Scion tC. Instruction - part 5

65

1-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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CAUTION

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Operating the back door

Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause parts of the body to be caught, resulting in death
or serious injury.

●

Remove any heavy loads, such as snow and ice, from the back door
before opening it. Failure to do so may cause the back door to suddenly
shut again after it is opened.

●

When opening or closing the back door, thoroughly check to make sure
the surrounding area is safe. 

●

If anyone is in the vicinity, make sure they are safe and let them know that
the back door is about to open or close.

●

Use caution when opening or closing the back door in windy weather as it
may move abruptly in strong wind.

●

The back door may suddenly shut if it is
not opened fully. It is more difficult to
open or close the back door on an
incline than on a level surface, so
beware of the back door unexpectedly
opening or closing by itself. Make sure
that the back door is fully open and
secure before using the luggage com-
partment. 

●

When closing the back door, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc. from
being caught.

●

When closing the back door, make sure
to press it lightly on its outer surface. If
the back door handle is used to fully
close the back door, it may result in
hands or arms being caught. 

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1-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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CAUTION

●

Do not pull on the back door damper stay to close the back door, and do
not hang on the back door damper stay. 
Doing so may cause hands to be caught or the back door damper stay to
break, causing an accident.

●

If a bicycle carrier or similar heavy object is attached to the back door, it
may suddenly shut again after being opened, causing someone’s hands,
head or neck to be caught and injured. When installing an accessory part
to the back door, using a genuine Scion part is recommended.

NOTICE

■

Back door damper stays

The back door is equipped with damper stays that hold the back door in
place.

Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause damage to the back door damper stay, resulting
in malfunction.

●

Do not attach any foreign objects, such
as stickers, plastic sheets, or adhesives
to the damper stay rod.

●

Do not touch the damper stay rod with
gloves or other fabric items.

●

Do not attach any accessories other
than genuine Scion parts to the back
door.

●

Do not place your hand on the damper
stay or apply lateral forces to it.

Damper stay

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)

Front seats

Seatback angle adjustment
lever

Seat position adjustment
lever

Vertical height adjustment
lever (driver’s side only)

Seatback lock release lever

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Moving front seats for rear seat entry

■

Getting in the vehicle

Driver’s seat

For easy access to the rear seat, use the seatback lock release lever.
When the seatback lock release lever is used, the seat’s original
position is memorized, so the seat may be returned to that original
position. However, if the seatback angle adjustment lever is used, the
seat will not return to its original position.

Lift the seatback lock release
lever.
The seatback will fold forward,
and the seat’s slide lock will be
released.
Move the seat all the way for-
ward.

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)

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Front passenger’s seat

For easy access to the rear seat, use either the seatback lock release
lever or the seatback angle adjustment lever.

Lift the seatback lock release
lever or seatback angle adjust-
ment lever. 
The seatback will fold forward,
and the seat’s slide lock will be
released.
Move the seat all the way for-
ward.

■

Getting out of the vehicle

Lift the seatback lock release
lever.
The seatback will fold forward,
and the seat’s slide lock will be
released.
Move the seat all the way for-
ward.

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)

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Active head restraints

When the occupant’s lower back
presses against the seatback
during a rear-end collision, the
head restraint moves slightly for-
ward and upward to help reduce
the risk of whiplash on the seat
occupant.

■

After passengers have entered the vehicle

Driver’s seat
Slide the seat backward and then lift the seatback. The seat will be set and
locked to its previous position automatically. If the seat cannot be slid back to
the previous position due to the rear passenger or luggage, the seat will be
locked in that position, disabling the seat position memory system.

To recall the previous position, lift the seatback lock release lever after
removing the luggage, or after having the passenger get out or sit properly
so that the seat can be slid back to the previous position. However, if you
slide the seat further backwards than the previous position using the seat
position adjustment lever, the memory of previous position will be overwrit-
ten.

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)

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Front passenger’s seat
Slide the seat backward and then lift the seatback.
The seat will be locked in the rearmost position of the slide range, and the
seatback will be locked in the most upright position. The seat position will be
locked part way if the seatback is lifted while sliding the seat backward.

The front passenger’s seat has no memory function, so it will not return to its
previous position.

■

Active head restraints

Even small forces applied to the seatback may cause the head restraint to
move. Pushing up a locked head restraint forcibly may make the inner struc-
ture of the head restraint appear. This does not indicate a problem.

During 

rear-end 

collision

Inner 

structure

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1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)

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CAUTION

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Seat adjustment

●

To reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt during a collision, do not
recline the seat more than necessary.
If the seat is too reclined, the lap belt may slide past the hips and apply
restraint forces directly to the abdomen, or your neck may contact the
shoulder belt, increasing the risk of death or serious injury in the event of
an accident.
Adjustments should not be made while driving as the seat may unexpect-
edly move and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

●

After adjusting the seat, make sure that the seat is locked in position.

●

Never allow anyone to touch seatback lock release levers while the vehi-
cle is moving.

●

If anyone is in the vicinity, make sure they are clear of the seat back path
and let them know that the seat is about to move.

