2009 Lexus GS350 Owner's Manual

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Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system
■Adult*1
■Child*3 or child restraint system*4
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “A I R B A G
ON”
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag and knee airbag
Activated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “A I R B A G
OFF”*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag and knee airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
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■Unoccupied
■ System malfunction
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 and knee airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “A I R B A G
OFF”
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices Front passenger airbag and knee airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
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*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 large child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in
the front passenger seat, the sy stem may recognize him/her as an
adult depending on his/her physique and 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 9 )
*
5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, consult this manual on how to install the child restraint system properly. (→ P. 113)
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the front passenger occupant classifi-
cation system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●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.
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CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using the
seat belt extender for the front passen ger 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 air-
bag, side airbag on the front passenger side and front passenger knee airbag may
not activate correctly, which could cause death or serious injury in the event of a
collision.
●Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment.
●Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or feet on
the front passenger seat seatback from the rear seat.
●Do not let a rear seat passenger lift th e 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 ligh t 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 se at, return the seatback to a position where it does
not touch the rear seat. Keep the front pa ssenger 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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CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●If an adult sits in the front passenger se at, 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 remains illuminated, either ask the pas-
senger to move to the rear seat, or if th at is not possible, move the front passenger
seat fully rearward.
●When it is unavoidable to install a forward-facing child restraint system on the
front passenger seat, install the child rest raint system on the front passenger seat
in the proper order. ( →P. 1 1 3 )
●Do not modify or remove the front 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 in the detection sys-
tem. In this case, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion or seat cover, that covers the seat
cushion surface.
●Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the front seat-
backs.
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Child restraint systems
Points to rememberStudies have shown that installing a ch ild restraint on a rear seat is much
safer than installing one to the front passenger seat.
● Choose a child restraint system that suits your vehicle and is appropri-
ate to the age and size of the child.
● For installation details, follow the instructions provided with the child
restraint system.
General installation instructions ar e provided in this manual.
(→ P. 113)
Types of child restraints
Child restraint systems are classified into the following 3 types according
to the age and size of the child.
Rear facing  Infant seat/convertible 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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Forward facing  Convertible seat
Booster seat
■Selecting an appropriate child restraint system
●Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child until the child becomes
large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt.
●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. 6 4 )
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CAUTION
■Using a child restraint system
The use of a child restraint system not suitable for the vehicle may not properly
secure the infant or child, resulting in death or serious injury.
■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.
●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 the “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 may be installed on the front passenger
seat only when it is unavoidable. A child restraint system that requires a top tether
strap should not be used in the front passenger seat since there is no top tether
strap anchor for the front passenger seat. Adjust the seatback as upright as possi-
ble and always move the seat as far back as possible even if the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, because th e 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 a sudden stop, sudden swerve or accident.
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