Scion tC. Instruction - part 8

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Conditions under which the SRS airbags may deploy (inflate), other
than a collision

The SRS front airbags and SRS curtain shield airbags may also deploy if a
serious impact occurs to the underside of your vehicle. Some examples are
shown in the illustration.

■

Types of collisions that may not deploy the SRS airbags (SRS front air-
bags)

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.

●

Hitting a curb, edge of pavement or
hard surface

●

Falling into or jumping over a deep hole

●

Landing hard or falling

●

Collision from the side

●

Collision from the rear

●

Vehicle rollover

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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.

The SRS side airbags do not generally inflate if the vehicle is involved in a
frontal or rear collision, if it rolls over, or if it is involved in a low-speed side
collision.

The SRS curtain shield 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 side to the vehicle
body other than the passenger com-
partment

●

Collision from the side at an angle

●

Collision from the front

●

Collision from the rear

●

Vehicle rollover

●

Collision from the rear

●

Vehicle rollover

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When to contact your Scion dealer

In the following cases, the vehicle will require inspection and/or repair. Con-
tact your Scion 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 acci-
dent 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 air-
bag or lower portion of the instrument
panel is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.

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●

The surface of the seats with the side
airbag is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.

●

The portion of the front pillars, rear pil-
lars or roof side rail garnishes (padding)
containing the curtain shield airbags
inside is scratched, cracked or other-
wise damaged.

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CAUTION

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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 pro-
vides 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, sim-
ply 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 air-

bag 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.

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CAUTION

■

SRS airbag precautions

●

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 air-
bag 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 sys-
tem. Scion 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. (

P. 129)

●

If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected 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 passen-
ger are wearing the seat belt even
though the seat belt has not been con-
nected. In this case, the SRS front air-
bags 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.

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CAUTION

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SRS airbag precautions

●

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 pil-
lars.

●

Do not allow anyone to kneel on the
passenger seat toward the door or put
their head or hands outside the vehicle.

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CAUTION

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SRS airbag precautions

●

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 attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board, steering wheel pad and lower
portion of the instrument panel. 
These items can become projectiles
when the SRS driver, front passenger
and knee airbags deploy.

●

Do not attach anything to areas such as
a door, windshield glass, side door
glass, front or rear pillar, roof side rail or
assist grip.

●

Vehicles without a smart key system:
Do not attach any heavy, sharp or hard
objects such as keys and accessories
to the key. The objects may restrict the
SRS knee airbag inflation or be thrust
into the driver’s seat area by the force
of the deploying airbag, thus causing a
danger.

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CAUTION

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SRS airbag precautions

●

Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags. Such
accessories may prevent the side airbags from activating correctly, disable
the system or cause the side airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in
death or serious injury.

●

Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.

●

Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags 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 Scion 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.

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CAUTION

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Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components

Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications
without consulting your Scion 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 or
winches

●

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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Front passenger occupant classification system

Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classifica-

tion system. This system detects the conditions of the front passen-

ger seat and activates or deactivates the devices for the front

passenger.

SRS warning light

Seat belt reminder light

“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light

“AIR BAG ON” indicator light

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Conditions and operation of the front passenger occupant clas-
sification system

■

Adult

*

1

■

Child

*

4

 or child restraint system

*

5

Indicator/

warning light

“AIR BAG ON” and 

“AIR BAG OFF” indicator lights

“AIR BAG ON”

SRS warning light

Off

Seat belt reminder light

Off

*

2

 or 

flashing

*

3

Devices

Front passenger airbag

Activated

Side airbag on the front 

passenger seat

Curtain shield airbag in the front 

passenger side

Front passenger knee airbag

Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

Indicator/

warning light

“AIR BAG ON” and 

“AIR BAG OFF” indicator lights

“AIR BAG 

OFF”

*

6

SRS warning light

Off

Seat belt reminder light

Off

*

2

 or 

flashing

*

3

Devices

Front passenger airbag

Deactivated

Side airbag on the front 

passenger seat

Activated

Curtain shield airbag in the front 

passenger side

Front passenger knee airbag

Deactivated

Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

Activated

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Unoccupied

■

There is a malfunction in the system

Indicator/

warning light

“AIR BAG ON” and 

“AIR BAG OFF” indicator lights

Not 

illuminated

SRS warning light

Off

Seat belt reminder light

Devices

Front passenger airbag

Deactivated

Side airbag on the front 

passenger seat

Activated

Curtain shield airbag in the front 

passenger side

Front passenger knee airbag

Deactivated

Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

Activated

*

7

 

or 

deactivated

*

8

Indicator/

warning light

“AIR BAG ON” and 

“AIR BAG OFF” indicator lights

“AIR BAG 

OFF”

SRS warning light

On

Seat belt reminder light

Flashing

Devices

Front passenger airbag

Deactivated

Side airbag on the front 

passenger seat

Activated

Curtain shield airbag in the front 

passenger side

Front passenger knee airbag

Deactivated

Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

Activated

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*

1

: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a

smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may rec-
ognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and pos-
ture.

*

2

: In the event the front passenger is wearing a seat belt.

*

3

: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.

*

4

: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system

sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as an adult depending on his/her physique or posture.

*

5

: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front pas-

senger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should only
be installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(

P. 129)

*

6

: In case the indicator light is not illuminated, consult this instruction

on how to install the child restraint system properly. (

P. 135)

*

7

: In the event of a side collision.

*

8

: In the event of a frontal collision.

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CAUTION

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Front passenger occupant classification system precautions

Observe the following precautions regarding the front passenger occupant
classification system. 
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.

●

Wear the seat belt properly.

●

Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt plate has not been left inserted
into the buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.

●

Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using
the seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat
belt buckle, and reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender
after making sure the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you
use the seat belt extender while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illumi-
nated, the SRS airbags for the front passenger will not activate, which
could cause death or serious injury in the event of a collision.

●

Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment.

●

Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or
feet on the front passenger seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.

●

Do not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or
press on the seatback with their legs.

●

Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.

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CAUTION

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Front passenger occupant classification system precautions

●

Do not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear
seat. This may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated,
which indicates that the SRS airbags for the front passenger will not acti-
vate in the event of a severe accident. If the seatback touches the rear
seat, return the seatback to a position where it does not touch the rear
seat. Keep the front passenger seatback as upright as possible when the
vehicle is moving. Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the
effectiveness of the seat belt system.

●

If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator
light is illuminated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the
passenger to sit up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and
with the seat belt worn correctly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still
remains illuminated, either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat, or
if that is not possible, move the front passenger seat fully rearward.

●

When it is unavoidable to install a forward-facing child restraint system on
the front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front pas-
senger seat in the proper order. (

P. 135)

●

Do not modify or remove the front seats.

●

Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Other-
wise, the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the
front passenger occupant classification system. In this case, contact your
Scion dealer immediately.

●

Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the
front seatbacks.

●

Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion and seat cover, that cov-
ers the seat cushion surface.

●

Do not modify or replace the upholstery of the front seat.