lexus LS400 1995 Electrical Components / 1995 LS400: COMFORT ADJUSTMENT

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
63
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 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 maximum protection when the
seatbacks are in the upright position. (See
“Adjusting seatback angle”.)

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
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 cleaners − they may
severely weaken the belts.

Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it has
been used in a severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage is not obvious.
Front seat belt buckle illumination
Opening the driver’s door lights up the driver’s seat belt
buckle for easy use. The same applies for the front
passenger’s door and seat belt buckle.
The light remains on for 15 seconds after the door is closed,
but goes off immediately when all doors are locked.

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64
Fastening front and reat seat belts
Adjust the seat as needed 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.When a passenger’s shoulder belt is completely extended and
is then retracted even slightly, the belt is locked in that position
and cannot be extended. This feature is used to hold the child
restraint system securely. (For details, see “Child restraint” on
page 76.) To free the belt again, fully retract the belt and then
pull the belt out once more.
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.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle are
locked and that the belt is not twisted.

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65
Adjust the position of the lap and shoulder belts.
1
Position the lap belt as low as possible on your hips − not
on your waist.
2
Adjust it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder portion
upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION

High−positioned lap belts and loose−fitting belts
both could increase the chance of injury due to
sliding under the lap belt during an accident.

For your safety, do not place the shoulder belt under
your arm.
Front seat belts only
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to your size.
Manual type: To raise the anchor position, push the anchor up
To lower the anchor position, support the anchor while you
push the lock release button then slide the anchor down. After
adjustment, make sure the anchor is locked in position.
CAUTION
Always be sure that the belt is positioned across your
shoulder, as close to your neck as possible; not on your
upper arm or on your neck. Failure to do so could
reduce the amount of protection in an accident and
increase the chance of injury.

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66
Front seat belts only
Power type: To adjust the shoulder anchor position, press the
upper or lower part of the control switch located on the door.
When the switch is released, the shoulder anchor will stop at
that position.
CAUTION
Always be sure that the belt is positioned across your
shoulder, as close to your neck as possible; not on your
upper arm or on your neck. Failure to do so could
reduce the amount of protection in an accident and
increase the chance of injury.
To release the belt, press the buckle release button and
allow the belt to retract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull it out and check for
kinks or twists. Then make sure it remains untwisted as it
retracts.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
67
Seat belt extender
If the front or rear outside seat belts cannot be fastened
securely because it is not long enough, a personalized seat
belt extender is available from your Lexus dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Lexus dealer so that the dealer can
order the proper required length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for proper measurement and
selection of length. Additional ordering information is available
at your Lexus dealer.
CAUTION
When using the seat belt extender, observe the
following. Failure to follow 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 without it.

Remember that the extender provided for you may
not be safe when used on a different vehicle, or for
another person or at a different seating position than
the one originally intended for.
To connect the extender to the seat belt, insert the tab into
the seat belt buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on the
buckle release buttons of the extender 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 extender itself.
When not in use, remove the extender and stoic in the vehicle
for future use.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle are
locked and that the belt is not twisted.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
68
Front seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger’s seat belts are equipped
with a pretensioner which is designed to be activated in
response to a severe frontal impact.
The airbag system and each pretensioner operates
independently because each has its own separate sensor.
A pretensioner sensor is located in each front seat belt
retractor assembly. When the pretensioner sensor detects the
shock of a severe frontal impact, the front seat belt is quickly
drawn back in by the retractor so that the belt snugly restrains
the front seat occupant.
When a seat belt pretensioner is activated, an operating noise
may be heard and a small amount of smoke−like gas may be
released. This gas is harmless and does not indicate that a fire
is occurring.
Once the seat belt pretensioner has been activated, the seat
belt retractor remains locked.CAUTION
Do not modify, remove or strike the front seat belt
retractor assemblies or surrounding area. Doing any of
these may cause sudden operation of the front seat belt
pretensioners or disable the system, which could result
in personal injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in severe
injuries.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
69
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without
consulting your Lexus dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the seat belt
pretensioners in some cases.

Repairs on or near the front seat belt retractor
assemblies.

Modification of the suspension system.

Modification of the front end structure.

Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, kangaroo bar,
etc.), snowplow, winches or any other equipment to
the front end.
In the following case, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible:

If either front seat belt does not retract or cannot be pulled
out due to a malfunction or activation of the pretensioner.

The front seat belt retractor assembly or surrounding area
has been damaged.
SRS AIRBAGS
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags are
designed to provide further protection to the driver and
front passenger when added to the primary protection
provided by the seat belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the SRS airbags
work together with the seat belts to prevent or reduce
injury by inflating, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver’s or front passenger’s head or face directly
hitting the steering wheel or dashboard.
The passenger airbag is activated even with no passenger in
the front seat.

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This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the “ACC” or “ON” position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the SRS airbags are operating
properly.
The SRS airbag warning light system monitors the airbag
sensor assembly, inflators, warning light, interconnecting
wiring and power sources.The SRS airbag system is designed to activate in
response to a severe frontal impact within the shaded area
between the arrows in the illustration.
The SRS airbags will deploy if the severity of the impact is
above the designed threshold level, comparable to an
approximate 20 km / h (14 mph) collision when impacting
straight into a fixed barrier that does not move or deform.
If the severity of the impact is below the above threshold level,
the SRS airbags may not deploy.
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 it is involved
in an underride collision (a collision in which the nose of the
vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the bed of a truck).
It is possible with collision severity at the marginal level of
airbag sensor detection and activation that only one of your
vehicle’s two airbags will deploy.
For your safety, be sure to always wear your seat belts.

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 1
Collision from the side
2
Collision from the rear
3
Vehicle roll−over
The SRS airbags are not designed to inflate if the vehicle
is subjected to a side or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if it
is involved in a low−speed frontal collision.
 1
Airbag sensor assembly
2
Steering wheel pad assembly (airbag and inflator)
3
Passenger airbag module (airbag and inflator)
4
SRS airbag warning light
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor and
airbag sensor.
In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect deceleration and the
system triggers the airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflators momentarily fills the airbags with non−toxic
nitrogen gas to help restrain the forward motion of the
occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a fairly loud noise and
release some smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This is not
harmful and does not indicate a fire. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent minor skin irritation.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
72Deployment of the airbags happen in a fraction of a second, so
the airbags must inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor burns or abrasions and swellings.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, dashboard)
may be hot for several minutes, but the airbags themselves will
not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may break the
windshield as the vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a passenger
airbag the windshield may also be damaged by absorbing
some of the force of the inflating airbag.
CAUTION

The SRS airbag system is designed only as a
supplement to the primary protection of the seat belt
systems of the driver and front passenger. The front
seat occupants are particularly susceptible to injury
if they do not wear their seat belts; when sudden
braking or a collision occurs, they may be thrown
forward. To obtain further protection in an accident,
the driver and all passengers in the vehicle should
always wear their seat belts when driving. For
instructions and precautions concerning the seat
belt system, see “SEAT BELTS” on page 62.

A baby or small child who is too small to use a seat
belt should be properly secured in a rear seat using
a child restraint system.

Do not use a rear−facing child restraint system in the
front seat because the force of the rapid inflation of
the passenger airbag may cause severe injury to the
child.