2012 KIA Sorento Owner's Manual

Safety features of your vehicle42
3C040900AHM-EUHow 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 START
position.
 Air bags inflate instantly in the event of a serious frontal collision or side colli-
sion in order to help protect the occu-
pants from serious physical injury.
Also, the side and/or curtain air bags
inflate instantly in the event of a
rollover 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 vehicle
speed, 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 after
the collision.
 In order to help provide protection in a severe collision, the air bags must
inflate rapidly. The speed of the air bag
inflation is a consequence of extremely
short time in which a collision occurs
and the need to inflate 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 the 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 or passenger air bag can
cause fatal injuries, especially if the
occupant is positioned excessively
close to the steering wheel or pas-
senger air bag.
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 passengers
should always move their seats
as far back as possible and sit
back in their seat.
 Air bags inflate instantly in the 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 including facial or bodily
abrasions, injuries from broken
glasses or burns.
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Safety features of your vehicle
C040902AUNNoise and smokeWhen 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 igni-
tion of the air bag inflator. After the air
bag inflates, you may feel substantial dis-
comfort in breathing 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 dis-
comfort and prevent prolonged expo-
sure 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.
C040903AENDo not install a child restraint on the front passenger’s seat.Never place a rear-facing child restraint
in the front passenger’s seat. If the air
bag deploys, it would impact the rear-fac-
ing child restraint, causing serious or
fatal injury.
In addition, do not place front-facing child
restraints in the front passenger’s seat
either. If the front passenger air bag
inflates, it could cause serious or fatal
injuries to the child.
1JBH3051
WARNING
When the air bags deploy, the air
bag related parts in the steering
wheel and/or instrument panel
and/or in both sides of the roof rails
above the front and rear doors are
very hot. To prevent injury, do not
touch the air bag storage area’s
internal components immediately
after an air bag has inflated.
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Safety features of your vehicle44
3
C041000AAMAir bag warning lightThe 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 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
would cause serious or fatal
injuries.
 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 child
restraint system in position.
Inflation of side and/or curtain air
bags could cause serious injury
or death to an infant or child.
W7-147
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Safety features of your vehicle
C040100AHM-EUSRS components and functionsThe 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)/Rollover sensor
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)
12. Driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt buckle sensors
13. Driver’s front anchor pre-tensioner
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. The front 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.
B240B01L
Driver’s front air bag (1)
WARNING
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 illuminat- ing 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.
OXM039200L
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Safety features of your vehicle46
3Upon 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.
B240B02L
B240B03L
Driver’s front air bag (2)
Driver’s front air bag (3)
WARNING
 Do not install or place any acces-
sories (drink holder, cassette
holder, sticker, etc.) on the front
passenger's panel above the
glove box in a vehicle with a pas-
senger's air bag. Such objects
may become dangerous projec-
tiles and cause injury if the pas-
senger's air bag inflates.
 When installing a container of liq- uid air freshener inside the vehi-
cle, do not place it near the
instrument cluster nor on the
instrument panel surface.
It may become a dangerous pro-
jectile and cause injury if the pas-
senger's air bag inflates.
B240B05L
Passenger’s front air bag
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Safety features of your vehicle
C040300AAMOccupant Detection System
(ODS)Your vehicle is equipped with an occu-
pant detection system in the front pas-
senger's seat.
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 occupant detection
system.
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.
 The SRS can function only when the ignition switch is in the ON
position. If the SRS air bag warn-
ing light does not illuminate, or
continuously remains on after
illuminating 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
 Before you replace a fuse or dis-connect a battery terminal, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK
position 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 illuminate.
WARNING
Do not put anything in front of the
passenger air bag indicator.
OXM039052N
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Safety features of your vehicle48
3Main components of occupant detec-
tion system A detection device located within the front passenger seat cushion.
 An electronic system which deter- mines whether the passenger air bag
systems should be activated or deacti-
vated.
 A indicator light located on the instru- ment panel which illuminates the
words PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicating the front passenger air bag
system is deactivated.
 The instrument panel air bag warning light is interconnected with the occu-
pant detection system. If the front passenger seat is occupied by
a person that the system determines to
be of appropriate size, and he/she sits
properly (sitting upright with the seatback
in an upright position, centered on the
seat cushion with their seat belt on, legs
comfortably 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. Always be sure that you and all vehicle
occupants are seated and restrained
properly (sitting upright with the seat in
an upright position, centered on the seat
cushion, with the person’s legs comfort-
ably extended, feet on the floor, and
wearing the safety belt properly) for the
most effective protection by the air bag
and the safety belt.
 The ODS (Occupant Detection System)
may not function properly if the passen-
ger takes actions which can defeat the
detection system. These include:
(1) Failing to sit in an upright position.
(2) Leaning against the door or center console.
(3) Sitting towards the sides or the front of the seat.
(4) Putting legs on the dashboard or rest- ing them on other locations which
reduce the passenger weight on the
front seat.
(5) Improperly wearing the safety belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.
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Safety features of your vehicle
C040301AXM-EUCondition and operation in the front passenger occupant detection system*1) The ODS system uses a field to evaluate a person's size to determine whether theair bag should deploy. It is possible for a child to be detected and activate the ODS,
thus allowing the airbag to deploy. To maximize safety, do not allow children to ride
in the front passenger seat.
*2) Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
WARNING
Riding in an improper position or
placing weight on the front passen-
ger's seat when it is unoccupied by
a passenger adversely affects the
Occupant Detection System (ODS).
Your ODS is designed to resist
electronic waves, but do not place
an electronic device (ex. laptop
computer, after market DMB/navi-
gation/satellite audio, video game
machine, MP3, etc.) on or near the
seat cushion since it may defeat
the proper functioning of the ODS
or turn on the air bag warning light. (Continued)
Condition detected by
the occupant detection system
1. Adult or child*
1
2. Child restraint system*
2
3. Unoccupied
4. There is a malfunction in the system
Off
On
On
Off Off
Off
Off
On Activated
Deactivated
Deactivated
Activated
"PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF" indicator light
SRS warning light
Front passenger air bag
Indicator/Warning light Devices
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