light TOYOTA MATRIX 2012 E140 / 2.G Owner's Guide

92 1-7. Safety information
■Selecting an appropriat e child restraint system
● Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child until the child
becomes large enough to properly w ear the vehicle’s seat belt.
● If a child is too large for a child restraint system, sit the child on a rear
seat and use the vehicle's seat belt. ( P. 48)
CAUTION
■Child restraint precautions
●For effective protection in automobile accidents and sudden stops, a child
must be properly restrained, using a seat belt or child restraint system
depending on the age and size of the child. Holding a child in your arms is
not a substitute for a child restraint system. In an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior.
● Toyota strongly urges the use of a proper child restraint system that con-
forms to the size of the child, installed on the rear seat. According to acci-
dent statistics, the child is safer when properly restrained in the rear seat
than in the front seat.
● Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passenger
seat even if the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illuminated. In the event
of an accident, the force of the rapid inflation of the front passenger airbag
can cause death or serious injury to the child if the rear-facing child
restraint system is installed on the front passenger seat.
● A forward-facing child restraint system may be allowed to be installed on
the front passenger seat only when it is unavoidable. A child restraint sys-
tem that requires a top tether strap should not be used in the front passen-
ger seat since there is no top tether strap anchor for the front passenger
seat. Adjust the seatback as uprights as possible and always move the
seat as far back as possible even if the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is
illuminated, because the front passenger airbag could inflate with consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise, the child may be killed or seriously
injured.

95
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
Installation with LATCH system
Type A Widen the gap between
the seat cushion and
seatback slightly.
Latch the hooks of the
lower straps onto the
LATCH anchors.
If the child restraint has a
top tether strap, the top
tether strap should be
latched onto the top
tether strap anchors.
For owners in Canada:
A symbol on a child restraint sys-
tem indicates the presence of a
lower connector system.
Canada only
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

96 1-7. Safety information
Type BWiden the gap between
the seat cushion and
seatback slightly.
Latch the buckles onto
the LATCH anchors.
If the child restraint has a
top tether strap, the top
tether strap should be
latched onto the top
tether strap anchors.
For owners in Canada:
A symbol on a child restraint sys-
tem indicates the presence of a
lower connector system.
Canada only
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

97
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
Installing child restraints using a seat belt (child restraint lock function belt)
■
Rear facing Infant seat/convertible seat
Place the child seat on the rear
seat facing the rear of the vehi-
cle.
Run the seat belt through the
child seat and insert the plate
into the buckle. Make sure that
the belt is not twisted.
Fully extend the shoulder belt
and then allow it to retract
slightly in order to activate the
ALR lock mode.
Lock mode allows the seat belt to
retract only.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

98 1-7. Safety information
While pushing the child seat
down into the rear seat, allow the
shoulder belt to retract until the
child seat is securely in place.
After the shoulder belt has
retracted to a point where there is
no slack in the belt, pull the belt to
check that it cannot be extended.
■Forward facing Convertible seat
Place the child seat on the seat
facing the front of the vehicle.
Run the seat belt through the
child seat and insert the plate
into the buckle. Make sure that
the belt is not twisted.
Fully extend the shoulder strap
and then allow it to retract
slightly into the ALR lock mode.
Lock mode allows the seat belt to
retract only.
STEP4
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

102 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■When installing a booster seat
Do not fully extend the shoulder belt to prevent the belt from going to ALR
lock mode: ( P. 49)
ALR mode causes the belt to tighten only which could cause injury or dis-
comfort to the child.
■ When installing a child restraint system
Follow the directions given in the child restraint system installation manual
and fix the child restraint system securely in place.
If the child restraint system is not correctly fixed in place, the child or other
passengers may be seriously injured or even killed in the event of sudden
braking, sudden swerving or an accident.
●If the driver's seat interferes with the
child restraint system and prevents it
from being attached correctly, attach
the child restraint system to the right-
hand rear seat.
● Adjust the front passenger seat so that
it does not interfere with the child
restraint system.
● Only put a forward-facing or booster
child seat on the front seat when
unavoidable. When installing a forward-
facing or booster child seat on the front
passenger seat, move the seat as far
back as possible even if the “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator light is illuminated. Fail-
ing to do so may result in death or seri-
ous injury if the airbags deploy (inflate).

When driving2
105
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle............ 106
Engine (ignition) switch ............................. 118
Automatic transmission................... 122
Manual transmission ........ 127
Turn signal lever .............. 129
Parking brake ................... 130
Horn ................................. 131
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ......... 132
Indicators and warning lights .............................. 135
2-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ............... 138
Fog light switch ................ 141
Windshield wipers and washer ........................... 143
Rear window wiper and washer ........................... 146 2-4. Using other driving
systems
Cruise control ................... 148
Driving assist systems ..... 152
2-5. Driving information Cargo and luggage .......... 157
Vehicle load limits ............ 160
Winter driving tips ............ 161
Trailer towing (1.8 L 4-cylinder
[2ZR-FE] engine) ........... 165
Trailer towing (2.4 L 4-cylinder
[2AZ-FE] engine) ........... 166
Dinghy towing (automatic transmission) ................. 181
Dinghy towing (manual transmission) ................. 182

108 2-1. Driving procedures
Starting on a steep uphillAutomatic transmission Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Manual transmission
With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch 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.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation
to meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

110 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle (vehicl es with an automatic transmission)
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.
● Vehicles with an automatic transmission: Do not let the vehicle roll back-
wards 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.

112 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●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 AWD 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.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
● Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-
shifting or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an
accident.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.