Get OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS - Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and mirrors Guide for Toyota Prius 4 Door First Generation (1997-2003)

SECTION 2– 2

OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND

CONTROLS

Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and mirrors

Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Front seatss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

SRS driver and front passenger airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

SRS side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Child restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Tilt steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Outside rear view mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Anti−glare inside rear view mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

37

Front seats—

—Front seat precautions (on

vehicles with SRS side airbags)

Seats

—Seat adjustment precautions

While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-

hicle occupants should have the seatback

upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-

erly wear the seat belts provided.

Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot

pedals, steering wheel and instrument

panel controls are within easy reach of

the driver.

CAUTION

The SRS side airbags are installed in

the driver and front passenger seats.

Observe the following precautions.

CAUTION

D Do not lean against the front door

when the vehicle is in use. Other-

wise you may be killed or seriously

injured when the side airbag in-

flates with considerable speed and

force.

D Do not drive the vehicle unless the

occupants are properly seated. Do

not allow them to sit on top of a

folded−down seatback, or in the

luggage compartment or cargo area.

Persons not properly seated and/or

properly restrained by seat belts

can be severely injured in the event

of emergency braking or a collision.

D Adjustments should not be made

while the vehicle is moving, as the

seat may unexpectedly move and

cause the driver to lose control of

the vehicle.

D When adjusting the seat, be careful

not to hit the seat against a pas-

senger or luggage.

D Do not modify or replace the seats

or surface of the front seats with

the side airbags. Such changes may

disable the system or cause the

side airbags to inflate, resulting in

death or serious injury. Consult

your Toyota dealer.

D After adjusting the seat position,

try sliding it forward and backward

to make sure it is locked in posi-

tion.

D During driving, do not allow pas-

sengers to stand up or move

around between seats. Severe inju-

ries can occur in the event of emer-

gency braking or a collision.

D Do not use accessories for the

seats which cover the parts where

the side airbags should inflate.

Such accessories may prevent the

side airbags from activating correct-

ly, causing death or serious injury.

D After adjusting the seatback, exert

body pressure to make sure it is

locked in position.

D Do not put objects under the seats.

The objects may interfere with the

seat−lock mechanism or unexpect-

edly push up the seat position ad-

justing lever. Otherwise, the seat

may suddenly move, causing the

driver to lose control of the vehicle.

38

—Adjusting front seats

1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER

D While adjusting the seat, do not put

your hands under the seat or near

the moving parts. Otherwise, you

may catch and injure your hands or

fingers.

Hold the center of the lever and pull it

up. Then slide the seat to the desired

position with slight body pressure and

release the lever.

2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING

LEVER

Lean forward and pull the lever up.

Then lean back to the desired angle

and release the lever.

CAUTION

To reduce the risk of sliding under

the lap belt during a collision, avoid

reclining the seatback any more than

needed. The seat belts provide maxi-

mum protection in a frontal or rear

collision when the driver and the pas-

senger are sitting up straight and

well back in the seats. If you are

reclined, the lap belt may slide past

your hips and apply restraint forces

directly to the abdomen. Therefore, in

the event of a frontal collision, the

risk of personal injury may increase

with increasing recline of the seat-

back.

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39

Seat belts—

—Seat belt precautions

Head restraints

For your safety and comfort, adjust the

head restraint before driving,

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.

To raise: Pull it up.

To lower: Push it down while pressing the

lock release button.

The head restraint is most effective when

it is close to your head. Therefore, using

a cushion on the seatback is not recom-

mended.

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. (For details, see

“Child restraint—” on page 61 in this sec-

tion.)

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CAUTION

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. According to accident

statistics, the child is safer when properly

restrained in the rear seat than in the

front seat.

D Adjust the center of the head re-

straint so that it is closest to the

top of your ears.

Front

D After adjusting the head restraint,

make sure it is locked in position.

D Do not drive with the head re-

straints removed.

If a child must sit in the front seat, the

seat belts should be worn properly. If an

accident occurs and 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.

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Rear

40

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.

D 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.

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.

D 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 189 in Section 6.)

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.

When using the seat belts, observe

the following:

D Use the belt for only one person at

a time. Do not use a single belt for

two or more people—even children.

D 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.

Injured person. Toyota recommends the

use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-

ry, first check with your doctor for specific

recommendations.

