2014 KIA Soul Owner's Manual

349
Safety features of your vehicle
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detectionsystem
*1: The ODS system uses a field to evaluate a person's size to determine whether the
air bag should deploy. It is possible for a child to be detected and activate the ODS,
thus allowing the air bag 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
passenger's seat when it is
unoccupied by a passenger
adversely affects the Occupant
Detection System (ODS). Your
ODS is designed to resist elec-
tronic waves, but do not place an
electronic device (ex. laptop
computer, after market DMB/nav-
igation/satellite audio, video
game machine, MP3, etc.) on or
near the seat cushion since it
may defeat the proper function-
ing 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
OnActivated
Deactivated
Deactivated
Activated
"PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF" indicator light
SRS warning lightFront passenger air bag
Indicator/Warning light Devices

Safety features of your vehicle
50
3
1KMN3663
1KMN3664
1KMN3665
- Never sit with hips shifted
towards the front of the seat.
- Never lean on the door or cen-ter console.
- Never sit on one side of the front passenger seat.
- Never place feet on the dash-
board.
OVQ036013N
1KMN3662
- Never put a heavy load or anactive electronic device on
the front passenger seat or
seatback pocket.
- Never excessively recline thefront passenger seatback.
OVQ036014N
- Never place feet on the frontpassenger seatback.
(Continued)

351
Safety features of your vehicle
When an adult is seated in the front
passenger seat, if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is on, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion 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”
indicator is still on, ask the passen-
ger 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 occu-
pant detection sensor will then clas-
sify the front passenger after several
more seconds.
B990A01OWARNING
Do not put a heavy load or an
active electronic device (ex. lap-
top computer, after market
DMB/navigation/satellite audio,
video game machine, MP3, etc.)
in the front passenger seatback
pocket or on the front passenger
seat. Do not hang onto the front
passenger seat. Do not hang any
items such as seatback table on
the front passenger seatback.
Do not place feet on the front
passenger seatback. Do not
place any items under the front
passenger seat. Any of these
could interfere with proper sen-
sor operation or turn on the air
bag warning light.
Proper position
WARNING - “AIR BAG
OFF” light
Do not allow an adult passenger
to ride in the front seat when the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is illuminated, because
the air bag will not deploy in the
event of a crash. The driver
must instruct the passenger to
reposition himself in the seat.
Failure to properly position
yourself may lead to air bag
deactivation resulting in air bag
non-deployment and in a colli-
sion. If the PASSENGER AIR
BAG “OFF” indicator remains
illuminated after the passenger
repositions themselves properly
and the car is restarted, it is rec-
ommended that passenger
move to the rear seat because
the passenger's front air bag
will not deploy.

Safety features of your vehicle
52
3
WARNING
Even though your vehicle is
equipped with the occupant
detection system, never install a
child restraint system in the
front passenger's seat. A
deploying air bag can forcefully
strike a child resulting in seri-
ous injuries or death. Any child
age 12 and under should ride in
the rear seat. Children too large
for child restraints should use
the available lap/shoulder belts.
No matter what type of crash,
children of all ages are safer
when restrained in the rear seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is illuminated
when the front passenger's seat
is occupied by an adult 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), have that person sit in the
rear seat.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Accident statistics show thatchildren are safer if they are
restrained in the rear, as
opposed to the front seat. It is
recommended that child
restraints be secured in a rear
seat, including an infant riding
in a rear-facing infant seat, a
child riding in a forward-facing
child seat and an older child
riding in a booster seat.
Air bags can only be used once – have an authorized Kia
dealer replace the air bag
immediately after deployment.
The occupant detection sys- tem may not work properly if
water, coffee or any other liq-
uid including rain gets on the
seat. Keep the front seat dry
at all times.
(Continued)(Continued)
If the front passenger seat isoccupied by a child who is not
in a CRS, the "PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF" indicator may
or may not be on and the pas-
senger air bag may or may not
deploy in a collision. Have the
child move to a rear seat to
increase their safety.
Do not modify or replace the front passenger seat. Don't
place anything on or attach
anything such as a blanket or
seat heater to the front pas-
senger seat. This can adverse-
ly affect the occupant detec-
tion system.
Do not place sharp objects on the front passenger seat.
These may damage the occu-
pant detection system, if they
puncture the seat cushion.
Do not use accessory seat covers on the front seats.
(Continued)

353
Safety features of your vehicle
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 passen-
ger seating position.
WARNING
If the occupant detection sys-
tem is not working properly, the
SRS air bag warning light on
the instrument panel will illumi-
nate because the passenger's
front air bag is connected with
the occupant detection system.
If there is a malfunction 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 occu-
pant in the front passenger's
seat. If the SRS air bag warning
light does not illuminate when
the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position, remains illumi-
nated after approximately 6 sec-
onds when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, or if it
illuminates while the vehicle is
being driven, have an author-
ized Kia dealer inspect the occu-
pant detection system and the
SRS air bag system as soon as
possible.
OPS033021
OPS033022
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag
(Continued)
Do not place an electronicdevice (ex. laptop computer,
after market DMB/navigation/
satellite audio, video game
machine, MP3, etc.) on the
front passenger seat. Its elec-
tronic field may cause the ODS
to switch to the "on" condition
and thus turn on the air bag
warning light or allow the pas-
senger air bag to deploy need-
lessly in a collision, increasing
your repair costs.

