2003 Lexus GS300 steering

SECTION 1 ± 6
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Comfort adjustment
Seats74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt and telescopic steering wheell80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside rear view mirror83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbags97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving position memory system130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SEATS
While the vehicle is being driven, all vehicle occupants should
have the seatback upright, sit well back in the seat and properly
wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the occupants are
properly seated. Do not allow passengers to sit in the
luggage compartment or cargo area. Persons not
properly seated and/or properly restrained by seat
belts can be severely injured in the event of
emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow passengers to stand up
or move around between seats. Otherwise, severe
injuries can occur in the event of emergency braking
or a collision.
Front seat precautions
Driver seat
CAUTION
The driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury especially if the driver
is very close to the airbag. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (ºNHTSAº) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 50±75
mm (2±3 in.) of inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10 in.)
from your driver airbag provides you with a clear margin
of safety. This distance is measured from the center of
the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less
than 250 mm (10 in.) away now, you can change your
driving position in several ways:
Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still
reaching the pedals comfortably.
Slightly recline the back of the seat. Although vehicle
designs vary, many drivers can achieve the 250 mm
(10 in.) distance, even with the driver seat all the way
forward, simply by reclining the back of the seat
somewhat. If reclining the back of your seat makes
it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a firm,
non±slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle
has that feature.

If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward.
This points the airbag toward your chest instead of
your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by
NHTSA above, while still maintaining control of the foot
pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.
Front passenger seat
CAUTION
The front passenger airbag also deploys with
considerable force, and can cause death or serious
injury especially if the front passenger is very close to
the airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far
from the airbag as possible with the seatback adjusted,
so the front passenger sits upright.
Front seats
CAUTION
The 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 severely 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
seats with side airbags. Such changes may prevent
the side airbags from activating correctly, disable the
system, or cause the side airbags to inflate
accidentally, resulting in death or serious injury.

16G009±1

Center rear seat
To raise the head restraint, pull it up. To lower it, press the
lock release button and push the head restraint down.
Center rear head restraint: When an occupant sits on the
center rear seat, always pull up the head restraint to the lock
position.
The head restraint is most effective when it is close to your
head. Therefore, using a cushion on the seatback is not
recommended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head restraint so that it is
closest to the top of your ears.
After adjusting the head restraint, make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not drive with the head restraints removed.
TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING
WHEEL
Adjustment of steering wheel tilt
16G010c
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. Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle
the vehicle and an accident may occur resulting in death
or serious injuries.

Adjustment of telescopic steering column
16G011c
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. Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle
the vehicle and an accident may occur resulting in death
or serious injuries.
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 deactivated. Ask your Lexus
dealer for details.

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 if there is no
passenger sitting in the front passenger seat. However, the
front passenger airbag may deploy if luggage is put in the seat,
or the seat belt is buckled up regardless of the presence of the
occupant in the seat.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.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
CAUTION
The driver or front passenger who is 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.

The front airbag sensors constantly monitor the forward
deceleration of the vehicle. If an impact results in a forward
deceleration beyond the designed threshold level, the system
triggers the airbag inflators. In a severe side impact, the side
and curtain shield airbag sensor triggers the side and curtain
shield airbag inflator. At this time a chemical reaction in the
inflators very quickly fills the airbags with non±toxic gas to help
restrain the forward or lateral motion of the occupants. The
airbags then quickly deflate, so that here is no obstruction of
the driver's vision should it be necessary to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a loud noise and
release some smoke and residue along with non±toxic gas.
This does not indicate a fire. This smoke may remain inside
the vehicle for some time, and may cause some minor irritation
to the eyes, skin or breathing. Be sure to wash off any residue
as soon as possible to prevent any potential skin irritation with
soap and water. If you can physically and safely exit the
vehicle after a collision, you should do so at the first
opportunity.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, primarily to the
head and chest, it may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These are usually in the
nature of minor burns or abrasions and swelling, but the force
of a deploying airbag can cause more serious injuries,
especially if an occupant's hands, arms, chest or head is in
close proximity to the airbag module at the time of deployment.
This is why it is important for the occupant to; avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the occupant and the airbag
module; sit straight and well back into the seat; wear the
available seat belt properly; and sit as far as possible from the
airbag module, while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover
and inflator) may be hot for several minutes after deployment,
so do not touch! The airbags inflate only once. The windshield
may be damaged by absorbing some of the force of the
inflating airbag.

16G031a
Do not allow a child to stand up or kneel on the front
passenger seat, since the front airbag inflates with
considerable speed and force. Otherwise, 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 111.
16G251
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 objects in their arms or on
their knees.