Lexus GS450h 2009 Owner's Manual

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1-8. Safety information
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags. Failure to do so may
cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
●The SRS 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 (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of inflation,
placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) 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 10 in. (250 mm) 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 pedalscomfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Although vehicle designs vary, many driv- ers can achieve the 10 in. (250 mm) 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.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward. This points the airbag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still main-
taining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.
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1-8. Safety information
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Before driving
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and can
cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very close to the
airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag as possible with
the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits upright.
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or seri-
ously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small to use a
seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint system. Lexus strongly
recommends that all infants and children be placed in the rear seats of the vehicle
and properly restrained. The rear seats are the safest for infants and children.
(→ P. 1 2 1 )
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the driver’s seat belt buckle but
the seat belt extender has not also been
fastened to the latch plate of the driver’s
seat belt, the SRS driver’s airbag system will
judge that the driver is wearing the seat belt
even though the seat belt has not been
connected. In this case, the driver’s airbag
may not activate correctly in a collision,
resulting in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Be sure to wear the seat
belt with the seat belt extender.
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1-8. Safety information
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not sit on the edge of the seat or lean
against the dashboard.
●Do not allow a child to stand in front of the
SRS front passenger airbag unit or sit on
the knees of a front passenger.
●Do not drive the vehicle while the driver or
passenger have items resting on their
knees.
●Do not lean against the door, the roof side
rail or the front, side and rear pillars.
●Do not allow anyone to kneel on the pas-
senger seat toward the door or put their
head or hands outside the vehicle.
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1-8. Safety information
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Before driving
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If the vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbag will deploy, be sure
to remove it.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components shown on P. 104. Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunc-
tion.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags have
deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●Do not attach anything to or lean anything
against areas such as the dashboard, steer-
ing wheel pad or lower portion of the
instrument panel. These items can become
projectiles when SRS driver, front passen-
ger and knee airbags deploy.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as the
door, windshield glass, side door glass,
front and rear pillars, roof side rail or assist
grip.
●Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and may
cause death or serious injury, should the
SRS curtain shield airbag deploy.
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1-8. Safety information
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a door or
window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. Wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and
front pillar garnish, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by your Lexus
dealer.
●Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat. Doing so
will disperse the passenger’s weight, which prevents the sensor from detecting
the passenger’s weight properly. As a result, the SRS front passenger airbag may
not deploy in the event of a collision.
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications with-
out consulting your Lexus dealer. The SRS airbags may malfunction or deploy
(inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instrument
panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars or roof side
rail
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the occupant
compartment
●Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars, kangaroo bar
etc.)
●Modifications to the vehicle’s suspension system
●Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD players
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability
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1
1-8. Safety information
Before driving
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
Front passenger occupant classification system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification sys-
tem. This system detects the conditions of the front passenger seat and
activates or deactivates the devices for front passenger.
SRS warning light
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light
“AIR BAG ON” indicator light
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
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1-8. Safety information
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Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system
■Adult*1
■Child*3 or child restraint system*4
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “A I R B A G
ON”
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag and knee airbag
Activated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “A I R B A G
OFF”*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag and knee airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
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1-8. Safety information
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Before driving
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
■Unoccupied
■ System malfunction
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights Not illumi-
nated
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Devices Front passenger airbag and knee airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated
Indicator/
warning light “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights “A I R B A G
OFF”
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices Front passenger airbag and knee airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag in the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
on the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
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1-8. Safety information
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*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smalleradult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*
2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: When a large child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in
the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as an
adult depending on his/her physique and posture.
*
4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passen-
ger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should only be
installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(→ P. 121)
*
5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, consult this manual on how to install the child restraint system properly. ( →P. 125)
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the front passenger occupant classifi-
cation system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●Wear the seat belt properly.
●Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt tab has not been left inserted into the
buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
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1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
GS_HV_U (OM30B44U)
April 27, 2009 10:09 am
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using the
seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat belt buckle,
then reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender after making sure
the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you use the seat belt extender
while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illuminated, the front passenger air-
bag, side airbag on the front passenger side and front passenger knee airbag may
not activate correctly, which could cause death or serious injury in the event of a
collision.
●Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment.
●Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or feet on
the front passenger seat seatback from the rear seat.
●Do not let a rear seat passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or
press on the seatback with their legs.
●Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.
●Do not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear seat. This
may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated, which indicates
that the passenger’s airbags will not deploy in the event of a severe accident. If the
seatback touches the rear seat, return the seatback to a position where it does
not touch the rear seat. Keep the front passenger seatback as upright as possible
when the vehicle is moving. Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the
effectiveness of the seat belt system.
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