Toyota TERCEL 1996 Owner Manual
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLS—
Chapter 1-1
Overview of instruments
and controls
Instrument panel overview
Instrument cluster overview
Indicator symbols on the
instrument panel
1
Instrument panel overview
1. Side vent
2. Instrument cluster
3. Center vents
4. Rear view mirror remote control lever
5. Glovebox
6. Power door lock switch
7. Power window switches
8. Parking brake lever
9. Automatic transmission selector lever
or manual transmission gear shift lever
10. Hood lock release lever
2
1. Instrument panel light control knob
2. Headlight and turn signal switch
3. Wiper and washer switches
4. Emergency flasher switch
5. Clock
6. Air conditioning controls
7. Car audio
8. Cigarette lighter
9. Ashtray
10. Cup holder
11. Rear window defogger switch
12. Ignition switch
3
Instrument cluster overview
With tachometer
1. Engine coolant temperature gauge
2. Fuel gauge
3. Service reminder indicators or
indicator lights
4
4. Odometer
5. Speedometer
6. Tachometer
7. Trip meter reset knob
8. Trip meter
Without tachometer
1. Fuel gauge
2. Service reminder indicators or
indicator lights
3. Odometer
4. Speedometer
5. Engine coolant temperature gauge
6. Theft deterrent system indicator light
7. Trip meter reset knob
8. Trip meter
5
Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
Brake system warning light*
Seat belt reminder light*
Discharge warning light*
Low oil pressure warning light*
Malfunction indicator lamp*
Anti-lock brake system warning light*
Open door warning light*
SRS airbag warning light*
Turn signal indicator lights
Headlight high beam indicator light
Overdrive-off indicator light
The indicators marked with * are service reminder indicators.
For details, see “Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzer” in Chapter 1-5.
6
Part 1
Keys
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—
Chapter 1-2
Keys and Doors
Keys
Side doors
Power windows
Trunk lid
Hood
Theft deterrent system
Fuel tank cap
Type A
KEY PLATE
Type A—
Your vehicle is supplied with two
kinds of key.
1. Master key—This key works in every
lock.
2. Subkey—This key will not work in the
trunk.
To protect things locked in the trunk when
you have your vehicle parked, leave the
subkey with the attendant.
Since the doors and trunk lid can be
locked without a key, you should always
carry a spare master key in case you accidentally lock your keys inside the vehicle.
Type B—
This key works in every lock.
Since the doors and trunk lid can be
locked without a key, you should always
carry a spare key in case you accidentally
lock your key inside the vehicle.
Type B
7
Side doors
KEY NUMBER PLATE
Your key number is shown on the
plate. Keep the plate in a safe place
such as your wallet, not in the vehicle.
If you should lose your keys or if you need
additional keys, duplicates can be made
by a Toyota dealer using the key number.
You should also put a copy of the key
number with your important papers.
8
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH
KEY
Insert the key into the keyhole and turn
it.
To lock: Turn the key forward.
To unlock: Turn the key backward.
Vehicles with power door lock sys-
tem—All the doors lock and unlock simultaneously with either front door. In the
driver’s door lock, turning the key once will
unlock the driver’s door and twice in succession will unlock all the doors simultaneously.
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH INSIDE LOCK BUTTON
Move the lock button.
To lock: Push the button downward.
To unlock: Pull the button upward.
Closing the door with the lock button
pushed in will also lock the door. Be careful not to lock your keys in the vehicle.
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH
POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH
Push the switch.
To lock: Push the switch on the front side.
To unlock: Push the switch on the rear
side.
All the doors lock or unlock simultaneously.
Driver’s side
Passenger’s side
REAR DOOR CHILD-PROTECTORS
Move the lock lever to the “LOCK”
position as shown on the label.
This feature allows you to lock a r e a r d o or
so it can be opened from the outside only,
not from inside. We recommend using this
feature whenever small children are in the
vehicle.
9
CAUTION
!
