Driver seat TOYOTA AVALON 2000 User Guide

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ÐFront seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger 's seat
belt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in response to a severe fron-
tal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock
of a severe frontal impact, the front seat
belt is quickly drawn back in by the re-
tractor so that the belt snugly restrains
the front seat occupants.
The seat belt pretensioners are activated
even with no passenger in the front seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and
angles may cause the seat belt preten-
sioners and SRS airbags not to operate
all together.This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position. It goes off after about
6 seconds. This means the front seat
belt pretensioners are operating proper-
ly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, inflators, front
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. (For details, see Service remind-
er indicators and warning buzzersº in Sec-
tion 1- 5.)The front seat belt pretensioner system
mainly consists of the following compo-
nents and their locations are shown in the
illustration.
1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies
4. Airbag sensor assembly
The front seat belt pretensioners are con-
trolled by the airbag sensor assembly. The
airbag sensor assembly consists of a saf-
ing sensor and airbag sensor.
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When the front seat belt pretensioners are
activated, an operating noise may be
heard and a small amount of smoke- like
gas may be released. This gas is harm-
less and does not indicate that a fire is
occurring.
Once the front seat belt pretensioners
have been activated, the seat belt retrac-
tors remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open
the front seat belt pretensioner as-
semblies, airbag sensor or surround-
ing area or wiring. Doing any of
these may cause sudden operation of
the front seat belt pretensioners or
disable the system, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious inju-
ries.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the followingchanges without consulting yourToyota dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation of the
front seat belt pretensioners in somecases.

Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two- way radio,
cassette tape player or compactdisc player

Repairs on or near the front seat
belt retractor assemblies

Modification of the suspension sys-tem

Modification of the front end struc-ture

Attachment of a grille guard (bullbar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment tothe front end

Repairs made on or near the frontfenders, front end structure or con-
sole
This front seat belt pretensioner system
has a service reminder indicator to inform
the driver of operating problems. If either
of the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags or
pretensioners. Contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible to service the
vehicle.

The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or remains on.

The light comes on or flashes while
driving.

If either front seat belt does not retract
or can not be pulled out due to a
malfunction or activation of the relevant
front seat belt pretensioner.
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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:

The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the front seat belt pretensioners
to operate.

Either front seat belt pretensioner as-
sembly or surrounding area is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for occupants in the
following seats in addition to the prima-
ry safety protection provided by the
seat belts.

Vehicles with bucket front seatsÐThe
SRS airbags are designed to protect
the driver and front passenger.

Vehicles with bench type front seatsÐ
The SRS airbags are designed to pro-
tect the driver and right- front passen-
ger. They are not designed to protect
occupant in the center position.In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-
ing. The SRS airbags help to reduce inju-
ries mainly to the driver's or front passen-
ger 's head or chest directly hitting the
steering wheel or dashboard. The front
passenger airbag is activated even with
no passenger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
SRS driver and front
passenger airbags
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CAUTION
A driver or front passenger too close
to the steering wheel or dashboard
during airbag deployment can be
killed or seriously injured. Toyota
strongly recommends that:

The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.

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 igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position. It goes off after about
6 seconds. This means the SRS airbags
are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, inflators, front
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. (For details, see Service remain-
der indicators and warning buzzersº in
Section 1- 5.)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 severi-
ty of the impact is above the designed
threshold level, comparable to an approxi-
mate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision in the
U.S.A. and 30 km/h (18 mph) collision in
Canada when impacting straight into a
fixed barrier that does not move or de-
form.
If the severity of the impact is below the
above threshold level, the SRS airbags
may not deploy.
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CAUTION

The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts. properly.
Wearing a seat belt during an acci-
dent reduces the chances of death
or serious injury or being thrown
out of the vehicle. For instructions
and precautions concerning the seat
belt system, see Seat beltsº in this
section.

Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing airbags. An infant or child who
is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system. Toyota
strongly recommends that all in-
fants and children be placed in the
rear seat of the vehicle and proper-
ly restrained. The rear seat is the
safest for infants and children. For
instructions concerning the installa-
tion of a child restraint system, see
Child restraintº in this section.

Never put a rear- facing child re-
straint system on the front seat be-
cause the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the front passenger airbag
can cause death or serious injury
to the child.
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Do not allow a child to stand up,
or to kneel on the front passenger
seat. The airbag inflates with con-
siderable speed and force; the child
may be killed or seriously injured.

Do not hold a child on your lap or
in your arms. Use a child restraint
system in the rear seat. For instruc-
tions concerning the installation of
a child restraint system, see Child
restraintº in this section.

