2020 KIA FORTE Owners Manual

357
Safety features of your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICE
The PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator illuminates for about 4 sec-
onds after the Engine Start/Stop
button is turned to the ON position
or after the engine is started. If the
front passenger seat is occupied, the
occupant detection sensor will then
classify the front passenger after
several more seconds.
Even though your vehicle is
equipped with the occupant detec-
tion system, never install a child
restraint system in the front pas-
senger's seat. A deploying air bag
can forcefully strike a child result-
ing in serious 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 occu-
pied 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. 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 may inflate in
frontal impact crashes even if there is
no occupant in the front passenger's
seat.

Safety features of your vehicle
58
3
Driver's and passenger's front
air bagYour vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Supplemental Restraint
(Air Bag) System and lap/shoulder
belts at both the driver and passen-
ger seating position.
The indication of the system's pres-
ence are the letters “AIR BAG” located
on the air bag pad cover on the steer-
ing wheel and the passenger'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.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The driver’s hands should be placed on
the steering wheel at the 9:00 and 3:00
positions. The passenger’s arm and
hands should be placed on their laps.
OBD038031
OBD038029
■ Driver’s front air bag
■Passenger’s front air bag

359
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
chapter.
Modification to the seat structure can
cause the air bag to deploy at a dif-
ferent level than should be provided.
Manufacturers are required by govern-
ment regulations to provide a contact
point concerning modifications to the
vehicle for persons with disabilities,
which modifications may affect the
vehicle’s advanced air bag system.
That contact is Kia's toll-free Customer
Experience Department at 1-877-KIA-
AUTO (1-877-542-2886). 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 pro-
vide enhanced occupant protection in
frontal crashes. Front air bags are not
intended to deploy in collisions in
which sufficient protection can be pro-
vided by the pre-tensioner seat belt.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Air bags can only be used once –
have an authorized Kia dealer
replace the air bag immediately
after deployment.
Front air bags are not intended to
deploy in side-impact, rear-impact or
rollover crashes. However, when
frontal deployment threshold is satis-
fied in a side-impact crash, front air
bags may deploy. 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.

Safety features of your vehicle
60
3
Side air bag
❈ The actual air bags in the vehicle may differ
from the illustration.
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.
The side air bags are designed to deploy during certain side-impact
collisions, depending on the crash
severity, angle, speed and point of
impact. However, when side deploy-
ment threshold is satisfied in a
front-impact crash, the side air bags
may deploy.
The side air bags may deploy on the side of the impact or on both
sides.
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.
OJF035041
OBD038034
WARNING - No attaching
objects
No objects (such as a crash pad cover, cellular phone
holder, cup holder, perfume or
stickers) should be placed
over or near the air bag mod-
ules on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, windshield
glass, and the front passen-
ger's panel above the glove
box. Such objects could
cause harm if the vehicle is in
a crash severe enough to
cause the air bags to deploy.
Do not place any objects over
the air bag or between the air
bag and yourself.
Never place or insert any object into any small opening
near side airbag labels
attached to the vehicle seats.
When the air bag deploys, the
object may affect the deploy-
ment and result in unexpected
accident or bodily harm.

361
Safety features of your vehicle
The side air bag is supplemental tothe driver's and the passenger's
seat belt systems and is not a sub-
stitute for them. Therefore your
seat belts must be worn at all times
while the vehicle is in operation.
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 fas-
tened. The driver's hands should
be placed on the steering wheel at
the 9:00 and 3:00 positions. The
passenger's arms and hands
should be placed on their laps. If the seat or seat cover is dam-
aged, 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- 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.
WARNING- Deployment
Do not install any accessories
including seat covers, on the
side or near the side air bag as
this may affect the deployment
of the side air bags.WARNING- Unexpected deployment
Avoid impact to the side impact
airbag sensor when the Engine
Start/Stop button is ON to pre-
vent unexpected deployment of
the side air bag.WARNING - No attaching
objects
Do not place any objects over the air bag or between the air
bag and yourself. Also, do not
attach any objects around the
area in which the air bag
inflates such as the door, side
door glass, front and rear pil-
lar.
Do not put any objects between the side airbag label
and seat cushion. It could
cause harm if the vehicle is in
a crash severe enough to
cause the air bags to deploy.
Never place or insert any object into any small opening
near side airbag labels
attached to the vehicle seats.
When the air bag deploys, the
object may affect the deploy-
ment and result in an unex-
pected accident or bodily
harm.
Do not install any accessories on the side or near the side air
bags.

Safety features of your vehicle
62
3
Curtain air bag
❈ The actual air bags in the vehicle may differ
from the illustration.
Curtain air bags are located along
both sides of the roof rails above the
front and rear doors.
They are designed to help protect
occupants in certain side impacts
and to help prevent them from eject-
ing out of the vehicle as a result of a
rollover, especially when the seat-
belts are also in use.
The curtain air bags are designed to deploy during certain side impact
collisions, depending on the crash
severity, angle, speed and point of
impact. However, when side deploy-
ment threshold is satisfied in a
front-impact crash, the curtain air
bags may deploy.
The curtain air bags may deploy on the side of the impact or on both
sides.
Also, the curtain air bags on both sides of the vehicle will deploy in
certain rollover situations.
The curtain air bags are not designed to deploy in all side
impact or rollover situations. Do not allow the passengers to lean
their heads or bodies against the
doors, put their arms on the doors,
stretch their arms out of the window
or place objects between the doors
and passengers when they are seat-
ed on seats equipped with side
impact and/or curtain air bags.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Never try to open or repair any com-
ponents of the side and curtain air
bag system. This should only be
done by an authorized Kia dealer.OBD038035
OJF035043
WARNING - No attaching
objects
Do not place any objects over the air bag. Also, do not attach
any objects around the area
the air bag inflates such as the
door, side door glass, front
and rear pillar, roof side rail.
objects on the coat hook.

363
Safety features of your vehicle
Why didn’t my air bag go off in a
collision? (Inflation and non-infla-
tion conditions of the air bag)
There are many types of accidents in
which the air bag would not be
expected to provide additional pro-
tection.
These include rear impacts, second
or third collisions in multiple impact
accidents, as well as low speed
impacts.
In these situations, the air bags may
not deploy.Air bag collision sensors
(1) SRS control module/Rollover sensor
(2) Front impact sensor (3) Side impact sensor
(4) Side impact sensor
OBD038037/OBD038036/OBD038039/OBD038038/OBD038041

Safety features of your vehicle
64
3
Problems may arise if the sensor
installation angles are changed due
to the deformation of the front
bumper, front end module, body or
front doors where side collision sen-
sors are installed. Have the vehicle
checked and repaired by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
Installing bumper guards (or side
step or running boards) or replacing
a bumper (or front door module) with
non-genuine parts may adversely
affect your vehicle’s collision and air
bag deployment performance.Air bag inflation conditions
Front air bags
Front air bags are designed to inflate
in a frontal collision depending on
the intensity, speed or angles of
impact of the front collision.
OBD038040
WARNING- Air bag sen-
sors
Do not hit or allow any objects to impact the locations where
air bags or sensors are
installed.
This may cause unexpected
air bag deployment, which
could result in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
If the installation location or angle of the sensors is altered
in any way, the air bags may
deploy when they should not
or they may not deploy when
they should.
Therefore, do not try to per-
form maintenance on or
around the air bag sensors.
Have the vehicle checked and
repaired by an authorized Kia
dealer.