Before driving, be sure that the
doors are closed and locked, especially when small children are in the
vehicle. Along with the proper use
of seat belts, locking the doors
helps prevent the driver and passengers from being thrown out from
the vehicle during an accident. It
also helps prevent the doors from
being opened unintentionally.
Power windows
The windows can be operated with the
switch on each door.
The ignition key must be in the “ON” position.
OPERATING THE DRIVER’S WINDOW
Use the switch on the driver’s door.
Normal operation: The window moves
as long as you hold the switch.
To open: Lightly push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
Automatic operation (to open only):
Push the switch completely down and
then release it. The window will fully open.
To stop the window partway, lightly pull the
switch up and then release it.
10
OPERATING THE PASSENGERS’ WINDOWS
Use the switch on each passengers’
door or the switches on the driver’s
door that control each passengers’
window.
The window moves as long as you hold
the switch.
To open: Push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
If you push in the window lock button on
the driver’s door, the passengers’ windows cannot be operated.
CAUTION
!
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following.
Always make sure the head, hands
and other parts of the body of a ll occupants are kept completely inside
the vehicle before you close the
power windows. If someone’s neck,
head or h a nds g e ts c a ught i n a closing window, it could result in a serious injury. When anyone closes the
power windows, be sure that they
operate the windows safely.
When small children are in the ve-
hicle, never let them use the power
window switches without supervision. Use the window lock button
to prevent them from making unexpected use of the switches.
Never leave small children alone in
the vehicle, especially with the ignition key still inserted. They could
use the power window switches
and get trapped in a window. Unattended children can become involved in serious accidents.
11
Trunk lid— —Lock release lever —Luggage security system
To open the trunk lid from the outside,
insert the master key and turn it clockwise.
See “Luggage stowage precautions” in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in loading luggage.
To close the trunk lid, lower it and press
down on it. After closing the trunk lid, try
pulling it up to make sure it is securely
closed.
CAUTION
!
Keep the trunk lid closed while driving. This not only keeps the luggage
from being thrown out but also prevents exhaust gases from entering
the vehicle.
12
To open the trunk lid from the driver’s
seat, pull up on the lock release lever.
This system deactivates the lock release lever so that things locked in the
trunk can be protected.
1. Push down the security lock levers
to lock the rear seatbacks.
After locking the rear seatbacks, try folding them down to make sure they are
securely locked—otherwise, someone
could get into the trunk by folding down a
rear seat.
Hood
2. After closing the trunk lid, insert the
maste r k ey a nd t ur n it count erc lock wise
to deacti vate the lo ck release lever.
After closing the trunk lid, try pulling it up
to make sure it is securely closed.
To open the hood, do the following.
1. Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will spring up slightly.
2. In front of the vehicle, pull up on the
auxiliary catch lever and lift the hood.
13
Theft deterrent system
(for Puerto Rico)
3. Hold the hood open by inserting the
support rod into the slot.
Before closing the hood, check to see that
you have not forgotten any tools, rags,
etc. and return the support rod to its clip—
this prevents rattles. Then lower the hood
and make sure it locks into place. If necessary, press down gently on the front edge
to lock it.
CAUTION
!
After inserting the support rod into
the slot, make sure the rod supports
the hood securely.
14
To deter the vehicle theft, the system is
designed to give an alarm and keep the
engine from being started if any of the
doors, trunk or hood is forcibly unlocked or the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected
when the vehicle is locked.
The alarm blows the horn intermittently
and flashes the headlights, tail lights, and
other exterior lights. The engine cannot
be started because the starter circuit will
be cut.
SETTING THE SYSTEM
1. Turn the ignition key to the “LOCK”
position and remove it.
2. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle.
3. Close and lock all the side doors, trunk
and hood.
The indicator light will come on when all
the doors, trunk and hood are closed and
locked.
As all the doors are locked, the system will
give you a preparation time of 30 seconds
before the setting, during which the doors,
trunk and hood may be opened to prepare
for the setting.
