Lexus IS300 2001 Maintenance Schedule / LEXUS 2001 IS300 (OM53437) Owners Manual

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
78
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head restraint so that it is
closest to the top of your ears.
 After adjusting the head restraint, make sure it is
locked in position.
 Do not drive with the head restraints removed.
Rear seats
SV16007

Outside rear seats
SV16008

Center rear seat
To raise the head restraint, pull it up. To lower it, press the
lock release button and push the head restraint down.
The head restraint is most effective when it is close to your
head. Therefore, using a cushion on the seatback is not
recommended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head restraint so that it is
closest to the top of your ears.
 After adjusting the head restraint, make sure it is
locked in position.
 Do not drive with the head restraints removed.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
79
TILT STEERING WHEEL
SV16064
To change the steering wheel angle, hold the steering
wheel, pull the lock release lever toward you, tilt the
steering wheel to the desired angle and release the lever.
When the steering wheel is in a low position, it will spring up as
you release the lock release lever.
CAUTION
 Do not adjust the steering wheel while the vehicle is
moving. It may cause the driver to mishandle the
vehicle and an accident may occur resulting in death
or injuries.
 After adjusting the steering wheel, try moving it up
and down to make sure it is locked in position.
OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRRORS
SV16010
Adjust the mirror so that you can just see the side of your
vehicle in the mirror.
Be careful when judging the size or distance of any object seen
in the outside rear view mirror on the passenger's side. It is a
convex mirror with a curved surface. Any object seen in a
convex mirror will lock smaller and farther away than if seen in
a normal flat mirror.
When the ignition switch is turned ºONº, the heater panels in
the outside rear view mirrors will quickly clear the surface.
The outside rear view mirror heater will operate while the
ignition switch is ºONº.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
80
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is moving.
It may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and
an accident may occur, resulting in personal death or
injuries.
 Since the mirror surfaces can get hot, keep your
hands off them when the rear window and outside
rear view mirror defogger switch is on.
Power rear view mirror control
SV16012

1Master switch 2Control switch
To adjust the power rear view mirror, first place the master
switch at ºLº (left) or ºRº (right), and push the contro\
l
switch on the desired side.
The power rear view mirror can be adjusted when the key is in
the ºACCº or ºONº position.
NOTICE
If ice should jam the mirror, do not operate the control
or scrape the mirror face. Use a spray de±icer to free themirror.
Folding rear view mirrors
SS16030
To fold the rear view mirror, push backward.
The rear view mirrors can be folded backward for parking in
restricted areas.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the mirrors folded backward. Both the
driver and passenger side rear view mirrors must be
extended and properly adjusted before driving.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
81
INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR
SV16011

1Day 2Night
When driving at night, pull the lever toward you to reduce
the glare from the headlights of vehicles behind you.
Before adjusting the mirror to the position with most clarity,
push the day±night change lever forward (daylight driving
position).
Remember that by reducing glare you also lose some rear view
clarity.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is moving. It
may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and an
accident may occur resulting in personal death or
injuries.
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.
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 102 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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
82Injured 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 72.)
 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.
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 282 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
SV16013
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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
83
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 102.) 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.
SV16014
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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
84
SV16015
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.
SV16016
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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
85
Seat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened securely because it is 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. Failure to follow these instructions could
result in less 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, or for
another person or at a different seating position than
the one originally intended for.
SV16050
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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
86
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.
Front seat belt pretensioners
SV16069
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 seat belt pretensioners are activated even with no
passenger in the front seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and angles may cause
the seat belt pretensioners and SRS airbags not to operate all
together.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
87
SV16061
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the ºACCº or ºONº position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the front seat belt pretensioners are
operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side airbag sensors, door side
airbag sensors, front seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
inflators, warning light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. (For details, see ºService reminder indicators and
warning buzzersº on page 38.)
SV16068

1Front airbag sensors
2Seat belt pretensioner assemblies
3SRS warning light
4Airbag sensor assembly
The front seat belt pretensioner system consists mainly of the
above components and their locations are shown in the
illustration.
The front seat belt pretensioners are controlled by the airbag
sensor assembly. The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.
When the front seat belt pretensioners are activated, an
operating noise may be heard and a small amount of
smoke±like gas may be released. This gas is harmless and
does not indicate that a fire is occurring.
Once the front seat belt pretensioners have been activated, the
seat belt retractors remain locked.