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2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
Important information about your Toyota
Occupant restraint systems
Toyota encourages you and your family to take the time to
read Section 1−3 of this Owner’s Manual carefully. In
terms of helping you understand how you can receive the
maximum benefit of the occupant restraint systems this
vehicle provides, Section 1−3 of this Owner ’s Manual is
the most important Section for you and your family to
read.
Section 1−3 describes the function and operation concern-
ing seats, seat belts, SRS airbags and child restraint sys-
tems of this vehicle and some potential hazards you
should be aware of. These systems work together along
with the overall structure of this vehicle in order to provide
occupant restraint in the event of a crash. The effect of
each system can be enhanced when it is used properly
and together with other systems. No single occupant re-
straint system can, by itself, provide you or your family
with the restraint equal to that which these systems can
provide when used together. That is why it is important for
you and your family to understand the purpose and proper
use of each of these systems and how they relate to each
other.
The purpose of all occupant restraint systems is to help
reduce the possibility of death or serious injury in the
event of a collision. None of these systems, either individ-
ually or together, can ensure that there is no injury in the
event of collision. However, the more you know about
these systems and how to use them properly, the greater
your chances become of surviving an accident without
death or serious injury.
Seat belts provide the primary restraint to all occupants of
the vehicle, and every occupant of the vehicle should wear
seat belts properly at all times. Children should always be
secured in child restraint systems that are appropriate for
their age and size. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
airbags are, as their names imply, designed to work with,
and supplement the seat, seat belts and are not substi-
tutes for them. SRS airbags can be very effective in reduc-
ing the risk of head and chest injuries by reducing the
chance of contact by the head and chest with interior por-
tions of the vehicle.
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LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH
INSIDE LOCK KNOB
Move the lock knob.
To lock: Push the knob forward.
To unlock: Pull the knob backward.
The doors can be opened by pulling the
inside handle even if the lock knobs are
in the locked position.
CAUTION
Do not pull the inside handle of the
doors while driving. The doors will
open and an accident may occur.
Toyota strongly recommends that all
children be placed in the rear seat of
the vehicle.
Closing the door with the lock knob in the
lock position will also lock the door. Be
careful not to lock your keys in the ve-
hicle.
The door cannot be locked when either
door is open and the key is in the igni-
tion.
Driver’s side
Passenger’s side
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2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
CAUTION
When raising or lowering the con-
vertible top, keep hands clear from
the hinges of the top side rails and
any part of the top linkage.
Do not stop operating the switch in
the middle of operation unless
otherwise required. The roof will be
gradually lowered, resulting in per-
sonal injury and damage to the con-
vertible top mechanism.
Do not open or close the convert-
ible top when the wind is strong.
The vehicle should never be driven
with the convertible top partially
lowered. Make sure the top has
been either fully latched to the
windshield frame or fully lowered
before driving.
While the vehicle is moving with
the convertible top opened, nobody
should stand up on the seat, sit on
the rear seat seatback or lean over
it. Otherwise, they could be serious-
ly injured if the vehicle stops sud-
denly or if the vehicle is involved
in an accident.
Before you raise the convertible
top, always make sure there is no-
body near the top. You must also
make sure nobody places his or her
head, hands and other parts of the
body on the convertible top. If
someone’s neck, head or hands get
caught in the closing top, it could
result in a serious injury. When
anyone raises the convertible top,
first make sure it is safe to do so.
Be sure to remove the ignition key
when you leave your vehicle.
Never leave anyone (particularly a
small child) alone in your vehicle,
especially with the ignition key still
inserted. Otherwise, he/she could
use the convertible top control
switch and get trapped in the con-
vertible top opening. Unattended
person (particularly a small child)
can be involved in a serious acci-
dent.
NOTICE
Make sure there are no items or
packages between the rear seatback
and the convertible top storage area
when raising or lowering the con-
vertible top. Even small items may
interfere with convertible top opera-
tion and can cause damage.
Do not sit or place excessive
weight on the convertible top; when
the top is up or down, damage to
the top may result.
To prevent from damaging the con-
vertible top material, do not raise
or lower the convertible top when
the temperature is below 0C (32F)
or the convertible top is frozen. If
necessary to do so, warm the ve-
hicle in a heated garage prior to
operating the convertible top mech-
anism.
Do not lower the convertible top if
the top is damp or wet. Possible
interior water damage, water stains
or mildew of the top material may
result.
Convertible top—
—Convertible top precautions
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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Occupant restraint systems
Seats42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front seats42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fold−down rear seat47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat heaters48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbags59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1 3
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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 persons with
physical disabilities
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.
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 becom-
ing discharged, turn the switch off
when the engine is not running.
Front
Rear (coupe)
Head restraints
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2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
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”
on page 83 in this Section for details.
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. 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.Do not allow any children 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. Holding a child in your arms
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.
Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions
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2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
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.
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 maximum protection in a
frontal or rear collision when the
driver and the front passenger 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.
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, or allow them to come into
contact with the belt—they may se-
verely weaken the belts. (See
“Cleaning the interior” on page 282
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.
USING FRONT SEAT BELT HANGERS
(coupe)
Raise the front seat belt hanger until it
locks before you fasten the front seat
belt. Then adjust the length of the
hanger by pulling or pushing it.
You will hear a click when the seat belt
hanger locks in raised position.
CAUTION
Make sure the seat belt hanger is
secured in the raised position before
you fasten the seat belt. If it is not,
the seat belt may not work properly.
—Fastening front and rear
seat belts
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2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
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” on page 83 in this Section.) To
free the belt again, fully retract the belt
and then pull the belt out once more.
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.
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, because
it cannot protect an adult occupant
or your child from injury.
To o h i g hTa k e u p
slack
Keep as low on
hips as possible
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 high positioned lap belts and
loose fitting belts could cause seri-
ous injuries due to sliding under
the lap belt during a collision or
other unintended event. Keep the
lap belt positioned as low on hips
as possible.
Do not place the shoulder belt un-
der your arm.