2011 KIA Optima ignition

341
Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
Air bags are activated (able to inflate ifnecessary) only when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON or START
position.
Air bags inflate instantly in the event of serious frontal or side collision (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 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 complex 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 sim-
ply 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 extremely
short time in which a collision occurs
and 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 bag
design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include facial
abrasions, bruises and broken bones
because 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 to
the steering wheel.
WARNING
To avoid severe personal injuryor 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 back
in their seat.
Air bags inflate instantly in an event of a collision, and passen-
gers may be injured by the air bag
expansion force if they are not in
a proper position.
Air bag inflation may cause injuries which normally include
facial or bodily abrasions,
injuries from broken glasses or
burns by the air bag inflation
gasses.

343
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 indicator light should illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds, then go off.
Have the system checked if:
The light does not turn on briefly whenyou turn the ignition ON.
The light stays on after illuminating for approximately 6 seconds.
The light comes on while the vehicle is in motion.
SRS components and functions
The SRS consists of the following com-
ponents:
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 assemblies*
6. Air bag warning light
7. SRS control module (SRSCM)
8. Front impact sensors
9. Side impact sensors
10. PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indi- cator (Front passenger’s seat only)
11. Occupant detection system (Front passenger’s seat only)
WARNING
Extreme Hazard! Do not use arearward 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 can
cause serious or fatal injuries.
When children are seated in the rear outboard seats of a 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 child
restraint system in position.
Inflation of side and/or curtain air
bags could cause serious injury
or death to an infant or child.
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Safety features of your vehicle
44
3
12. Driver’s and front passenger’s seat
belt buckle sensors
13. Anchor pre-tensioner assembly
*: if equipped
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
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 vehicle is in motion. 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.
B240B01L
Driver’s front air bag (1)
B240B02L
Driver’s front air bag (2)

Safety features of your vehicle
46
3
ODS (Occupant Detection System)
Your vehicle is equipped with an ODS in
the front passenger's seat.
(Continued)
The SRS can function only when
the ignition key is in the ON posi-
tion. If the SRS air bag warning
light does not illuminate, or con-
tinuously remains on after illumi-
nating for about 6 seconds when
the ignition switch is turned to
the 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.
Before you replace a fuse or dis- connect a battery terminal, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK
position and remove the ignition
key. Never remove or replace the
air bag related fuse(s) when the
ignition switch is in the ON posi-
tion. Failure to heed this warning
will cause the SRS air bag warn-
ing light to illuminate.WARNING
If an air bag deploys, there maybe a loud noise followed by a fine
dust released in the vehicle.
These conditions are normal and
are not hazardous - the air bags
are packed in this fine powder.
The dust generated during air
bag deployment may cause skin
or eye irritation as well as aggra-
vate asthma for some persons.
Always wash all exposed skin
areas thoroughly with lukewarm
water and a mild soap after an
accident in which the air bags
were deployed.
(Continued)
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Safety features of your vehicle
50
3
When an adult is seated in the front pas-
senger seat, if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG “OFF” indicator is on, turn the igni-
tion switch to the LOCK position 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” indi-
cator is still on, ask the passenger 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 occupant detection sensor
will then classify the front passenger
after several more seconds.
B990A01O
WARNING
Do not allow an adult passenger to
ride in the front seat when the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator
is illuminated, because the air bag
will not deploy in the event of a
crash. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicator remains illuminat-
ed after the passenger repositions
themselves 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.
Front seat passengers must stay
properly seated to avoid serious
injury from a deploying air bag.
WARNING
Do not put a heavy load in the front
passenger seat. Do not place any
items under the front passenger
seat. Any of these could interfere
with proper sensor operation.

Safety features of your vehicle
52
3
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 passenger seating
position. The indications of the system's presence
are the letters "AIR BAG" embossed on
the air bag pad cover in the steering
wheel and the passenger's side front
panel pad above the glove box.
The SRS consists of air bags installed
under the pad covers in the center of the
steering wheel and the passenger's side
front panel above the glove box.
The purpose of the SRS is to provide the
vehicle's driver and/or the front passen-
ger with additional protection than that
offered by the seat belt system alone in
case of a frontal impact of sufficient
severity. The SRS uses sensors to gath-
er information about the driver's seat
position, the driver's and front passen-
ger's seat belt usage and impact severi-
ty.
WARNING
If the occupant detection system is
not working properly, the SRS air
bag warning light on the instru-
ment panel will illuminate because
the passenger's front air bag is
connected with the occupant
detection system. If there is a mal-
function of the occupant detection
system, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicator will not illuminate
and the passenger's front air bag
will inflate in frontal impact crashes
even if there is no occupant in the
front passenger's seat. If the SRS
air bag warning light does not illu-
minate when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, remains
illuminated after approximately 6
seconds when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, or if it
illuminates while the vehicle is
being driven, have an authorized
KIA dealer inspect the occupant
detection system and the SRS air
bag system as soon as possible.
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OTF030034
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag

