OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
167
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.
The light does not come on when the ignition key is turned
to the “ON” position or remains on for more than 6 seconds
or flashes.
The light comes on or starts flashing while driving.
The SRS warning light and “AIRBAG OFF” indicator light will
be illuminated if there is a malfunction in the front passenger
occupant classification system.
16PY177
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
168In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible:
Any of the SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags have
been inflated.
The portion of the doors (shaded in the illustration) was
involved in an accident that was not severe enough to cause
the SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags to inflate.
The surface of the seats with the side airbag (shaded in the
illustration) is scratched, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
The portion of the front pillars, rear pillars or roof side rail
garnishes (padding) containing the curtain shield airbags
inside (shaded in the illustration) is scratched, cracked, or
otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables before contacting
your Lexus dealer.
FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant
classification system. This system detects the conditions
1 — 4 in the table on page 171, and based on these
conditions activates or deactivates the following
systems:
Front passenger airbag
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
The system monitors the weight and load on the front
passenger seat, and the seat belt buckle switch in
determining conditions 1 — 4.
In order for the system to detect the conditions correctly,
do not do any of the following:
Apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment
(e.g. armrest).
Attach a commercial seatback table, etc. to the front
passenger seatback.
Put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your
hands or feet on the seat seatback from the rear passenger
seat.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
169
The “AIRBAG OFF” indicator lights will be illuminated
when the ignition switch is in the “ON” position and a child
or 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 the front passenger occupant classification system
determines that a person of adult size sits in the front
passenger seat but the “AIRBAG OFF” indicator light is
illuminated, one of the following is likely to have occurred:
The rear passenger lifts the front passenger seat cushion
with their legs.
Objects are placed under the front passenger seat.
A front passenger seat seatback is in contact with a rear
seat.
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 ON” indicator light is illuminated when
an adult sits in the front passenger seat. If the “AIRBAG OFF”
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 OFF” 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.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
171
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification s\
ystem
Condition detected by the front
passenger occupant
classification system
Indicator/warning lightDevices
“AIRBAG ON” and
“AIRBAG OFF”
indicator lights
SRS
warning light
Front
passenger’s seat belt
reminder light
Front
passenger airbagSide airbag
on the frontpassenger seatCurtain
shield airbag in the frontpassenger sideFront
passenger’s seat belt
pretensioner
1Adult*1“AIRBAG ON”OffFlashing*4Activated
2Child *2 or child
restraint system*3“AIRBAG OFF”OffFlashing*4Deactivated
Activated
Activated
3UnoccupiedNot
illuminatedOffOffDeactivatedDeactivated
4There is a
malfunction in the
system“AIRBAG OFF”OnOffDeactivatedActivated
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller ad\
ult 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 system” on page 176 as for installing
the child restraint system.)
*
4: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
172
CAUTION
To avoid potential death or serious injury when the front
passenger occupant classification system does not
detect the conditions correctly, observe the following.
Wear the seat belt properly.
Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt tab has not
been left inserted into the buckle before someone
sits in the front passenger seat.
Make sure the “AIRBAG ON” indicator light is
illuminated when using the seat belt extender for the
front passenger seat. If the “AIRBAG OFF” indicator
light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue
from the seat belt buckle, then reconnect the seat
belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender after making
sure the “AIRBAG ON” indicator light is illuminated.
If you use the seat belt extender while the “AIRBAG
OFF” indicator light is illuminated, the front
passenger airbag and side airbag on the front
passenger side may not activate correctly, which
could cause death or serious injury in the event of
collision.
Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat
or equipment (e.g. armrest).
Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by
putting your hands or feet on the front passenger
seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.
Do not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger
seat with their feet or press on the seatback with their
legs.
Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.
Do not recline the front passenger seat seatback so
far that it touches a rear seat. This may cause the
“AIRBAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated,
which indicates that the passenger’s airbags will not
deploy in the event of a severe accident. If the
seatback touches the rear seat, return the seatback
to a position where it does not touch the rear seat.
Keep the front passenger seatback as upright as
possible when the vehicle is moving. Reclining the
seatback excessively may lessen the effectiveness
of the seat belt system.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
173
If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the
“AIRBAG ON” indicator light should be illuminated.
If the “AIRBAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the
passenger to sit up straight, well back in the seat, feet
on the floor, and with the seat belt worn correctly. If
the “AIRBAG OFF” indicator still remain illuminated,
either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat, or
if that is not possible, move the front passenger seat
fully rearward.
When it is unavoidable to install the forward facing
child restraint system on the front passenger seat,
install the child restraint system on the front
passenger seat in the proper order. (As for the
installation order, see “Child restraint system” on
page 176.)
Do not remove the seat.
Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to
severe impact. Otherwise, the SRS warning light may
come on to indicate a malfunction of the detection
system. In this case, contact your Lexus dealer
immediately.
Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat
should not contact the front seatbacks.In addition to the precautions outlined above, the “AIRBAG
ON” indicator light may be illuminated when a child sits in the
front passenger seat or a forward −facing child restraint system
is installed on the front passenger seat. If the “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator light is not illuminated in these circumstances, the
front passenger airbag and side airbag on the front passenger
side are in an activated condition — the airbags will deploy if
an impact meets the deployment criteria. Refer to all the
cautions in this Section and “Child restraint system” on page
176.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
174
ROLL SENSING OF CURTAIN
SHIELD AIRBAGS OFF SWITCH
The roll sensing of curtain shield airbags off switch
(“RSCA OFF” switch) can turn off the curtain shield
airbags and seat belt pretensioners in a vehicle rollover.
This switch should only be used if inflation is not desired
(such as extreme off road driving).
When you push the “RSCA OFF” switch for a few seconds with
the ignition switch on, the “RSCA OFF” indicator light comes
on and the roll sensing function is turned off. When you push
the switch again, the indicator light goes off and the roll sensing
function is turned on. (For details about the roll sensing
function, see “SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags” on
page 156.) In a severe side impact, the curtain shield airbags on impacted
side will inflate even if the roll sensing function is turned off.
(For details about the curtain shield airbags, see “SRS side
airbags and curtain shield airbags” on page 156.)
In a severe frontal impact, the seat belt pretensioners will work
even if the roll sensing function is turned off. (For details about
the seat belt pretensioners, see “Seat belt pretensioners” on
page 142.)
If the ignition switch is turned to “ACC” or “LOCK” with the\
roll
sensing
function off and then the ignition switch is turned back
to “ON”, the roll sensing function will turn back on
automatically.CAUTION
Before normal driving, make sure the “RSCA OFF”
indicator light is off.
When the roll sensing function is turned off (and the
“RSCA OFF” indicator light is on), the curtain shield
airbags and seat belt pretensioners will not work in
a vehicle rollover. Turning off the curtain shield
airbags and seat belt pretensioners reduces
occupant protection which your vehicle safety
systems can provide in accidents and increase the
likelihood of death or serious injuries.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
175
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. and Canada 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 belts” on page 131 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.
Never install a rear facing child restraint system on
the front passenger seat even if the “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated. 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 even if the “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, 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/or
curtain shield airbags inflate, and the impact could
cause death or serious injury to the child.