■

After returning the seatback to the upright position

Make sure the seatback is securely locked by pushing it forward and rear-
ward. Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

NOTICE

■

To prevent the seat lock mechanism malfunction

Do not use the seatback angle adjustment lever and seatback lock release
lever at the same time. If they are used together, the seat lock mechanism
may be damaged.

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Rear seats

Folding down the rear seatbacks

Pull the seatback angle adjust-
ment lever and fold them down.

To return the rear seatbacks to
their original positions, unlock the
seatbacks by pulling the seatback
angle adjustment lever and lift
them up until they lock.

Pull up the seatback angle
adjustment lever until the lock
is released.

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CAUTION

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When folding the rear seatbacks down

Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.

●

Do not fold the seatbacks down while driving.

●

Stop the vehicle on level ground, set the parking brake and shift the shift
lever to P (automatic transmission) or 1 (instruction transmission).

●

Do not allow anyone to sit on a folded seatback or in the luggage compart-
ment while driving.

●

Do not allow children to enter the luggage compartment.

■

Seat adjustment

To reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt during a collision, do not
recline the seat more than necessary.
If the seat is too reclined, the lap belt may slide past the hips and apply
restraint forces directly to the abdomen, or your neck may contact the shoul-
der belt, increasing the risk of death or serious injury in the event of an acci-
dent.
Adjustments should not be made while driving as the seat may unexpectedly
move and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

■

After returning the rear seatback to the upright position

Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.

●

Make sure the seatback is securely locked by pushing it forward and rear-
ward on the top.

●

Check that the seat belts are not twisted or caught in the seatback.

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Head restraints

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Removing the head restraints

Head restraints are provided for all seats.

Front seats

Up

Pull the head restraints up.

Down

Push the head restraint down
while pressing the lock release
button.

Rear seats

Up

Pull the head restraints up.

Down

Push the head restraint down
while pressing the lock release
button.

Lock release button

Lock release buttons

Pull the head restraint up while pressing
the lock release button. 

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Installing the head restraints

■

Adjusting the height of the head restraints

■

Adjusting the rear center seat head restraint

Always raise the head restraint one level from the stowed position when
using.

CAUTION

■

Head restraint precautions

Observe the following precautions regarding the head restraints. Failure to
do so may result in death or serious injury.

●

Use the head restraints designed for each respective seat.

●

Adjust the head restraints to the correct position at all times.

●

After adjusting the head restraints, push down on them and make sure
they are locked in position.

●

Do not drive with the head restraints removed.

Align the head restraint with the installa-
tion holes and push it down to the lock
position.

Press and hold the lock release button
when lowering the head restraint.

Make sure that the head restraints are
adjusted so that the center of the head
restraint is closest to the top of your ears.

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Seat belts

Make sure that all occupants are wearing their seat belts before driv-

ing the vehicle.

■

Correct use of the seat belts

Extend the shoulder belt so
that it comes fully over the
shoulder, but does not
come into contact with the
neck or slide off the shoul-
der.

Position the lap belt as low
as possible over the hips.

Adjust the position of the
seatback. Sit up straight
and well back in the seat.

Do not twist the seat belt.

■

Fastening and releasing the seat belt

To fasten the seat belt, push
the plate into the buckle
until a click sound is heard.

To release the seat belt,
press the release button.

Release button

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Seat belt pretensioners (front seats)

The pretensioners help the seat
belts to quickly restrain the occu-
pants by retracting the seat belts
when the vehicle is subjected to
certain types of severe frontal
collision.

The pretensioners do not activate
in the event of a minor frontal
impact, a minor side impact, a
rear impact or a vehicle rollover.

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Emergency locking retractor (ELR)

The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on impact. It may also
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend so that you can move around fully.

■

Automatic locking retractor (ALR)

When a passenger’s shoulder belt is completely extended and 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 (CRS) firmly.
To free the belt again, fully retract the belt and then pull the belt out once
more. (

P. 135)

■

When not using the rear outboard seat belts

■

Child seat belt usage

The seat belts of your vehicle were principally designed for persons of adult
size.

●

Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child, until the child
becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt. (

P. 129)

●

When the child becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s
seat belt, follow the instructions on P. 77 regarding seat belt usage.

Pass the outboard seat belts through the
seat belt hangers.

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Replacing the belt after the pretensioner has been activated

If the vehicle is involved in multiple collisions, the pretensioner will activate
for the first collision, but will not activate for the second or subsequent colli-
sions. 

■

Seat belt extender

CAUTION

Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking, sudden swerving or an accident.
Failure to do so may cause death or severe injury.

■

Wearing a seat belt

●

Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.

●

Always wear a seat belt properly.

●

Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt
for more than one person at once, including children.

●

Scion recommends that children be seated in the rear seat and always
use a seat belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.

●

To achieve a proper seating position, do not recline the seat more than
necessary. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting
up straight and well back in the seats.

●

Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.

●

Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.

If your seat belts cannot be fastened
securely because they are not long
enough, a personalized seat belt
extender is available from your Scion
dealer free of charge.