airbag TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2008 N210 / 4.G Owner's Guide

86
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
and residue along with non−toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This smoke may
remain inside the vehicle for some time,
and may cause some minor irritation to
the eyes, skin or breathing. Be sure to
wash off any residue as soon as possible
to prevent any potential skin irritation with
soap and water. If you can safely exit
from the vehicle, you should do so imme-
diately.
Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swelling.
Front seats as well as parts of the front
and rear pillars, front, center and rear
garnish and roof interior may be hot for
several minutes, but the airbags them-
selves will not be hot. The airbags are
designed to inflate only once.CAUTION
SRS side airbags and curtain shield
airbags inflate with considerable
force. To reduce the possibility of
death or serious injury when they in-
flate, the driver, front passenger and
rear/second passengers must:
Wear their seat belts properly.
Remain properly seated with their
backs upright and against the seats
at all times.
Improper sitting and wearing of the
seat belts may not retain you inside
the vehicle.
CY13023
Do not allow anyone to lean against
the door when the vehicle is in use,
since the side airbag and curtain
shield airbag could inflate with con-
siderable speed and force. Other-
wise, he/she may be killed or seri-
ously injured. Special care should
be taken especially when you have
a small child in the vehicle.
Sit up straight and well back in the
seat, distributing your weight evenly
in the seat. Do not apply excessive
weight to the outer side of the
seats with a side airbag, and to the
front pillar, rear pillar and roof side
rail with a curtain shield airbag.

87
CY13294
Make sure the RSCA OFF" indica-
tor light is off. The curtain shield
airbags will not inflate in a vehicle
rollover if this indicator light is on
and you may be killed or seriously
injured. For details, see Roll sens-
ing of curtain shield airbags off
switch" on page 95 in this Section.
CY13026
Do not allow anyone to get his/her
head closer to the area where the
side airbag and curtain shield air-
bag inflate, since these airbags
could inflate with considerable
speed and force. Otherwise, he/she
may be killed or seriously injured.
Special care should be taken espe-
cially when you have a small child
in the vehicle.
CY13024
Do not allow anyone to kneel on
the passenger seat, facing the pas-
senger’s side door, since the side
airbag and curtain shield airbag
could inflate with considerable
speed and force. Otherwise, he/she
may be killed or seriously injured.
Special care should be taken espe-
cially when you have a small child
in the vehicle.

88
CY13233
Do not allow anyone to get his/her
head or hands out of windows
since the curtain shield airbags
could inflate with considerable
speed and force. Otherwise, he/she
may be killed or seriously injured.
Special care should be taken espe-
cially when you have a small child
in the vehicle.
CY13069
Do not attach a cup holder or any
other device or object on or around
the door. When the side airbag in-
flates, the cup holder or any other
device or object will be thrown with
great force or the side airbag may
not activate correctly, resulting in
death or serious injury. Likewise,
the driver and front passenger
should not hold objects in their
arms or on their knees.
CY13234
Do not attach a microphone or any
other device or object near the area
where the curtain shield airbags ac-
tivate such as on the windshield
glass, side door glass, front, center
and roof side garnish, roof interior
or assist grips. When the curtain
shield airbags inflate, the micro-
phone or other device or object will
be thrown away with great force or
the curtain shield airbags may not
activate correctly, resulting in death
or serious injury.

89
Do not hook a hanger, heavy or
sharp pointed objects on the coat
hook. If the curtain shield airbag
inflates, those items will be thrown
away with great force or the curtain
shield airbag may not activate cor-
rectly, resulting in death or serious
injury. When you hang clothes,
hang them on the coat hook direct-
ly.
Do not use seat accessories which
cover the parts where the side air-
bags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, causing death or
serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of the seats with side
airbags. Such changes may prevent
the side airbag system from activat-
ing correctly, disable the system or
cause the side airbags to inflate ac-
cidentally, resulting in death or seri-
ous injury.
Do not disassemble or repair the
front pillars and roof side rail con-
taining the curtain shield airbags.
Such changes may disable the sys-
tem or cause the curtain shield air-
bags to inflate accidentally, result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Do not modify or change the sus-
pension system. Such changes may
cause the curtain shield airbags to
inflate accidentally, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer’s recom-
mended size. Such a use may cause
the curtain shield airbags to inflate
accidentally, which could result in
death or serious injury. For details,
see Checking and replacing tires"
on page 443 in Section 7−2.
Do not place luggage heavier than
specified on the roof luggage carri-
er. Such luggage may cause the
curtain shield airbags to inflate ac-
cidentally, which could result in
death or serious injury. For details,
see Roof luggage carrier" on page
334 in Section 1−10.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
Consult your Toyota dealer about any
repair and modification.
If you wish to modify your vehicle for
a person with physical disability, con-
sult your Toyota dealer. It may dan-
gerously interfere with the SRS side
airbags and curtain shield airbags op-
eration.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS side airbag and curtain shield
airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two−way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Modification of the side structure of
the passenger compartment
 Repairs made on or near the con-
sole or front seat

