2008 KIA Optima belt

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Knowing your vehicle
There will be an audible “click” when the
tab locks in the buckle. The seat belt
automatically adjusts to the proper length
only after the lap belt is adjusted manu-
ally so that it fits snugly around your hips.
If you lean forward in a slow, easy
motion, the belt will extend and let you
move around. If there is a sudden stop or
impact, the belt will lock into position. It
will also lock if you try to lean forward too
quickly.
When using the rear center seat belt, the
buckle with the “CENTER” mark must be
used.
WARNING
When using the rear seat center
belt, you must lock all tongue plates
and buckle/anchor connector. If any
tongue plate or buckle/anchor con-
nector is not locked, it will increase
the chance of injury or death in the
event of collision.
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WARNING
- Lock center
rear seat
When using the rear center belt,
you must lock all tongue plates
and buckles prior to use. If any
tongue plate or buckle is not
locked, it will increase the chance
of injury or death in the event of
collision.
The rear center seatbelt tongue
plate (A) and anchor connector
(B) should remain locked at all
times. They should only be
unlocked when folding the rear
seatback down or when carrying
an object in the rear seat that
could cause damage to the seat-
belt webbing or locking devices.
In either case, lock the tongue
plate (A) and anchor connector
(B) immediately after unfolding
the seatbacks or removing the
object being transported.

Knowing your vehicle38 3To unfasten the rear center belt 1. Press the release button on the buckle
(D) and remove the tongue plate (C)
from the buckle (D).2. To retract the rear center seatbelt,
insert the key or similar small rigid
device into the web release button (B)
on the anchor connector. Pull up on
the seat belt web (A) and allow the
webbing to retract automatically. (if
equipped)
Proper use and care of the safety
belt system To ensure that the safety belts provide
the maximum protection, please follow
these instructions:
Use the belts at all times - even on
short trips.
If the safety belt is twisted, straighten it
prior to use.
Keep sharp edges and damaging
objects away from the belts.
Periodically inspect belt webbing,
anchors, buckles and all other parts for
signs of wear and damage. Replace
damaged, excessively worn or ques-
tionable parts immediately.
To clean the belt webbing, use a mild
soap solution recommended for clean-
ing upholstery or carpets. Follow the
instructions provided with the soap.
Do not make modifications or additions
to the safety belt.
After wearing a safety belt, make sure
it fully retracts to the stowed position.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in
the door when you close it.
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Restraint of pregnant women Pregnant women should wear lap/shoul-
der belt assemblies whenever possible
according to specific recommendations
by their doctors. The lap portion of the
belt should be worn AS SNUGLY AND
LOW AS POSSIBLE.
Restraint of infants and small
children To increase their safety, infants and
young children should always be
restrained by a restraint system
approved for their age and size.
Never allow a child to stand or kneel on
the seat of a moving vehicle. Never allow
a safety belt to be placed around both a
child and an adult or around two children
at the same time.
It is best for children to be seated in the
rear seats.
Many companies manufacture child
restraint systems (often called child
seats) for infants and small children. An
acceptable child restraint system must
always satisfy Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards and your applicable
state laws. Make sure that any child-
restraint system you use in your vehicle
is labelled as complying with Federal
Safety Standards.
The child-restraint system should be
chosen to fit both the size of the child and
the size of the vehicle seat. Be sure to fol-
low any instructions provided by the
child-restraint system manufacturer
when installing the child-restraint system.
WARNING
- Pregnant
women
Pregnant women must never place
the lap portion of the safety belt
over the area of the abdomen where
the fetus is located or above the
abdomen where the belt could
crush the fetus during an impact.
WARNING
- Belt cleaning
Do not bleach or dye the webbing
because this may weaken the web-
bing fibers and allow them to fail
when loaded in a collision.

Knowing your vehicle40 3
Restraint of larger children As children grow, they may need to use
new child-restraint systems, including
larger child seats or booster seats, which
are appropriate for their increased size.
A child who has outgrown available child-
restraint systems should use the belts
provided in the vehicle. When seated in
the rear outboard seats, the child should
be restrained by the lap/shoulder belt.
If the shoulder belt portion slightly touch-
es the child’s neck or face, try placing the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. If
the shoulder belt still touches their face
or neck they need to be returned to a
child restraint system. In addition, after-
market devices are available from inde-
pendent manufacturers which help pull
the shoulder belt down and away from
the child’s face or neck.
WARNING
- Infants and
young children
Infants and young children are at
much greater risk of serious
injury or death in an accident or
sudden stop if they are unre-
strained or restrained improperly.
Follow all instructions in this sec-
tion and the instructions that
came with an approved child
safety system. The child restraint
must be correctly installed in the
vehicle, and the child must be
correctly placed in the child
restraint.
All children under 12 are safest in
the back seat.
Never install a rear facing infant
seat in the front passenger posi-
tion. The baby will be injured or
killed by the air bag if it deploys.
Never allow a child to stand or
kneel on the seat of a moving
vehicle.
WARNING
- Children on
laps
Never hold a child on your lap or in
your arms in a moving vehicle.
Even a very strong person cannot
hold onto a child in the event of
even a minor collision.
CAUTION
- Hot metal parts
Safety belts and seats can become
hot in a vehicle that has been
closed during warm/hot weather;
they could burn a child. Check
seats, seatbelt webbing and buck-
les before you place a child any-
where near them.
WARNING
- Shoulder belts
on small children
Never allow a shoulder belt to be
in contact with a child’s neck or
face while the vehicle is in motion.
If safety belts are not properly
worn and adjusted, there is a risk
of death or serious injury to such
a child.

