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1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags. Failure to do so may
ca
use death or serious injury:
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with seat belts.
●The SRS driver airbag deploys by a cons iderable 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 th e fi
rst 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of inflation,
placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) 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 10 in. (250 mm) away now, you can
change your driving position in several ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals
co
mfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Alt
hough vehicle designs vary, many driv-
ers can achieve the 10 in. (250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the
w
ay forward, simply 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, ti lt it do
wnward. This points the airbag
toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still main-
taining control of the foot pedals, steerin g
wheel and your view of the instrument
panel controls.
●The SRS front passenger airbag also de ploys by a considerable force and can
cause death or serious injury especially, if the front passenger is very close to the
airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag as possible with
the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits upright.
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the driver’s seat belt buckle but
the seat belt extender has also not also
been fastened to the latch plate of the
driver’s seat belt, the SRS driver’s airbag
system will judge that the driver is wearing
the seat belt, even though the seat belt has
not been connected. In this case the
driver’s airbag may not activate correctly, in
a collision, resulting in death or serious
injury in the event of collision. Be sure to
wear the seat belt with the seat belt
extender.
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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or seri-
ously injured by the deploying airbags. An infant or child who is too small to use a
sea
t 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.
( P.73 )
●Do not allow anyone to kneel on the pas-
senger seat or put their head or hands out-
side the vehicle.
●Do not attach anything to or lean anything
against areas such as the dashboard, steer-
ing wheel pad or lower portion of instru-
ment panel. These items can become
projectiles when SRS driver, front passen-
ger and knee airbags deploy.
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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If the vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbag will deploy, be sure
to remove it.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
inflate as this may interfere with inflation of these airbags.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components shown on P. 61. Doing so could cause a SRS airbag to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbag has
deployed (inflated) as they become hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult, open a d oor or window to allow fresh air in, or
leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to
prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and
front pillar garnish, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by your Lexus
dealer.
●Do not attach any heavy, sharp or hard
objects such as keys or accessories to the
ignition key. The obje cts may restrict the
SRS knee airbag inflation or be thrust into
the driver's seat area by the force of the
deploying airbag, thus causing a danger.
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1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■Modifications and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not perform any of the following modifications to o
r dispose of the vehicle with -
out consulting your Lexus dealer. The SRS airb
ag may malfunction and may deploy
(inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
• Installation, removal, disassembl y and r
epair of the SRS airbags.
• Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instru -
ment panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholste
ry, front, side and rear pillars or
roof side rail.
• Repair or modification of the front fender , fr
ont bumper or side of the occupant
compartment.
• Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars, kangaroo ba
r, etc.).
• Modifications to the vehi cle
’s suspension system.
• Installation of electronic devices such as a mobile two-way radio, cassette tape pl
ayer or CD player.
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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■While driving the vehicle
●Be careful when driving on slippery surfaces, as the vehicle may skid or spin when
downshifting, rapidly accelerating, braking or turning.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, seat, or mirror while driving.
Doing so may result in losing control of th
e vehicle and cause an accident, which
may cause death or serious injury.
●Always check that passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their bodies are not
outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
■When shifting the selector lever
Use caution if accelerating while shifting.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an
ac
cident.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, and may cause an accident.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
che
ck that exhaust fumes do no t enter the vehicle interior.
●Always keep a foot on the brake pedal while the engine is running to prevent an
accident caused by the vehicle moving.
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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a long
time. Doing so may damage the power steering pump.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping no ise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replace the brake pads as soon as possible.
Exp
ensive rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
■If a malfunction is detected while driving
A flat or damaged tire may c
ause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually press the brak e pedal to slow down the vehicle.
• It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
• The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
• The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. ( P.
3 4 7 )
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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■If the engine does not start
Check whether the other keys will start the engine.
If they work, your key may be broken. Have the key checked at your Lexus dealer.
■Starting the engine using the flat key (Smart access)
■ Steering lock release
When starting the engine, the igni -
tion switch may seem stuck in the
“L
OCK” position. To free it, per -
form the following:
Smart access
Push and hold the ignition
s
witch (do not try to turn the
ignition switch), then rock the
steering wheel until it releases.
Standard
Turn the key while turning the
steering wheel slightly in either
dir
ection.
Remove the flat key from its case.
Insert the flat key into the igni-
tions switch.
Start the engine within 10 sec-
onds after the indicator light goes
off.