Be careful not to use the key when opening either front door. This will cancel the
system.
4. After making sure the indicator light
starts flashing, you may leave the vehicle.
The system will automatically be set after
the preparation time passes. The indicator light will flash to show the system is
set. If any of the doors, trunk or hood is
open at that time, the setting is interrupted
until it is closed and locked.
Never leave anyone in the vehicle when
you set the system, because unlocking
from the inside will activate the system.
WHEN THE SYSTEM IS SET
Activating the system
The system will give the alarm and cut the
starter circuit under the following conditions:
If any of the doors, trunk or hood is un-
locked without using the key
If the battery terminal is disconnected
and then reconnected
After one minute, the alarm will automatically stop with the starter circuit cut kept on.
Reactivating the alarm
Once set, the system automatically resets
the alarm each time all the doors, trunk
and hood are closed after the alarm stops.
The alarm will be activated again under
the following conditions:
If any of the doors, trunk or hood is
opened
If the battery terminal is disconnected
and then reconnected
Stopping the alarm
Turn the ignition key from the “LOCK” to
“ACC” position. The alarm will be stopped
with the starter circuit cut kept on. Stopping the alarm in this manner will keep the
alarm from being reactivated when any of
the doors, trunk or hood is opened.
Interrupting the setting
With the system set, the trunk can be
opened with the key without activating or
cancelling the system. While it is open,
the doors and hood may be opened in
addition. However, when the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected, the system is activated.
To resume the setting, close and lock all
the doors, trunk and hood. The trunk must
be closed with the key removed.
CANCELLING THE SYSTEM
Unlock either front door with the key. This
cancels the system completely and the
starter circuit cut will be cancelled at once.
INDICATOR LIGHT
The indicator light gives the following
three indications.
FLASHING—The system is set. You
need the key to open the doors, trunk and
hood.
ON—The system will automatically be set
when the time comes. The doors, trunk
and hood may be opened without a key.
OFF—The system is inactive. You may
open any door, trunk and hood.
15
TESTING THE SYSTEM
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the system as described above.
The front doors should be locked with the
key. Be sure to wait until the indicator light
starts flashing.
3. Unlock one of the doors from the in-
side. The system should activate the
alarm.
4. Cancel the system by unlocking either
front door with the key.
5. Repeat this operation for the other
doors, trunk and hood. When testing on
the hood, also check that the system is activated when the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected.
If the system does not work properly, have
it checked by your Toyota dealer.
Fuel tank cap
Lever type
1. To open the fuel filler door, do this.
Lever type—Pull up the lever.
Key type—Turn the key clockwise in the
fuel filler door.
CAUTION
!
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refuelling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot
weather, fuel under pressure
could cause injury by spraying
out of the filler neck if the cap is
suddenly removed.
16
Key type
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise, then
pause slightly before removing it. After removing the cap, hang it on the
cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a click.
CAUTION
!
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel spillage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel
tank cap for replacement. It has a
built-in check valve to reduce fuel
tank vacuum.
17
18
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—
Seats
While the vehicle is being driven, all vehicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit wel l back in the seat and properly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
!
Front seats—
—Seat adjustment pr ecautions
Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of the
driver.
CAUTION
!
Chapter 1-3
Seats, Seat belts
and Mirrors
Seats
Front seats
Fold-down rear seat
Seat belts
SRS airbags
Child restraint
Outside rear view mirrors
Anti-glare inside rear view
mirror
Do not drive with the vehicle occu-
pants not properly seated, such as
sitting on top of a folded-down
seatback, or in the luggage
compartment. Persons not properly seated and restrained by seat
belts can be severely injured in the
event of emergency braking or a
collision.
During driving, do not let passen-
gers stand up or move around between seats. Balance can be
unsteady and severe injuries can
occur in the event of emergency
braking or a collision.
