1997 Toyota 4Runner Owners Manual - Page 33

In a severe frontal impact, sensor detects deceleration and the system triggers the airbag inflator. Then a chemical reaction in the inflator momentarily fills the airbags with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help restrain the forward motion of the occupants. When the airbag inflates, they produce a fairly loud noise and release some smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This is not harmful and does not indicate a fire. Be sure to wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent minor skin irritation. 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 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 not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate only once. A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags 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 S The SRS airbag system is designed only as a supplement to the primary protection of the driver side aseat belt systems. The driver is particularly susceptible to death or serious injury if they does not wear their seat belt; when sudden braking or a collision occurs, they may be thrown forward into the deploying SRS aribag. To obtain a maximum protection in an accident, the driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear their seat belts when driving because serious injuries can result to unrestrained occupants. For instructions and precautions concerning the seat belt system, see "Seat belts" in this chapter. S 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. S Never use rear-facing child restraint system in the front seat because the force of the rapid inflation of the passenger airbag can cause severe injury to the child. 33