release button then slide the anchor down. After adjustment,
make sure the anchor is locked in position.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the center of your shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from your neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Failure to do so could reduce the amount of
protection in an accident and cause severe injuries in a
collision.
SV16016
To release the belt, press the buckle release button and
allow the belt to retract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull it out and check for
kinks or twists. Then make sure it remains untwisted as it
retracts.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
87
Seat belt extender
If your seat belts cannot be fastened securely because they
are not long enough, a personalized seat belt extender is
available from your Lexus dealer free of charge.
Please contact your local Lexus dealer to order the proper
required length for the extender. Bring the heaviest coat you
expect to wear for proper measurement and selection of
length. Additional ordering information is available at your
Lexus dealer.
CAUTION
When using the seat belt extender, observe the
following precautions. Failure to follow these
instructions could reduce the effectiveness of the seat
belt restraint system in case of vehicle accident,
increasing the chance of personal injury.
Never use the seat belt extender if you can fasten the
seat belt without it.
 Remember that the extender provided for you may
not be safe when used on a different vehicle, for
another person or at a different seating position than
the one originally intended.
SV16050
To connect the extender to the seat belt, insert the tab into
the seat belt buckle so that the ºPRESSº signs on the
buckle release buttons of the extender and the seat belt
are both facing outward as shown.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release
button on the extender, not on the seat belt. This helps prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extender itself.
When not in use, remove the extender and store in the vehicle
for future use.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
88
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 Lexus dealer. Do not use
the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect
an adult occupant or your child from injury.
Front seat belt pretensioners
SV16069
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 by the
retractor 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.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and angles may cause
the seat belt pretensioners and SRS airbags not to operate all
together.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
89
SV16061
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the ºACCº or ºONº position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the front seat belt pretensioners are
operating properly.
The 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
ºService reminder indicators and warning buzzersº on page
38.)
SV16068

1Front airbag sensors
2Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies
3SRS warning light
4Airbag sensor assembly
The front seat belt pretensioner system consists mainly 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
smoke±like 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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
90
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 instruction can result in death or
serious injury.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your Lexus dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation of the front seat beltpretensioners in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices such as a mobiletwo±way 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.
Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, kangaroo bar,etc.), snowplow, winches or any other equipment tothe front end.
Repairs made on or near the front fenders, front endstructure or console.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
91
SV16061
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 ºACCº or ºONº position, or 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.
SS16116
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.