KIA NIRO 2019 Owners Manual

Safety features of your vehicle
44
3
How does the air bag system
operate?
Air bags are activated (able to
inflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START position or when engine
start/stop button has been
changed to ON position.
The appropriate air bags inflate instantly in the event of a serious
frontal collision or side collision in
order to help protect the occupants
from serious physical injury.
There is no single speed at which the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a
collision and its direction. These
two factors determine whether the
sensors produce an electronic
deployment/ inflation signal.
Air bag deployment depends on a number of factors including vehicle
speed, angles of impact, and, the
density and stiffness of the vehi-
cles or objects which your vehicle
hits in the collision. The determin-
ing factors are not limited to those
mentioned above. The front air bags will completely
inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to
see the air bags inflate during an
accident.
It is much more likely that you will
simply see the deflated air bags
hanging out of their storage com-
partments after the collision.
In addition to inflating in serious side collisions, side and/or curtain
air bags will inflate if the sensing
system detects a rollover.
When a rollover is detected, side and/or curtain air bags will remain
inflated longer to help provide pro-
tection from ejection, especially
when used in conjunction with the
seat belts. In order to help provide protection,
the air bags must inflate rapidly.
The speed of the air bag inflation is
a consequence of extremely short
time in which to inflate the air bag
between the occupant and the
vehicle structures before the occu-
pant impacts those structures. This
speed of inflation reduces the risk
of serious or life-threatening
injuries and is thus a necessary
part of the air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro-
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
There are even circumstances under which contact with the
steering wheel or passenger air
bag can cause fatal injuries,
especially if the occupant is
positioned excessively close to
the steering wheel or passenger
air bag.

345
Safety features of your vehicle
Noise and smoke
When inflated, the air bags make a
loud noise and leave smoke and
powder in the air inside the vehicle.
This is normal and is a result of the
ignition of the air bag inflator. After
the air bag inflates, you may feel sub-
stantial discomfort in breathing due
to the contact of your chest with both
the seat belt and the air bag, as well
as from breathing the smoke and
powder.Open your doors and/or
windows as soon as possible after
impact in order to reduce discom-
fort and prevent prolonged expo-
sure to the smoke and powder.
Though smoke and powder are non-
toxic, it may cause irritation to the
skin (eyes, nose and throat, etc). If
this is the case, wash and rinse with
cold water immediately and consult a
doctor if the symptom persists.WARNING- Hot compo-
nents
Do not touch the air bag storage
area's internal components
immediately after airbag infla-
tion. The air bag related parts in
the steering wheel, instrument
panel and the roof rails above
the front and rear doors are
very hot. Hot components can
result in burn injuries.
WARNING
Do not install or place any
accessories near air bag
deployment areas, such as the
instrument panel, windows, pil-
lars, and roof rails.
WARNING- Airbag infla- tion
Sit as far back as possible from
the steering wheel while still
maintaining comfortable con-
trol of your vehicle. A distance
of at least 10" from your chest
to the steering wheel is recom-
mended. Failure to do so can
result in airbag inflation injuries
to the driver.

Safety features of your vehicle
46
3
Do not install a child restraint on
the front passenger’s seat
Never place a rear-facing child
restraint in the front passenger’s
seat. If the air bag deploys, it would
impact the rear-facing child restraint,
causing serious or fatal injury.
In addition, do not place front-facing
child restraints in the front passen-
ger’s seat. If the front passenger air
bag inflates, it could cause serious or
fatal injuries to the child.
Air bag warning light
The purpose of air bag warning light
in your instrument panel is to alert
you of a potential problem with your
air bag system, which could include
your side and/or curtain air bags
used for rollover protection.1JBH3051
W7-147
WARNING- Air bag deployment
When children are seated in the
rear outboard seats of a vehicle
equipped with side and/or cur-
tain air bags, install the child
restraint system as far away
from the door side as possible.
Inflation of the side and/or cur-
tain air bags could impact the
child.

