KIA SOUL 2015 Repair Manual
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Safety features of your vehicle
44
3
If an air bag deploys, there may be
a loud noise followed by a fine dust
released in the vehicle. These con-
ditions are normal and are not haz-
ardous - the air bags are packed in
this fine powder. The dust generat-
ed during air bag deployment may
cause skin or eye irritation as well
as aggravate asthma for some per-
sons. Always wash all exposed
skin areas thoroughly with luke-
warm water and a mild soap after
an accident in which the air bags
were deployed. The SRS can function only when
the ignition switch is in the ON
position. If the SRS air bag warning
light does not illuminate, or contin-
uously remains on after illuminat-
ing for about 6 seconds when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, or after the engine is
started, comes on while driving,
the SRS is not working properly. If
this occurs, have your vehicle
immediately inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Before you replace a fuse or discon-
nect a battery terminal, turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion and remove the ignition switch.
Never remove or replace the air bag
related fuse(s) when the ignition
switch is in the ON position. Failure
to heed this warning will cause the
SRS air bag warning light to illumi-
nate.
Occupant Detection System
(ODS)
Your vehicle is equipped with an
occupant detection system in the
front passenger's seat.
The occupant detection system is
designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated front passenger and
determine if the passenger's front air
bag should be enabled (may inflate)
or not. Only the front passenger front
air bag is controlled by the Occupant
Detection System.
Do not put anything in front of the
passenger air bag indicator.
WARNING- Flying objects
Do not place any objects (an
umbrella, bag, etc.) between the
front door and the front seat.
Such objects may become dan-
gerous projectiles if the side
airbag inflates.
OPS033020
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Safety features of your vehicle
Main components of the occu-pant detection system
A detection device located within the front passenger seat cushion.
An electronic system which deter- mines whether the passenger air
bag systems should be activated
or deactivated.
A indicator light located on the instrument panel which illuminates
the words PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicating the front passen-
ger air bag system is deactivated.
The instrument panel air bag warn- ing light is interconnected with the
occupant detection system. If the front passenger seat is occupied
by a person that the system deter-
mines to be of appropriate size, and
he/she sits properly (sitting upright
with the seatback in an upright posi-
tion, centered on the seat cushion with
their seat belt on, legs comfortably
extended and their feet on the floor),
the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator will turn off and the front pas-
senger's air bag will be able to inflate,
if necessary, in frontal crashes.
You will find the PASSENGER AIR
BAG “OFF” indicator on the center
facia panel. This system detects the
conditions 1~4 in the following table
and activates or deactivates the front
passenger air bag based on these
conditions.
Always be sure that you and all vehicle
occupants are seated and restrained
properly (sitting upright with the seat in
an upright position, centered on the
seat cushion, with the person’s legs
comfortably extended, feet on the floor,
and wearing the safety belt properly)
for the most effective protection by the
air bag and the safety belt. The ODS (Occupant Detection
System) may not function properly if
the passenger takes actions which
can defeat the detection system.
These include:
(1) Failing to sit in an upright position.
(2) Leaning against the door or cen- ter console.
(3) Sitting towards the sides or the front of the seat.
(4) Putting legs on the dashboard or resting them on other locations
which reduce the passenger
weight on the front seat.
(5) Improperly wear ing the safety
belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.
(7) Wearing a thick cloth like ski wear or hip protection wear.
(8) Put on the seat an additional thick cushion.
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Safety features of your vehicle
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3
WARNING- ODS System
Riding in an improper position
adversely affects the Occupant
Detection System and may
result in the deactivation of the
front passenger airbag. It is
important for the driver to
instruct the passenger as to the
proper seating instructions as
contained in this manual. (Continued)
✽ ✽NOTICE
Do not modify or replace the front
passenger seat. Don't place anything
on or attach anything such as a blan-
ket, front seat cover or after market
seat heater to the front passenger
seat. This can adversely affect the
occupant detection system.
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detection
system
*1: The ODS system uses a field to evaluate a person's size to determine whether the
air bag should deploy. It is possible for a child to be detected and activate the ODS,
thus allowing the air bag to deploy. To maximize safety, do not allow children to ride
in the front passenger seat.
*
2: Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
Condition detected by the occupant detection system
1. Adult or child*
1
2. Child restraint system*2
3. Unoccupied
4. There is a malfunction in the system
Off
On
On
Off Off
Off
Off
OnActivated
Deactivated
Deactivated
Activated
"PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF" indicator light
SRS warning lightFront passenger air bag
Indicator/Warning light Devices
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Safety features of your vehicle
1KMN3663
1KMN3664
1KMN3665
- Never sit with hips shiftedtowards the front of the seat.