D 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.)

D 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.

41

—Front and rear seat belts

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 61 in this Section.)

To free the belt again, fully retract the belt

and then pull the belt out once more.

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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.

Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder

anchor—

CAUTION

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the belt is not twisted.

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.

You will hear a click when the tab locks

into the buckle.

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent you

from properly latching the tab and

buckle.

The seat belt length automatically adjusts

to your size and the seat position.

After adjustment, make sure the anchor is

locked in position.

D 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.

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.

42

CAUTION

Take up slack

Too high

22p006a

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.

D Both high−positioned lap belts and

loose−fitting 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.

D For your safety, do not place the

Keep as low on hips

as possible

shoulder belt under your arm.

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.

43

—Seat belt extender

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

D Remember that the extender pro-

vided for you may not be safe when

used on

a

different vehicle, for

another person, or at

a

different

seating position than the one origi-

nally intended.

Please contact your local Toyota dealer to

order the proper required length for the

extender. Bring the heaviest coat you ex-

pect to wear for proper measurement and

selection of length. Additional ordering in-

formation is available at your Toyota deal-

er.

22p007

CAUTION

To release the belt, press the buckle−re-

lease button and allow the belt to re-

tract.

When using the seat belt extender,

observe the following precautions.

Failure to follow these instructions

could reduce the effectiveness of the

seat belt restraint system in case of

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.

vehicle

accident,

increasing

the

chance of personal injury.

D Never use the seat belt extender if

you can fasten the seat belt without

it.

44

—Front seat belt

pretensioners

CAUTION

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the lap and shoulder portions

of the belt is not twisted.

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22p009

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent you

from properly latching the tab and

buckle.

D 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.

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 ex-

tender and the seat belt are both facing

outward as shown.

The driver and front passenger’s seat

belts 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

belts are quickly drawn back in by the

retractor so that the belts snugly restrain

the front seat occupants.

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 extend-

er itself.

The front seat belt pretensioners are acti-

vated 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.

When not in use, remove the extender

and store in the vehicle for future use.

45

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.

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22p011

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.

This indicator comes on when the igni-

tion key is turned to the “ACC” or

“ON” position. It goes off after about

6 seconds. This means the front seat

belt pretensioners are operating proper-

ly.

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

The warning light system monitors the air-

bag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-

sors, side airbag sensors, front seat belt

pretensioner assemblies, warning light, in-

terconnecting wiring and power sources.

(For details, see “Service reminder indica-

tors and warning buzzers” on page 91 in

Section 2−4.)

Failure to follow these instructions

can result in death or serious inju-

ries.

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.

46

NOTICE

Do not perform any of the following

changes without

consulting your

Toyota dealer. Such changes can in-

terfere with proper operation of the

front seat belt pretensioners in some

cases.

22p010

22p012

z Installation of electronic devices

such as

a

mobile two−way radio,

cassette tape player or compact

disc player

z Repairs on or near the front seat

belt retractor assemblies

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 in-

dicates a malfunction of the airbags or

pretensioners. Contact your Toyota dealer

as soon as possible to service the ve-

hicle.

In the following cases, contact your Toyota

dealer as soon as possible:

z Modification of the suspension sys-

tem

D The front seat belt pretensioner assem-

bly or surrounding area has been dam-

aged.

z Modification of the front end struc-

ture

D 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.

z Attachment of a grille guard (bull

bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,

winches or any other equipment to

the front end

D The light does not come on when the

ignition key is turned to the “ACC” or

“ON” position, or remains on.

z Repairs made on or near the front

fenders, front end structure or con-

sole

D Either front seat belt pretensioner as-

D The light comes on or flashes while

sembly

or

surrounding

area

is

driving.

scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-

D 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 pretensioner.

aged.

47

SRS driver and front

passenger airbags

Your vehicle is equipped with

a

crash

sensing and diagnostic module, which will

record the use of the seat belt restraint

system by the driver and passenger when

the SRS airbags are inflated.

CAUTION

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22p010

A driver or front passenger who is

too close to the steering wheel or

dashboard during airbag deployment

can be killed or seriously injured. To-

yota strongly recommends that:

D The driver sit as far back as pos-

sible from the steering wheel while

still maintaining control of the ve-

hicle.

The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-

tem) front airbags are designed to pro-

vide further protection for the driver

and front passenger in addition to the

primary safety protection provided by

the seat belts.

This indicator comes on when the igni-

tion key is turned to the “ACC” or

“ON” position. It goes off after about

6 seconds. This means the SRS front

airbags are operating properly.

D The front passenger sit as far back

as possible from the dashboard.

The warning light system monitors the air-

bag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-

sors, side airbag sensors, front seat belt

pretensioner assemblies, warning light, in-

terconnecting wiring and power sources.

(For details, see “Service reminder indica-

tors and warning buzzers” on page 91 in

Section 2−4.)

D All vehicle occupants be properly

restrained using the available seat

belts.

In response to a severe frontal impact,

the SRS front airbags work together with

the seat belts to help reduce injury by

inflating. The SRS front airbags help to

reduce injuries mainly to the driver’s or

front passenger’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.

48

If the severity of the impact is below the

above threshold level, the SRS front air-

bags 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 (e.g. a collision in which the nose

of the vehicle “underrides”, or goes under,

the bed of a truck, etc.).

Collision from

the rear

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22p015b

Collision from

the side

Vehicle rollover

It is possible that in some collisions at the

lower zone of airbag sensor detection and

activation, the SRS airbags and seat belt

pretensioners will not operate all together.

The SRS front airbag system is de-

signed to activate in response to a se-

vere frontal impact within the shaded

area between the arrows in the illustra-

tion.

The SRS front airbags are not designed

to inflate if the vehicle is involved in a

side or rear collision, if it rolls over, or

if it is involved in a low−speed frontal

collision.

For the safety of all occupants, always

wear your seat belts properly.

The SRS front airbags will deploy if the

severity of the impact is above the de-

signed threshold level, comparable to an

approximate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision

when impacting straight into a fixed barrier

that does not move or deform.

49

In a severe frontal impact, the sensors

detect deceleration and the system trig-

gers the airbag inflators. At this time a

chemical reaction in the inflators quickly

fills the airbags with non−toxic gas to help

restrain the forward motion of the occu-

pants.

Hitting a curb, edge

of pavement or

Falling into or jump-

ing over a deep hole

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22p017a

hard material

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

any potential skin irritation.

Landing hard or vehicle falling

The SRS front airbags may deploy if a

serious impact occurs to the underside

of your vehicle. Some examples are

shown in the illustration.

The SRS airbag system consists mainly of

the following components and their loca-

tions are shown in the illustration.

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.

1. Front airbag sensors

2. SRS warning light

3. Airbag module for front passenger (air-

bag and inflator)

4. Airbag sensor assembly

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.

5. Airbag module for driver (airbag and

inflator)

The airbag sensor assembly consists of a

safing sensor and airbag sensor.

50

A crash severe enough to inflate the air-

bags may break the windshield as the

vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a pas-

senger airbag the windshield may also be

damaged by absorbing some of the force

of the inflating airbag.

D Improperly seated and/or restrained

infants and children can be killed

or seriously injured by the deploy-

ing front airbags. An infant or child

who is too small to use a seat belt

should be properly secured using a

CAUTION

D 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. Wear-

ing a seat belt during an accident

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 belts—” on

page 40 in this section.

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 restraint—” on page 61 in

this section.

51

D For instructions concerning the

installation of a child restraint sys-

tem, see “Child restraint—” on page

61 in this section.

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22p019

Move seat

fully back

D Never put

a

rear−facing child re-

D A forward−facing child restraint

system should be allowed to be put

on the front seat only when it is

unavoidable. Always move the seat

as far back as possible, because

the force of the deploying front air-

bag could cause death or serious

injury to the child.

straint system on the front passen-

ger seat because the force of the

rapid inflation of the front passen-

ger airbag can cause death or seri-

ous injury to the child.

D On vehicles with side airbags, do

not allow the child to lean against

the front door or around the front

door even if the child is seated in

the child restraint system. It is dan-

gerous if the side airbag inflates,

because the impact could cause

death or serious injury to the child.

52

22p020a

22p021a

22p022b

D Do not sit on the edge of the seat

or lean over the dashboard when

the vehicle is in use, since the

front airbags inflate with consider-

able speed and force. Otherwise,

you may be killed or seriously in-

jured. Sit up straight and well back

in the seat, and always use your

seat belt properly.

D Do not allow a child to stand up or

to kneel on the front passenger

seat, since the front airbag inflates

with considerable speed and force.

Otherwise, the child may be killed

or seriously injured.

D Do not put objects or your pets on

or in front of the dashboard or

steering wheel pad that houses the

front airbag system. They might re-

strict inflation or cause death or

serious injury as they are projected

rearward by the force of deploying

airbags. Likewise, the driver and

front passenger should not hold ob-

jects in their arms or on their

knees.

D 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

restraint—” on page 61 in this sec-

tion.

53

NOTICE

D 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 front airbag inflation or

disable the system, which could re-

sult in death or serious injury.

Do not perform any of the following

changes without

consulting your

Toyota dealer. Such changes can in-

terfere with proper operation of the

SRS front airbag system in some

cases.

22p010

z Installation of electronic devices

such as

a

mobile two−way radio,

cassette tape player or compact

disc player

Failure to follow these instructions

can result in death or serious injury.

z Modification of the suspension sys-

tem

This SRS front airbag system has a ser-

vice reminder indicator to inform the driver

of operating problems. If either of the fol-

lowing conditions occurs, this indicates a

malfunction of the airbags. Contact your

Toyota dealer as soon as possible to ser-

vice the vehicle.

z Modification of the front end struc-

ture

z Attachment of a grille guard (bull

bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,

winches or any other equipment to

the front end

D The light does not come on when the

ignition key is turned to the “ACC” or

“ON” position, or the light remains on.

z Repairs made on or near the front

fenders, front end structure, con-

sole, steering column, steering

wheel or dashboard near the front

passenger airbag

D The light comes on while driving.

54

SRS side airbags

NOTICE

Do not disconnect the battery cables

before contacting your Toyota dealer.

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22p024a

In the following cases, contact your Toyota

dealer as soon as possible:

The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-

tem) side airbags are designed to pro-

vide further protection for the driver

and front passenger in addition to the

primary safety protection provided by

the seat belts.

D The SRS front airbags have been in-

flated.

D The front of the vehicle (shaded in the

illustration) was involved in an accident

that was not severe enough to cause

the SRS front airbags to inflate.

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.

D The pad section of the steering wheel

or

front passenger airbag cover

(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,

cracked, or otherwise damaged.

Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.

55

Your vehicle is equipped with

a

crash

sensing and diagnostic module, which will

record the use of the seat belt restraint

system by the driver and passenger when

the SRS side airbags are inflated.

CAUTION

22p010

22p025

SRS side airbags inflate with consid-

erable force. To avoid potential death

or serious injury when they inflate,

the driver and front passenger must:

D Wear their seat belts properly.

D 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 “ACC” or

“ON” position. It goes off after about

6 seconds. This means the SRS side

airbags are operating properly.

The SRS side airbag system may not

inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a

collision from the side at certain

angles, or a collision to the side of the

vehicle body other than the passenger

compartment as shown in the illustra-

tion.

The warning light system monitors the air-

bag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-

sors, side airbag sensors, front seat belt

pretensioner assemblies, warning light, in-

terconnecting wiring and power sources.

(For details, see “Service reminder indica-

tors and warning buzzers” on page 91 in

Section 2−4.)

The SRS side airbags are designed to

inflate when the passenger compartment

area suffers

side.

a

severe impact from the

For the safety of all occupants, always

wear your seat belts properly.

56

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.

Collision from the rear

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

any potential skin irritation.

22p026b

22p027

Collision from the front

Vehicle rollover

The SRS side airbags are not designed

to inflate if the vehicle is involved in a

front or rear collision, if it rolls over,

or if it is involved in a low−speed side

collision.

The SRS side airbag system consists

mainly of the following components, and

their locations are shown in the illustra-

tion.

Deployment 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 inju-

ries, it may also cause minor burns or

abrasions and swelling.

1. SRS warning light

2. Side airbag modules

(airbag and inflator)

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.

3. Side airbag sensors

4. Airbag sensor assembly

The SRS side airbag system is controlled

by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag

sensor assembly consists of a safing sen-

sor and airbag sensor.

