Kia Soul (2020 year). Owner's manual — part 2

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Safety features of your vehicle

䳜 Do not install a child restraint on the front passenger's

seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-42

䳜 Air bag warning light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
䳜 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) components

and functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-43

䳜 Occupant Detection System (ODS). . . . . . . . . 3-46
䳜 Driver's and passenger's front air bag. . . . . . . ..3-52
䳜 Side air bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55
䳜 Curtain air bag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...3-56
䳜 Air bag collision sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3-58
䳜 Why didn't my air bag go off in a collision?

(Inflation and non-inflation conditions of the air bag)...3-59

䳜 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Care . . . . . 3-61
䳜 Adding equipment to or modifying your air bag-

equipped vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61

䳜 Air bag warning label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...3-62

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Safety features of your vehicle

Important safety precautions

SAFETY FEATURES OF YOUR
VEHICLE

Important safety precautions

You will find many safety precau-
tions and recommendations
throughout this section, and
throughout this manual.

The safety precautions in this sec-
tion are among the most important.

Always wear your seat belt

A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of accidents. Air bags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with air
bags, ALWAYS make sure you and
your passengers wear your seat
belts, and wear them properly.

Restrain all children

All children under age 13 should ride
in your vehicle properly restrained in
a rear seat, not the front seat.
Infants and small children should be
restrained in an appropriate child
restraint. Larger children should use
a booster seat with the lap/shoulder
belt until they can use the seat belt
properly without a booster seat.

Air bag hazards

While air bags can save lives, they
can also cause serious or fatal inju-
ries to occupants who sit too close
to them, or who are not properly
restrained. Infants, young children,
and shorter adults are at the great-
est risk of being injured by an inflat-
ing air bag. Follow all instructions
and warnings in this manual.

Driver distraction

Driver distraction presents a serious
and potentially deadly danger, espe-
cially for inexperienced drivers.
Safety should be the first concern
when behind the wheel and drivers
need to be aware of the wide array
of potential distractions, such as
drowsiness, reaching for objects,
eating, personal grooming, other
passengers, and using cellular
phones.

Drivers can become distracted when
they take their eyes and attention
off the road or their hands off the
wheel to focus on activities other
than driving. To reduce your risk of
distraction or getting into an acci-
dent:
䳜 ALWAYS set up your mobile

devices (i.e., MP3 players, phones,
navigation units, etc.) when your
vehicle is parked or safely
stopped.

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Important safety precautions

䳜 ONLY use your mobile device

when allowed by laws and when
conditions permit safe use.
NEVER text or email while driving.
Most countries have laws prohib-
iting drivers from texting. Some
countries and cities also prohibit
drivers from using handheld
phones.

䳜 NEVER let the use of a mobile

device distract you from driving.
You have a responsibility to your
passengers and others on the
road to always drive safely, with
your hands on the wheel as well
as your eyes and attention on the
road.

Control your speed

Excessive speed is a major factor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater
the risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
faster than is safe for current con-
ditions, regardless of the maximum
speed posted.

Keep your vehicle in safe condition

Having a tire blowout or a mechani-
cal failure can be extremely hazard-
ous. To reduce the possibility of
such problems, check your tire pres-
sures and condition frequently, and
perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.

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Safety features of your vehicle

Seat

Seat

Front seat
1. Forward and backward
2. Seatback angle
3. Seat cushion height
4. Lumbar support (if equipped)
5. Head rest

Rear seat
6. Seatback folding
7. Headrest

*: if equipped

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WARNING

Loose objects
Do not place anything in the driver's
footwell or under the front seats.
Loose objects in the driver's foot
area could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals.

WARNING

Uprighting seat
Do not press the release lever on a
manual seatback without holding
and controlling the seatback. The
seatback will spring upright possibly
impacting you or other passengers.

WARNING

Driver responsibility for passengers

The driver must advise the passen-
gers to keep the seatback in an
upright position whenever the vehi-
cle is in motion. If a seat is reclined
during an accident, the restraint
system's ability to restrain will be
greatly reduced.

