2004 Lexus ES330 belt

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
138
CAUTION
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag system
is designed only as a supplement to the primary
protection of the driver and front passenger and rear
outside passenger seat belt systems. To ensure
maximum protection in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly. Wearing 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 concerning the seat
belt system, see Seat beltsº on page 112.
Do not allow anyone to lean his/her head or any part
of his/her body against the door or the area of the
seat, front pillar, rear pillar or roof side rail from which
the SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag deploy
even if he/she is a child seated in the child restraint
system. It is dangerous if the SRS side airbag and
curtain shield airbag inflate, and the impact of the
deploying airbags could cause death or serious
injury to the occupant.
Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and
children can be killed or seriously injured by the
deploying airbags. An infant or child who is too small
to use a seat belt should be properly secured using
a child restraint system. Lexus strongly
recommends that all infants and children be placed
in the rear seats of the vehicle and properly
restrained. The rear seats are the safest for infants
and children. For instructions concerning the
installation of a child restraint system, see Child
restraintº on page 156.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
139

1Collision from the side to the vehicle body other
than the passenger compartment
2Collision from the side at an angle
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag system may
not activate if the vehicle is subjected to a collision from
the side at certain angles, or a collision to the side of the
vehicle body other than the passenger compartment as
shown in the illustration.
The SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags are designed
to inflate when the passenger compartment are suffers a
severe impact from the side.
Always wear your seat belts properly.

1Collision from the front
2Collision from the rear
3Vehicle rollover
The SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags are not
designed to inflate if the vehicle is involved in a front or
rear collision, if it rolls over, or if it is involved in a
low-speed side collision.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
140
16E557

1Front passenger occupant classification system
(ECU and sensors)
2Side and curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies
3Side airbag modules (airbag and inflator)
4Curtain shield airbag modules (airbag and inflater)
5Curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies
6SRS warning light
7Front passenger's seat belt buckle switch
8AIRBAG OFFº and AIRBAG ONº indicator lights
9Airbag sensor assembly
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag system consists
mainly of the above components, and their locations are shown
in the illustration.
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag system is
controlled by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag sensor
assembly consists of a safing sensor and airbag sensor.
In a severe side impact, the side and curtain shield airbag
sensor and/or the curtain shield airbag sensor trigger(s) the
side airbag inflators and/or the curtain shield airbag inflators.
At this time a chemical reaction in the inflators quickly fills the
airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain the lateral motion
of the occupants.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
141 When the airbags inflate, they produce a fairly 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 safely exit from the vehicle, you
should do so immediately.
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, it may also
cause minor burns or abrasions and swelling.
Front seats as well as parts of the front and rear pillars, and roof
side rail may be hot for several minutes, but the airbags
themselves will not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate
only once.
CAUTION
SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags inflate with
considerable force. To reduce the possibility of death
or serious injury when they inflate, the driver, front
passenger and rear outside passengers must:
Wear their seat belts properly.
Remain properly seated with their backs upright and
against the seats at all times.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
149
The indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the ONº position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags are
operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side and curtain shield airbag
sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies,
driver's seat position sensor, driver's seat belt buckle switch,
front passenger occupant classification system, AIRBAG
OFFº indicator light, AIRBAG ONº indicator light, front
passenger'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 buzzersº on page 55
for instructions.)If any of the following conditions occurs, this indicates a
malfunction of the airbags or seat belt pretensioners. Contact
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
When the ignition key is turned to the ONº position, the light
does not come on or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
152
FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant
classification system. This system detects the conditions
1 Ð 4 in the table shown below, and based on these
conditions activates or deactivates the airbags. The
system monitors the weight and load on the front
passenger seat, and the seat belt buckle switch in
determining conditions correctly, do not do any of the
following.
Put a heavy load in the seatback pocket.
Attach a seatback table to the front passenger seat
seatback of the front passenger seat.
Put weight on the front passenger by putting your hands or
feet on the front passenger seat seatback from the rear
passenger seat.
The AIRBAG OFFº indicator light will be illuminated
when the ignition switch is in the ONº position and a child
restraint system is in the front passenger seat (see
table-condition 2). This indicates that in the event of a
severe frontal or passenger's side impact, the front
passenger airbag and side airbag on the front passenger
seat are deactivated and will not deploy.
If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the AIRBAG OFFº
indicator light may also be illuminated if the following occurs.
A rear passenger lifts the front passenger seat cushion with
their legs.
Objects are placed under the front passenger seat.
The front passenger seat seatback is in contact with the rear
seat.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
153 To ensure the system correctly detects an adult sitting in the
front passenger seat, make sure the above do not occur.
Make sure the AIRBAG ONº indicator light is illuminated when
an adult is seated in the front passenger seat. If the AIRBAG
OFFº indicator light is illuminated, ask the passenger to sit up
straight, well back in the seat, and with the seat belt worn
correctly. If the AIRBAG OFFº indicator light still remains
illuminated, either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat,
or if that is not possible, move the front passenger seat fully
rearward.
The AIRBAG OFFº and AIRBAG ONº indicator lights will
be initially illuminated when the ignition switch is turned
to the ONº position. It will remain for about four seconds
and then go off. After the two seconds, the front
passenger occupant classification system operates and
judges which indicator light to turn on.
The SRS warning light and AIRBAG OFFº indicator light
will be illuminated if there is a malfunction in the front
passenger occupant classification system.

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM
154
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system
Indicator/warning lightDevices
Condition detected
by the front
passenger occupant
classification systemAIRBAG
OFFº and
AIRBAG
ONº
indicator
lights
SRS
warning light
Front
passenger's
seat belt
reminder
light
Front
passenger
airbagSide airbag
on the front
passenger
seatCurtain
shield airbag
in the front
passenger
sideFront
passenger's
seat belt
pretensioner
1Adult*1AIRBAG
ONºOFFFlashing*4Activated
2Child *2 or child
restraint system*3AIRBAG
OFFºOFFFlashing*4DeactivatedActivated
3UnoccupiedNot
illuminatedOFFOFFDeactivatedActivatedDeactivated
4There is a
malfunction in the
systemAIRBAG
OFFºONOFFDeactivatedActivated
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may
recognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*
2: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her
as an adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
*
3: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passenger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should
only be installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable. (See Child restraint systemº on page 158 as for installing
the child restraint system.)
*
4: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.