Do not put objects or your pets on
or in front of the dashboard or
steering wheel pad that houses the
airbag system. They might restrict
inflation or cause death or serious
injury as they are projected rear-
ward by the force of deploying air-
bags. Likewise, the driver and front
passenger should not hold things in
their arms or on their knees.

Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components such as
the steering wheel pad, steering
wheel, column cover, front passen-
ger airbag cover, front passenger
airbag or airbag sensor assembly.
Doing any of these may cause sud-
den SRS airbag inflation or disable
the system, which could result in
death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
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SRS side airbags
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) side airbags are designed to pro-
vide further protection for occupants in
the following seats in addition to the
primary safety protection provided by
the seat belts.

Vehicles with bucket front seatsÐThe
SRS side airbags are designed to pro-
tect the driver and front passenger.

Vehicles with bench type front seatsÐ
The SRS side airbags are designed to
protect the driver and right- front pas-
senger. They are not designed to pro-
tect occupant in the center position.In response to a severe side impact, the
SRS side airbags work together with the
seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-
ing. The SRS side airbags help to reduce
injuries mainly to the driver's or front pas-
senger 's chest. The SRS side airbag on
the passenger seat is activated even with
no passenger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
CAUTION
SRS side airbags inflate with consid-
erable force. To avoid potential death
or serious injury when they inflate,
the driver and front passenger must:

Wear their seat belts properly

Remain properly seated with their
back upright and against the seat at
all times.
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position. It goes off after about
6 seconds. This means the SRS side
airbags are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, inflators, front
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. (For details, see Service remind-
er indicators and warning buzzersº in Sec-
tion 1- 5.)
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In a severe side impact, the side airbag
sensor triggers the side airbag inflators.
Then a chemical reaction in the inflators
quickly fills the airbags with non- toxic gas
to help restrain the lateral motion of the
occupants.
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 gas is nor-
mally harmless; however, for those who
have delicate skin, it may cause a minor
skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swelling.
Front seats may be hot for several min-
utes, but the airbags themselves will not
be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate
only once.CAUTION

The SRS side airbag system is de-
signed only as a supplement to the
primary protection of the driver
side and front passenger side seat
belt systems. To ensure maximum
protection in an accident, the driver
and all passengers in the vehicle
must wear their seat belts properly.
Wearing a seat belt during an acci-
dent reduces the chances of death
or serious injury or being thrown
out of the vehicle. For instructions
and precautions concerning the seat
belt system, see Seat beltsº in this
section.

Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing airbags. An infant or child who
is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system. Toyota
strongly recommends that all in-
fants and children be placed in the
rear seat of the vehicle and proper-
ly restrained. The rear seat is the
safest for infants and children. For
instructions concerning the installa-
tion of a child restraint system, see
Child restraintº in this section.

Do not allow a child to lean his/her
head or any part of his/her body
against the front door or the area
of the seat from which the side air-
bag deploys even if he/she is
seated in the child restraint system.
It is dangerous if the side airbag
inflates, and the impact could cause
death or serious injury to the child.
For instructions concerning the
installation of a child restraint sys-
tem, see Child restraintº in this
section.
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Do not lean against the front door
when the vehicle is in use. The side
airbag inflates with considerable
speed and force; you may be killed
or seriously injured.

Do not apply excessive weight to
the outer side of the front seats on
vehicles with side airbags.

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 things in their
arms or on their knees.

Do not use accessories for the
seats which cover the parts where
the side airbags inflate. Such acces-
sories may prevent the side airbags
from activating correctly, causing
death or serious injury.

Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of the front seats
with the side airbags. Such changes
may disable the system or cause
the side airbags to inflate acciden-
tally resulting in death or serious
injury. Consult your Toyota dealer if
you consider modifications of this
kind.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
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NOTICE
Do not perform any of the followingchanges without consulting yourToyota dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation of the
SRS side airbag system in somecases.

Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two- way radio,cassette tape player or compactdisc player

Modification of the suspension sys-tem

Modification of the side structure ofthe passenger compartment

Repairs made on or near the con-sole or front seat
This SRS side airbag system has a
service reminder indicator to inform the
driver of operating problems. If either of
the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags.
Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.

The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or the light remains on.

The light comes on or flashes while
driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:

The SRS side airbags have been in-
flated.

The portion of the doors (shaded in the
illustration) were involved in an acci-
dent that was not severe enough to
cause the SRS side airbags to inflate.

The surface of the seats with the side
airbag (shaded in the illustration) is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
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