Lexus NX: SRS airbags
The SRS airbags inflate when the vehicle is subjected to certain types
of
severe impacts that may cause significant injury to the occupants. They work
together with the seat belts to help reduce the risk of death or serious injury.
SRS airbag system
■ Location of the SRS airbags
SRS front airbags
- SRS driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and front passenger from
impact with
interior components
- SRS knee airbag
Can help provide driver protection
- SRS seat cushion airbag
Can help restrain the front passenger
SRS side and curtain shield airbags
- SRS side airbags
Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants
- SRS curtain shield airbags
- Can help protect primarily the head of occupants in the outer seats
- Can help prevent the occupants from being thrown from the vehicle in
the event of vehicle
rollover
■ SRS airbag system components
- Front passenger airbag
- "AIR BAG ON" and "AIR BAG OFF" indicator lights
- Side airbags
- Curtain shield airbags
- Side impact sensors (rear)
- SRS warning light
- Front passenger occupant classification system (ECU and sensors)
- Driver airbag
- Side impact sensors (front door)
- Driver's seat belt pretensioner
- Front passenger's seat belt pretensioner and force limiter
- Seat cushion airbag
- Driver's seat position sensor
- Knee airbag
- Driver's seat belt buckle switch
- Front passenger's seat belt buckle switch
- Front impact sensors
- Airbag sensor assembly
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based on the US motor
vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The airbag sensor assembly (ECU) controls
airbag
deployment based on information obtained from the sensors etc. shown in the
system components
diagram above. This information includes crash severity and occupant
information.
As the airbags deploy, a chemical reaction in the inflators quickly fills the
airbags with non-toxic
gas to help restrain the motion of the occupants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
- Slight abrasions, burns, bruising, etc., may
be sustained from SRS airbags, due to the
extremely high speed deployment (inflation)
by hot gases.
- A loud noise and white powder will be
emitted.
- Parts of the airbag module (steering
wheel hub, airbag cover and inflator) as
well as the front seats, parts of the front
and rear pillars, and roof side rails, may
be hot for several minutes. The airbag
itself may also be hot.
- The windshield may crack.
- The hybrid system will be stopped and
fuel supply to the engine will be stopped.
- All of the doors will be unlocked.
- For Lexus Enform Safety Connect subscribers,
if any of the following situations
occur, the system is designed to send an
emergency call to the response center,
notifying them of the vehicle's location
(without needing to push the "SOS" button)
and an agent will attempt to speak
with the occupants to ascertain the level
of emergency and assistance required. If
the occupants are unable to communicate,
the agent automatically treats the
call as an emergency and helps to dispatch
the necessary emergency services.
- An SRS airbag is deployed.
- A seat belt pretensioner is activated.
- The vehicle is involved in a severe rear-end
collision.
■SRS airbag deployment conditions (SRS
front airbags)
- The SRS front airbags will deploy in the
event of an impact that exceeds the set
threshold level (the level of force corresponding
to an approximately 12-18 mph
[20-30 km/h] frontal collision with a
fixed wall that does not move or deform).
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably
higher in the following situations:
- If the vehicle strikes an object, such as a
parked vehicle or sign pole, which can
move or deform on impact
- If the vehicle is involved in an underride
collision, such as a collision in which the
front of the vehicle underrides, or goes
under, the bed of a truck
■SRS airbag deployment conditions (SRS
side and curtain shield airbags)
- The SRS side and curtain shield airbags
will deploy in the event of an impact that
exceeds the set threshold level (the level
of force corresponding to the impact
force produced by an approximately
3300 lb. [1500 kg] vehicle colliding with the vehicle cabin from a direction
perpendicular
to the vehicle orientation at an
approximate speed of 12 -18 mph [20 -
30 km/h]).
- Both SRS curtain shield airbags will
deploy in the event of vehicle rollover.
- Both SRS side airbags will deploy in the
event of a severe frontal collision.
- Both SRS curtain shield airbags may also
deploy in the event of a severe frontal collision.
■Conditions under which the SRS airbags
may deploy (inflate), other than a
collision
The SRS front airbags, SRS side and curtain
shield airbags may also deploy if a serious
impact occurs to the underside of your
vehicle. Some examples are shown in the
illustration.
- Hitting a curb, edge of pavement or hard
surface
- Falling into or jumping over a deep hole
- Landing hard or falling
The SRS curtain shield airbags may also
deploy under the situations shown in the
illustration.
- The angle of vehicle tip-up is marginal.
- The vehicle skids and hits a curb stone.
■Types of collisions that may not deploy
the SRS airbags (SRS front airbags)
The SRS front airbags do not generally
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. But, whenever
a collision of any type causes sufficient
forward deceleration of the vehicle, deployment
of the SRS front airbags may occur.
- Collision from the side
- Collision from the rear
- Vehicle rollover
■Types of collisions that may not deploy
the SRS airbags (SRS side and curtain
shield airbags)
The SRS side and curtain shield airbags
may not activate 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.
- Collision from the side to the vehicle
body other than the passenger compartment
- Collision from the side at an angle
The SRS side airbags do not generally
inflate if the vehicle is involved in a rear collision,
if it rolls over, or if it is involved in a low-speed
side or low-speed frontal collision.
- Collision from the rear
- Vehicle rollover
The SRS curtain shield airbags do not generally
inflate if the vehicle is involved in a
rear collision, if it pitches end over end, or if
it is involved in a low-speed side or low-speed
frontal collision.