- Never lean on the door or cen-ter console.
- Never sit on one side of the front passenger seat.
- Never place feet on the dash-
board.
OVQ036013N
1KMN3662
- Never put a heavy load or anactive electronic device on
the front passenger seat or
seatback pocket.
- Never excessively recline thefront passenger seatback.
OVQ036014N
- Never place feet on the frontpassenger seatback.
(Continued)
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Safety features of your vehicle
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3
When an adult is seated in the front
passenger seat, if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is on, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion and ask the passenger to sit
properly (sitting upright with the seat
back in an upright position, centered
on the seat cushion with their seat
belt on, legs comfortably extended
and their feet on the floor). Restart
the engine and have the person
remain in that position. This will allow
the system to detect the person and
to enable the passenger air bag. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is still on, ask the passen-
ger to move to the rear seat.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator illuminates for about 4 sec-
onds after the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position or after
the engine is started. If the front
passenger seat is occupied, the occu-
pant detection sensor will then clas-
sify the front passenger after several
more seconds.
B990A01O
Proper position
WARNING - “AIR BAG
OFF” light
Do not allow an adult passenger
to ride in the front seat when the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is illuminated, because
the air bag will not deploy in the
event of a crash. The driver
must instruct the passenger to
reposition himself in the seat.
Failure to properly position
yourself may lead to air bag
deactivation resulting in air bag
non-deployment in a collision. If
the PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicator remains illumi-
nated after the passenger repo-
sitions themselves properly and
the car is restarted, it is recom-
mended that passenger move to
the rear seat because the pas-
senger's front air bag will not
deploy.
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Safety features of your vehicle
Any child age 12 and under should
ride in the rear seat. Children too
large for child restraints should use
the available lap/shoulder belts. No
matter what type of crash, children of
all ages are safer when restrained in
the rear seat.
If the occupant detection system is
not working properly, the SRS air
bag warning light on the instrument
panel will illuminate because the
passenger's front air bag is connect-
ed with the occupant detection sys-
tem. If there is a malfunction of the
occupant detection system, the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator
will not illuminate and the passen-
ger's front air bag will inflate in frontal
impact crashes even if there is no
occupant in the front passenger's
seatDriver's and passenger's front
air bag
Your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Supplemental Restraint
(Air Bag) System and lap/shoulder
belts at both the driver and passen-
ger seating position.The indication of the system's pres-
ence are the letters "AIR BAG"
embossed on the air bag pad cover
on the steering wheel and the pas-
senger's side front panel pad above
the glove box.
The SRS consists of air bags
installed under the pad covers in the
center of the steering wheel and the
passenger's side front panel above
the glove box.
The purpose of the SRS is to provide
the vehicle's driver and/or the front
passenger with additional protection
than that offered by the seat belt sys-
tem alone in case of a frontal impact
of sufficient severity. The SRS uses
sensors to gather information about
the driver's and front passenger's
seat belt usage and impact severity.
The seat belt buckle sensors deter-
mine if the driver and front passen-
ger's seat belts are fastened.
OPS033021
OPS033022
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag
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Safety features of your vehicle
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3
These sensors provide the ability to
control the SRS deployment based on
whether or not the seat belts are fas-
tened, and how severe the impact is.
The advanced SRS offers the ability
to control the air bag inflation with
two levels. A first stage level is pro-
vided for moderate-severity impacts.
A second stage level is provided for
more severe impacts.
The passenger’s front air bag is
designed to help reduce the injury of
children sitting close to the instru-
ment panel in low speed collisions.
However, children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
According to the impact severity and
seat belt usage, the SRSCM (SRS
Control Module) controls the air bag
inflation. Failure to properly wear
seat belts can increase the risk or
severity of injury in an accident. Additionally, your vehicle is equipped
with an occupant detection system in
the front passenger's seat. The occu-
pant detection system detects the
presence of a passenger in the front
passenger's seat and will turn off the
front passenger's air bag under cer-
tain conditions. For more detail, see
"Occupant detection system" in this
section.
WARNING- Modification
Modification to the seat struc-
ture can cause the air bag to
deploy at a different level than
should be provided.
WARNING- Replacement / modifica-
tions
The front passenger seat, dash-
board or door should not be
replaced except by an authorized
Kia dealer using original Kia parts
designed for this vehicle and
model. Any other such replace-
ment or modification could
adversely affect the operation of
the occupant detection system
and your advanced air bags.
CAUTION- Seat Track Sensor
Do not place any objects under-neath the front seats as theycould damage the seat trackposition sensor or interfere withthe occupant detection system.