WARNING

Seat cushion
Occupants should never sit on after-
market seat cushions or sitting
cushions. The passenger ODS sys-
tem may not operate properly, or
passenger's hips may slide under
the lap portion of the seat belt
during an accident or a sudden stop.

WARNING

Driver's seat
䳜 Never attempt to adjust the seat

while the vehicle is moving. This
could result in loss of control of
your vehicle.

䳜 Do not allow anything to interfere

with the normal position of the
seatback. Storing items against
the seatback could result in seri-
ous or fatal injury in a sudden
stop or collision.

䳜 Sit as far back as possible from

the steering wheel while still
maintaining comfortable control
of the your vehicle. A distance of
at least 25 cm (10 in) from your
chest to the steering wheel is rec-
ommended. Failure to do so can
result in air bag inflation injuries
to the driver.

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WARNING

Rear seatbacks
Always lock the rear seatback
before driving. Failure to do so could
result in passengers or objects being
thrown forward injuring vehicle
occupants.

WARNING

Unexpected Seat Movement
After adjusting a manual seat,
always check that it is locked by
shifting your weight to the front
and back. Sudden or unexpected
movement of the driver's seat could
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.

WARNING

Seat adjustment
䳜 Do not adjust the seat while

wearing seat belts. Moving the
seat forward will cause strong
pressure on the abdomen.

䳜 Do not place your hand near the

seat bottom or seat track while
adjusting the seat. Your hand
could get caught in the seat
mechanism.

WARNING

Luggage and Cargo
Do not stack pile or stack luggage or
cargo higher than the seatback in
the cargo area. In an accident the
cargo could strike and injure a pas-
senger. If objects are large, heavy or
must be piled, they must be secured
in the cargo area.

WARNING

Cargo Area
Do not allow passengers to ride in
the cargo area under any circum-
stance. The cargo area is solely for
the purpose of transporting luggage
or cargo.

WARNING

Small Objects
Use extreme caution when picking
up small objects trapped under the
seats or between the seat and the
center console. Your hands might be
cut or injured by the sharp edges of
the seats mechanism.

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Seat

Feature of Seat Leather

Leather is made from the outer skin
of an animal, which goes through a
special process to be available for
use. Since it is a natural substance,
each part differs in thickness or
density.
䳜 Wrinkles may appear as a natural

result of stretching and shrinking
depending on the temperature
and humidity.

䳜 The seat is made of stretchable

fabric to improve comfort.

䳜 The parts contacting the body are

curved and the side supporting
area is high which provides driving
comfort and stability.

CAUTION

䳜 Belts with metallic accessories,

zippers or keys inside the back
pocket may damage the seat fab-
ric.

䳜 Make sure not to wet the seat. It

may change the nature of natural
leather.

䳜 Jeans or clothes which could

bleach may contaminate the sur-
face of the seat covering fabric.

NOTICE

Wrinkles or abrasions may appear
naturally from usage. It is not a
fault of product. Wrinkles or abra-
sions are not covered by warranty.

Front seat adjustment - manual
seat

The front seat can be adjusted by
using the control levers located on
the outside of the seat cushion.

Forward and backward

Adjust the seat before driving, and
make sure the seat is locked
securely by trying to move forward
and backward without using the
lever. If the seat moves, it is not
locked properly.

To move the seat forward or back-
ward:
1. Pull the seat slide adjustment

lever up and hold it.

2. Slide the seat to the position you

desire.

3. Release the lever and make sure

the seat is locked in place.

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Seat

Seatback angle

To recline the seatback:
1. Lean forward slightly and lift up

the seatback recline lever.

2. Carefully lean back on the seat

and adjust the seatback of the
seat to the position you desire.

3. Release the lever and make sure

the seatback is locked in place.
(The lever MUST return to its
original position for the seatback
to lock.)

Seat cushion height (if equipped)

To change the height of the seat
cushion, push the lever upwards or
downwards.

䳜 To lower the seat cushion, push

down the lever several times.

䳜 To raise the seat cushion, pull up

the lever several times.