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Knowing your vehicle
Child restraint system For small children and babies, the use of
a child seat or infant seat is strongly rec-
ommended and is required by law in
almost all states. This child seat or infant
seat should be of appropriate size for the
child and should be installed in accor-
dance with the manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
Children riding in the car should sit on
the rear seat and must always be proper-
ly restrained to minimize the risk of injury
in an accident, sudden stop or sudden
maneuver. According to accident statis-
tics, children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seats than in the
front seat.
Children could be injured or killed in a
crash if their restraints are not properly
secured. For small children and babies, a
child seat or infant seat must be used.
Before buying a particular child restraint
system, make sure it fits your car and
seat belts, and fits your child. Follow all
the instructions provided by the child
seat manufacturer when installing the
child restraint system.
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WARNING
- Child
restraints
A child restraint system must be
placed in the rear seat. Never
install a child or infant seat on the
front passenger’s seat.
Should an accident occur and
cause the passenger air bag to
deploy, it could severely injure or
kill an infant or child seated in the
front seat.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Since a safety belt or child
restraint system can become very
hot if it is in a closed vehicle, be
sure to check the seat cover and
buckles before placing a child
there.
When the child restraint system
is not in use, store it in the trunk
or fasten it with a safety belt so
that it will not be thrown forward
in the case of a sudden stop or an
accident.
Children who are too large to be
in a child restraint should sit in
the rear seat and be restrained
with the available lap/shoulder
belts.
When using the vehicles
lap/shoulder safety belts, always
make sure that the shoulder belt
portion is positioned midway over
the shoulder, never across the
neck or behind the back. The lap
belt portion of the lap/shoulder
belt must always be positioned as
low as possible on the child's hips
and as snug as possible.
(Continued)

Knowing your vehicle42 3
Installing a child restraint system For safety reasons, we recommend that
the child restraint system be used in the
rear seats.
Never place a rear-facing child
restraint in the front passenger seat,
because of the danger that an inflat-
ing passenger side air bag could
impact the rear-facing child restraint
and kill the child.
Since all passenger safety belts move
freely under normal conditions and only
lock under extreme or emergency condi-
tions (emergency lock mode), you must
manually change these safety belts to
the auto lock mode to secure a child
restraint.
(Continued)
If the vehicle’s safety belt will not
properly fit the child, you must
use an appropriate child restraint
or booster seat in the rear.
Never allow a child to stand up or
kneel while the vehicle is moving.
Never use an infant carrier or
child seat that "hooks" over a
seatback. It will not provide ade-
quate protection in an accident.
Never allow a child to be held
while they are in a moving vehi-
cle, as this could result in serious
injury or death to the child in the
event of an accident or sudden
stop. Holding a child in a moving
vehicle does not provide the child
with any protection during an
accident, even if the person hold-
ing the child is wearing a seat
belt.
WARNING
- Child seat
installation
Before installing the child
restraint system, read the instruc-
tions supplied by the child
restraint system manufacturer.
If the safety belt does not operate
as described in this section, have
the system checked immediately
by your authorized Kia dealer.
Failure to observe this manual's
instructions regarding child
restraint system and the instruc-
tions provided with the child
restraint system could increase
the chance and/or severity of
injury or death in an accident.

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Knowing your vehicle
Placing a passenger safety belt
into the auto lock modeThe use of the auto lock mode will
ensure that the normal movement of the
child in the vehicle does not cause the
safety belt to be pulled out and loosen
the firmness of its hold on the child
restraint system. To secure a child
restraint system, use the following proce-
dure.
Installing a child restraint system by
lap/shoulder beltTo install a child restraint system on the
outboard or center rear seats, do the fol-
lowing:
1. Place the child restraint system in the
seat and route the lap/shoulder belt
around or through the restraint, follow-
ing the restraint manufacturer’s
instructions. Be sure the safety belt
webbing is not twisted.2. Fasten the lap/shoulder belt latch into
the buckle. Listen for the distinct “click”
sound.
Position the release button so that it is
easy to access in case of an emergency.
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Knowing your vehicle44 33. Pull the shoulder portion of the safety
belt all the way out. When the shoulder
portion of the safety belt is fully
extended, it will shift the retractor to
the “Auto Lock” (child restraint) mode.4. Slowly allow the shoulder portion of
the safety belt to retract and listen for
an audible “clicking” or “ratcheting”
sound. This indicates that the retractor
is in the “Auto Lock” mode. If no distinct
sound is heard, repeat steps 3 and 4.5. Remove as much slack from the belt
as possible by pushing down on the
child restraint system while feeding the
shoulder belt back into the retractor.
6. Push and pull on the child restraint
system to confirm that the safety belt is
holding it firmly in place. If it is not,
release the safety belt and repeat
steps 2 through 6.
7. Double check that the retractor is in
the “Auto Lock” mode by attempting to
pull more of the safety belt out of the
retractor. If you cannot, the retractor is
in the “Auto Lock” mode.
To remove the child restraint, press the
release button on the buckle and then
pull the lap/shoulder belt out of the
restraint and allow the safety belt to
retract fully.
"Click"
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