Safety features of your vehicle
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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 STARTposition.
Air bags inflate instantly in the event of serious frontal or side collision (ifequipped 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 based upon the severity of a col-
lision and its direction. These two fac-
tors determine whether the sensors
produce an electronic deployment/inflation signal.
Air bag deployment depends on a number of factors including vehiclespeed, angles of impact and the densi-
ty and stiffness of the vehicles or
objects which your vehicle hits in the
collision. The determining, 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 sim-ply see the deflated air bags hanging
out of their storage compartments afterthe 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 extremely
short time in which a collision occursand the need to get the air bag
between the occupant and the vehicle
structures 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 necessary part of air bagdesign.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include facial
abrasions, bruises and broken bonesbecause the inflation speed also caus-
es the air bags to expand with a great
deal of force.
There are even circumstances under which contact with the steer-
ing wheel air bag can cause fatal
injuries, especially if the occupant
is positioned excessively close tothe steering wheel.
WARNING
To avoid severe personal injury or death caused by deploying air
bags in a collision, the driver
should sit as far back from the
steering wheel air bag as possi-
ble (at least 250 mm (10 inches)
away). The front passenger
should always move their seat as
far back as possible and sit backin their seat.
Air bag inflates instantly in an event of a collision, passengers
may be injured by the air bag
expansion force if they are not in
a proper position.
Air bag inflation may cause injuries including facial or bodily
abrasions, injuries from broken
glasses or burns.
Safety features of your vehicle
40
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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 illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds, then go off.
Have the system checked 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 vehicle is in motion.
The light blinks when the ignition switch is in ON position.
WARNING
Extreme Hazard! Do not use a rearward facing child restraint on
a seat protected by an air bag in
front of it!
Never put a child restraint in the front passenger’s seat. If the front
passenger air bag inflates, it
would cause serious or fatalinjuries.
When children are seated in the rear outboard seats of vehicle
equipped with side and/or curtain
air bags, be sure to install the
child restraint system as far away
from the door side as possible,
and securely lock the childrestraint system in position.
Inflation of side and/or curtain air
bags could cause serious injury
or death to an infant or child.
W7-147
Safety features of your vehicle
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The air bag modules are located 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 molded
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.
A fully inflated air bag, in combination
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 con-
trols.
B240B02LB240B03L
Driver’s front air bag (2)Driver’s front air bag (3)
B240B01L
Driver’s front air bag (1)
351
Safety features of your vehicle
Why didn’t my air bag go off in a collision? (Inflation and non-infla-
tion conditions of the air bag)
There are many types of accidents in
which the air bag would not be expect-
ed to provide additional protection.
These include rear impacts, second or
third collisions in multiple impact
accidents, as well as low speed
impacts. In other words, just because
your vehicle is damaged and even if it
is totally unusable, don’t be surprised
that the air bags did not inflate.
Air bag collision sensors
(1) SRS control module
(2) Front impact sensor
(3) Side impact sensor (if equipped)
OED030079/OED036040/OED030039/1LDA2054
Safety features of your vehicle
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Air bag inflation conditions
Front air bags
Front air bags are designed to inflate in a frontal collision depending on the intensi-
ty, speed or angles of impact of the frontcollision.
WARNING
Do not hit or allow any objects to impact the locations where air
bags or sensors are installed.
This may cause unexpected air
bag deployment, which could
result in serious personal injuryor death.
If the installation location or angle of the sensors is altered in
any way, the air bags may deploy
when they should not or they may
not deploy when they should,
causing severe injury or death.
Therefore, do not try to perform
maintenance on or around the air
bag sensors. Have the vehicle
checked and repaired by an
authorized KIA dealer.
(Continued)(Continued)
Problems may arise if the sensorinstallation angles are changed
due to the deformation of the
front bumper, body or B pillar
where side collision sensors are
installed. Have the vehicle
checked and repaired by an
authorized KIA dealer.
Your vehicle has been designed to absorb impact and deploy the
air bag(s) in certain collisions.
Installing aftermarket bumper
guards or replacing a bumper
with non-genuine parts may
adversely affect your vehicles
collision and air bag deployment
performance.
OED036096
353
Safety features of your vehicle
Side air bags (if equipped)
Side air bags (side impact and/or curtain air bags) are designed to inflate when an
impact is detected by side collision sen-sors depending on the strength, speed orangles of impact resulting from a sideimpact collision.Although the front air bags (driver’s and
front passenger’s air bags) are designed
to inflate only in frontal collisions, they
also may inflate in other types of colli-sions if the front impact sensors detect a
sufficient impact. Side air bags (side
impact and/or curtain air bags) aredesigned to inflate only in side impact
collisions, but they may inflate in othercollisions if the side impact sensorsdetect a sufficient impact.
If the vehicle chassis is impacted by
bumps or objects on unimproved roads
or sidewalks, air bags may deploy. Drive
carefully on unimproved roads or on sur-
faces not designed for vehicle traffic to
prevent unintended air bag deployment.
Air bag non-inflation conditions
In certain low-speed collisions the air
bags may not deploy. The air bags are
designed not to deploy in such cases
because they may not provide benefits
beyond the protection of the seat belts
in such collisions.
OED036097
OED036098
OED036099
Safety features of your vehicle
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SRS Care
The SRS is virtually maintenance-free
and so there are no parts you can safely
service by yourself. If the SRS air bag
warning light does not illuminate, or con-
tinuously remains on, have your vehicle
immediately inspected by an authorized
KIA dealer.
Any work on the SRS system, such as
removing, installing, repairing, or any
work on the steering wheel must be per-
formed by an authorized KIA dealer.Improper handling of the SRS system
may result in serious personal injury.
WARNING
Modification to SRS components or wiring, including the addition
of any kind of badges to the pad
covers or modifications to the
body structure, can adversely
affect SRS performance and lead
to possible injury.
For cleaning the air bag pad cov- ers, use only a soft, dry cloth or
one which has been moistened
with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could adversely affect
the air bag covers and proper
deployment of the system.
No objects should be placed over
or near the air bag modules on the
steering wheel, instrument panel,
and the front passenger's panel
above the glove box, because any
such object could cause harm if the
vehicle is in a crash severe enough
to cause the air bags to inflate.
(Continued)
(Continued)
If the air bags inflate, they must be replaced by an authorized KIA
dealer.
Do not tamper with or disconnect SRS wiring, or other components
of the SRS system. Doing so
could result in injury, due to acci-
dental inflation of the air bags or
by rendering the SRS inopera-
tive.
If components of the air bag sys- tem must be discarded, or if the
vehicle must be scrapped, certain
safety precautions must be
observed. An authorized KIA
dealer knows these precautions
and can give you the necessary
information. Failure to follow
these precautions and proce-dures could increase the risk of
personal injury.
If your car was flooded and has soaked carpeting or water on
flooring, you shouldn't try to start
the engine; have the car towed to
an authorized KIA dealer.
Driving your vehicle
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Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a
liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed,
especially on the highway, is one of the
most effective ways to reduce fuel con-sumption. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal.
This can increase fuel consumption
and also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with your
foot resting on the brake pedal may
cause the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and may
lead to more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at leastonce a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your vehi-cle in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule in Section 7. If you
drive your vehicle in severe conditions,more frequent maintenance is required
(see Section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the vehicle. This
extra weight can result in increased
fuel consumption and also contributeto corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION