2008 KIA Sportage Owner's Manual

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WARNING- Replacing
used pre-tensioners
• Pre-tensioners are designed
to operate once.After activa-
tion, pre-tensioner seat belts
must be replaced.All seat
belts, of any type,should
always be replaced after they
have been worn during a colli-
sion.
• Do not attempt to replace the
pre-tensioners yourself.This
must be done by an autho-
rized Kia dealer.CAUTION - Hot parts
The pre-tensioner assembly
mechanism become hot during
activation.Do not touch the pre-
tensioner seat belt assembly for
several minutes after they have
been activated.
WARNING-Damaging
the pre-tensioners
• Do not hit or strike the pre-
tensioner assemblies,espe-
cially with a tool or heavy
object.
• Do not attempt to service or
repair the pre-tensioners.

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Safety belt restraint system We strongly recommend that the dri-
ver and all passengers be properly
restrained at all times by using the
safety belts provided with the vehi-
cle. Proper use of the safety belts
decreases the risk of severe injury or
death in accidents or sudden stops.
In most states, and in Canada, the
law requires their use.
All seats have lap/shoulder belts.
Inertial locks in the safety belt retrac-
tors allow all of the lap/shoulder safe-
ty belts to remain unlocked during
normal vehicle operation. This allows
the occupants some freedom of
movement and increased comfort
while using the safety belts. If a force
is applied to the vehicle, such as a
strong stop, a sharp turn, or a colli-
sion, the safety belt retractors will
automatically lock the safety belts.Since the inertial locks do not require
a collision in order to lock up, you
may become aware of the safety
belts locking while braking or going
around sharp corners.
Always use the rear seat position(s)
to install your child restraint(s).
WARNING- Safety belts
To minimize the risk of serious
or fatal injury in an accident, the
driver and all passengers
should use the appropriate
safety restraints for their age
and size.The presence of
airbags does not change the
need to be properly restrained
by a safety belt or size-appropri-
ate child restraint.In fact,
airbags are designed to work
the best when passengers are
correctly restrained
in the vehi-
cle.
• Be sure you are familiar with
the information in this section,
including the information on
infant and child restraints.
• Read the safety warnings on
the sun visors of your vehicle
also.
WARNING- Child
restraint in front seat
Never install a child restraint
system in the front passenger
position, as an inflating airbag
could cause serious or fatal
injury to a child in that position.

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The rear safety belts use a special
auto-lock feature designed to allow a
child restraint to be used in these
positions without an added locking
clip. They normally lock only under
extreme or emergency conditions
(emergency lock mode). However
they can be adjusted so that they
remain fixed and locked when a child
restraint system is placed in these
positions. (Use this auto-lock mode
only to secure a child restraint, never
for passengers restrained by the
safety belts.) Page 3-48 gives
instructions on placing the safety belt
in the auto lock mode.
The drivers safety belt can only oper-
ate in the emergency lock mode.Safety belts provide the best restraint
when:
• The seatback is upright.
• The occupant is sitting upright (not
slouched).
• The lap belt is snug across the hips.
• The shoulder belt is snug across
the chest.
• The knees are straight forward.
To help you remember to fasten your
safety belt, a warning light will blink.
See “Safety belt warning light and
chime” on page 3-36.
WARNING- After a colli-
sion
• Lap/shoulder belt assemblies
may be stretched or damaged
when subjected to the stress
and forces of a collision.
• The entire restraint system
should be inspected following
any collision.All belts, retrac-
tors, anchors and hardware
damaged by a collision should
be replaced before the vehicle
is operated again.
WARNING - Cargo area
Passengers should never be
allowed to ride in the cargo area
of a vehicle.No safety belts are
provided for the cargo area.
Persons riding in the vehicle
without a fastened safety belt
are much more likely to suffer
serious bodily injury or death
during an accident.