57

D Improperly seated and/or restrained

infants and children can be killed

or seriously injured by the deploy-

ing airbags. An infant or child who

CAUTION

D 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 properly during

an accident reduces the chances of

death or serious injury or being

thrown out of the vehicle. For in-

structions and precautions concern-

ing the seat belt system, see “Seat

belts” on page 40 in this section.

is too small to use

should be properly secured using a

child restraint system. Toyota

a

seat belt

22p028b

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 restraint” on page 61 in this

section.

D Do not lean against the front door

when the vehicle is in use, since

the side airbag inflates with consid-

erable speed and force. Otherwise,

you may be killed or seriously in-

jured.

D 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 restraint” on page

61 in this section.

D Sit up straight and well back in the

seat, distributing your weight even-

ly in the seat. Do not apply exces-

sive weight to the outer side of the

front seats on vehicles with side

airbags.

58

NOTICE

D 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 perform any of the following

changes without

consulting your

Toyota dealer. Such changes can

interfere with proper operation of the

SRS side airbag system in some

cases.

22p029c

D Do not modify or replace the seats

or upholstery of front seats with

the side airbags. Such changes may

disable the system or cause the

side airbags to inflate accidentally,

resulting in death or serious injury.

z Installation of electronic devices

such as

a

mobile two−way radio,

cassette tape player or compact

disc player

z Modification of the suspension sys-

Failure to follow these instructions

can result in death or serious injury.

Consult your Toyota dealer about any

repairs and modifications.

tem

D 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.

z Modification of the side structure of

the passenger compartment

z Repairs made on or near the con-

sole or front seat

59

NOTICE

Do not disconnect the battery cables

before contacting your Toyota dealer.

22p010

22p030e

This SRS side airbag system has a ser-

vice reminder indicator to inform the driver

of operating problems. If either of the fol-

lowing conditions occurs, this indicates a

malfunction of the airbags. Contact your

Toyota dealer as soon as possible to ser-

vice the vehicle.

In the following cases, contact your Toyota

dealer as soon as possible:

D The SRS side airbags have been in-

flated.

D 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.

D The light does not come on when the

ignition key is turned to the “ACC” or

“ON” position, or the light remains on.

D The surface of the seats with the side

airbag (shaded in the illustration) is

scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-

aged.

D The light comes on or flashes while

driving.

60

Child restraint—

—Child restraint precautions

Toyota strongly urges the use of child

restraint systems for children small

enough to use them.

D Toyota strongly urges use of

a

D A forward−facing child restraint

system should be allowed to put on

the front seat only when it is un-

avoidable. Always move the seat as

far back as possible, because the

force of the deploying airbag could

cause death or serious injury to the

child.

proper child restraint system which

conforms to the size of the child,

and is put on the rear seat. Accord-

ing to accident statistics, the child

is safer when properly restrained in

the rear seat than in the front seat.

The laws of all 50 states in the U.S.A.

and Canada now require the use of

child restraint system.

a

Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.

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 40 for details.

D Never put

a

rear−facing child re-

straint 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.

D On vehicles with side airbags, do

not allow the child to lean against

the front door or around the front

door even if the child is seated in

the child restraint system. It is dan-

gerous if the side airbag inflates,

and the impact could cause death

or serious injury to the child.

CAUTION

D Unless it is unavoidable, do not put

D 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.

a

child restraint system on the

front seat.

D Make sure you have complied with

all installation instructions provided

by the child restraint manufacturer

and that the system is properly se-

cured.

61

—Child restraint system

A

child restraint system for

a

small

D After installing the child restraint

system, make sure it is secured in

place following the manufacturer’s

instructions. If it is not restrained

securely, it may cause death or se-

rious injury to the child in the

event of a sudden stop or accident.

CAUTION

rear−facing child re-

straint 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.

child or baby must itself be properly

restrained on the seat with the lap por-

tion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must

carefully consult the manufacturer’s in-

structions which accompany child re-

straint system.

D Never put

a

To provide proper restraint, use a child

restraint system following the manufactur-

er’s instructions about the appropriate age

and size of the child for the child restraint

system.

When not using the child restraint system,

keep it secured with the seat belt or place

it in the trunk or somewhere other than in

the passenger compartment. This will pre-

vent it from injuring passengers in the

event of a sudden stop or accident.