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.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a passenger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in position.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats
as they may interfere with the seatlock mechanism or unexpectedly
push up the seat position adjusting
lever; the seat may suddenly move,
causing the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
While adjustin g t h e seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. You may jam
your hands or fingers.
19
—Adjusting front seats
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Pull the lever 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 maximum protection when the driver and
the passenger 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 seatback.
—Moving passenger’s seat for
rear seat entry
(2-door models)
For easy access to the rear seat, do
this.
1. Lift the seatback angle adjusting lever
or press the pedal behind the seatback.
The seat will slide forward slightly.
2. Move the seat to the front-most position.
After passengers are in, lift up the seatback and return the seat until it locks.
CAUTION
!
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat forward and rearward to make sure it is secured in
place.
Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.
20
—Tilting passenger ’s
seatback for rear seat entry
(2-door models)
For easy access to the rear seat, do
this.
Lift the seatback angle adjusting lever or
press the pedal behind the seatback.
The seatback will tilt forward.
After passengers are in, lift up the seat-
back until it locks.
CAUTION
!
After putting back the seatback, try
pushing the seatback forward and
rearward to make sure it is secured
in place.
Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the pedal while the vehicle
is moving.
Fold-down rear seat
1. Pull up the seatback security lock
lever 1 to the unlock position.
2. Pull out the lock release strap 2.
3. Fold down the seatback.
Each seatback may be folded separately .
This will enlarge the trunk room as far as
the front seatbacks. See “Luggage stowage precautions” in Part 2 for precautions
to observe in loading luggage.
CAUTION
!
When returning the seatback to the
upright position:
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seatback.
21
Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions
Toyota recommends that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly restrained 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.
Baby or small child. Use a child restraint
system which fits your vehicle. See “Child
restraint” for details.
Child. 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. Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. If the
shoulder belt falls across the child’s neck
or face, move the child to the center position and use the center lap belt.
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 injury ,
first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
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 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 maximum protection when the seatbacks are in the upright position.
(See 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 periodical-
ly. Check for cuts, fraying and
loose parts. Damaged parts
should be replaced. 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
cleaners—they may severely
weaken the belts.
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.
22
Front passenger’s seat only—Re-
place the belt if the warning label
under the sleeve can be seen. The
warning label, “REPLACE BELT”,
will appear if the belt receives a severe impact or other force.
—Front seat belts and rear
outside seat belts
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 completely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that position and cannot be extended. This feature
is used to hold the child restraint system
securely . (F o r d e t a i l s , see “Child restraint”
in this chapter.) 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.
23
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor—
Adjust the shoulder anchor position
to your size.
To adjust the anchor position, pull the
knob out and slide it up or down. Release
the knob and make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
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 increase the chance of
injury.
24
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 adjust
it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder portion upward through the latch plate.
CAUTION
!
High-positioned lap belts and
loose-fitting belts both could increase the chance of injury due to
sliding under the lap belt during
an accident. Keep the lap belt as
low on your hip bone as possible.
For your safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under your arm.
To release the belt, press the bucklerelease button and allow the belt to retract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull
it out and check for kinks or twists. Then
make sure it remains untwisted as it retracts.
—Rear center seat belt
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact
your Toyota dealer.
Sit up straight and well back in the
seat. To fasten your belt, insert the tab
into the buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
If the belt is not long enough for you, hold
the tab at a right angle to the belt and pull
on the tab.
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.
Remove excess length of the belt and
adjust the belt position.
To shorten the belt, pull the free end of the
belt.
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips—not on your waist, then adjust
it to a snug fit.
CAUTION
!
High-positioned and loose-fitting
lap belts could increase the chance
of injury due to sliding under the lap
belt during an accident.
25
—Seat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened securely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is available from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer
so that the dealer can order the proper required length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for proper measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available at your Toyota dealer.
To release the belt, press the bucklerelease button.
26
CAUTION
!
When using the seat belt extender,
observe the following. Failure to follow these instructions could result
in less effectiveness of the seat belt
restraint system in case of vehicle
accident, increasing the chance of
personal injury.