- Collision from the rear
- Pitching end over end
■When to contact your Lexus dealer
In the following cases, the vehicle will
require inspection and/or repair. Contact
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
- Any of the SRS airbags have been
inflated.
- The front of the vehicle is damaged or
deformed, or was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause the
SRS front airbags to inflate.
- A portion of a door or its surrounding
area is damaged or deformed, or the
vehicle was involved in an accident that
was not severe enough to cause the
SRS side and curtain shield airbags to
inflate.
- The pad section of the steering wheel,
dashboard near the front passenger airbag
or lower portion of the instrument
panel is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
- The front passenger's seat cushion surface
is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
- The surface of the seats with the SRS side
airbag is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
- The portion of the front pillars, rear pillars
or roof side rail garnishes (padding) containing
the SRS curtain shield airbags
inside is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions
regarding the SRS airbags.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious
injury.
- The driver and all passengers in the
vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental
devices to be used with the seat belts.
- The SRS driver airbag deploys with
considerable force, and can cause
death or serious injury especially if the
driver is very close to the airbag. The
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) advises:
Since the risk zone for the driver's airbag
is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of
inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250
mm) from your driver airbag provides
you with a clear margin of safety. This
distance is measured from the center
of the steering wheel to your breastbone.
If you sit less than 10 in. (250
mm) away now, you can change your
driving position in several ways:
- Move your seat to the rear as far as
you can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
- Slightly recline the back of the seat.
Although vehicle designs vary, many
drivers can achieve the 10 in. (250
mm) distance, even with the driver seat
all the way forward, simply by reclining
the back of the seat somewhat. If
reclining the back of your seat makes it
hard to see the road, raise yourself by
using a firm, non-slippery cushion, or
raise the seat if your vehicle has that
feature.
- If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt
it downward. This points the airbag
toward your chest instead of your head
and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended
by NHTSA above, while still
maintaining control of the foot pedals,
steering wheel, and your view of the
instrument panel controls.
- If the seat belt extender has been connected
to the front seat belt buckles
but the seat belt extender has not also
been fastened to the latch plate of the
seat belt, the SRS front airbags will
judge that the driver and front passenger
are wearing the seat belt even
though the seat belt has not been connected.
In this case, the SRS front airbags
may not activate correctly in a
collision, resulting in death or serious
injury in the event of a collision. Be
sure to wear the seat belt with the seat
belt extender.
- The SRS front passenger airbag also
deploys with considerable force, and
can cause death or serious injury
especially if the front passenger is very
close to the airbag. The front passenger
seat should be as far from the airbag
as possible with the seatback
adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
- Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed or
seriously injured by a deploying airbag.
An infant or child who is too small to
use a seat belt should be properly
secured using a child restraint system.
Lexus strongly recommends that all
infants and children be placed in the
rear seats of the vehicle and properly
restrained. The rear seats are safer for
infants and children than the front passenger
seat.
- Do not sit on the edge of the seat or
lean against the dashboard.
- Do not allow a child to stand in front of
the SRS front passenger airbag unit or
sit on the knees of a front passenger.
- Do not allow the front seat occupants
to hold items on their knees.
- Do not lean against the door, the roof
side rail or the front, side and rear pillars.
- Do not allow anyone to kneel on the
passenger seat toward the door or put
their head or hands outside the vehicle.
- Do not attach anything to areas such
as a door, windshield, side door glass,
front or rear pillar, roof side rail and
assist grip.
- Do not hang coat hangers or other
hard objects on the coat hooks. All of
these items could become projectiles
and may cause death or serious injury,
should the SRS curtain shield airbags
deploy.
- If a vinyl cover is put on the area where
the SRS knee airbag will deploy, be
sure to remove it.
- Do not use seat accessories which
cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
and SRS seat cushion airbag
inflate as they may interfere with inflation
of the SRS airbags. Such accessories
may prevent the side airbags and
seat cushion airbag from activating
correctly, disable the system or cause
the side airbags and seat cushion airbag
to inflate accidentally, resulting in
death or serious injury.
- Do not strike or apply significant levels
of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to
malfunction.
- Do not touch any of the component
parts immediately after the SRS airbags
have deployed (inflated) as they
may be hot.
- If breathing becomes difficult after the
SRS airbags have deployed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or
leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so.
Wash off any residue as soon as possible
to prevent skin irritation.
- If the areas where the SRS airbags are
stored, such as the steering wheel pad
and front and rear pillar garnishes, are
damaged or cracked, have them
replaced by your Lexus dealer.
- Do not place anything, such as a cushion,
on the front passenger's seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger's
weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger's weight
properly. As a result, the SRS front airbags
for the front passenger may not
deploy in the event of a collision.
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag
system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform
any of the following modifications
without consulting your Lexus dealer.
The SRS airbags may malfunction or
deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing
death or serious injury.
- Installation, removal, disassembly and
repair of the SRS airbags
- Repairs, modifications, removal or
replacement of the steering wheel,
instrument panel, dashboard, seats or
seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars
or roof side rails
- Repairs or modifications of the front
fender, front bumper, or side of the
occupant compartment
- Installation of a grille guard (bull bars,
kangaroo bar, etc.), snow plows,
winches or roof luggage carrier
- Modifications to the vehicle's suspension
system
- Installation of electronic devices such
as mobile two-way radios and CD
players
- Modifications to your vehicle for a person
with a physical disability
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Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification
system.
This system detects the conditions of the front passenger seat and activates
or deactivates the front passenger ai
Riding with children
Observe the following precautions
when children are in the vehicle.
Use a child restraint system appropriate
for the child, until the child
becomes large enough to properly
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