WARNING

Reclining seatback
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be dan-
gerous. Even when buckled up, the
protections of your restraint sys-
tem (seat belts and/or air bags) is
greatly reduced by reclining your
seatback.
Seat belts must be snug against
your hips and chest to work prop-
erly. When the seatback is reclined,
the shoulder belt cannot do its job
because it will not be snug against
your chest. Instead, it will be in front
of you. During an accident, you could
be thrown into the seat belt, caus-
ing neck or other injuries.
The more the seatback is reclined,
the greater chance the passenger's
hips will slide under the lap belt or
the passenger's neck will strike the
shoulder belt.

Front seat adjustment - power
seat (if equipped)

The front seat can be adjusted by
using the control switches located
on the outside of the seat cushion.

Before driving, adjust the seat to
the proper position so you can easily

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control the steering wheel, pedals
and switches on the instrument
panel.

CAUTION

Power seating adjustments
䳜 The power seating controls func-

tion by electronic motor. Exces-
sive operation may cause damage
to the electrical equipment.

䳜 Do not operate two or more

power seat control switches at
the same time. Doing so may
damage the power seat motor or
electrical components.

Forward and backward

To move the seat forward or back-
ward:
䳜 Push the control switch forward

or backward to move the seat to
the desired position. Release the
switch once the seat reaches the
desired position.

Seatback angle

To recline the seatback:
䳜 Push the control switch forward

or backward to move the seat-
back to the desired angle. Release
the switch once the seat reaches
the desired position.

Seat cushion height

To change the height of the seat:
䳜 Pull the front portion of the con-

trol switch up to raise or press
down to lower the front part of
the seat cushion. Pull the rear
portion of the control switch up to
raise or press down to lower the
seat cushion. Release the switch

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once the seat reaches the desired
position.

Lumbar support for driver's seat (if
equipped)

The lumbar support can be adjusted
by pressing the lumbar support
switch on the side of the seat.
1. Press the front portion of the

switch to increase support, or the
rear portion of the switch, to
decrease support.

2. Release the switch once it

reaches the desired position.

Headrest for front seat

The driver's and front passenger's
seats are equipped with a headrest
for the occupant's safety and com-
fort.

The headrest not only provides
comfort for the driver and front
passenger, but also helps protect
the head and neck in the event of a
rear collision.

For maximum effectiveness in case
of an accident, the headrest should
be adjusted so the middle of the
headrest is at the same height of
the center of gravity of an occu-
pant's head. Generally, the center of
gravity of most people's head is
similar with the height of the top of
their eyes.

Also, adjust the headrest as close to
your head as possible. For this rea-
son, the use of a cushion that holds
the body away from the seatback is
not recommended.

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WARNING

Headrest removal/adjustment
䳜 Do not operate the vehicle with

the headrests removed. Head-
rests can provide critical neck and
head support in a crash.

䳜 Do not adjust the headrest height

while the vehicle is in motion.
Driver may lose control of the
vehicle.

CAUTION

Excessive pulling or pushing may
damage the headrest.

Adjusting the height up and down

To raise the headrest:
1. Pull it up to the desired position

(1).

2. To lower the headrest, push and

hold the release button (2) on the
headrest support.

3. Lower the headrest to the desired

position (3).

NOTICE

If you recline the seatback towards
the front with the headrest and
seat cushion raised, the headrest
may come in contact with the sun
visor or other parts of the vehicle.

Removal

Type A

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Type B

To remove the headrest:
1. Recline the seatback (2) with the

recline lever or switch (1).

2. Raise headrest as far as it can go.
3. Press the headrest release button

(3) while pulling the headrest up
(4).

WARNING

Headrest Removal
NEVER allow anyone to ride in a
seat with the headrest removed or
reversed. Headrests can provide
critical neck and head support in a
crash.

Reinstallation

Type A

Type B

To reinstall the headrest:
1. Put the headrest poles (2) into

the holes while pressing the
release button (1).

2. Recline the seatback (4) with the

recline lever or switch (3).

3. Adjust the headrest to the appro-

priate height.

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WARNING

Headrest Reinstallation
To reduce the risk of injury to the
head or neck, always make sure the
headrest is locked into position and
adjusted properly after reinstalling.

Seatback pocket

The seatback pocket is provided on
the back of the front passenger's
seatback.

WARNING

Seatback pockets
Do not put heavy or sharp objects in
the seatback pockets. In an accident
they could come loose from the
pocket and injure vehicle occupants.

