162005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
CAUTION
After inserting the support rod into
the slot, make sure the rod sup-
ports the trunk lid securely from
falling down on to your head or
body.
Before closing the trunk lid, lock
the front box cover securely.
This prevents the front box from
being damaged.
Keep the trunk lid closed while
driving. This keeps the luggage
from being thrown out.
NOTICE
Be sure to return the support rod to
its clip before closing the trunk lid.
Closing the trunk lid with the support
rod up could cause the trunk lid to
bend.
—Luggage security system
SB12091
If you do not want to activate the trunk
lid lock release lever, insert the master
key to the glove box, and turn it clock-
wise.
Engine hood
SB12086a
To open the engine hood:
1. Pull the engine hood lock release
lever. The engine hood will spring up
slightly.
The engine hood lock release lever can
be locked by the key.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the en-
gine hood is closed and securely
locked. Otherwise, the engine hood
may open unexpectedly while driving
and an accident may occur.
192005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
CAUTION
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refueling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out of the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re-
moved.SC12051
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before removing
it. After removing the cap, hang the
tether as shown in the illustration.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a
click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Make sure the cap is installed se-
curely to prevent fuel spillage in
the event of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It is designed
to regulate fuel tank pressure.
282005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
Seats—
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow any passengers to sit in
the luggage space. Persons not
properly seated and/or not properly
restrained by seat belts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow any
passenger to stand up in the ve-
hicle. Otherwise, severe injuries can
occur in the event of emergency
braking or a collision.
Driver seat
CAUTION
The SRS driver airbag deploys with
considerable force, and can cause
death or serious injury especially if
the driver is very close to the airbag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag
is the first 50—75 mm (2—3 in.) of
inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10
in.) from your driver airbag provides
you with a clear margin of safety.
This distance is measured from the
center of the steering wheel to your
breastbone. If you sit less than 250
mm (10 in.) away now, you can
change your driving position in sever-
al ways:
Move your seat to the rear as far
as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
Slightly recline the back of the
seat. Although vehicle designs vary,
many drivers can achieve the 250
mm (10 in.) distance, even with the
driver seat all the way forward, sim-
ply by reclining the back of the
seat somewhat. If reclining the back
of your seat makes it hard to see
the road, raise yourself by using a
firm, non slippery cushion, or raise
the seat if your vehicle has that
feature.
If your steering wheel is adjustable,
tilt it downward. This points the air-
bag toward your chest instead of
your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as rec-
ommended by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot
pedals, steering wheel, and your view
of the instrument panel controls.
—Seat precautions
302005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
—Adjusting seats
SB13001a
1.SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Hold the center of the lever and pull it
up. Then slide the seat to the desired
position with slight body pressure and
release the lever.
2.
SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING
LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
CAUTION
Avoid reclining the seatback any
more than needed. The seat belts pro-
vide maximum protection in a frontal
or rear collision when the driver and
the 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 or your neck
may contact the shoulder belt. In the
event of a frontal collision, the more
the seat is reclined, the greater the
risk of death or personal injury.
3. SEAT CUSHION ANGLE ADJUSTING
KNOB (driver ’s seat only)
Turn the knob either way.
322005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
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 188)
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.
—Fastening seat belts
SU13239
Ta b
Buckle
Adjust the seat as needed and sit up
straight and well back in the seat. To
fasten your belt, pull it out of the re-
tractor 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.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 46) 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.
352005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the lap and shoulder portions
of the belt and the seat belt extend-
er are 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.
—Seat belt pretensioners
SB13089a
The driver and passenger seat belt pre-
tensioners are designed to be activated
in response to a severe frontal impact.
When the sensor detects a severe frontal
impact, the seat belts are quickly drawn
back by the retractors so that the belts
snugly restrain the occupants.
The seat belt pretensioners are activated
even if there is no passenger in the seat.
The seat belt pretensioners and SRS air-
bags may not operate together in all colli-
sions.
SB13091a
The seat belt pretensioner system con-
sists mainly of the following components
and their locations are shown in the il-
lustration.
1. Front airbag sensor
2. Seat belt pretensioner assemblies
3. Airbag sensor assembly
4. SRS warning light
The seat belt pretensioners are controlled
by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag
sensor assembly consists of a safing sen-
sor and airbag sensor.
362005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
When the seat belt pretensioners are acti-
vated, an operating noise may be heard
and a small amount of non−toxic gas may
be released. This does not indicate that
a fire is occurring. This gas is normally
harmless.
Once the seat belt pretensioners have
been activated, the seat belt retractors
remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open
the seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
airbag sensor or surrounding area or
wiring. Failure to follow these instruc-
tions may prevent the seat belt pre-
tensioners from activating correctly,
cause sudden operation of the system
or disable the system, which could
result in death or serious injury. Con-
sult your Toyota dealer about any re-
pair and modification.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
seat belt pretensioners in some
cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
Repairs on or near the seat belt
retractor assemblies
Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
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
Repair made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure or con-
sole
SB13102a
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 seat belt pretensioners are
operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
inflators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing and power sources. (For details, see
“Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers” on page 77.)
If any of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction of the airbags
or seat belt pretensioners. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
372005 MR2 from Aug. ’04Prod. (OM17527U)
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion or remains on for more than 6
seconds or flashes.
The light comes on or 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.
SB13045a
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 seat belt pretensioners to operate.
The seat belt pretensioner assembly or
surrounding area is scratched, cracked,
or otherwise damaged.
SB13092a
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for the driver and
passenger in addition to the primary
safety protection provided by the seat
belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-
ing. The SRS airbags help reduce injuries
mainly to the driver ’s or passenger ’s head
or chest caused by hitting the vehicle in-
terior. When the passenger airbag manual
on−off switch is in the “ON” position, the
passenger airbag is activated if there is
no passenger in the seat.
Always wear your seat belt properly.
SRS driver airbag and
passenger airbag