D Unless it is unavoidable, do not put

a

child restraint system on the

front seat.

Install the child restraint system correctly

following the instructions provided by its

manufacturer. General directions are also

provided under the following instructions.

D A forward−facing child restraint

system should be allowed to put on

the front seat only when it is un-

avoidable. Always move the seat as

far back as possible, because the

force of the deploying airbag could

cause death or serious injury to the

child.

For instructions about how to use the an-

chor bracket, see “—Using a top strap” on

page 72 in this section.

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.

D On vehicles with side airbag, do

not allow the child to lean against

the front door or around the front

door even if the child is seated in

the child restraint system. It is dan-

gerous if the side airbag inflates,

and the impact could cause death

or serious injury to the child.

62

—Types of child restraint

system

Child restraint systems are classified into

the following 3 types depending on the

child’s age and size.

(A) Infant seat

(B) Convertible seat

(C) Booster seat

22p031a

22p033a

Install the child restraint system following

the instructions provided by its manufac-

turer.

Child restraint lower anchorages approved

for your vehicle may also be used. See

“—Installation with child restraint lower an-

chorages” on page 74 in this section.

(A) Infant seat

(C) Booster seat

22p032a

(B) Convertible seat

63

—Installation with 3−point

type seat belt

22p034a

22p035a

22p045c

(A) INFANT SEAT INSTALLATION

D Do not put a rear−facing child re-

straint system on the rear seat if it

interferes with the lock mechanism

of the front seats. This can cause

death or serious injury to the child

and front passenger in case of sud-

den braking or a collision.

CAUTION

An infant seat is used in rear−facing

position only.

D Never put

a

rear−facing child re-

straint system on the front passen-

ger seat because the force of the

rapid inflation of the front passen-

ger airbag can cause death or seri-

ous injury to the child.

D If the driver’s seat position does

not allow sufficient space for safe

installation, install the child re-

straint system on the rear left seat.

64

CAUTION

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the lap and shoulder portions

of the belt are not twisted.

22p037a

22p038a

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent you

from properly latching the tab and

buckle.

D If the seat belt does not function

normally, it cannot protect your

child from injury. Contact your

Toyota dealer immediately. Do not

use the child restraint system until

the seat belt is fixed.

1. Run the lap and shoulder belt through

or around the baby seat following the

instructions provided by its manufactur-

er and insert the tab into the buckle

taking care not to twist the belt. Keep

the lap portion of the belt tight.

2. Fully extend the shoulder belt to put it

in the lock mode. When the belt is

then retracted even slightly, it cannot

be extended.

To hold the infant seat securely, make

sure the belt is in the lock mode before

letting the belt retract.

65

22p039a

22p040a

22p041b

3. While pressing the infant seat firmly

against the seat cushion and seatback,

let the shoulder belt retract as far as

it will go to hold the infant seat secure-

ly.

4. To remove the baby seat, press the

buckle−release button and allow the

belt to retract completely. The belt will

move freely again and be ready to

work for an adult or older child passen-

ger.

CAUTION

Push and pull the child restraint sys-

tem in different directions to be sure

it is secure. Follow all the installation

instructions provided by its manufac-

turer.

66

22p042a

22p043a

22p044

Move seat

fully back

(B) CONVERTIBLE SEAT INSTALLATION

D A forward−facing child restraint sys-

tem should be allowed to be put on

the front seat only when it is un-

avoidable. Always move the seat as

far back as possible, because the

force of the deploying airbag could

cause death or serious injury to the

child.

CAUTION

A convertible seat is used in forward−

facing or rear−facing position depend-

ing on the child’s age and size. When

installing, follow the manufacturer’s in-

struction about the applicable child’s

age and size as well as directions for

installing the child restraint system.

D Never put

a

rear−facing child re-

straint system on the front passen-

ger seat because the force of the

rapid inflation of the front passen-

ger airbag can cause death or seri-

ous injury to the child.

D On vehicles with side airbags, do

not allow the child to lean against

the front door or around the front

door even if the child is seated in

the child restraint system. It is dan-

gerous if the side airbag inflates,

and the impact could cause death

or serious injury to the child.

67

CAUTION

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the lap and shoulder portions

of the belt are not twisted.

22p036d

22p046a

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent you

from properly latching the tab and

buckle.

