2003 TOYOTA ECHO belt

31
CAUTION
Disconnect the rear center seat belt
only under the above mentioned cir-
cumstances; do not disconnect it in
other circumstances.
SU13122
(C) BEFORE RETURNING REAR SEAT
Before returning the seatback to the
upright position, make sure to correctly
connect the center seat belt for ready
use.
Insert tab 2 into the buckle 3.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
CAUTION
Be careful not to mix up the proper
match of tab and buckle. Do not
insert tab 1 (light gray) into other
buckle than the one with light gray
buckle release button. (See “Seat
belts” in this section for proper
matching of the buckles and tabs.)
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
Make sure the belt is not twisted or
caught in the seatback and that it
is arranged in the proper position
for ready use.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

32
Head restraints
SY13011
Front seat
SU13007
Rear seat
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.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained 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.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle
are designed for people of adult size,
large enough to properly wear them.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint”
for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould 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. If an
accident occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

33
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.
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
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 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 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-
ers—they 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.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

34
—Front and rear seat belts
SY13014a
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.
SZ13014
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor (4door models)—
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.
2003
ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

35
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
serious injures in a collision.
SY13016
Ta k e u p
slack
To o h i g h
Keep as low on
hips as possible
Ta k e u p
slack
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-
just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder
portion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both highpositioned lap belts and
loosefitting belts could increase
the chance of injury due to sliding
under the lap belt during an acci-
dent or other unintended result.
Keep the lap belt as low on your
hips as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

36
SY13017
To release the belt, press the bucklere-
lease button and allow the belt to re-
tract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull
it out and check for kinks or twists. Then
make sure it remains untwisted as it re-
tracts.
CAUTION
Do not separate the buckle with light
gray buckle release button. Otherwise,
the seat belt may not work properly.
See the information in the following
columns.
SU13012
REAR CENTER SEAT BELT (WITH
FOLDDOWN SEAT)
The rear center seat belt is a 3point type
restraint with 2 buckles. Both seat belt
buckles must be correctly located and se-
curely latched for proper operation
Make sure the buckle 1 (with light gray
bucklerelease button) is securely latched
for ready use of the center seat belt.
The buckle 1 should be separated when
the rear left seatback is folded down.
Otherwise, the luggage loaded in the en-
larged trunk will damage the webbing of
the rear center seat belt. (See “Folddown
rear seat” in this section for the instruc-
tion of how to correctly connect the seat
belt.)
SU13013
Two buckles and tabs for rear center
seat belt
The two buckles for the rear center seat
belt are distinguished with colors of the
buckle release button. Also the two tabs
have different shape for its end so that
the belt is not buckled in the wrong place.Buckle 1—Properly matches with light
gray tab
Buckle 2—Properly matches with interi-
or color tab
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

37
CAUTION
Make sure the both buckles are cor-
rectly located and securely latched.
Failure to properly match the buckle
and tab may cause severe injury in
case of an accident or a collision.
SU13014
CAUTION
Do not use the rear center seat belt
with either buckle released. Fastening
only the shoulder belt or lap belt may
cause severe personal injury in case
of sudden braking or a collision.
—Seat belt extender
If your seat belts cannot be fastened se-
curely because they are not long enough,
a personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota 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.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

38
Remember that the extender pro-
vided for you may not be safe when
used on a different vehicle, for
another person, or at a different
seating position than the one origi-
nally intended.
SU13015
To connect the extender to the seat
belt, insert the tab into the seat belt
buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on
the bucklerelease buttons of the ex-
tender 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 bucklerelease button on the extender,
not on the seat belt. This helps prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend-
er itself.
When not in use, remove the extender
and store in the vehicle for future use.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender 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.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)