Safety features of your vehicle
54
3
The indication of the system's pres-
ence are the letters "AIR BAG"
embossed on the air bag pad cover
on the steering wheel and the pas-
senger'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
passenger with additional protection
than that offered by the seat belt sys-
tem alone in case of a frontal impact
of sufficient severity. The SRS uses
sensors to gather information about
the driver's and front passenger's
seat belt usage and impact severity.
The seat belt buckle sensors deter-
mine if the driver and front passen-
ger's seat belts are fastened.These sensors provide the ability to
control the SRS deployment based on
whether or not the seat belts are fas-
tened, and how severe the impact is.
The advanced SRS offers the ability
to control the air bag inflation with
two levels. A first stage level is pro-
vided for moderate-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 sitting close to the instru-
ment panel in low speed collisions.
However, children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
According to the impact severity 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
severity of injury in an accident.
WARNING
If the occupant detection sys-
tem is not working properly, the
SRS air bag warning light on
the instrument panel will illumi-
nate because the SRS air bag
warning light is connected with
the occupant detection system.
If the SRS air bag warning light
does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the
ON position, remains illuminat-
ed after approximately 6 sec-
onds when the ignition switch
is turned to the ON position, or
if it illuminates while the vehicle
is being driven, have an author-
ized Kia dealer inspect the
advanced SRS air bag system
as soon as possible.

355
Safety features of your vehicle
Additionally, your vehicle is equipped
with an occupant detection system in
the front passenger's seat. The occu-
pant 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 cer-
tain conditions. For more detail, see
"Occupant detection system" in this
section.
WARNING
Manufacturers are required by
government regulations to pro-
vide a contact point concerning
modifications to the vehicle for
persons with disabilities, which
modifications may affect the
vehicle’s advanced air bag sys-
tem. However, Kia does not
endorse nor will it support any
changes to any part or structure
of the vehicle that could affect
the advanced air bag system,
including the occupant detec-
tion system.(Continued)
(Continued)
Specifically, the front passenger
seat, dashboard or door should
not be replaced except by an
authorized Kia dealer using
original Kia parts designed for
this vehicle and model. Any
other such replacement or mod-
ification could adversely affect
the operation of the occupant
detection system and your
advanced air bags. For the
same reason, do not attach any-
thing to the seat, dashboard or
door, even temporarily. If the
system is adversely affected, it
could cause severe personal
injuries or death in a collision.
WARNING
Modification to the seat struc-ture can cause the air bag to
deploy at a different level than
should be provided.
Do not place any objects underneath the front seats as
they could damage and/or
interfere with the occupant
detection system.

Safety features of your vehicle
56
3
✽
✽
NOTICE
• Be sure to read information about
the SRS on the labels provided on
the sunvisor.
• Advanced air bags are combined with pre-tensioner seat belts to
help provide enhanced occupant
protection in frontal crashes. Front
air bags are not intended to deploy
in collisions in which sufficient
protection can be provided by the
pre-tensioner seat belt.(Continued)
Front and side air bags can
injure occupants improperly
positioned in the front seats.
Move your seat as far back as practical from the front air
bags, while still maintaining
control of the vehicle.
You and your passengers should never sit or lean
unnecessarily close to the air
bags. Improperly positioned
drivers and passengers can
be severely injured by inflat-
ing air bags.
Never lean against the door or center console – always sit in
an upright position.
Do not allow a passenger to ride in the front seat when the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is illuminated,
because the air bag will not
deploy in the event of a mod-
erate or severe frontal crash.
(Continued)WARNING
Always use seat belts and child
restraints – every trip, every
time, everyone! Air bags inflate
with considerable force and in
the blink of an eye. Seat belts
help keep occupants in proper
position to obtain maximum
benefit from the air bag. Even
with advanced air bags, improp-
erly and unbelted occupants
can be severely injured when
the air bag inflates. Always fol-
low the precautions about seat
belts, air bags and occupant
safety contained in this manual.
To reduce the chance of serious
or fatal injuries and receive the
maximum safety benefit from
your restraint system:
Never place a child in anychild or booster seat in the
front seat.
ABC – Always Buckle Children in the 2nd Row seat.
It is the safest place for chil-
dren of any age to ride.
(Continued)