2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Owners Manual

65
The seat belt pretensioners are controlled
by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag
sensor assembly consists of a safing sen-
sor and airbag sensor.
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 in-
terfere with proper operation of the
seat belt pretensioners in some
cases.
 Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Repairs on or near the front 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
 Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure or con-
sole
22p010a
This indicator comes on when the “IG
ON” mode is enabled. It goes off after
about 6 seconds. This means the seat
belt pretensioners are operating proper-
ly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors,
driver ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat
belt buckle switch, front passenger occu-
pant classification system and indicator
light, front passenger ’s seat belt buckle
switch, seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
interconnecting wiring and power sources.
(For details, see “Service reminder indica-
tors and warning buzzers” on page 125.)

66
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.
The light does not come on when the
“IG−ON” mode is enabled or remains
on for more than 6 seconds.
The light comes on while driving.
If either front seat belt does not retract
or can not be pulled out due to a
malfunction or activation of the relevant
seat belt pretensioner.
The seat belt pretensioner assembly or
surrounding area has been damaged.
22p012a
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The front part 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.
22p013b
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) front airbags are designed to pro-
vide further protection for the driver
and front passenger in addition to the
primary safety protection provided by
the seat belts.
Your vehicle is equipped with “ADVANCED
AIRBAGS” designed based on US motor
vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The
airbag system controls airbag deployment
power for the driver and front passenger.
The driver airbag system consists of the
driver seat’s position sensor, etc. The
front passenger ’s airbag system consists
of the front passenger occupant classifica-
tion sensor, etc.
SRS driver and front
passenger airbags

67
In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS front airbags work with the seat
belts to help reduce injury by inflating.
The SRS front airbags help reduce injuries
mainly to the driver ’s or front passenger ’s
head or chest caused by hitting the ve-
hicle interior.
The SRS front passenger airbag will not
activate if there is no passenger sitting in
the front passenger seat. However, the
front passenger airbag may deploy if lug-
gage is put in the seat, or the seat belt
is buckled up, regardless of the presence
of an occupant in the seat. (As for the
front passenger occupant classification
system, see “—Front passenger occupant
classification system” on page 81.)
Always wear your seat belt properly.CAUTION
The SRS front airbag system is de-
signed only as a supplement to the
primary protection of the driver and
front passenger seat belt systems.
The driver and front passenger can
be killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts properly. Wear-
ing a seat belt properly during an
accident reduces the chances of
death or serious injury or being
thrown out of the vehicle. For in-
structions and precautions concern-
ing the seat belt system, see “Seat
belts” on page 58.
Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing airbags. An infant or child who
is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system. Toyota
strongly recommends that all in-
fants and children be placed in the
rear seat of the vehicle and proper-
ly restrained. The rear seat is the
safest for infants and children. For
instructions concerning the installa-
tion of a child restraint system, see
“Child restraint” on page 86.

68
The SRS front airbags are designed to
deploy in severe (usually frontal) colli-
sions where the magnitude and duration
of the forward deceleration of the ve-
hicle exceeds the designed threshold
level.
The SRS front airbags will deploy if the
severity of the impact is above the de-
signed threshold level, comparable to an
approximate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision
when the vehicle has the impact straight
into a fixed barrier that does not move or
deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or
sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an
underride collision (e.g. a collision in
which the front of the vehicle “underrides”,
or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
It is possible that in some collisions
where the forward deceleration of the ve-
hicle is very close to the designed thresh-
old level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate
together.
Always wear your seat belts properly.
22p015c
Collision from
the side Vehicle rollover
Collision from
the rear
The SRS front airbags are not generally
designed to inflate if the vehicle is in-
volved in a side or rear collision, if it
rolls over, or if it is involved in a low
speed frontal collision. But, when
ever a
collision of any type causes sufficient
forward deceleration of the vehicle, de-
ployment of the SRS front airbags may
occur.
22p016c
Hitting a curb, edge
of pavement or
hard surface Falling into or jump-
ing over a deep hole
Landing hard or vehicle falling
The SRS front airbags may also deploy
if a serious impact occurs to the under-
side of your vehicle. Some examples
are shown in the illustration.

