2008 LEXUS RX400H Owners Manual

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1
1-8. Safety information
Before driving
RX400h_U
Front passenger occupant classification system
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system
■Adult*1
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights AIR BAG ON
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Activated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification sys-
tem. This system detects the conditions of the front passenger seat and
activates or deactivates the devices for front passenger.
SRS warning light
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
AIR BAG OFF indicator light
AIR BAG ON indicator light

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1-8. Safety information
RX400h_U■
Child
*3 or child restraint system*4
■Unoccupied
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights AIR BAG
OFF*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights Not illumi-
nated
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Devices Front passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated

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1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
RX400h_U■
There is a malfunction in the system
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: 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.
*4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passen- ger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should only be
installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(→ P. 1 0 8 )
*5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, consult this manual as for installing the child restraint system properly. ( →P. 112)
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights AIR BAG OFF
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices Front passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

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1-8. Safety information
RX400h_U
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●Wear the seat belt properly.
●Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt plate has not been left inserted into the
buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
●Make sure the AIR BAG OFF indicator light is not illuminated when using the
seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the AIR BAG 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 AIR BAG ON indicator light is illuminated. If you use the seat belt extender
while the AIR BAG 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.
seatback pocket or 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 seatback so far that it touches a rear seat. This
may cause the AIR BAG 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.

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1-8. Safety information
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Before driving
RX400h_U
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the AIR BAG ON indicator light is illu-
minated. If the AIR BAG 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 cor-
rectly. If the AIR BAG OFF indicator still remain illuminated, either ask the pas-
senger 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. (→P. 1 1 2 )
●Do not modify or 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 sys-
tem. In this case, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the front
seatbacks.

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1-8. Safety information
RX400h_U
Child restraint systems
Points to rememberStudies have shown that installing a child restraint on a rear seat is much
safer than installing one to the front passenger seat.
● Choose a child restraint system appropriate to the age and size of the
child.
● For installation details, follow the instructions provided with the child
restraint system.
General installation instructions are provided in this manual. ( →P. 112)
Types of child restraints
Child restraint systems are classified into the following 3 types according
to the age and size of the child. Infant seat
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must itself be properly
restrained on the seat with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
The laws of all 50 states of the U.S.A. and Canada now require the use of
child restraint systems.

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1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
RX400h_UConvertible seat
Booster seat
■Selecting an appropriate child restraint system
Get an appropriate child restraint system for the child. If a child is too large for a
child restraint system, sit the child on a rear seat and use the vehicle's seat belt.
(
→ P. 5 8 )
CAUTION
■Child restraint precautions
●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
the 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 wind-
shield, or between you and the vehicle's interior.

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1-8. Safety information
RX400h_U
CAUTION
■Child restraint precautions
●Lexus strongly urges the use of a proper child restraint system that 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 AIR BAG 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 seri-
ous 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 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 AIR BAG 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.
●Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system on the
front or rear passenger seat. If installing a child restraint system with the seat belt
extender connected to the seat belt, the seat belt will not securely hold the child
restraint system, which could cause death or serious injury to the child or other
passengers in the event of collision.
●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 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 curtain shield airbags
inflate, and the impact could cause death or serious injury to the child.
●Make sure you have complied with all installation instructions provided by the
child restraint manufacturer and that the system is properly secured. If it is not
secured properly, it may cause death or serious injury to the child in the event of a
sudden stop or accident.