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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
eve 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 second or third seats of the vehicle and
properly restrained. The second or third seats are the
safest for infants and children. For instructions
concerning the installation of a child restraint
system, see Child restraintº on page 176.
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.
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1Side and curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies
2Curtain shield airbag modules (airbag and inflator)
3Side airbag modules (airbag and inflator)
4Curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies
5SRS warning light
6Airbag 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.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.
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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 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, remains on or flashes.
The light comes on or starts flashing while driving.If the light stays on, it indicates that the SRS front airbags have
a problem. If the light flashes, the SRS side and curtain shield
airbags have a problem.
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176
CHILD RESTRAINT
Child restraint precautions
Lexus strongly urges the use of appropriate child restraint
systems for children.
The laws of all 50 states in the U.S.A. now require the use of
a child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. See Seat beltsº on page 135 for details.
CAUTION
For effective protection in automobile accidents and
sudden stops, a child must be properly restrained,
using a seat belt or child restraint system depending
on age and size of the child. Holding a child in your
arms is not a substitute for a child restraint system.
In an accident, the child can be crushed against the
windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior.
Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child restraint
system which conforms to the size of the child
installed on the rear seat. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly restrained
in the rear seat than in the front seat.
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Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on
the front passenger seat. In the event of an accident,
the force of the rapid inflation of the front passenger
airbag can cause death or serious injury to the child
if the rear-facing child restraint system is installed
on the front passenger seat.
A forward-facing child restraint system should be
allowed to be installed on the front passenger seat
only when it is unavoidable. Always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the front passenger
airbag could inflate with considerable speed and
force. Otherwise, the child may be killed or seriously
injured.
On vehicles with side airbags and curtain shield
airbags, do not allow the child to lean his/her head or
any part of his/her body against the door or the area
of the seat, front or rear pillar or roof side rail from
which the side airbags or curtain shield airbags
deploy even if the child is seated in the child restraint
system. It is dangerous if the side airbags and curtain
shield airbags inflate, and the impact could cause
death or serious injury to the child.
Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a
child restraint system on the front or rear passenger
seat. If installing a child restraint system with the
seat belt extender connected to the seat belt, the seat
belt will not securely hold the child restraint system,
which could cause death or serious injury to the child
or other passengers in the event of collision.
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Make sure you have complied with all installation
instructions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and that the system is properly
secured. If it is not secured properly, it may cause
death or serious injury to the child in the event of a
sudden stop or accident.Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must
itself be properly restrained on the seat with the lap
portion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must carefully
consult the manufacturer's instructions which
accompany the child restraint system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child restraint system
following the manufacturer's instructions about the appropriate
age and size of the child for the child restraint system.
Install the child restraint system correctly following the
instructions provided by its manufacturer. General directions
are also provided under the following illustrations.
The child restraint system should be installed on the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
When not using the child restraint system, keep it secured with
the seat belt or place it somewhere other than the passenger
compartment. This will prevent it from injuring passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or accident.
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180INSTALLATION WITH 3-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
(A) Infant seat installation
An infant seat must be used in rear-facing position only.
CAUTION
Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on
the front passenger seat. In the event of an accident,
the force of the rapid inflation of the front passenger
airbag can cause death or serious injury to the child
if the rear-facing child restraint system is installed
on the front passenger seat.
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1. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around the infant
seat following the instructions provided by its manufacturer
and insert the tab into the buckle taking care not to twist the
belt. Keep the lap portion of the belt tight.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle
are locked and that the lap and shoulder portions of
the belt are not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the buckle as this
may prevent your child from properly latching the tab
and buckle.
If the seat belt does not function normally, it cannot
protect your child from death or serious injury.
Contact your Lexus dealer immediately. Do not
install the child restraint system on the seat until the
seat belt is fixed.
2. Fully extend the shoulder belt to put it in the lock mode.
When the belt is then retracted even slightly, it cannot be
extended.
To hold the infant seat securely, make sure the belt is in the lock
mode before letting the belt retract.