D If the seat belt does not function

normally, it cannot protect your

child from injury. Contact your

Toyota dealer immediately. Do not

use the child restraint system until

the seat belt is fixed.

1. Run the lap and shoulder belt through

or around the convertible seat following

CAUTION

the

instructions

provided

by

its

D Do not put a rear−facing child re-

straint system on the rear seat if it

interferes with the lock mechanism

of the front seats. This can cause

death or serious injury to the child

and front passenger in case of sud-

den braking or a collision.

manufacturer and insert the tab into

the buckle taking care not to twist the

belt. Keep the lap portion of the belt

tight.

D If the driver’s seat position does

not allow sufficient space for safe

installation, install the child re-

straint system on the rear left seat.

68

22p047a

22p048a

22p049a

2. Fully extend the shoulder belt to put it

in the lock mode. When the belt is

then retracted even slightly, it cannot

be extended.

3. While pressing the convertible seat

firmly against the seat cushion and

seatback, let the shoulder belt retract

as far as it will go to hold the convert-

ible seat securely.

CAUTION

Push and pull the child restraint sys-

tem in different directions to be sure

it is secure. Follow all the installation

instructions provided by its manufac-

turer.

To hold the convertible seat securely,

make sure the belt is in the lock mode

before letting the belt retract.

69

22p050a

22p051a

22p052

Move seat

fully back

4. To remove the convertible seat, press

the buckle−release button and allow the

belt to retract completely. The belt will

move freely again and be ready to

work for an adult or older child passen-

ger.

(C) BOOSTER SEAT INSTALLATION

A booster seat is used in forward−fac-

ing position only.

70

CAUTION

D A forward−facing child restraint

system should be allowed to be put

on the front seat only when it is

unavoidable. Always move the seat

as far back as possible, because

the force of the deploying airbag

could cause death or serious injury

to the child.

D Always make sure the shoulder belt

is positioned across the center of

child’s shoulder. The belt should be

kept away from child’s neck, but

not falling off child’s shoulder. Fail-

ure to do so could reduce the

amount of protection in an accident

and cause serious injuries in a col-

lision.

22p053a

D On vehicles with side airbags, do

not allow the child to lean against

the front door or around the front

door even if the child is seated in

the child restraint system. It is dan-

gerous if the side airbag inflates,

and the impact could cause death

or serious injury to the child.

D Both high−positioned lap belts and

loose−fitting belts could cause seri-

ous injuries due to sliding under

the lap belt during a collision or

other unintended result. Keep the

1. Sit the child on a booster seat. Run

the lap and shoulder belt through or

around the booster seat and child fol-

lowing the instructions provided by its

manufacturer and insert the tab into

the buckle taking care not to twist the

belt.

lap belt positioned as low on

child’s hips as possible.

a

D For child’s safety, do not place the

shoulder belt under child’s arm.

Make sure the shoulder belt is correctly

across the child’s shoulder and that the

lap belt is positioned as low as possible

on child’s hips. See “Seat belts—” on

page 40 for details.

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the lap and shoulder portions

of the belt are not twisted.

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent your

child from properly latching the tab

and buckle.

71

—Using a top strap

D If the seat belt does not function

normally, it cannot protect your

child from injury. Contact your

Toyota dealer immediately. Do not

use the child restraint system until

the seat belt is fixed.

22p054a

22p055

2. To remove the child restraint system,

press the buckle−release button and

allow the belt to retract.

Follow the procedure below for a child

restraint system that requires the use

of a top strap.

72

Anchor

brackets

22p056c

22p063a

22p064c

Use the anchor bracket on the package

tray behind the rear seat to attach the top

strap.

TO USE THE ANCHOR BRACKET:

2. Fix the child restraint system with

the seat belt.

1. Outside anchor brackets only—

Remove the head restraint.

Latch the hook onto the anchor

bracket and tighten the top strap.

Anchor brackets are installed for each

rear seating position.

For instructions to install the child re-

straint system, see “Child restraint—” on

page 61 in this section.

CAUTION

Make sure the top strap is securely

latched, and check that the child re-

straint system is secure by pushing

and pulling it in different directions.

73

—Installation with child

restraint lower anchorages

22p065a

22p076c

3. Outside anchor brackets only—

Replace the head restraint.