90
CY13295
This indicator comes on when the en-
gine switch is turned to the ON" posi-
tion. It goes off after about 6 seconds.
This means the SRS side airbags and
curtain shield airbags are operating
properly.This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors, driv-
er ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat belt
buckle switch, front passenger occupant
classification system and indicator light,
front passenger ’s seat belt buckle switch,
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflat-
ors, RSCA OFF" indicator light, intercon-
necting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers" on page 149 in Sec-
tion 1−6.)
If any of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction of the airbags
or seat belt pretensioners. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
The light does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the ON"
position or remains on for more than
6 seconds or flashes.
The light comes on or starts flashing
while driving.
The SRS warning light will come on and
front passenger occupant classification in-
dicator light will indicate OFF" if there is
a malfunction in the front passenger occu-
pant classification system.
CY13235

91
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
Any of the SRS side airbags and cur-
tain shield airbags have been inflated.
The portion of the doors (shaded in the
illustration) was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause
the SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags to inflate.
The surface of the seats with the side
airbag (shaded in the illustration) is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
The portion of the front, center and
rear garnish, and roof interior contain-
ing the curtain shield airbags inside
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.
Your vehicle is equipped with a front
passenger occupant classification sys-
tem. This system detects the conditions
14 in the table on page 93 and based
on these conditions activates or deacti-
vates the following systems;
Front passenger airbag
Side airbag on the front passenger
seat
Front passenger ’s seat belt pretension-
er
The system monitors the weight and
load on the front passenger seat, and
the seat belt buckle switch to determine
conditions 14.
In order for the system to detect the
conditions correctly, do not do any of
the following:
Apply a heavy load to the front pas-
senger seat.
Attach a commercial seatback table,
etc. to the front passenger seatback.
Put weight on the front passenger seat
by putting your hands or feet on the
seatback from the rear passenger seat.
CY13267a
The front passenger occupant classifi-
cation indicator light indicates the ac-
tuation of the front passenger airbag,
side airbag on the front passenger seat
and front passenger’s seat belt preten-
sioner.
The indicator light will indicate OFF"
when the engine switch is in the ON"
position with the condition 2 in the table
shown below.
Front passenger occupant
classification system

93
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification systemCondition detected bythe front passenger
occupant classification system
Indicator/warning lightDevices
Front
passenger occupant
classification
indicator light
SRS warning light
Front
passenger ’s seat belt
reminder lightFront
passenger airbagSide airbag
on the front passenger seatCurtain shieldairbag in the front
passenger sideFront
passenger ’s seat belt
pretensioner
1. Adult∗ 1ON"OffFlashing∗4Activated
2. Child∗2 or child
restraint system∗ 3OFF"∗5OffFlashing∗4Deactivated
Activated
Activated
3. UnoccupiedNot
illuminatedOffOffDeactivatedDeactivated
4. There is a
malfunction in the
system
OFF"OnOffDeactivatedActivated
∗1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may
recognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
∗2: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/h er
as an adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
∗ 3: Never install a rear−facing child restraint system on the front passenger seat. A forward−facing child restraint system should only be
installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable. (See Child restraint" on page 96 in this Section as for installi ng the
child restraint system.)
∗ 4: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
∗5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, see Child restraint" on page 96 as for installing the child restraint system pr operly.

