TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2003 N210 / 4.G Workshop Manual

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
CAUTION
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving; use
the seat in the normal position.
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat and seatback for-
ward and rearward to make sure it
is secured in place. Be certain to
replace head restraint.
1. Remove the head restraint. Push the
seat position adjusting switch for-
ward to slide the seat further for-
ward than the frontmost position.2. Move the seatback angle adjustingswitch backward to flatten the seat-
back.
After returning the seat to its original
position, be certain to replace the head
restraint.
—Flattening seatbacks
(power seat)

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
CAUTION
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving; use
the seat in the normal position.
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat and seatback for-
ward and rearward to make sure it
is secured in place. Be certain to
replace head restraint.
BEFORE FOLDING DOWN REAR SEAT
Stow the rear center seat belt buckle as
shown in the illustration.
This prevents the seat belt buckle from
falling out when you fold the seatback.
NOTICE
The seat belt buckle must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.
If you are using a trash holder, lower
it.
Folddown rear seats

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
1. Lower the head restraint to the lowe-
st position.2. Swing the bottom cushion up bypulling the lock rel ease strap.
If desired, each bottom cushion may be
swung up separately.3. Push the lock release button and fold down the seatback.
This will enlarge the luggage compartment
as far as the raised seat cushion. See
“Luggage stowage precautions” on page
253 in Section 2 for precautions when
loading luggage.
If desired, each seatback may be folded
separately.

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WHEN RETURNING THE SEATBACK
If you cannot raise the seatback be-
cause of the locked seat belt, do not
try it forcibly. Release the lock of the
seat belt in the following way. Push in
the lower front edge of the seatback
cushion to slacken the seat belt (1) and
let the seat belt retract a little (2).
CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position, observe the following pre-
cautions in order to prevent personal
injury in a collision or sudden stop:
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Failure to do so will prevent the
seat belt from operating properly.
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.
Make sure the bottom cushion is
securely locked by trying to pull up
the edge of the cushion near the
lock release straps.
Make sure to arrange the buckles of
the seat belts in their proper posi-
tion and be ready to use.
Front
Rear
Head restraints

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
Front head restraints—You can also move
the head restraint forward or backward. If
such adjustment is desired, pull or push
the base of the head restraint.
Rear head restraints—When an occupant
sits on the rear seat, always pull up the
rear head restraint to the lock position.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head re-
straint so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.
After adjusting the head restraint,
make sure it is locked in position.
Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.
To use the armrest, pull it out as
shown above.
This armrest is equipped with a cup hold-
er and tray. (For details, see “Rear cup
holders and tray” on page 232 in Section
19.)
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the armrest,
avoid putting heavy loads on it.
To turn on the seat heater, move the
dial forward (“L” dial for the left front
seat and “R” dial for the right front
seat). At this time, the indicator light
will illuminate to indicate the seat heat-
er is operating.
Move the dial forward or backward to ad-
just to the desired temperature.
To turn it off, move the dial backward
until it stops.
When the seat heater is not in use, move
the dial fully backward.
The key must be in the “ON” position to
operate seat heaters.
Armrest Seat heaters

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
CAUTION
Occupants must use caution when op-
erating the seat heater because it
may make them feel too hot or cause
burns at low temperatures (erythema,
varicella). Use extra caution for;
Babies, small children, elderly per-
sons, sick persons or handicapped
persons
Persons who have delicate skin
Persons who are exhausted
Persons who have taken alcohol or
drugs which induce sleep (sleeping
drug, cold remedy, etc.)
To prevent the seat overheating, do
not use the seat heater with a blan-
ket, cushion, or other insulating ob-
jects which cover the seat.
NOTICE
 Do not put unevenly weighed ob-
jects on the seat and do not stick
sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.)
into the seat.
 When cleaning the seats, do not
use organic substances (paint thin-
ner, benzine, alcohol, gasoline,
etc.). They may damage the heater
and seat surface.
 To prevent the battery from being
discharged, turn the system off
when the engine is not running.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase
the chance of injury and/or the severity of
injury in accidents.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle
are designed for people of adult size,
large enough to properly wear them.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint”
on page 73 in this Section for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle’s seat belt. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the
seat belts should be worn properly. If an
accident occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child.
Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also do not let the child sit on
your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendation.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 or
death 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 maxi-
mum protection when the seatbacks
are in the upright position. (Refer
to the seat adjustment instructions.)
Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care that
they do not get caught or pinched
in the seat or side doors.
Inspect the belt system periodically.
Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Damaged parts should be re-
placed. 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 clean-
ers—they may severely weaken the
belts. (See “Cleaning the interior”
on page 305 in Section 5.)
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
Adjust the seat as needed (front seats
only) 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. 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.
When a passenger ’s shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see “Child
restraint” on page 73 in this Section.) To
free the belt again, fully retract the belt
and then pull the belt out once more.CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat
until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot
protect an adult occupant or your
child from injury.
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor—
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to
your size.
To raise: Slide the anchor up.
To lower: Push in the lock release button
and slide the anchor down.
After adjustment make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
—Front and rear seat belts

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2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt
is positioned across the center of
your shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from your neck, but not
falling off your shoulder. Failure to
do so could reduce the amount of
protection in an accident and cause
serious injuries in a collision.Ta k e u p
slack
To o h i g h
Keep as low on
hips as possible
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-
just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder
portion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
Both highpositioned lap belts and
loosefitting belts could cause seri-
ous injuries due to sliding under
the lap belt during a collision or
other unintended result. Keep the
lap belt positioned as low on hips
as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.

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To release the belt, press the bucklere-
lease button and allow the belt to re-
tract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull
it out and check for kinks or twists. Then
make sure it remains untwisted as it re-
tracts.The rear center seat belt buckle can be
stowed when not in use.
Seat belt buckle must be stowed before
you fold the seat back. (See “Folddown
rear seats” on page 46 in this Section.) If your seat belts cannot be fastened se-
curely because they are not long enough,
a personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota dealer.
—Stowing rear center seat belt
buckle
—Seat belt extender