2015 KIA Optima Owner's Manual

Safety features of your vehicle
42
3
✽
✽
NOTICE
Before you replace a fuse or discon-
nect a battery terminal, turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion and remove the ignition key.
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 illumi-
nate.
Occupant detection system
Your vehicle is equipped with an
occupant detection system in the
front passenger'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 occu-
pant detection system.
B240B05L
Passenger’s front air bag
WARNING - Air bag
obstructions
Do not install or place any
accessories on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, or on
the front passenger's panel
above the glove box in a vehicle
Such objects may become dan-
gerous projectiles if the air bag
deploys.
OTF034084N

343
Safety features of your vehicle
Main components of occupantdetection system
A detection device located within the front passenger seat track.
Electronic system to determine whether passenger air bag sys-
tems should be activated or deac-
tivated.
An indicator light located on the instrument panel which illuminates
the words PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicating the front passen-
ger air bag system is deactivated.
The instrument panel air bag warn- ing light is interconnected with the
occupant detection system. If the front passenger seat is occu-
pied by a person that the system
determines to be of adult size, and
he/she sits properly (sitting upright
with the seatback in an upright posi-
tion, centered on the seat cushion
with their seat belt on, legs comfort-
ably 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 vehi-
cle 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 comfortably
extended, feet on the floor, and wear-
ing 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 passenger 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 resting them on other locations
which reduce the passenger
weight on the front seat.
(5) Improperly wearing the safety belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.

Safety features of your vehicle
44
3
WARNING - ODS system
Riding in an improper position
adversely affects the occupant
detection system (ODS) and
may result in the deactivation of
front passenger airbag. It is
important for the driver to
instruct the passenger as to the
proper seating instructions as
contained in this manual. (Continued)Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detectionsystem
*1) The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front
passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique
and posture.
*2) Do not allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. When a smaller child than the same age sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as an infant depend-
ing on his/her physique or posture.
*3) Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
*4) The PASSENGER AIR BAG "OFF" indicator may turn on or off when a child above 12 months to 12 years old (with or without child restraint system) sits in the front passenger
seat. This is a normal condition.
Condition detected by the occu- pant detection system
Indicator/Warning lightDevices
PASSENGER AIR
BAG “OFF” indicator light
SRS warning lightFront passengerair bag
1. Adult *1or child age 13 and up*2OffOffActivated
2. Infant or child restraint system
with 12 months old*3 *4OnOffDeactivated
3. Unoccupied OnOffDeactivated
4. Malfunction in the systemOffOnActivated

345
Safety features of your vehicle
1KMN3663
1KMN3664
1KMN3665
- Never sit with the hips shiftedtowards 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 the feet on the
dashboard.
B990A08O
1KMN3662
- Never put a heavy load in thefront passenger seat.
- Never excessively recline thefront passenger seatback.
OVQ036014N
- Never place the feet on thefront passenger seatback.
(Continued)

Safety features of your vehicle
46
3
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.
B990A01O
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
airbag deactivation resulting in
airbag non-deployment and in a
collision. If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator
remains illuminated after the
passenger repositions them-
selves 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.

347
Safety features of your vehicle
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.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Do not modify or replace the front
passenger seat. Don't place anything
on or attach anything such as a blan-
ket, front seat covers or after market
seat heater to the front passenger
seat. This can adversely affect the
occupant detection system.
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 con-
nected with the occupant detection
system. If there is a malfunction of
the occupant detection system, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indi-
cator will not illuminate and the pas-
senger's front air bag will inflate in
frontal impact crashes even if there is
no occupant in the front passenger's
seat.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.
OTF034033
OTF030034
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag

Safety features of your vehicle
48
3
The indications of the system's pres-
ence are the letters "AIR BAG"
embossed on the air bag pad cover
in 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 seat position, the driver's
and front passenger's seat belt
usage and impact severity. 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 restraint 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 severity of injury
in an accident.
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.
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.

349
Safety features of your vehicle
1JBB3520
1JBA3514
1JBA3522
Side impact
Rear impact
RolloverManufacturers are required by gov-
ernment regulations to provide a
contact point concerning modifica-
tions to the vehicle for persons with
disabilities, which modifications may
affect the vehicle’s advanced air bag
system. 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 detection system. Advanced air bags are combined
with pre-tensioner seat belts to help
provide enhanced occupant protec-
tion in frontal crashes. Front air bags
are not intended to deploy in colli-
sions in which sufficient protection
can be provided by the pre-tensioner
seat belt alone.
Front air bags are not intended to
deploy in side-impact, rear-impact or
rollover crashes. In addition, front air
bags will not deploy in frontal crash-
es below the deployment threshold.
WARNING - Replacement/
modifications
The front passenger seat, dash-
board or door should not be
replaced except by an author-
ized Kia dealer using original
Kia parts designed for this vehi-
cle and model. Any other such
replacement or modification
could adversely affect the oper-
ation of the occupant detection
system and your advanced air
bags.
WARNING - SRS Wiring
Do not tamper with or discon-
nect SRS wiring or other com-
ponents of the SRS system.
Doing so could result in injury,
due to accidental deployment of
the air bags or by rendering the
SRS inoperative.