2003 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER Owners Manual

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—Front seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger ’s seat
belt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in response to a severe fron-
tal impact or a vehicle rollover.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock
of a severe frontal impact or a vehicle
rollover, the front seat belts are quickly
drawn back by the retractor so that the
belts snugly restrain the front seat occu-
pants.
The front seat belt pretensioners are acti-
vated even with no passenger in the front
seat.Collisions occurring at certain s
peeds and
angles may cause the seat belt preten-
sioners and SRS airbags not to operate
all together.Roll sensing of curtain shield airbags off
indicator light
The seat belt pretensioners will not oper-
ate in a vehicle rollover if the roll sensing
of curtain shield airbags off indicator light
is on. For details, see ”Roll sensing of
curtain shield airbags off switch” on page
65.

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54
CAUTION
Make sure the roll sensing of cur-
tain shield airbags off indicator
light is not on.
When the roll sensing of curtain
shield airbags off switch is turned
on (and the roll sensing of curtain
shield airbags off indicator light is
on), the seat belt pretensioners will
not operate in a vehicle rollover
and turning off the seat belt preten-
sioners can reduce the occupant
protection which your vehicle safety
systems can provide to you in cer-
tain accidents and increase the like-
lihood of death or serious injuries.
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion 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 sen-
sors, 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 118.)The front seat belt pretensioner system
mainly consists of the following compo-
nents, and their locations are shown in
the illustration.1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Seat belt pretensioner assemblies
4. Airbag sensor assembly
The front seat belt pretensioners are con-
trolled by the airbag sensor assembly. The
airbag sensor assembly consists of a saf-
ing sensor and airbag sensor.

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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 harm-
less and does not indicate that a fire is
occurring.
Once the front seat belt pretensioners
have been activated, the seat belt retrac-
tors remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or
open the front seat belt pretension-
er assemblies, airbag sensor or sur-
rounding area or wiring. Doing any
of these may cause sudden opera-
tion of the front seat belt preten-
sioners or disable the system,
which could result in death or seri-
ous injury.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer ’s recom-
mended size. Such a use may cause
the curtain shield airbags and seat
belt pretensioners to inflate acci-
dentally, which could result in death
or serious injury. For details, see
”Checking and replacing tires” on
page 275.
Do not place luggage heavier than
specified on the roof luggage carri-
er. Such luggage may cause the
curtain shield airbags and seat belt
pretensioners to inflate accidentally,
which could result in death or seri-
ous injury. For details, see ”Roof
luggage carrier” on page 188.
Do not modify or change the sus-
pension system. Such changes may
cause the curtain shield airbags to
inflate accidentally, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious inju-
ries. Consult your Toyota dealer be-
fore performing any repairs and modi-
fications.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without first consulting your
Toyota 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 front end struc-
ture
 Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
 Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure or con-
sole

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This front seat belt pretensioner system
has a service reminder indicator to inform
the driver of operating problems. If either
of the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags or
pretensioners. Contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible to service the
vehicle.
When the ignition switch is turned to
the “ON” position, the light does not
come on or flashes.
The light flashes while driving.
If any seat belt does not retract or
cannot be pulled out due to a malfunc-
tion or activation of the relevant seat
belt pretensioner.
The seat belt pretensioner assembly or
surrounding area has been damaged.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The front 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 op-
erate.
Either front seat belt pretensioner as-
sembly or surrounding area is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.

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The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) front airbags are designed to pro-
vide further protection for the driver
and front passenger in addition to the
primary safety protection provided by
the seat belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS front airbags work together with
the seat belts to help reduce injury by
inflating. The SRS front 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 is activated
even with no passenger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.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 SRS front
airbags are inflated.
CAUTION
A driver or front passenger who is
too close to the steering wheel or
dashboard during airbag deployment
can be killed or seriously injured.
Toyota strongly recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ”ON” position.
It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS front airbags are oper-
ating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors assembly, curtain shield airbag sen-
sor assemblies, driver’s seat position
sensor, driver ’s seat belt buckle switch,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
inflators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing and power sources. (For details, see
”Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers” on page 118.)
SRS driver and front
passenger airbags

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The SRS front airbags are designed to
deploy in severe (usually frontal) colli-
sions where the magnitude and duration
of the forward deceleration of the ve-
hicle exceeds the designed threshold
level.
The SRS front airbags will deploy if the
severity of the impact is above the de-
signed threshold level, comparable to an
approximate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision
when the vehicle has the impact straight
into a fixed barrier that does not move or
deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or
sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an
underride collision (e.g. a collision in
which the front of the vehicle ”underrides”,
or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
It is possible that in some collisions
where the forward deceleration of the ve-
hicle is very close to the designed thresh-
old level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate
together.
For the safety of all occupants, always
wear your seat belts properly.
Collision from the rear
Collision from the side Vehicle rollover
The SRS front airbags are generally not
designed to inflate if the vehicle is in-
volved in a side or rear collision, if it
rolls over, or if it is involved in a low
speed frontal collision.
Hitting a curb,
edge of pavement
or hard surface Falling into or
jumping over a
deep hole
Landing hard or vehicle falling
The SRS front airbags may also deploy
if a severe impact occurs to the under-
side of your vehicle. Some examples
are shown in the illustration.

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The SRS front airbag system mainly con-
sists of the following components, and
their locations are shown in the illustra-
tion.1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Airbag module for front passenger (airbag and inflator)
4. Airbag sensor assembly
5. Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator)
6. Driver ’s seat position sensor
7. Driver ’s seat belt buckle switch
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor. The 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. At this
time a chemical reaction in the inflators
very quickly fills the air
bags with nontox-
ic gas to help restrain the forward motion
of the occupants. The airbags then quickly
deflate, so that there is no obstruction of
the driver ’s vision should it be necessary
to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
and residue along with nontoxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This gas is nor-
mally harmless; however, for those who
have delicate skin, it may cause a minor
skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
any potential skin irritation. Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi
gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, 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 seri-
ous injuries, especially if an occupant’s
hands, arms, chest or head are 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 ve-
hicle.
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 inflat-
ing airbag.

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CAUTION
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver’s and
front passenger ’s seat belt systems.
The front seat occupants can be
killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts properly. Wear-
ing a seat belt properly during an
accident reduces the chances of
death or serious injury or being
thrown out of the vehicle. For
instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seat belt system, see
”Seat belts” on page 46.
Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing front airbags. An infant or child
who is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system. Toyota
strongly recommends that all in-
fants and children be placed in the
rear seat of the vehicle and proper-
ly restrained. The rear seat is the
safest for infants and children. For
instructions concerning the installa-
tion of a child restraint system, see
”Child restraint” on page 74.
Never put a rearfacing child re-
straint system on the front passen-
ger seat because the force of the
rapid inflation of the front passen-
ger airbag can cause death or seri-
ous injury to the child.