69
22p238
The SRS front airbag system consists
mainly of the following components and
their locations are shown in the illustra-
tion.1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Front passenger occupant classification indicator light
4. Airbag module for front passenger (air- bag and inflator)
5. Passenger ’s seat belt buckle switch
6. Front passenger occupant classification system (ECU and sensors)
7. Driver ’s seat belt buckle switch 8. Driver ’s seat position sensor
9. Airbag sensor assembly
10. Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator) The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.
The front airbag sensors constantly moni-
tor the forward deceleration of the vehicle.
If an impact results in a forward decelera-
tion beyond the designed threshold level,
the system triggers the airbag inflators. At
this time a chemical reaction in the inflat-
ors very quickly fills the airbags with non
−
toxic gas to help restrain the froward mo-
tion of the occupants. The front airbags
then quickly deflate, so that there is no
obstruction of the driver ’s vision should it
be necessary to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
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 imme-
diately.

70
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 inju-
ries, primarily to the head and chest, it
may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These
are usually in the nature of minor burns
or abrasions and swelling, but the force of
a deploying airbag can cause more seri-
ous injuries, especially if an occupant’s
hands, arms, chest or head is in close
proximity to the airbag module at the time
of deployment. This is why it is important
for the occupant to: avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the
occupant and the airbag module; sit
straight and well back into the seat; wear
the available seat belt properly; and sit as
far as possible from the airbag module,
while still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, airbag cover and inflator) may be hot
for several minutes after deployment, so
do not touch! The airbags inflate only
once. The windshield may be damaged by
absorbing some of the force of the inflat-
ing airbag.CAUTION
The driver or front passenger who is
too close to the steering wheel or
dashboard during airbag deployment
can be killed or seriously injured.
Toyota strongly recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
If the seat belt extender has been
connected to the driver ’s seat belt
buckle without wearing the seat belt
when using the extender in the
driver ’s seat, the SRS driver ’s air-
bag system will judge that the driv-
er wears the seat belt even if not
wearing it. In this case, the driver ’s
airbag may not activate correctly,
causing death or serious injury in
the event of collision. Be sure to
wear the seat belt with the seat belt
extender.
For instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seating position, see
“—Front seat precautions” on page
52.

71
22p020a
Do not sit on the edge of the seat
or lean against the dashboard when
the vehicle is in use, since the
front passenger airbag could inflate
with considerable speed and force.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, an airbag when it inflates,
can be killed or seriously injured.
Sit up straight and well back in the
seat, and always use your seat belt
properly.
22p236
Toyota strongly recommends that
all infants and children be placed in
the rear seat of the vehicle and be
properly restrained.
Do not hold a child on your lap or
in your arms. Use a child restraint
system in the rear seat. For instruc-
tions concerning the installation of
a child restraint system, see “Child
restraint” on page 86.
22p022c
Do not put anything or any part of
your body on or in front of the
dashboard or steering wheel pad
that houses the front airbag sys-
tem. They might restrict inflation or
cause death or serious injury as
they are projected rearward by the
force of the deploying airbags. Like-
wise, the driver and front passenger
should not hold objects in their
arms or on their knees.

72
Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components, such as
the steering wheel pad, steering
wheel, column cover, dashboard
near the front passenger airbag,
front passenger airbag cover, front
passenger airbag or airbag sensor
assembly. Doing so may prevent the
front airbag system from activating
correctly, cause sudden front air-
bags activation of the system or
disable the system, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
Consult your Toyota dealer about any
repair and modification.
If you wish to modify your vehicle for
a person with a physical disability,
consult your Toyota dealer. It may
dangerously interfere with the SRS
side airbags and curtain shield air-
bags operation.NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can in-
terfere with proper operation of the
SRS front airbag system in some
cases.
 Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 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
 Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure, con-
sole, steering column, steering
wheel or dashboard near the front
passenger airbag
22p010a
This indicator comes on when the “IG
ON” mode is enabled. It goes off after
about 6 seconds. This means the SRS
front airbags are operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors,
driver ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat
belt buckle switch, front passenger occu-
pant classification system and indicator
light, front passenger ’s seat belt buckle
switch, seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
interconnecting wiring and power sources.
(For details, see “Service reminder indica-
tors and warning buzzers” on page 125.)