TOYOTA CAMRY 1996 Owner's Guide
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2. Remove the head restraint, unlock
the seatback and fold it down while
pushing the bottom cushion forward.
This will enlarge the luggage compart-
ment as far as the raised bottom cushion.
See Luggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load-
ing luggage.
If desired, each seat may be folded sepa-
rately.3. After folding the seatback down,
hook the strap to the tab on the reverse
side of the seatback.
CAUTION!
When returning the seatback to the
upright position:
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seatback is secure-
ly locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seat-
back.
4. Store the head restraint using the
head restraint retaining holes in the
bottom cushion.
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27
1. Swing the seatback up with the
handle.2. Turn the bottom cushion over with
the handle.
CAUTION!
Take care not to get your hands or
fingers caught.
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seat-
back.
When using the third seat, for your
safety make sure the rear seatback
is also upright and securely
locked.
BEFORE TAKING DOWN THIRD SEAT
Stow the third seat belts facing the di-
rection shown in the illustration.
This prevents them from falling out when
you fold the seatback.
NOTICE
The seat belts must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.
ÐFold-down third seat (wagon)ÐTake-down third seat
(wagon)
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TAKING DOWN THIRD SEAT
1. Turn the bottom cushion over.2. Release the lock release lever and
fold down the seatback.
CAUTION!
Take care not to get your hands or
fingers caught.
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, press the lock release but-
ton 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 recom-
mended.
CAUTION!
Adjust the top 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 re-
straints removed.
Head restraints
(vertically adjustable type)
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To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, press the lock release but-
ton and push the head restraint down.
To move the head restraint forward,
pull on the top.
Pulling the top of the head restraint as far
as it can go will return it to the upright posi-
tion.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION!
Adjust the top 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 re-
straints removed.
Head restraints (vertically and
rotationally adjustable type)
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30Toyota recommends that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts pro-
vided. Failure to do so could increase the
chance of injury and/or the severity of injury
in accidents.
Baby or small child. Use a child restraint
system which fits your vehicle. See Child
restraintº for details.
Child. If a child is too large for a child re-
straint 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. Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. If the
shoulder belt falls across the child's neck or
face, move the child to the center position
and use the center lap belt.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends
the use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as pos -
sible over the hips and not on the waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the injury,
however, first check with your doctor.
CAUTION!
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more like-
ly to suffer serious bodily injury in
the event of sudden braking or a col-
lision.
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 peopleÐeven chil-
dren.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seat-
backs are in the upright position.
(See the seat adjustment instruc-
tions.)
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 periodical-
ly. 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 clean-
ersÐthey may severely weaken the
belts.
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assem-
bly should be replaced even if
damage is not obvious.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
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Seat belts with a seat belt hangerÐ
Make sure that the seat belt hanger is
secured in raised position. If it is not,
be sure to raise the seat belt hanger
until it locks in position.
You will hear a click when the seat belt
hanger locks in position.Adjust the seat as needed (front seats
only) 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.
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.When a passenger's shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that posi-
tion and cannot be extended. This feature
is used to hold the child restraint system
securely. (For details, see Child restraintº
in this chapter.) To free the belt again, fully
retract the belt and then pull the belt out
once more.
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
Toyota dealer.
ÐFront seat belts and rear
outside seat belts
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Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchorÐ
Adjust the shoulder anchor position
to your size.
To raise the anchor position, push the an-
chor up. To lower the anchor position, pull
the knob and 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 in-
crease the chance of injury.
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hipsÐnot on your waist, then adjust
it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder por-
tion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION!
High-positioned lap belts and
loose-fitting belts both could in-
crease the chance of injury due to
sliding under the lap belt during
an accident. Keep the lap belt as
low on your hip bone as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.
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To release the belt, press the buckle-
release button and allow the belt to re-
tract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull
it out and check for kinks or twists. Then
make sure it remains untwisted as it re-
tracts.Sit up straight and well back in the
seat. To fasten your belt, insert the tab
into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
If the belt is not long enough for you, hold
the tab at a right angle to the belt and pull
on the tab.
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
Toyota dealer.
CAUTION! ÐRear center seat belt
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Remove excess length of the belt and
adjust the belt position.
To shorten the belt, pull the free end of the
belt.
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hipsÐnot on your waist, then adjust
it to a snug fit.
CAUTION!
High-positioned and loose-fitting
lap belts could increase the chance
of injury due to sliding under the lap
belt during an accident. Keep the lap
belt as low on your hip bone as pos-
sible.
To release the belt, press the buckle-
release button.The rear seat belts can be stowed
when not in use.
Seat belts must be stowed before you fold
the seatback. (See Rear seatsÐFold-
down rear seatº in this chapter.)
ÐStowing the rear seat belts
(wagon)
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The third seat belts can be stowed
when not in use.
Seat belts must be stowed before you fold
the seatback. (See Rear seatsÐTake-
down third seatº in this chapter.)If your seat belt cannot be fastened se-
curely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer
so that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is avail-
able at your Toyota dealer.
When using the seat belt extender,
observe the following. Failure to fol-
low 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 with-
out it.
Remember that the extender pro-
vided for you may not be safe
when used on a different vehicle,
or for another person or a different
seating position than the one orig-
inally intended for.
CAUTION!To connect the extender to the seat
belt, insert the tab into the seat belt
buckle so that the PRESSº signs on
the buckle-release buttons of the ex-
tender 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 extend-
er itself.
When not in use, remove the extender
and store in the vehicle for future use.
ÐStowing the third seat belts
(wagon) ÐSeat belt extender
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