353
Safety features of your vehicle
The driver's seat track position sensor (if
equipped), which is installed on the seat
track, determine if the seat is fore or aft
of a reference position. The seat belt
buckle sensors determine if the driver
and front passenger's seat belts are fas-
tened.These sensors provide the ability to con-
trol the SRS deployment based on how
close the driver's seat is to the steering
wheel, whether or not the seat belts are
fastened, and how severe the impact is.
The advanced SRS offers the ability to
control the air bag inflation with two lev-
els. A first stage level is provided for mod-
erate-severity impacts. A second stage
level is provided for more severe impacts.
The passenger’s front air bag is designed
to help reduce the injury of children sit-
ting close to the instrument panel in low
speed collisions. However, children are
safer if they are restrainted in the rear
seat.
According to the impact severity, seating
position and seat belt usage, the SRSCM
(SRS Control Module) controls the air
bag inflation. Failure to properly wear
seat belts can increase the risk or sever-
ity of injury in an accident.
Additionally, your vehicle is equipped
with an occupant detection system in the
front passenger's seat. The occupant
detection system detects the presence of
a passenger in the front passenger's seat
and will turn off the front passenger's air
bag under certain conditions. For more
detail, see "Occupant detection system"
in this section.
WARNING
If a seat track position sensor (if
equipped) or an occupant detection
system is not working properly, the
SRS air bag warning light on the
instrument panel will illuminate
because the SRS air bag warning
light is connected with the seat
track position sensor and the occu-
pant detection system. If the SRS
air bag warning light does not illu-
minate when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, remains
illuminated after approximately 6
seconds when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, or if it
illuminates while the vehicle is
being driven, have an authorized
KIA dealer inspect the advanced
SRS air bag system as soon as
possible.
WARNING
Modification to the seat structure
can adversely affect the seat
track position sensor (if
equipped) and cause the air bag
to deploy at a different level than
should be provided.
Do not place any objects under- neath the front seats as they
could damage the seat track
position sensor or interfere with
the occupant detection system.
Do not place any objects that may cause magnetic fields near the
front seat. These may cause a
malfunction of the seat track
position sensor.

Safety features of your vehicle
56
3
Side impact air bag
Your vehicle is equipped with a side
impact air bag in each front seat. The
purpose of the air bag is to provide the
vehicle's driver and/or the front passen-
ger with additional protection than that
offered by the seat belt alone.
(Continued)
Sitting improperly or out of posi-
tion can result in serious or fatal
injury in a crash. All occupants
should sit upright with the seat
back in an upright position, cen-
tered on the seat cushion with
their seat belt on, legs comfort-
ably extended and their feet on
the floor until the vehicle is
parked and the ignition key is
removed.
The SRS air bag system must deploy very rapidly to provide
protection in a crash. If an occu-
pant is out of position because of
not wearing a seat belt, the air
bag may forcefully contact the
occupant causing serious or fatal
injuries.(Continued)
Even though your vehicle isequipped with the occupant
detection system, do not install a
child restraint system in the front
passenger seat position. A child
restraint system must never be
placed in the front seat. The infant
or child could be severely injured
or killed by an air bag deployment
in case of an accident.
Children age 12 and under must always be properly restrained in
the rear seat. Never allow chil-
dren to ride in the front passen-
ger seat. If a child over 12 must
be seated in the front seat, he or
she must be properly belted and
the seat should be moved as far
back as possible.
For maximum safety protection in all types of crashes, all occu-
pants including the driver should
always wear their seat belts
whether or not an air bag is also
provided at their seating position
to minimize the risk of severe
injury or death in the event of a
crash. Do not sit or lean unneces-
sarily close to the air bag while
the vehicle is in motion.
(Continued)
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