belt LEXUS SC300 1999 Owner's Manual

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
126
The driver and front passenger's seat belt pretensioners
are 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.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
127
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 pr etensioners or disable
the system, which could result in personal injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in severe
injuries.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
128
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.), snow plow, 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 for 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 help prevent or r educe
injury by inflating, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver's or front passenger's head or chest directly
hitting the steering wheel or dashboard.
The passenger airbag is activated even with no passenger in
the front seat.
Be sure to wear
your seat belt.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
129
CAUTION
The driver or front passenger too close to the steering wheel
or dashboard during airbag deployment can be killed or
seriously injured. Lexus strongly recommends that:

The driver sit as far back as possible from the steering
wheel while still maintaining control of the vehicle.

The front passenger sit as far back as possible from the
dashboard.

All vehicle occupants be properly restrained using the
available seat belts.
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the ºACCº or ºONº 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. (For details, see ºService
reminder indicators and warning buzzersº on page 53 for
instructions.)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
130
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.
There may be the case that the SRS airbags will not activate
with such an impact in which the occupant wearing the seat
belt correctly would not get serious injury.
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 ºunderridesº, or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.). 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 the safety of all occupants, be sure to always wear seat
belts.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
134
CAUTION

The SRS airbag system is designed only as a supplement to
the primary protection of the driver side and front
passenger side seat belt systems. The front seat occupants
can be killed or seriously injured by an inflating airbag if
they do not wear the available seat belts. During sudden
braking just before a collision, an unrestrained driver or
front passenger can move forward into direct contact with
or close proximity to the airbag which may then deploy
during the collision. To obtain maximum protection in an
accident, the driver and all passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts. Wearing a seat belt during an
accident reduces the chances of death or serious injuries or
being thrown out of the vehicle. For instructions and
precautions concerning the seat belt system, see ºSeat
beltsº on page 115.

Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children
can be killed or seriously 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 seat of the vehicle and properly
restrained. The rear seat is the safest for infants and
children. For instructions concerning the installation of a
child restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 143.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
137

Do not sit on the edge of the seat or lean over the
dashboard when the vehicle is in use. The airbags
inflate with considerable speed and force; you may
be killed or seriously injured. Sit up straight and
well back in the seat, and always use your seat belt.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
143
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible:


The SRS airbags have been inflated.

The front part of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration) was
involved in an accident that did not cause the SRS airbags
to inflate.

The pad section of the steering wheel or front passenger
airbag cover (shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables before contacting
your Lexus dealer.
CHILD RESTRAINT
Child restraint precautions
Lexus strongly urges the use of child restraint systems for
children small enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A. now require the use
of a child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child
should sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle's seat belt. See ºSeat beltsº on page 115 for details.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
144
CAUTION

For effective protection in automobile accidents and
sudden stops, children must be properly restrained.
Holding a child in your arms is not a substitute for a child
restraint system using a seat belt or child restraint
depending on age and size. In an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or between you and the
vehicle's interior if you are unrestrained.

Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child restraint which
conforms to the size of the child and is put on the r ear seat.
According to accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.

Never put a rear±facing child restraint system on the front
seat. In the event of an accident, the force of the rapid
inflation of the airbag can cause death or serious injury if
a rear±facing child restraint system is put on the front seat.

Unless it is unavoidable, do not put a forward±facing child
restraint system on the front seat.

A forward±facing child restraint system should be allowed
to put on the front seat only when it is unavoidable. Always
move the seat as far back as possible, because the force of
a deploying airbag could cause death or serious injury to
the child.

Make sure you have complied with all installation
instructions provided by the child restraint manufacturer
and that the system is properly secured.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
145
Child restraint system
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must
itself be properly restrained on the seat with the lap
portion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must carefully
consult the manufacturer's instructions which
accompany by your child restraint system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child restraint system
following the manufacturer's instructions about the
appropriate age and size of the child for the restraint system.Install the child restraint system correctly following the
instructions provided by its manufacturer of the system.
General directions are also provided under the following
illustrations.
The child restraint system should be installed on the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front seat.