2015 Kia Sorento Owners Manual - Curtain air bag

Curtain air bag

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 ejecting out of the vehicle as a result of a rollover, especially when the seatbelts 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.
• The curtain air bags do not only deploy on the side of the impact but also on the opposite side.
• 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.

WARNING

• In order for side and curtain air bags to provide the best protection, front seat occupants and outboard rear occupants should sit in an upright position with the seat belts properly fastened. Importantly, children should sit in a proper child restraint system in the rear seat.
• When children are seated in the rear outboard seats, they must be seated in the proper child restraint system. Make sure to position the child restraint system as far away from the door side as possible, and secure the child restraint system in a locked position.
• 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 seated on seats equipped with side impact and/or curtain air bags.
• Never try to open or repair any components of the side and curtain air bag system. This should only be done by an authorized Kia dealer. Failure to follow the above mentioned instructions can result in injury or death to the vehicle occupants in an accident.

Why didn’t my air bag go off in a collision? (Inflation and non-inflation conditions of the air bag) There are many types of accidents in which the air bag would not be expected to provide additional protection.

These include rear impacts, second or third collisions in multiple impact accidents, as well as low speed impacts.

Air bag collision sensors

(1) SRS control module/ Rollover sensor
(2) Front impact sensor
(3) Side impact sensor
(4) Side impact sensor

WARNING

• 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 personal 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, causing severe injury or death. Therefore, do not try to perform maintenance on or around the air bag sensors. Have the vehicle checked and repaired by an authorized Kia dealer.
• 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 and/or C pillar where side collision sensors are installed. Have the vehicle checked and repaired by an authorized Kia dealer.
• Installing bumper guards (or side step or running board) 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.

Side and/or curtain air bags

Side and/or curtain air bags are designed to inflate when an impact is detected by side collision sensors depending on the strength, speed or angles of impact resulting from a side impact collision.

Also, the side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate when a rollover is detected by a rollover sensor.

Although the front air bags (driver’s and front passenger’s air bags) are designed to inflate in frontal collisions, they also may inflate in other types of collisions if the front impact sensors detect a sufficient frontal force in another type of impact. side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate in certain side impact collisions.

They may inflate in other type of collisions where a side force is detected by the sensors. Side air bag and/or curtain air bags may also inflate where rollover sensors indicate the possibility of a rollover occurring (even if none actually occurs) or in other situations, incluiding when the vehicle is tilted while being towed. Even where side and/or curtain air bags would not provide impact protection in a rollover, however, they will deploy to prevent ejection of occupants, especially those who are restrained with seat belts.

If the vehicle chassis is impacted by bumps or objects on unimproved roads, the air bags may deploy. Drive carefully on unimproved roads or on surfaces not designed for vehicle traffic to prevent unintended air bag deployment.

Air bag non-inflation conditions

In certain low-speed collisions the air bags may not deploy. The air bags are designed not to deploy in such cases because they may not provide benefits beyond the protection of the seat belts in such collisions.

Air bags are not designed to inflate in rear collisions, because occupants are moved backward by the force of the impact. In this case, inflated air bags would not be able to provide any additional benefit.

Front air bags may not inflate in side impact collisions, because occupants move to the direction of the collision, and thus in side impacts, frontal air bag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection.

In an angled collision, the force of impact may direct the occupants in a direction where the air bags would not be able to provide any additional benefit, and thus the sensors may not deploy any air bags.

Just before impact, drivers often brake heavily. Such heavy braking lowers the front portion of the vehicle causing it to “ride” under a vehicle with a higher ground clearance.

Air bags may not inflate in this "under-ride" situation because deceleration forces that are detected by sensors may be significantly reduced by such “under-ride” collisions.

Front air bags may not inflate in all rollover accidents where the SRSCM indicates that the front air bag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection.

Air bags may not inflate if the vehicle collides with objects such as utility poles or trees, where the point of impact is concentrated to one area and the full force of the impact is not delivered to the sensors.