94
CAUTION
To avoid potential death or serious
injury when the front passenger occu-
pant classification system does not
detect the conditions correctly, ob-
serve the following.
Make sure the front passenger oc-
cupant classification indicator light
indicates ON" when using the seat
belt extender for the front passen-
ger seat. If the indicator light indi-
cates OFF", disconnect the extend-
er tongue from the seat belt buckle,
then reconnect the seat belt. Recon-
nect the seat belt extender after
making sure the indicator light indi-
cates ON". If you use the seat belt
extender while the indicator light
indicates OFF", the front passen-
ger airbag and side airbag on the
front passenger side may not acti-
vate correctly, which could cause
death or serious injury in the event
of collision.
Do not recline the front passenger
seatback so far that it touches a
second seat. This may cause the
OFF" indicator to be illuminated,
which indicates that the passen-
ger’s airbags will not deploy in the
event of a severe accident. If the
seatback touches the rear/second
seat, return the seatback to a posi-
tion where it does not touches the
rear/second seat.
Keep the front passenger seatback
as upright as possible when the ve-
hicle is moving. Reclining the seat-
back excessively may lessen the ef-
fectiveness of the seat belt system.
If an adult sits in the front passen-
ger seat, the occupant classification
indicator light should indicate ON".
If the OFF" indicator is illumina-
ted, ask the passenger to sit up
straight, well back in the seat, feet
on the floor, and with the seat belt
worn correctly. If the OFF" indica-
tor still remains illuminated, either
ask the passenger to move to the
rear/second seat, or if that is not
possible, move the front passenger
seat fully rearward.
Wear the seat belt properly.
Make sure the front passenger’s
seat belt tab has not been left in-
serted into the buckle before some-
one sits in the front passenger
seat.
Do not apply a heavy load to the
front passenger seat.
Do not put weight on the front pas-
senger seat by putting your hands
or feet on the front passenger seat
seatback from the rear/second pas-
senger seat.
Do not let a rear/second 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.
Child restraint systems installed on
the rear/second seat should not
contact the front seatbacks.

95
When it is unavoidable to install the
forward−facing child restraint sys-
tem on the front passenger seat,
install the child restraint system on
the front passenger seat in the
proper order. (As for the installation
order, see Installation with seat
belt" on page 99 in this Section.)
Do not 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 malfunc-
tion of the detection system. In this
case, contact your Toyota dealer im-
mediately.
The front passenger occupant classifica-
tion indicator light may indicate ON" (the
front passenger airbag and side airbag on
the front passenger seat may deploy)
even if observing the above cautions,
when a child sits in, or a forward−facing
child restraint system is installed on the
front passenger seat. Refer to all the cau-
tions in SRS airbags" on page 74 and
Child restraint" on page 96 in this Sec-
tion.
CY13302
The roll sensing of curtain shield air-
bags off switch (RSCA OFF" switch)
can turn off the curtain shield airbags
and seat belt pretensioners in a vehicle
rollover. This switch should only be
used if inflation is not desired (such as
extreme off−road driving).When you push the RSCA OFF" switch
for a few seconds with the engine switch
on, the RSCA OFF" indicator light comes
on and the roll sensing function is turned
off. When you push the switch again, the
indicator light goes off and the roll sens-
ing function is turned on. (For details
about the roll sensing function, see
SRS side airbags and curtain shield
airbags" on page 81 in this Section.)
In a severe side impact, the curtain shield
airbags on impacted side will inflate even
if the roll sensing function is turned off.
(For details about the curtain shield air-
bags, see SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags" on page 81 in this Sec-
tion.)
In a severe frontal impact, the seat belt
pretensioners will work even if the roll
sensing function is turned off. (For details
about the seat belt pretensioners, see
Seat belt pretensioners" on page 71 in
this Section.)
If the engine switch is turned to ACC" or
LOCK" with the roll sensing function off
and then the engine switch is turned back
to ON", the roll sensing function will turn
back on automatically.
Roll sensing of curtain shield
airbags off switch

96
CAUTION
Before normal driving, make sure
the RSCA OFF" indicator light is
off.
When the roll sensing function is
turned off (and the RSCA OFF"
indicator light is on), the curtain
shield airbags and seat belt preten-
sioners will not work in a vehicle
rollover. Turning off the curtain
shield airbags and seat belt preten-
sioners reduces occupant protection
which your vehicle safety systems
can provide in accidents and in-
crease the likelihood of death or
serious injuries.
Toyota strongly urges the use of ap-
propriate child restraint systems for
children.
The laws of all 50 states in the U.S.A.
and Canada 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 Seat belts" on
page 64 in this Section for details.
CAUTION
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops, a
child must be properly restrained,
using a seat belt or child restraint
system depending on the age and
size of the child. Holding a child in
your arms is not a substitute for a
child restraint system. In an acci-
dent, the child can be crushed
against the windshield, or between
you and the vehicle’s interior.
Toyota strongly urges use of a
proper child restraint system which
conforms to the size of the child,
and is installed on the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, the
child is safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
Never install a rear−facing child re-
straint system on the front passen-
ger seat even if the front passenger
occupant classification indicator
light indicates OFF". In the event
of an accident, the impact of the
rapid inflation of the front passen-
ger airbag could cause death or se-
rious injury to the child if the rear−
facing child restraint system is
installed on the front passenger
seat.
Child restraint
Child restraint precautions