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WARNING- Belt use
Safety belts must be used cor-
rectly to work properly in an
accident.Each seating position
in your vehicle has a specific
safety belt assembly that
includes a buckle and tongue
designed to be used together.
Failure to heed these warnings
and follow these instructions
will increase the risk and sever-
ity of injuries and the likelihood
of death in an accident.
•Use the shoulder portion of
the safety belt on the outside
shoulder only.Never wear the
shoulder portion under the
arm.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Never swing the safety belt
around your neck to fit over
the inside shoulder.
• Never wear the shoulder por-
tion of the safety belt across
the neck or face.
• Wear the lap portion as low as
possible.Be sure that the lap
belt fits snugly around the
hips.Never wear a lap portion
of a lap/shoulder belt over
your waist;it should always
go over the stronger area of
your hips.
• Never use a single safety belt
for more than one person.
• The front seatbacks should
always remain i
n a comfort-
able, upright position when
the vehicle is moving.
WARNING- Twisted belts
A twisted or jammed safety belt
cannot restrain you properly.If
you cannot untwist or unjam the
safety belt, have an authorized
Kia dealer service it immediate-
ly.Never drive or ride with a
twisted or jammed safety belt.WARNING- Safety belt
care
• A damaged belt may not give
you the protection you need in
an accident.
•Inspect your safety belts peri-
odically for excessive wear or
damage.Pull out each belt
fully and look for fraying, cuts,
burns or other damage.Pull
the safety belt out and let it
retract a number of times.
Make sure that the lap/shoul-
der belts return smoothly and
easily into the retractor.
• Check the latches to make
sure they latch and release
without interference or delay.
• Never close the doors on any
part of the lap or shoulder
belt.
• Any belt not in good condition
or in good working order
should be promptly replaced.

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Safety belt warning light and
chime
If the driver's safety belt is not fas-
tened when the key is turned ON or
if it is unfastened after the key is
turned ON, the safety belt warning
light blinks until the belt fastened.
If the driver's safety belt is not fas-
tened when the key is turned ON or
if it is unfastened after the key is ON,
the safety belt warning chime will
sound for approximately 6 seconds.
At this time, if the safety belt is fas-
tened, the chime will stop at once.
Lap/shoulder belt
To f asten the front lap/shoulder
belt:
1. Grasp the buckle and tongue
plate.
2. Slowly pull the lap/shoulder belt
out from the retractor.
1GQA2083
CAUTION
Never close the doors on any
part of the lap or shoulder belt.
It can damage the safety belt or
buckle which could increase the
risk of injury in case of an acci-
dent.
1GHA2262

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3. Insert the tongue plate (➀) into the
open end of the buckle (
➁) until an
audible “click” is heard, indicating
the belt is locked in the buckle.4. Position the lap portion (
➀) of the
belt across your lap as LOW ON
THE HIPS as possible to reduce
the risk of sliding under it during
an accident. Adjust the belt to a
SNUG FIT by pulling up on the
shoulder portion (
➁) of the safety
belt. The belt retractor is designed
to take up excess webbing auto-
matically and to maintain tension
on the belt. For your safety, do not
put any excess slack into the safe-
ty belt at any location.5. Adjust the shoulder anchor posi-
tion to your size. To raise the
anchor position, push the anchor
up (
➀). To lower the anchor posi-
tion, press (
➁) the button ( ) and
slide the anchor down (
➂). After
adjustment, make sure the anchor
is locked in position.
If the height of the adjusting seat belt
is too near your neck, you will not be
getting the most effective protection.
The shoulder portion should be
adjusted so that it lies across your
chest and midway over your shoulder
nearest the door and not your neck.
1GHA22631GHA22641KMA2050
A

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To unfasten the front lap/shoulder
belt:
Press the release button on the
buckle and allow the belt to slowly
retract.
Rear lap/shoulder belt
To f asten the rear lap/shoulder
belt:
1. Grasp the buckle and tongue
plate.
2. Slowly pull the lap/shoulder belt
out.
3. Insert the tongue plate (
➀) into the
open end of the buckle (
➁) until an
audible “click’’ is heard, indicating
the belt is locked in the buckle.
4GQB03381GHA2263
WARNING
• The height adjuster must be in
the locked position when the
vehicle is moving.
• The misadjustment of height
of the shoulder belt could
reduce the effectiveness of
the seat belt in a crash.

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4. Position the lap portion (➀) of the
belt across your lap as LOW ON
THE HIPS as possible to reduce
the risk of sliding under it during
an accident. Adjust the belt to a
SNUG FIT by pulling up on the
shoulder portion (
➁) of the safety
belt. The belt retractor is designed
to take up excess webbing auto-
matically and to maintain tension
on the belt. For your safety do not
put any excess slack into the safe-
ty belt.
To unfasten the rear lap/shoulder
belt:
Press the release button on the
buckle and allow the belt to slowly
retract.
3 Point rear center belt
(if equipped)
To f asten the rear center belt
1. Extract the tongue plate from the
hole on the belt assembly cover
and slowly pull the tongue plates
out from the retractor.
1GHA22644GQB03381KMN3441
CAUTION - Cargo
Be sure that the cargo is secure-
ly loaded in the rear cargo area.
Loose cargo may damage the
rear center safety belt in sudden
stops or certain collisions.