TOYOTA ECHO 2003 1.G Owner's Guide

27
Front passenger seat
CAUTION
The SRS front passenger airbag also
deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury es-
pecially if the front passenger is very
close to the airbag. The front passen-
ger seat should be as far from the
airbag as possible with the seatback
adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in
the driver and front passenger seats.
Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean against the front door
when the vehicle is in use, since
the side airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise,
you may be killed or seriously in-
jured.
Do not use seat accessories which
cover the area where the side air-
bags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly causing death or
serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of front seats with
side airbags. Such changes may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, disable the system
or cause the side airbags to inflate
accidentally, resulting in death or
serious injury.
—Seat adjustment precautions
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
that the seat does not hit a passen-
ger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position, re-
lease the lever and try sliding the
seat forward and backward to make
sure it is locked in position.
After adjusting the seatback, push
your body back against the seat to
make sure the seat is locked in
position.
Do not put objects under the seats.
Otherwise, the objects may interfere
with the seatlock mechanism or
unexpectedly push up the seat posi-
tion adjusting lever and the seat
may suddenly move, causing the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. Otherwise, your
hands or fingers may be caught and
injured.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
—Front seat precautions
(on vehicles with SRS side airbags)

28
—Adjusting front seats
SU13001
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Hold the center of the lever and pull it
up. Then slide the seat to the desired
position with slight body pressure and
release the lever.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
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 maxi-
mum protection in a frontal or rear
collision when the driver and the pas-
senger 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.
SU13116
Lift the seatback release lever—the
seatback will tilt forward.
This allows passengers to get into or out
of the rear seat easily. After passengers
are in, lift up on the seatback.
CAUTION
After putting back the seatback, try
pushing the seatback forward and
rearward to make sure it is secured
in place.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
—Tilting driver ’s seatback for
rear seat entry
(2door models)

29
SU13117
For easy access to the rear seat, do
this.1. Lift the seatback angle adjusting lever or press the pedal behind the seat-
back.
The seat will slide forward.
2. Move the seat to the frontmost posi- tion.
After passengers are in, lift up the seat-
back and return the seat until it locks.
CAUTION
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat forward and rear-
ward to make sure it is secured in
place.
Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.
Folddown rear seat
SU13109
(A) FOLDING DOWN REAR SEAT 1. Pull up the seatback security lock lever 1 to the unlock position.
2. Pull up the lock release button 2.
3. Fold down the seatback.
Each seatback may be folded separately.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
—Moving passenger ’s seat for
rear seat entry
(2door models)

30
SU13004
This will enlarge the trunk as far as the
seatbacks. See “Luggage stowage
precautions” in Section 2 for precautions
to observe for loading luggage.
NOTICE
Make sure the luggage loaded in the
enlarged trunk will not damage the
webbing of the rear center seat belt
when the left seatback is folded
down.
CAUTION
When returning the seatback to the
upright position, observe the follow-
ing in precautions order to prevent
personal injury in a collision or sud-
den stop:
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Failure to do so will prevent the
seat belt from operating properly.
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in the proper
position and are ready to use.
SU13110
(B) PREVENTING DAMAGE TO REAR CENTER SEAT BELT WEBBING
When folding down the left seatback,
the luggage loaded in the enlarged
trunk will damage the webbing of the
rear center seat belt. Disconnect the
rear center seat belt to prevent damage.
Insert the key into the hole (light gray)
on the buckle to release tab 1 (light
gray), and allow the belt to retract.
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31
CAUTION
Disconnect the rear center seat belt
only under the above mentioned cir-
cumstances; do not disconnect it in
other circumstances.
SU13122
(C) BEFORE RETURNING REAR SEAT
Before returning the seatback to the
upright position, make sure to correctly
connect the center seat belt for ready
use.
Insert tab 2 into the buckle 3.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
CAUTION
Be careful not to mix up the proper
match of tab and buckle. Do not
insert tab 1 (light gray) into other
buckle than the one with light gray
buckle release button. (See “Seat
belts” in this section for proper
matching of the buckles and tabs.)
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
Make sure the belt is not twisted or
caught in the seatback and that it
is arranged in the proper position
for ready use.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer.
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32
Head restraints
SY13011
Front seat
SU13007
Rear seat
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
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 center of the head re-
straint 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.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained 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 ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint”
for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould 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. If an
accident occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

33
Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
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
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, 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 maxi-
mum protection when the seatbacks
are in the upright position. (Refer
to the seat adjustment instructions.)
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 re-
placed. 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-
ers—they may severely weaken the
belts. (See “Cleaning the interior”
in Section 5.)
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.
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34
—Front and rear seat belts
SY13014a
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
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see “Child
restraint” in this section.) 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. Do not use the seat
until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot
protect an adult occupant or your
child from injury.
SZ13014
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor (4door models)—
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to
your size.
To raise: Slide the anchor up.
To lower: Push in the lock release button
and slide the anchor down.
After adjustment make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
2003
ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

35
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
serious injures in a collision.
SY13016
Ta k e u p
slack
To o h i g h
Keep as low on
hips as possible
Ta k e u p
slack
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-
just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder
portion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both highpositioned lap belts and
loosefitting belts could increase
the chance of injury due to sliding
under the lap belt during an acci-
dent or other unintended result.
Keep the lap belt as low on your
hips as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

36
SY13017
To release the belt, press the bucklere-
lease 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.
CAUTION
Do not separate the buckle with light
gray buckle release button. Otherwise,
the seat belt may not work properly.
See the information in the following
columns.
SU13012
REAR CENTER SEAT BELT (WITH
FOLDDOWN SEAT)
The rear center seat belt is a 3point type
restraint with 2 buckles. Both seat belt
buckles must be correctly located and se-
curely latched for proper operation
Make sure the buckle 1 (with light gray
bucklerelease button) is securely latched
for ready use of the center seat belt.
The buckle 1 should be separated when
the rear left seatback is folded down.
Otherwise, the luggage loaded in the en-
larged trunk will damage the webbing of
the rear center seat belt. (See “Folddown
rear seat” in this section for the instruc-
tion of how to correctly connect the seat
belt.)
SU13013
Two buckles and tabs for rear center
seat belt
The two buckles for the rear center seat
belt are distinguished with colors of the
buckle release button. Also the two tabs
have different shape for its end so that
the belt is not buckled in the wrong place.Buckle 1—Properly matches with light
gray tab
Buckle 2—Properly matches with interi-
or color tab
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)