belt Lexus GS300 2003 Comfort Adjustment
Page 1 of 60
SECTION 1 ± 6
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
Comfort adjustment
Seats74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt and telescopic steering wheell80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside rear view mirror83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbags97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving position memory system130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 2 of 60
SEATS
While the vehicle is being driven, all vehicle occupants should
have the seatback upright, sit well back in the seat and properly
wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the occupants are
properly seated. Do not allow passengers to sit in the
luggage compartment or cargo area. Persons not
properly seated and/or properly restrained by seat
belts can be severely injured in the event of
emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow passengers to stand up
or move around between seats. Otherwise, severe
injuries can occur in the event of emergency braking
or a collision.
Front seat precautions
Driver seat
CAUTION
The 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 (ºNHTSAº) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 50±75
mm (2±3 in.) of inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10 in.)
from your driver airbag provides 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 250 mm (10 in.) 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 250 mm
(10 in.) distance, even with the driver seat all the way
forward, simply 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.
Page 5 of 60
Adjusting seat position
16G002
Move the control switch in the desired direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat in that position. Do not
place anything under the seat, as this might interfere with the
seat movement.
Adjusting seatback angle
16G003
Move the control switch in the desired direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seatback in that position.
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt during a
collision, avoid reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maximum protection in
a frontal or rear collision when the driver and the
passenger are sitting up straight and well back in the
seats. If you are reclined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces directly to the
abdomen. In the event of a frontal collision, the more the
seat is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury.
Page 16 of 60
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt precautions
Lexus strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the
vehicle be properly restrained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase the chance of injury
and/or the severity of injury in accidents.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle are designed for
people of adult size, large enough to properly wear them.
Child. Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child
until the child becomes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See ºChild restraintº on page 111 for
details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. According to accident statistics, the child is safer
when properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat belts should be worn
properly. Do not let the child sit on your lap. It does not provide
sufficient restraint. If an accident occurs and the seat belts are
not worn properly, the force of the rapid inflation of the airbag
may cause severe injury to the child.
Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel on either rear or front
seats. An unrestrained child could suffer serious injury or
death during emergency braking or a collision.
Pregnant woman. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Ask your doctor for specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as possible over the hips
and not on the waist.Injured person. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt.
Depending on the injury, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats properly wearing
their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely to suffer serious
bodily injury or death in the event of sudden braking or
a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe the following:
Use the belt for only one person at a time. Do not use
a single belt for two or more people ± even children.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too much. The seat
belts provide maximum protection when the
seatbacks are in the upright position. (See
ºAdjusting seatback angleº on page 77.)
Be careful not to damage the belt webbing or
hardware. Take care that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or doors.
Inspect the belt system periodically. Check for cuts,
fraying, and loose parts. Damaged parts should be
replaced. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Page 17 of 60
Keep the belts clean and dry. If they need cleaning,
use a mild soap solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive cleaners ± they may
severely weaken the belts. (See ºCleaning the
interiorº on page 318 for instructions.)
Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it has
been used in a severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage is not obvious.
Fastening front and rear seat belts
16G016
Adjust the seat as needed and sit up straight and well back
in the seat. To fasten your belt, pull it out of the retractor
and insert the tab into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts to your size and the
seat position.The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on
impact. It also may lock if you lean forward too quickly. A slow,
easy motion will allow the belt to extend, and you can move
around freely.
When a passenger's shoulder belt is completely extended and
is 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 securely. (For details, see ºChild restraintº on
page 111.) To free the belt again, fully retract the belt and then
pull the belt out once more.
If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the retractor, firmly pull
the belt and release it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle
are locked and that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the buckle as this
may prevent you from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function normally,
immediately contact your Lexus dealer. Do not use
the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect
an adult occupant or your child from injury.
Page 18 of 60
16G017
Adjust the position of the lap and shoulder belts.
1
Position the lap belt as low as possible on your hips ± not
on your waist.
2
Adjust it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder portion
upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both high±positioned lap belts and loose±fitting
belts could cause serious injuries due to sliding
under the lap belt during a collision or other
unintended result. Keep the lap belt positioned as
low on hips as possible.
For your safety, do not place the shoulder belt under
your arm.
16G018a
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to your size.
To raise the anchor position, push the anchor up. To lower the
anchor position, support the anchor while you push the lock
release button then slide the anchor down. After adjustment,
make sure the anchor is locked in position.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the center of your shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from your neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Failure to do so could reduce the amount of
protection in an accident and cause severe injuries in a
collision.
Page 19 of 60
16G019
To release the belt, press the buckle release button and
allow the belt to retract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull it out and check for
kinks or twists. Then make sure it remains untwisted as it
retracts.
Seat belt comfort guides
16g316
The seat belt comfort guides are installed on the outside
rear seats to relieve uncomfortableness from the
shoulder belt when it is applied closer to a child's neck (at
the age of 10 or so), by pulling the shoulder belt a little
forward.
Slide the seat belt comfort guide forward to adjust the
shoulder belt.
The seat belt comfort guide should not be in the forward
position for other purposes.
Page 20 of 60
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the center of the child's shoulder. The belt
should be kept away from the child's neck, and should
not fall off the child's shoulder. Failure to observe these
precautions could reduce the effectiveness of the seat
belt in an accident, causing death or serious injury.
Seat belt extender
If your seat belts cannot be fastened securely because they
are not long enough, a personalized seat belt extender is
available from your Lexus dealer free of charge.
Please contact your local Lexus dealer to order the proper
required length for the extender. Bring the heaviest coat you
expect to wear for proper measurement and selection of
length. Additional ordering information is available at your
Lexus dealer.
CAUTION
When using the seat belt extender, observe the
following precautions. Failure to follow these
instructions could reduce the effectiveness of the seat
belt restraint system in case of vehicle accident,
increasing the chance of personal injury.
Never use the seat belt extender if you can fasten the
seat belt without it.
Remember that the extender provided for you may
not be safe when used on a different vehicle, for
another person, or at a different seating position than
the one originally intended.
Page 21 of 60
16G055
To connect the extender to the seat belt, insert the tab into
the seat belt buckle so that the ºPRESSº signs on the
buckle release buttons of the extender and the seat belt
are both facing outward as shown.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
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 extender itself.
When not in use, remove the extender and store in the vehicle
for future use.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle
are locked and that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the buckle as this
may prevent you from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function normally,
immediately contact your Lexus dealer. Do not use
the seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect
an adult occupant or your child from injury.
Page 22 of 60
Front seat belt pretensioners
16G132b
The driver and front passenger's seat belt pretensioners
are designed to be activated in response to a severe
frontal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock of a severe frontal
impact, the front seat belts are quickly drawn back by the
retractor so that the belts snugly restrain the front seat
occupants.
The front passenger seat belt pretensioner will not activate if
there is no passenger sitting in the front passenger seat.
However, the front passenger seat belt pretensioner may
activate if luggage is put in the seat, or the seat belt is buckled
up regardless of the presence of the occupant in the seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and angles may cause
the seat belt pretensioners and SRS airbags not to operate all
together.
16G022
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the ªONº position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the front seat belt pretensioners are operating
properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side and curtain shield airbag
sensors, occupant detection sensor, seat belt buckle switch,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, warning light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources. (For details, see
ºService reminder indicators and warning buzzersº on page
40.)