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Safety features of your vehicle
Manufacturers are required by gov-
ernment regulations to provide a
contact point concerning modifica-
tions to the vehicle for persons with
disabilities, which modifications may
affect the vehicle’s advanced air bag
system. That contact is Kia’s toll-free
Customer Assistance center at 1-
800-333-4Kia. However, Kia does
not endorse nor will it support any
changes to any part or structure of
the vehicle that could affect the
advanced air bag system, including
the occupant detection system.Advanced air bags are combined
with pre-tensioner seat belts to help
provide enhanced occupant protec-
tion in frontal crashes. Front air bags
are not intended to deploy in colli-
sions in which sufficient protection
can be provided by the pre-tensioner
seat belt.
Front air bags are not intended to
deploy in side-impact, rear-impact or
rollover crashes. In addition, front air
bags will not deploy in frontal crash-
es below the deployment threshold.
WARNING - Replacement /
Modifications
The front passenger seat, dash-
board or door should not be
replaced except by an authorized
Kia dealer using original Kia parts
designed for this vehicle and
model. Any other such replace-
ment or modification could
adversely affect the operation of
the occupant detection system
and your advanced air bags.
WARNING- SRS Wiring
Do not tamper with or discon-
nect SRS wiring or other com-
ponents of the SRS system.
Doing so could result in injury,
due to accidental deployment of
the air bags or by rendering the
SRS inoperative.
OEP036096N
OVQ036018N
1VQA2091
Rear impact
Side impact
Rollover
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3
Side air bagYour vehicle is equipped with a side air
bag in each front seat. The purpose of
the air bag is to provide the vehicle's
driver and/or the front passenger with
additional protection than that offered
by the seat belt alone.
The side air bags are designed to
deploy during certain side-impact
collisions, depending on the crash
severity, angle, speed and point of
impact.
The side and/or curtain air bags do not only deploy on the side of the
impact but also on the opposite side.
The side and/or curtain air bags on both sides of the vehicle will deploy if
a rollover or possible rollover is
detected.
The side air bags are not designed to deploy in all side impact or rollover
situations. The side air bag is supplemental to
the driver's and the passenger's
seat belt systems and is not a sub-
stitute for them. Therefore your
seat belts must be worn at all times
while the vehicle is in operation.
For best protection from the side air bag system and to avoid being
injured by the deploying side air
bag, both front seat occupants
should sit in an upright position
with the seat belt properly fas-
tened. The driver's hands should
be placed on the steering wheel at
the 9:00 and 3:00 positions. The
passenger's arms and hands
should be placed on their laps.
OPS033037
OPS033023
❈ The actual air bags in the vehicle may dif-
fer from the illustration.WARNING- Unexpected deployment
Avoid impact to the side impact
airbag sensor when the ignition
switch is ON to prevent unex-
pected deployment of the side
impact air bag.
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Safety features of your vehicle
If seat or seat cover is damaged,have the vehicle checked and
repaired by an authorized Kia deal-
er. Inform the dealer that your vehi-
cle is equipped with side air bags
and an occupant detection system.
Curtain air bag
Curtain air bags are located along
both sides of the roof rails above the
front and rear doors. They are designed to help protect
occupants in certain side impacts
and to help prevent them from eject-
ing out of the vehicle as a result of a
rollover, especially when the seat-
belts are also in use.
The curtain air
bags are designed to deploy during
certain side impact collisions, depend-
ing on the crash severity, angle, speed
and point of impact. The side and/or
curtain air bags do not only deploy on
the side of the impact but also on the
opposite side. Also, the curtain air bags
on both sides of the vehicle will deploy
in certain rollover situations. The curtain
air bags are not designed to deploy in
all side impact or rollover situations. Do
not allow the passengers to lean their
heads or bodies against the doors, put
their arms on the doors, stretch their
arms out of the window or place objects
between the doors and passengers
when they are seated on seats
equipped with side impact and/or cur-
tain air bags.✽ ✽ NOTICE
Never try to open or repair any com-
ponents of the side and curtain air
bag system. This should only be
done by an authorized Kia dealer.
OPS033024
OPS033038
❈ The actual air bags in the vehicle may dif-
fer from the illustration.
WARNING- Deployment
Do not install any accessories
including seat covers, on the
side or near the side impact air
bag as this may affect the
deployment of the side air bags.
WARNING- Flying objects
Do not place any objects (an
umbrella, bag, etc.) between the
front door and the front seat.
Such objects may become dan-
gerous projectiles if the side
airbag inflates.