The lower anchorages for the child re-

straint system interfaced with the

FMVSS225 specification are installed in

the rear seat.

22p077d

The anchorages are installed in the clear-

ance between the seat cushion and seat-

back of both outside rear seats.

Child restraint system interfaced with the

FMVSS225 specification can be fixed with

these anchorages. In this case, it is not

necessary to fix the child restraint system

with a seat belt on the vehicle.

Type A

74

CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM INSTALLA-

TION

CAUTION

Type A—

D When using the lower anchorages

for the child restraint system, be

sure that there are no irregular ob-

jects around the anchorages or that

the seat belt is not caught.

1. Widen the clearance between the

seat cushion and seatback

a

little

and confirm the position of the low-

er anchorages below the tag in the

seatback.

D Push and pull the child restraint

system in different directions to be

sure it is secure. Follow all the

installation instructions provided by

its manufacturer.

2. Latch the hooks of lower straps onto

the anchorages and tighten the lower

straps.

Type B—

D Do not put a child restraint system

on the rear seat if it interferes with

the lock mechanism of the front

seats. This can cause death or se-

vere injury to the child and front

passenger in case of sudden brak-

ing or a collision.

1. Widen the clearance between the

22p078d

seat cushion and seatback

a

little

and confirm the position of the low-

er anchorages below the tag in the

seatback.

2. Latch the buckles onto the anchor-

ages

If your child restraint system has a top

strap, it should be anchored. (For the

installation of the top strap, see “—Using

a top strap” on page 72 in this section.)

For the installation details, refer to the

instruction manual equipped with each

product.

Type B

75

Tilt steering wheel

Outside rear view mirrors—

CAUTION

D Do not adjust the steering wheel

while the vehicle is moving. Doing

so may cause the driver to mishan-

dle the vehicle and an accident may

occur resulting in death or serious

injuries.

22p058d

22p059

D After adjusting the steering wheel,

try moving it up and down to make

sure it is locked in position.

To change the steering wheel angle,

hold the steering wheel, push down the

lock release lever, tilt the steering

wheel to the desired angle and push

the lever up to lock the steering wheel

in position.

Adjust the mirror so that you can just

see the side of your vehicle in the mir-

ror.

Be careful when judging the size or dis-

tance of any object seen in the outside

rear view mirror on the passenger’s side.

It is a convex mirror with a curved sur-

face. Any object seen in a convex mirror

will look smaller and farther away than

when seen in a flat mirror.

76

—Power rear view mirror

control

NOTICE

CAUTION

If ice should jam the mirror, do not

operate the control or scrape the mir-

ror face. Use a spray de−icer to free

the mirror.

Do not adjust the mirror while the

vehicle is moving. Doing so may

cause the driver to mishandle the ve-

hicle and an accident may occur re-

sulting in death or serious injuries.

22p060c

To adjust a mirror, use the switches.

1. Master switch—To select the mirror to

be adjusted

Push the switch at “L” (left) or “R”

(right).

2. Control switch—To move the mirror

Push the switch in the desired direc-

tion.

The mirrors can be adjusted when the key

is in the “ACC” or “ON” position.

77

Anti−glare inside rear view

mirror

—Folding rear view mirrors

CAUTION

Do not adjust the mirror while the

vehicle is moving. Doing so may

cause the driver to mishandle the ve-

hicle and an accident may occur re-

sulting in death or serious injuries.

22p066

22p061

The rear view mirrors can be folded

backward for parking in restricted

areas.

Adjust the mirror so that you can just

see the rear of your vehicle in the mir-

ror.

To fold the rear view mirror, push back-

ward.

To reduce glare from headlights of the

vehicle behind you during night driving,

operate the lever on the lower edge of

the mirror.

CAUTION

Daylight driving—Lever at position 1

Do not drive with the mirrors folded

backward. Both the driver and pas-

senger side rear view mirrors must

be extended and properly adjusted

before driving.

The reflection in the mirror has greater

clarity at this position.

Night driving—Lever at position 2

Remember that by reducing glare you also

lose some rear view clarity.

78

Vanity mirror

22p062a

To use the vanity mirror, swing down

the sun visor and open the cover.

79

80

OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS - Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and mirrors for Your Toyota Prius 4 Door First Generation (1997-2003)

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