warning KIA Soul 2013 1.G Owner's Guide

333
Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
Air bag are activated (able toinflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START the appropriate position.
Air bags inflate in the event of a serious frontal collision or side col-
lision (if equipped with side impact
air bag or curtain air bag) 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 by the severity of a collision
and its direction. These two factors
determine whether the sensors
send out an electronic deploy-
ment/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. Though, 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
compartments after the collision.
In order to help provide protection in a severe collision, the air bags
must inflate rapidly. The speed of
air bag inflation is a consequence
of the extremely short time in
which a collision occurs and the
need to get the air bag between
the occupant and the vehicle struc-
tures before the occupant impacts
those structures. This speed of
inflation reduces the risk of serious
or life-threatening injuries in a
severe collision and is thus a nec-
essary part of air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which normally can
include facial abrasions, bruises
and broken bones, and sometimes
more severe injuries 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 air
bag can cause fatal injuries, espe-
cially if the occupant is positioned
excessively close to the air bag.
WARNING - Airbag inflation
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
34
3
Noise and smoke
When the air bags inflate, they make
a loud noise and they leave smoke
and powder in the air inside of 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 substantial discomfort in breath-
ing 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 discomfort and prevent
prolonged exposure 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.
Installing a child restraint on a
front passenger’s seat is forbid-den
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 either. If the front passen-
ger air bag inflates, it would cause
serious or fatal injuries to the child.
1JBH3051
WARNING - Hot components
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.

335
Safety features of your vehicle
Air bag warning light
The purpose of the air bag warning
light in your instrument panel is to
alert you of a potential problem with
your air bag - Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS).When the ignition switch is turned
ON, the warning light should illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds,
then go off.
Have the system checked by an
authorized Kia dealer if:
The light does not turn on briefly
when you turn the ignition 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 the ignition switch is in ON position.
W7-147
WARNING - Air bagdeployment
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.

Safety features of your vehicle
36
3
SRS components and functions
The SRS consists of the following
components:
1. Driver's front air bag module
2. Passenger's front air bag module
3. Side impact air bag modules
4. Curtain air bag modules
5. Retractor pre-tensioner assem-
blies
6. Air bag warning light
7. SRS control module (SRSCM)
8. Front impact sensors
9. Side impact sensors 10. PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator (Front passenger’s seat
only)
11. Occupant detection system (Front passenger’s seat only)
12. Driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt buckle sensors
13. Anchor pretensioner assembly
14. Side pressure sensor
The SRSCM continually monitors all
SRS components while the ignition
switch is ON to determine if a crash
impact is severe enough to require
air bag deployment or pre-tensioner
seat belt deployment.
The SRS air bag warning light on the
instrument panel will illuminate for
about 6 seconds after the ignition
switch is turned to the ON position,
after which the SRS air bag warning
light should go out.
If any of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
of the SRS. Have an authorized Kia
dealer inspect the air bag system as
soon as possible. The light does not turn on briefly
when you turn the ignition 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 the ignition switch is in ON position.
OAM032160N
,
,

Safety features of your vehicle
38
3
✽
✽
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
Your vehicle is equipped with an
occupant detection system in the
front passenger's seat.
B240B05L
Passenger’s front air bag
OAM032071N
OAM032072N
■ Type A
■Type B
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 vehicle
Such objects may become dan-
gerous projectiles if the air bag
deploys.

339
Safety features of your vehicle
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. The driver's front air bag is not
affected or controlled by the occu-
pant detection system.Main components of occupantdetection system
A detection device located within the front passenger seat track.
Electronic system to determine whether passenger air bag sys-
tems should be activated or deac-
tivated.
A warning 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 occu-
pied by a person that the system
determines to be of adult 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 comfort-
ably 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.

341
Safety features of your vehicle
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detectionsystem
*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 recognize him/her
as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*2) Do not allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. When a smaller child than the same age sits in the front passenger seat, the system may
recognize him/her as an infant depending on his/her physique or posture.
*3) Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
*4) The 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 sys-
tem) sits in the front passenger seat. This is a normal condition.
Condition detected by the occu-
pant detection system
1. Adult *
1or child age 13 and up*2
2. Infant or child restraint system with 12 months old*3 *4
3. Unoccupied
4. Malfunction in the system Off
On
On
Off Off
Off
Off
On Activated
Deactivated
Deactivated Activated
PASSENGER AIR
BAG “OFF” indica- tor lightSRS warninglightFront passenger air bag
Indicator/Warning light Devices
WARNING - ODS system
Riding in an improper position
adversely affects the occupant
detection system (ODS) and
may result in the deactivation of
front passenger airbag. It is
important for the driver to
instruct the passenger as to the
proper seating instructions as
contained in this manual.
Do not hang onto the front pas-
senger seat. Do not hang any
items such as seatback table on
the front passenger seatback.
(Continued)

343
Safety features of your vehicle
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
airbag deactivation resulting in
airbag non-deployment and in a
collision. If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator
remains illuminated after the
passenger repositions them-
selves properly and the car is
restarted, it is recommended
that passenger move to the rear
seat because the passenger's
front air bag will not deploy.

Safety features of your vehicle
44
3
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.
✽ ✽
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 covers or after market
seat heater to the front passenger
seat. This can adversely affect the
occupant detection system.
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
seat.
Driver'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.
OAM039027
OAM039028
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag

Safety features of your vehicle
46
3
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. 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.WARNING
- Replacement/
Modifications
The front passenger seat, dash-
board or door should not be
replaced except by an author-
ized Kia dealer using original
Kia parts designed for this vehi-
cle and model. Any other such
replacement or modification
could adversely affect the oper-
ation 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.