347
Safety features of your vehicle
SRS components and functions
❈The actual position of SRS compo-
nents may differ from the illustration.
The SRS consists of the following
components:
1. Driver's front air bag module
2. Passenger's front air bag module
3. Side air bag modules
4. Curtain air bag modules
5. Retractor pre-tensioner assemblies*
6. Air bag warning light
7. SRS control module (SRSCM) 8. Front impact sensors
9. Side impact sensors*
10. Side pressure sensors*
11. Occupant detection system
(Front passenger’s seat only)
12. Front passenger’s seat belt buckle sensor
13. Retractor pre-tensioner assem- blies*
*: if equipped If the air bag warning light is illumi-
nated for more than 6 seconds after
engine start/stop button has been
changed to ON, or of it illuminates
during vehicle operation, an SRS
component may not be functioning
properly and you should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.
W7-147
ODE036078N

Safety features of your vehicle
48
3
If any of the following conditions
occur, this indicates a malfunction in
the air bag system. Have an author-
ized Kia dealer inspect the air bag
system as soon as possible.
The light does not turn on briefly
when you change engine start/stop
button to ON.
The light stays on after illuminating for approximately 6 seconds.
The light comes on while the vehi- cle is in motion.
The light blinks when engine start/stop button is ON position. The front air bag modules are locat-
ed both in the center of the steering
wheel and in the front passenger's
panel above the glove box. When the
SRSCM detects a sufficiently severe
impact to the front of the vehicle, it
will automatically deploy the front air
bags. Upon deployment, tear seams mold-
ed directly into the pad covers will
separate under pressure from the
expansion of the air bags. Further
opening of the covers then allows full
inflation of the air bags.
B240B01L
Driver’s front air bag (1)
B240B02L
Driver’s front air bag (2)

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Safety features of your vehicle
A fully inflated air bag, in combina-
tion with a properly worn seat belt,
slows the driver's or the passenger's
forward motion, reducing the risk of
head and chest injury.
After complete inflation, the air bag
immediately starts deflating, enabling
the driver to maintain forward visibility
and the ability to steer or operate
other controls. 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 cold
water and a mild soap after an
accident in which the air bags were
deployed.
B240B03L
Driver’s front air bag (3)
B240B05L
Passenger’s front air bag
WARNING- Air bag
obstructions
Do not install or place any
accessories on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, or on
the front passenger's panel
above the glove box in a vehi-
cle. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles if the air
bag deploys.
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.

Safety features of your vehicle
50
3
The SRS can function only when
engine start/stop button is 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
engine start/stop button is 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, change
Engine Start/Stop button to the OFF
position. Never remove or replace
the air bag related fuse(s) when
engine start/stop button is ON posi-
tion. Failure to heed this warning
will cause the SRS air bag warning
light to illuminate.
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.
ODE036039N

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Safety features of your vehicle
Main components of the occu-pant detection system
An 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.
An indicator light located on the instrument panel which illuminates
the words PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicates 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 occu-
pied by a person that the system
determines to be of appropriate size,
and he/she sits properly (sitting
upright with the seatback in an
upright position, 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 passenger'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 prop-
erly) 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 wearing the safety belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.

Safety features of your vehicle
52
3
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detection
system
*1The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in
the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as a child depending
on his/her physique and posture.
*
2Do not allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. When a larger child who has
outgrown a child restraint system sits in the front passenger seat, the system may rec-
ognize him/her as an adult depending upon his/her physique or sitting position.
*
3 Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
*
4The PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator may turn on or off when a child above 12 months to 12 years old (with or without child restraint system) sits in the front
passenger seat. This is a normal condition.
Condition detected by the
occupant classification system
Indicator/Warning lightDevices
“PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF” indicator lightSRS warning lightFront passenger air bag
1. Adult*1OffOffActivated
2. Child restraint system with
child under 12 months old
*
2*3*4OnOffDeactivated
3. Unoccupied OnOffDeactivated
4. Malfunction in the systemOffOnActivated
CAUTION
Do not install a child restraint seat in the passenger seatwhen the seat is heavilysoaked with any type of liquid.
Do not alter or remodel the ODS (Occupant DetectionSystem). This may damage thesystem and prevent its properfunction in a collision.

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Safety features of your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICE
• Do not use car seat cushions that
cover up the surface of the seat
and aftermarket manufactured
passenger seat heaters.
• After conducting car interior cleaning using steam or detergent,
the seat should be dried properly.
Afterward, check for normal
operation of the PASS AIR BAG
“OFF” and air bag warning lights.
• Any service related to the passen- ger seat and the ODS must be
done at Kia service center.
• After the passenger seat has been removed or installed for repair
purposes, check for normal opera-
tion of the PASS AIR BAG “OFF”
and air bag warning lights with a
person seated or not seated in the
passenger seat.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When the PASS AIR BAG “OFF”
symbol is illuminated, the passenger
air bag system will not operate. The
passenger air bag system will oper-
ate when necessary if the symbol is
not illuminated.
✽ ✽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.
WARNING - ODS system
Riding in an improper position or
placing items on or under the
passenger seat may interfere
with the normal operation of the
ODS (Occupant Detection
System). It is important for the
driver to instruct the passenger
as to the proper seating instruc-
tions as contained in this manual.