2015 KIA Soul Owner's Manual

Safety features of your vehicle
48
3
✽
✽
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 cover or after market
seat heater to the front passenger
seat. This can adversely affect the
occupant detection system.
Condition 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 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.
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 lightFront passenger air bag
Indicator/Warning light Devices
WARNING-ODS System
Riding in an improper position
adversely affects the Occupant
Detection System and may
result in the deactivation of the
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)

349
Safety features of your vehicle
1KMN3663
1KMN3664
1KMN3665
- Never sit with 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 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)

Safety features of your vehicle
50
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
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 in a collision. If
the PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicator remains illumi-
nated after the passenger repo-
sitions themselves properly and
the car is restarted, it is recom-
mended that passenger move to
the rear seat because the pas-
senger's front air bag will not
deploy.

351
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.If the occupant detection system is
not working properly, the SRS air
bag warning light on the instrument
panel will illuminate because the
passenger's front air bag is connect-
ed with the occupant detection sys-
tem. If there is a malfunction of the
occupant detection system, the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator
will not illuminate and the passen-
ger's front air bag will inflate in frontal
impact crashes even if there is no
occupant in the front passenger's
seatDriver'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.
OPS033021
OPS033022
Driver’s front air bag
Passenger’s front air bag

Safety features of your vehicle
52
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.
CAUTION- Seat Track
Sensor
Do not place any objects under-
neath the front seats as theycould damage the seat trackposition sensor or interfere withthe occupant detection system.
WARNING- Replacement /
modifications
The front passenger seat, dash-
board 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 replace-
ment or modification could
adversely affect the operation of
the occupant detection system
and your advanced air bags.

353
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.Manufacturers 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.
WARNING - Modification
Modification to the seat struc-
ture can cause the air bag to
deploy at a different level than
should be provided.
WARNING - Replacement /
Modifications
The front passenger seat, dash-
board 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 replace-
ment or modification could
adversely affect the operation of
the occupant detection system
and your advanced air bags.

Safety features of your vehicle
54
3
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.
Side air bag
Your vehicle is equipped with a side
air bag in each front seat. The pur-
pose of the air bag is to provide the
vehicle's driver and/or the front pas-
senger with additional protection than
that offered by the seat belt alone.
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.
OEP036096N
OVQ036018N
1VQA2091
Rear impact
Side impact
Rollover
OPS033037
OPS033023
❈ The actual air bags in the vehicle may dif-
fer from the illustration.

355
Safety features of your vehicle
The side air bags are designed todeploy during certain side-impact
collisions, depending on the crash
severity, angle, speed and point of
impact.
The side and/or curtain air bags do not only deploy on the side of the
impact but also on the opposite
side.
The side and/or curtain air bags on both sides of the vehicle will deploy
if a rollover or possible rollover is
detected.
The side air bags are not designed to deploy in all side impact or
rollover situations. The side air bag is supplemental to
the driver's and the passenger's seat
belt systems and is not a substitute
for them. Therefore your seat belts
must be worn at all times while the
vehicle is in mention.
For best protection from the side air
bag system and to avoid being
injured by the deploying side air bag,
both front seat occupants should sit
in an upright position with the seat
belt properly fastened. The driver's
hands should be placed on the steer-
ing wheel at the 9:00 and 3:00 posi-
tions. The passenger's arms and
hands should be placed on their
laps.
If seat or seat cover is damaged,
have the vehicle checked and
repaired by an authorized Kia dealer.
Inform the dealer that your vehicle is
equipped with side air bags and an
occupant detection system.
WARNING- Unexpected
deployment
Avoid impact to the side impact
airbag sensor when the ignition
switch is ON to prevent unex-
pected deployment of the side
impact air bag.
WARNING- Deployment
Do not install any accessories
including seat covers, on the
side or near the side impact air
bag as this may affect the
deployment of the side air bags.
WARNING- Flying
objects
Do not place any objects (an
umbrella, bag, etc.) between the
front door and the front seat.
Such objects may become dan-
gerous projectiles if the side
airbag inflates.