2017 KIA FORTE Owners Manual

335
Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
The front air bags help protect the
driver and front passenger by
responding to frontal impacts in
which seat belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When need-
ed, the side air bags help provide
protec tion in the event of a side
impact or rollover by supporting the
side upper body area.
• Air bags are activated (able to
inflate if necessary) only when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
or START the appropriate position.
• Air bags inflate instantly in the
event of serious frontal or side col-
lision (if equipped with side air bag
or curtain air bag) in order to help
protect the occupants from serious
physical injury.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a
collision and its direction. These
two factors determine whether the
sensors produce an electronic
deployment/ inflation signal.• Air bag deployment depends on a
number of complex factors includ-
ing vehicle speed, angles of impact
and the density and stiffness of the
vehicles or objects which your
vehicle hits in the collision. Though,
factors are not limited to those
mentioned above. Airbags deploy
depending on the severity and
angle of the impact.
Airbags do not deploy in every
impact situation.
• 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 simply see the deflated air
bags hanging out of their storage
compartments after the collision.• In addition to inflating in certain
side collisions, vehicles equipped
with a rollover sensor, side and
curtain air bags will inflate if the
sensing system detects a rollover.
When a rollover is detected, side and
curtain air bags will remain inflated
longer to help provide protection
from ejection, especially when used
in conjunction with the seat belts.
• 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 occu-
pant 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 col-
lision and is thus a necessary part
of air bag design.

Safety features of your vehicle
36 3
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which can include
facial abrasions, bruises and bro-
ken bones because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
• There are even circumstances
under which contact with the
steering wheel air bag can cause
fatal injuries, especially if the
occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the steering wheel.Noise and smoke
When 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 ignition of the air bag inflator.
After the air bag inflates, you may
feel substantial discomfort in breath-
ing due to the contact of your chest
to 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 possi-
ble after the impact in order to
reduce discomfort and prevent
prolonged exposure to smoke and
powder.
Though smoke and powder are non-
toxic,They 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.WARNING - Airbag
Inflation
Sit as far back as possible from
the steering wheel while still
maintaining comfortable con-
trol of the your vehicle. A dis-
tance of at least 25 cm (10")
from your chest to the steering
wheel is recommended. Failure
to do so can result in airbag
inflation injuries to the driver.

337
Safety features of your vehicle
Installing a child restraint on a
front passenger’s seat is forbidden
Never place a rear-facing child
restraint in the front passenger’s
seat. If the air bag deploys, it would
impact the rear-facing child restraint,
causing serious or fatal injury.
In addition, do not place front-facing
child restraint in the front passen-
ger’s seat either. If the front passen-
ger air bag inflates, it would cause
serious or fatal injuries to the child.
WARNING
- Hot components
Do not touch the air bag storage
area's internal components
immediately after air bag infla-
tion. The air bag related parts in
the steering wheel, instrument
panel and the roof rails above
the front and rear doors are
very hot. Hot components can
result in burn injuries.
1JBH3051
WARNING - Air bag
deployment
When children are seated in the
rear outboard seats of a vehicle
equipped with side and/or cur-
tain air bags, install the child
restraint system as far away
from the door side as possible.
Inflation of the side and/or cur-
tain air bags could impact the
child.
WARNING
Do not install or place any
accessories near air bag
deployment areas, such as the
instrument panel, windows, pil-
lars, and roof rails.

Safety features of your vehicle
38 3
Air bag warning light
The SRS (Supplement Restraint
System) air bag warning light on the
instrument panel displays the air bag
symbol depicted in the illustration.
The system checks the air bag elec
trical system for malfunctions. The
light indicates that there is a potential
problem with your air bag system,
which could include your side and
curtain air bags used for rollover pro-
tection.Have the system checked by an
authorized Kia dealer 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 vehi-
cle is in motion.
SRS components and func-
tions
The SRS consists of the following
components:
1. Driver's front air bag module
2. Passenger's front air bag module
3. Side air bag modules
4. Curtain air bag modules
5. Retractor pre-tensioner assem-
blies*
6. Air bag warning light
7. SRS control module (SRSCM) /
Rollover sensor
W7-147
OTF032049N

339
Safety features of your vehicle
8. Front impact sensors
9. Side impact sensors
10. PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator (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. Emergency fastening device
(EFD)
* : if equippedThe 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 vehi-
cle 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.
B240B01L
Driver’s front air bag (1)

Safety features of your vehicle
40 3
Upon deployment, tear seams mold-
ed 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 combina-
tion 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 for-
ward visibility and the ability to steer
or operate other controls.
B240B03L
Driver’s front air bag (3)
B240B02L
Driver’s front air bag (2)
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.

341
Safety features of your vehicle
✽NOTICE
Before you replace a fuse or discon-
nect a battery terminal, turn the igni-
tion 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 position. Failure to heed this
warning will cause the SRS air bag
warning light to illuminate.
Occupant detection system
Your vehicle is equipped with an occu-
pant 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.
Main components of occupant
detection 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.
OYD036104N

Safety features of your vehicle
42 3
If the front passenger seat is occupied
by a person that the system deter-
mines to be of adult size, and he/she
sits properly (sitting upright with the
seatback in an upright position, cen-
tered on the seat cushion with their
seat belt on, legs comfortably extend-
ed and their feet on the floor), the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indica-
tor will turn off and the front passen-
ger'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 condi-
tions 1~4 in the following table and acti-
vates or deactivates the front passen-
ger 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
comfortably extended, feet on the
floor, and wearing the safety belt prop-
erly) 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 cen-
ter 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.