severe Lexus IS250 2008 Owner's Manual

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
Seat belt comfort guide (outside rear seats)If the shoulder belt sits close to a
person’s neck, slide the seat belt
comfort guide forward.
Seat belt pretensioners (front and outside rear seats)The pretensioner helps the seat
belt to quickly restrain the occu-
pant by retracting the seat belt
when the vehicle is subjected to
certain types of severe frontal colli-
sion.
The pretensioner may not activate
in the event of a minor frontal
impact, a side impact or a rear
impact.
■Adjusting the height of the belt (front seats)
Down
Up
Move the height adjuster up and
down as needed until you hear a
click.

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of sudden
braking or an accident.
Failing to do so may cause death or severe injury.
■Wearing a seat belt
●Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.
●Always wear a seat belt properly.
●Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt for more
than one person at once, including children.
●Lexus recommends that children be seated in the rear seat and always use a seat
belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.
●Do not recline the seat any more than necessary to achieve a proper seating
position. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting up straight
and well back in the seats.
●Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
●Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
■Seat belt pretensioners
●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 seat belt pretensioner for the
front passenger’s seat may not activate in the event of a collision.
●If the pretensioner has activated, the seat belt becomes locked: it cannot be fur-
ther extended, nor will it return to the stowed position. The seat belt cannot be
used again and must be replaced at your Lexus dealer.

79
1
1-7. Safety information
Before driving
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
SRS airbags
The SRS airbags inflate when the vehicle is subjected to certain types of
severe impacts that may cause significant injury to the occupants. They
work together with the seat belts to help reduce the risk of death or serious
injury.
SRS front airbags
SRS driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and front passen-
ger from impact with interior components.
SRS knee airbags
Can help provide driver and front passenger protection.
SRS side and curtain shield airbags
SRS side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants.
SRS curtain shield airbags
Can help protect primarily the head of outside occupants.

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)In certain types of severe frontal or side impacts, the SRS airbag system
triggers the airbag inflators. A chemical reaction in the inflators quickly
fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain the motion of the occu-
pants.
■SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sensors,
side and curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor
assemblies, driver's seat position sensor, driver's seat belt buckle switch, seat belt
pretensioner assemblies, inflators, interconnecting wiring and power sources.
(
→P. 3 6 1 )
■If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
●Bruising and slight abrasions may result from contact with a deploying (inflating)
SRS airbag.
●A loud noise and white powder will be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover and inflator) as
well as the front seats, and parts of the fr
ont pillar, rear pillar and roof side rail,
may be hot for several minutes. The airbag itself may also be hot.
●The front windshield may crack.
■Operating conditions (front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy if the severity of the frontal impact is above the
designed threshold level, comparable to an approximate 15 mph (25 km/h) col-
lision when the vehicle impacts straight into a fixed barrier that does not move
or deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an underride collision (e.g. a collision in
which the front of the vehicle "underrides", or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
●It is possible that in some collisions where the forward deceleration of the vehi-
cle is very close to the designed threshold level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate together.
●The SRS front passenger airbag will not activate if there is no passenger sitting
in the front passenger seat. However, the front passenger airbag may deploy if
luggage is put in the seat, or the seat belt is fastened, even if the seat is unoccu-
pied. (
→P. 9 0 )

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1-7. Safety information
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
■Operating conditions (side and curtain shield airbags)
●The SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags are designed to inflate when the
passenger compartment is subjected to a severe impact from the side.
●The SRS side airbag on the passenger seat will not activate if there is no passen-
ger sitting in the front passenger seat. However, the side airbag on the passen-
ger seat may deploy if luggage is put in the seat, even if the seat is unoccupied.
(
→P. 9 0 )
■Conditions under which the SRS airbags may deploy (inflate), other than a colli-
sion
The SRS front airbags may also deploy if a serious impact occurs to the underside of
your vehicle. Some examples are shown in the illustration.
■Types of collisions that may not deploy the SRS airbag (front airbags)
The SRS front airbags are generally not designed to inflate if the vehicle is involved
in a side or rear collision, if it rolls over, or if it is involved in a low-speed frontal colli-
sion. But, whenever a collision of any type causes sufficient forward deceleration of
the vehicle, deployment of the SRS front airbags may occur.
●Hitting a curb, edge of pavement or hard
surface
●Falling into or jumping over a deep hole
●Landing hard or vehicle falling
●Collision from the side
●Collision from the rear
●Vehicle rollover

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1-7. Safety information
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
■When to contact your Lexus dealer
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible. Do not dis-
connect the battery cables before contacting your Lexus dealer.
●Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
●The front of the vehicle is damaged or
deformed, or was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate.
●A portion of the doors is damaged or
deformed, or the vehicle was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags to inflate.
●The pad section of the steering wheel, front
passenger airbag cover or lower portion of
the instrument panel is scratched, cracked,
or otherwise damaged.
●The surface of the seats with the side
airbag is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
●The portion of the front pillars, rear pillars
or roof side rail garnishes (padding) con-
taining the curtain shield airbags inside is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)*
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. 9 5 )
*
5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, consult this manual as for installing the child restraint system properly. ( →P. 9 8 )
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding front passenger occupant classifica-
tion 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.
●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
airbag, 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 collision.
●Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or feet on
the front passenger seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.
●Do not let a rear 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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1-7. Safety information
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illu-
minated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the passenger to sit
up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and with the seat belt worn cor-
rectly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still remain illuminated, either ask the pas-
senger to move to the rear seat, or if that is not possible, move the front passenger
seat fully rearward.
●When it is unavoidable to install the forward-facing child restraint system on the
front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front passenger seat
in the proper order. (→P. 9 8 )
●Do not modify or remove the front seats.
●Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Otherwise,
the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the detection sys-
tem. In this case, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the front
seatbacks.
●Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion or seat cover, that covers the seat
cushion surface.
●Do not modify or replace the upholstery of the front seat.

278
4-1. Maintenance and care
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
■Cleaning the inside of the rear window
Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause damage to the
rear window defogger heater wires. Use a cloth dampened with lukewarm water to
gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the window in strokes running parallel to the
heater wires.
■Caring for leather areas
Lexus recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year to main-
tain the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a sponge or
brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not apply water. The excel-
lent results are obtained when keeping the carpet as dry as possible.
■Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also check the
belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
CAUTION
■Water in the vehicle
●Be careful not to splash or spill liquid on the floor.
●Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.
(
→P. 7 9 )
Electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function properly,
resulting in death or severe injury.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
08_IS350/250_U_(L/O_0708)
NOTICE
■Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on roads with loose surfaces or pot holes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire inflation pressure, reducing the cushion-
ing ability of the tires. In addition driving on rough roads may cause damage to the
tires themselves, as well as the vehicle’s wheels and body.
■Low profile tires and wheels
Wheels with profile tires like 17- and 18-inch tires may cause greater damage than
usual to the tire wheel when receiving impact from the road surface. Therefore pay
attention to the following:
●Be sure to use proper tire inflation pressure. If tires are under-inflated, they may
be damaged more severely.
●Avoid pot holes, uneven pavement, curbs and other road hazards.
Failure to do so can lead to severe tire and wheel damage.
■If tire inflation pressures become low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires and/or wheels may be ruined.