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103
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
■
When to contact your Toyota dealer
In the following cases, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. Do
not disconnect the battery cables before contacting your Toyota dealer.
●Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
●The front of the vehicle is damaged or
deformed, or was involved in an acci-
dent that was not severe enough to
cause the SRS airbags to inflate.
● Vehicles with side airbags and curtain
shield airbags: A portion of a door is
damaged or deformed, or the vehicle
was involved in an accident that was
not severe enough to cause the SRS
side airbags and curtain shield airbags
to inflate.
● The pad section of the steering wheel
or dashboard is scratched, cracked, or
otherwise damaged.
● Vehicles with side airbags: The surface
of the seats with the side airbag is
scratched, cracked or otherwise dam-
aged.
● Vehicles with curtain shield airbags:
The portion of the front pillars, rear pil-
lars or roof side rail garnishes (padding)
containing the curtain shield airbags
inside is scratched, cracked or other-
wise damaged.
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104 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags.
Failure to do so may cause 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 the seat belts.
● The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable 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 the driver’s airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm)
of inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag pro-
vides 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 comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Although vehicle designs vary, many drivers can achieve the 10 in.
(250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, sim-
ply 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, tilt it downward. This points the air- bag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view
of the instrument panel controls.
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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
SRS airbag precautions
●Vehicles with side airbags: Do not use seat accessories which cover the
parts where the SRS side airbags inflate as they may interfere with infla-
tion of the airbags.
● Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components ( P. 98).
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
● Do not attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board or steering wheel pad.
These items can become projectiles
when SRS driver and front passenger
airbags deploy.
● Vehicles with side airbags and curtain
shield airbags: Do not attach anything
to areas such as the door, windshield
glass, side door glass, front and rear
pillars or roof side rail garnish.
● Vehicles with curtain shield airbags: Do
not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and
seriously injure or kill you, should the
SRS curtain shield airbag deploy.
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108 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
● If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a
door 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.
● Vehicles without side and curtain shield airbags: If the areas where the
SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad are damaged or
cracked, have them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
● Vehicles with side and curtain shield airbags: If the areas where the SRS
airbags are stored, such as the steer ing wheel pad and front and rear pillar
garnishes, are damaged or cracked, hav e them replaced by your Toyota
dealer.
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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■
Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or per form any of the following modifications
without consulting your Toyota dealer.
The SRS airbags may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing
death or serious injury.
● Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags.
● Vehicles without side airbags and curtain shield airbags: Repairs, modifi-
cations, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instrument panel,
dashboard, seats or seat upholstery.
● Vehicles with side airbags and curtain shield airbags: Repairs, modifica-
tions, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instrument panel,
dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars or roof side
rail.
● Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the
occupant compartment.
● Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars, kan-
garoo bar etc.).
● Modifications to the vehicle's suspension system.
● Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD
players.
● Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability.
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135
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting on a steep uphill
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodi-
cally or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bedding-down.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
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136 2-1. Driving procedures
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( P. 470)
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or st op the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
● Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving
position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●
If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehi-
cle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a
serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
● Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P, R or N while the
vehicle is moving.
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission system and
may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the engine brake to not operate properly and lead to
an accident.
● Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering and brake booster systems will not operate properly if
the engine is not running.
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 151)
● When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking
brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing
an accident.
● Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents
that may result in death or serious injury.
● Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bod-
ies are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
● Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not a 4WD vehicle designed for real off-road driving. Proceed with
all due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
● Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage
the engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