SRS Care

The SRS is virtually maintenancefree and so there are no parts you can safely service by yourself. If the SRS air bag warning light does not illuminate, or continuously remains on, have your vehicle immediately inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.

Any work on the SRS system, such as removing, installing, repairing, or any work on the steering wheel, the front passenger’s panel, front seats and roof rails must be performed by an authorized Kia dealer. Improper handling of the SRS system may result in serious personal injury.

WARNING

• Modification to SRS components or wiring, including the addition of any kind of badges to the pad covers or modifications to the body structure, can adversely affect SRS performance and lead to possible injury.
• For cleaning the air bag pad covers, use only a soft, dry cloth or one which has been moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could adversely affect the air bag covers and proper deployment of the system.
• No objects should be placed over or near the air bag modules on the steering wheel, instrument panel, and the front passenger's panel above the glove box, because any such object could cause harm if the vehicle is in a crash severe enough to cause the air bags to inflate.
• If the air bags inflate, they must be replaced by an authorized Kia dealer.
• Do not tamper with or disconnect SRS wiring, or other components of the SRS system. Doing so could result in injury, due to accidental inflation of the air bags or by rendering the SRS inoperative.
• If components of the air bag system must be discarded, or if the vehicle must be scrapped, certain safety precautions must be observed. An authorized Kia dealer knows these precautions and can give you the necessary information. Failure to follow these precautions and procedures could increase the risk of personal injury.
• If your vehicle was flooded and has soaked carpeting or water on flooring, you shouldn't try to start the engine; have the vehicle towed to an authorized Kia dealer.

Additional safety precautions

• Never let passengers ride in the cargo area or on top of a foldeddown back seat. All occupants should sit upright, fully back in their seats with their seat belts on and their feet on the floor.
• Passengers should not move out of or change seats while the vehicle is moving. A passenger who is not wearing a seat belt during a crash or emergency stop can be thrown against the inside of the vehicle, against other occupants, or out of the vehicle.
• Each seat belt is designed to restrain one occupant. If more than one person uses the same seat belt, they could be seriously injured or killed in a collision.
• Do not use any accessories on seat belts. Devices claiming to improve occupant comfort or reposition the seat belt can reduce the protection provided by the seat belt and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.
• Passengers should not place hard or sharp objects between themselves and the air bags. Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap or in your mouth can result in injuries if an air bag inflates. • Keep occupants away from the air bag covers. All occupants should sit upright, fully back in their seats with their seat belts on and their feet on the floor. If occupants are too close to the air bag covers, they could be injured if the air bags inflate.
• Do not attach or place objects on or near the air bag covers. Any object attached to or placed on the front or side air bag covers could interfere with the proper operation of the air bags.
• Do not modify the front seats. Modification of the front seats could interfere with the operation of the supplemental restraint system sensing components or side air bags.
• Do not place items under the front seats. Placing items under the front seats could interfere with the operation of the supplemental restraint system sensing components and wiring harnesses.
• Never hold an infant or child on your lap. The infant or child could be seriously injured or killed in the event of a crash. All infants and children should be properly restrained in appropriate child safety seats or seat belts in the rear seat.

WARNING

• Sitting improperly or out of position can cause occupants to be shifted too close to a deploying air bag, strike the interior structure or be thrown from the vehicle resulting in serious injury or death.
• Always sit upright with the seatback in an upright position, centered on the seat cushion with your seat belt on, legs comfortably extended and your feet on the floor.
• Always have the ignition OFF when the vehicle is being towed or where it may otherwise be tilted, since the side and/or curtain airbags may inflate if the sensors interpret those tilt angles as a potential rollover.
• Be careful not to cause impact to the doors when the ignition is ON.The air bags may inflate.

Adding equipment to or modifying your air bag-equipped vehicle

If you modify your vehicle by changing your vehicle's frame, bumper system, front end or side sheet metal or ride height, this may affect the operation of your vehicle's air bag system.

Air bag warning label

Air bag warning labels, some required by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are attached to the sunvisor to alert the driver and passengers of potential risks of the air bag system.