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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors
Seats38
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front seats 38
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fold down rear seat 42
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . .
Seat heaters 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints 44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Armrest 45
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts 45
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS driver airbag and front passenger airbag 54
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags 62
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint 69
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt steering wheel 85
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Power adjustable pedals 85
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
.
Outside rear view mirrors 86
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
.
Anti glare inside rear view mirror 87
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto anti glare inside rear view mirror 88
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanity mirrors 89
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1 3
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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 passengers to sit on top
of a folded down seatback, or 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 pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Otherwise,
severe injuries can occur in the
event of emergency braking or a
collision.
Driver seat
CAUTION
The SRS 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 (“NHTSA”) 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 sever-
al 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, sim-
ply 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 air-
bag toward your chest instead of
your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as rec-
ommended by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot
pedals, steering wheel, and your view
of the instrument panel controls.
Seats Front seats—
—Front seat precautions
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2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
Front passenger seat
CAUTION
The SRS front passenger airbag also
deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury es-
pecially if the front passenger is very
close to the airbag. The front passen-
ger seat should be as far from the
airbag as possible with the seatback
adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
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 consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise,
you may be killed or seriously in-
jured.
Do not use seat accessories which
cover the area where the side air-
bags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, causing death or
serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of front seats with
side airbags. Such changes may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, disable the system
or cause the side airbags to inflate
accidentally, resulting in death or
serious injury.
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
that the seat does not hit a passen-
ger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position, re-
lease the lever and try sliding the
seat forward and backward to make
sure it is locked in position.
After adjusting the seatback, push
your body back against the seat to
make sure the seat is locked in
position.
Do not put objects under the seats.
Otherwise, the objects may interfere
with the seat lock mechanism or
unexpectedly push up the seat posi-
tion adjusting lever and the seat
may suddenly move, causing the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
—Front seat precautions
(on vehicles with SRS side
airbags) —Seat adjustment precautions
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2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. Otherwise, your
hands or fingers may be caught and
injured.1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Hold the center of the lever and pull it
up. Then slide the seat to the desired
position with slight body pressure and
release the lever.
2. SEAT CUSHION HEIGHT ADJUSTING KNOB
Turn the knob either way.
3. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
—Adjusting front seats
(manual seat)
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2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
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. In the event
of a frontal collision, the more the
seat is reclined, the greater the risk
of personal injury.
4. SEAT LUMBAR SUPPORTADJUSTING KNOB
Turn the knob either way.
1. SEAT POSITION AND SEAT CUSHION HEIGHT ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.
Do not place anything under the front
seats, as this might interfere with the seat
movement. 2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat-
back at that position.
—Adjusting front seats (power
seat)
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2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
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. In the event
of a frontal collision, the more the
seat is reclined, the greater the risk
of personal injury.
3. SEAT LUMBAR SUPPORTADJUSTING KNOB
Turn the knob either way.
1. Pull up the seatback security lock lever 1 to the unlock position.
2. Pull up the lock release button 2.
3. Fold down the seatback.
Each seatback can be folded separately.This will enlarge the trunk as far as the
seatbacks. See “ Luggage stowage precau-
tions” on page 202 in Section 2 for pre-
cautions when loading luggage.
NOTICE
Make sure the luggage loaded in the
enlarged trunk will not damage the
webbing of the rear center seat belt
when the left seatback is folded
down.
Fold down rear seat
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2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
CAUTION
When returning the seatback to the
upright position, observe the follow-
ing precautions in order to prevent
personal injury in a collision or sud-
den stop:
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback
and that the red mark at the button
on the top of the seatback cannot
be seen. Failure to do so will pre-
vent the seat belt from operating
properly.
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in the proper
position and are ready to use.
To turn on the seat heater, push the
switch. To turn off the seat heater,
push the switch once again.
At this time, the indicator light will illu-
minate to indicate the seat heater is
operating.
The key must be in the “ON” position.
CAUTION
Occupants must use caution when op-
erating the seat heater because it
may make them feel too hot or cause
burns at low temperatures (erythema,
varicella). Use extra caution for;
Babies, small children, elderly per-
sons, sick persons or handicapped
persons
Persons who have delicate skin
Persons who are exhausted
Persons who have taken alcohol or
drugs which induce sleep (sleeping
drug, cold remedy, etc.)
To prevent the seat overheating, do
not use the seat heater with a blan-
ket, cushion, or other insulating ob-
jects which cover the seat.
Seat heaters
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2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
NOTICE
Do not put unevenly weighed ob-
jects on the seat and do not stick
sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.)
into the seat.
When cleaning the seats, do not
use organic substances (paint thin-
ner, benzine, alcohol, gasoline,
etc.). They may damage the heater
and seat surface.
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, turn the switch off
when the engine is not running.
Front
Rear
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head re-
straint 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 re-
straints removed.
Head restraints