2009 Lexus GS350 Owner's Manual

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Seat belts
Make sure that all occupants are wearing their seat belts before driving the
vehicle.
■Correct use of the seat belts
Extend the shoulder belt so
that it comes fully over the
shoulder, but does not come
into contact with the neck or
slide off the shoulder.
Position the lap belt as low as
possible over the hips.
Adjust the position of the
seatback. Sit up straight and
well back in the seat.
Do not twist the seat belt.
■ Fastening and releasing the seat belt
Fastening the belt
Push the tab into the buckle until
a clicking sound is heard.
Releasing the belt
Press the release button.
Release button
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Seat belt comfort guide (outboard rear seats)
If the shoulder belt fits close to a
person’s neck, slide the seat belt
comfort guide forward.
Seat belt pretensioners (front and outboard rear seats)The pretensioner helps the seat
belt to quickly restrain the occu-
pant by retracting the seat belt
when the vehicle is subjected to
certain types of severe frontal colli-
sion.
The pretensioner may not activate
in the event of a minor frontal
impact, a side impact or a rear
impact.
■ Adjusting the height of the belt (front seats)
Up
Down
Move the height adjuster up and
down as needed until you hear a
click.
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Pre-collision seat belts (front seats of vehicles with pre-collision system)If the pre-collision sensor detects that a collision is unavoidable, the pre-
collision system will retract the seat be lt, thus enhancing the effectiveness
of the seat belt pretensioner in a crash.
The same will happen if the driver ma kes an emergency braking or loses con-
trol of the vehicle. ( →P. 2 0 7 )
■Emergency locking retractor (ELR)
The retractor will lock the belt during a sudd en stop or on impact. It may also lock if
you lean forward too quickly. A slow, easy motion will allow the belt to extend, and
you can move around fully.
■Automatic locking retractor (ALR)
When a passenger’s shoulder belt is completely extended and then retracted even
slightly, the belt is locked in that position and cannot be extended. This feature is
used to hold the child restraint system (CRS) firmly. To free the belt again, fully
retract the belt and then pull the belt out once more. ( →P. 113)
■Pregnant women
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt
in the proper way. (→P. 6 4 )
Women who are pregnant should position
the lap belt as low as possible over the hips in
the same manner as other occupants. Extend
the shoulder belt completely over the shoul-
der and position the belt across the chest.
Avoid belt contact over the rounding of the
abdominal area.
If the seat belt is not worn properly, not only a
pregnant woman, but also the fetus could suf-
fer death or serious injury as a result of sud-
den braking, sudden swerving or a collision.
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■People suffering illness
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt in the proper way. ( →P. 6 4 )
■Child seat belt usage
The seat belts of your vehicle were princi pally designed for persons of adult size.
●Use a child restraint system appropriately for the child, until the child becomes
large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt. ( →P. 1 0 9 )
●When the child becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt,
follow the instructions on P. 64 regarding seat belt usage.
■Replacing the belt after the pretensioner has been activated
If the vehicle is involved in multiple collisions, the pretensioner will activate for the
first collision, but will not activate for the second or subsequent collisions.
■Seat belt extender
If your seat belts cannot be fastened securely
because they are not long enough, a person-
alized seat belt extender is available from
your Lexus dealer free of charge.
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CAUTION
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of sudden
braking, sudden swerving or an accident. Failing to do so may cause death or serious
injury.
■Wearing a seat belt
●Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.
●Always wear a seat belt properly.
●Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt for more
than one person at the same time, including children.
●Lexus recommends that children should be seated in the rear seat and always use
a seat belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.
●Do not recline the seat any more than necessary to achieve a proper seating
position. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting up straight
and well back in the seats.
●Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
●Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
■Adjustable shoulder anchor
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of your shoul-
der. The belt should be kept away from yo ur neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Failure to do so could reduce the amount of protection in an accident and cause
death or serious injuries in the event of a sudden stop, sudden swerve or accident.
( → P. 6 5 )
■Seat belt pretensioners
●Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat. Doing so
will disperse the passenger’s weight, wh ich prevents the sensor from detecting
the passenger’s weight properly. As a resu lt, the seat belt pretensioner for the
front passenger’s seat may not activate in the event of a collision.
●If the pretensioner has activated, the SRS warning light will come on. In that case,
the seat belt cannot be used again and must be replaced at your Lexus dealer.
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CAUTION
■Child restraint lock function belt precaution
Do not allow children to play with the child restraint lock function belt. If the belt
becomes twisted around a child’s neck, it will not be possible to pull the belt out
leading to choking or other serious in juries that could result in death.
If this occurs and the buckle cannot be un fastened, scissors should be used to cut
the belt.
■Seat belt damage and wear
●Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate or buckle to be jammed
in the door.
●Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose parts.
Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat belts cannot
protect an occupant from injury.
●Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted. If the seat belt
does not function correctly, immediately contact your Lexus dealer.
●Replace the seat assembly, including the belt s, if your vehicle has been involved in
a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.
●Do not attempt to install, remove, modify , disassemble or dispose of a seat belt.
Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Lexus dealer. Inappropriate han-
dling of the pretensioner may cause it to activate or operate improperly and may
cause death or serious injury.
■Using a seat belt extender
●Do not wear the seat belt extender, if you can fasten the seat belt without the
extender.
●Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system, because
the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increasing the risk of
death or serious injury in the event of an accident.
●The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when used by
another person, or at a different seatin g position other than the one originally
intended.
■Precaution for pre-collision seat belts
Do not rely solely on the pre-collision system to avoid accidents. Always pay atten-
tion to the surrounding conditions , and drive safely and responsibly.
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NOTICE
■When using a seat belt extender
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release button on the extender,
not on the seat belt.
This helps prevent damage to the vehicle interior and the extender itself.
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Before driving
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April 27, 2009 10:48 am
Steering wheel
Auto tilt away and auto returnWhen the “ENGINE START
STOP” switch is turned OFF, the
steering wheel returns to its
stowed position by moving up and
away to enable easier driver entry
and exit.
Switching to ACCESSORY or
IGNITION ON mode will return
the steering wheel to the original
position.
The steering wheel can be adjusted to a comfortable position while the
“ENGINE START STOP” switch is in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON
mode.
Up
Down
Toward the driver
Away from the driver
CAUTION
■While driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel.
Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
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