Never use the seat belt extender if
you can fasten the seat belt without it.
Remember that the extender pro-
vided for you may not be safe
when used on a different vehicle,
or for another person or at a different seating position than the one
originally intended for.
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 extender and the seat belt are both facing
outward as shown.
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 extender itself.
When not in use, remove the extender
and store in the vehicle for future use.
CAUTION
!
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender 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.
SRS airbags (for U.S.A.)
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags are designed to provide
further protection to the driver and
front passenger when added to the primary protection provided by the seat
belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the
SRS airbags work together with the seat
belts to prevent or reduce injury by inflating, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver’s or front passenger’s head or
chest directly hitting the steering wheel or
dashboard. The passenger airbag is activated even with no passenger in the front
seat.
This indicator comes on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ACC” or
“ON” position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the SRS airbags
are operating properly.
The SRS airbag warning light system
monitors the airbag sensor assembly, inflators, warning light, interconnecting wiring and power sources.
27
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 severity
of the impact is above the designed
threshold level, comparable to an approximate 20 km/h (14 mph) collision when impacting straight into a fixed barrier that
does not move or deform.
If the severity of the impact is below the
above threshold level, the SRS airbags
may not deploy.
However, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign
pole, which can move or deform on impact, or if i t i s involved in an underride collision (a collision in which the nose of the
vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the
bed of a truck.)
It is possible with collision severity at the
marginal level of airbag sensor detection
and activation that only one of your vehicle’s two airbags will deploy.
For your safety, be sure to always wear
your seat belts.
The SRS airbags are not designed to
inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a
side or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if
it is involved in a low-speed frontal
collision.
28
The SRS airbag system mainly consists
of the following components and their
locations are shown in the illustration.
1. SRS airbag warning light
2. Steering wheel pad (airbag and inflator)
3. Passenger airbag module (airbag and
inflator)
4. Airbag sensor assembly
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor.
In a sev ere frontal impact, sensor s detect
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction in
the inflators momentarily fills the airbags
with non- toxic nitrogen gas to help restrain
the forward motion of the occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
along with the nitrogen gas. This is not
harmful and does not indicate a f ire. B e s ure
to wash off a ny r esidue as s oon as possible
to prevent minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the a irbags happen i n a f raction of a second, so the airbags must inflate
with considerable force. While the syst em
is designed to reduce serious injuries, it
may also cause minor burns or abrasions
and swellings.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, dashboard) may be hot for several
minutes, but the airbags themselves will n ot
be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate
only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the air bags may break the windshield as the vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a passenger
airbag the windshield may also be damaged by absorbing some of the force of the
inflating airbag.
CAUTION
!
The SRS airbag system is de-
signed only as a supplement to th e
primary protection of the seat belt
systems of the driver and front
passenger. The front seat occupants are particularly susceptible
to injury if they do not wear their
seat belts; when sudden braking
or a collision occurs, they may be
thrown forward. To obtain further
protection in an accident, the driver and all passengers in the vehicle
should always wear their seat belts
when driving. For instructions and
precautions concerning the seat
belt system, see “Seat belts” in
this chapter.
A baby or small child who is too
small to use a seat belt should be
properly secured in a rear seat using a child restraint system.
29
Do not use a rear-facing child re-
straint system in the front seat because the force of the rapid inflation of the passenger airbag may
cause severe injury to the child.
Vehicles with a passenger airbag
display a caution label on the passenger side instrument panel as
shown above to remind you not to
install a rear-facing child restraint
system on the front seat.
30
When using a forward-facing child
restraint system in the front seat,
the seat must be moved as far back
as possible. For instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see “Child restraint” in this chapter.
Do not sit on the edge of the seat or
lean over the dashboard when the
vehicle is in use. The airbags inflate with considerable speed and
force; you may be severely injured.
Sit up straight and well back in the
seat, and always use your seat
belt.
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