Headrest for rear seat

The rear seat is equipped with
headrests in all the seating positions
for the occupant's safety and com-
fort.

The headrest not only provides
comfort for passengers, but also
helps protect the head and neck in
the event of a collision.

For maximum effectiveness in case
of an accident, the headrest should
be adjusted so the middle of the
headrest is at the same height of
the center of gravity of an occu-
pant's head. Generally, the center of
gravity of most people's heads is
similar with the height as the top of
their eyes.

Also, adjust the headrest as close to
your head as possible. For this rea-
son, the use of a cushion that holds
the body away from the seatback is
not recommended.

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Adjusting the height up and down

䳜 To raise the headrest, pull it up to

the desired position (1).

䳜 To lower the headrest, push and

hold the release button (2) on the
headrest support and lower the
headrest to the desired position
(3).

Removal and reinstallation

䳜 To remove the headrest, raise it

as far as it can go then press the
release button (1) While pulling
the headrest upward (2).

䳜 To reinstall the headrest, put the

headrest poles (3) into the holes
while pressing the release button
(1).

Then adjust it to the appropriate
height and ensure that it locks in
position.

Armrest (if equipped)

To use the armrest, pull it forward
from the seatback.

Folding the rear seat

The rear seatbacks may be folded
to facilitate carrying long items or
to increase the luggage capacity of
the vehicle.

WARNING

Folded Seatback
The purpose of the fold-down rear
seatbacks is to allow you to carry
longer objects that could not other-
wise be accommodated.
䳜 Never allow a passenger to sit on

top of the folded down seatback

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while the car is moving. This is not
a proper seating position since no
seat belts are available for use.
This could result in serious injury
or death in case of an accident or
sudden stop.

To fold down the rear seatback

1. Set the front seatback to the

upright position and if necessary,
slide the front seat forward.

2. Lower the rear headrests to the

lowest position.

WARNING

Objects
Objects carried on the folded down
seatback should not extend higher
than the top of the front seatbacks.
This could allow cargo to slide for-
ward and cause injury or damage
during sudden stops.

3. When folding the seatback, insert

the rear seat belt buckle in the
pocket between the rear seatback
and cushion then make sure both
seat belts do not interfere with
stowed luggage and cargo. Then,
the seat belt webbing should be
placed in the webbing guide to
prevent the seat belt from being
damaged by loaded cargo, etc. If
the seat belt is loose, it may
cause damage or noise. In that
case, return the seatback to the
upright position and put the web-

bing out from the guide to realign
it.

4. Pull on the seatback folding lever,

then fold the seat toward the
front of the vehicle. When you
return the seatback to its upright
position, always be sure it has
locked into position by pushing on
the top of the seatback.

5. To use the rear seat, lift and pull

the seatback backward by lifting
up seatback. Pull the seatback
firmly until it clicks into place.
Make sure the seatback is locked
in place.

6. Return the rear seat belt to the

proper position.

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To unfold the rear seat

1. To use the rear seat, lift and pull

the seatback backward. Pull the
seatback firmly until it clicks into
place. Make sure the seatback is
locked in place. When you return
the seatback to its upright posi-
tion, always be sure it has locked
into position by pushing on the
top of the seatback.
If you cannot see the red line at
the bottom of folding lever, it
means the seatback is locked
completely.

2. Return the rear seat belt to the

proper position.

3. When the seatback is completely

installed, check the seatback fold-
ing lever again.

WARNING

Uprighting seat
When you return the seatback to its
upright position, hold the seatback
and return it slowly. If the seatback
is returned without holding it, the
back of the seat could spring for-
ward, resulting in injury caused by
being struck by the seatback.

WARNING

Rear Seatback
To ensure maximum protection in
the event of an accident or sudden
stop, when returning the rear seat
to the upright position:
䳜 Be careful not to damage the seat

belt webbing or buckle.

䳜 Do not allow the seat belt web-

bing or buckle to become pinched
or caught in the rear seat.

䳜 Ensure the seatback is completely

locked into its upright position by
pushing on the top of the seat-
back.
Failure to adhere to any of these
instructions could result in serious
injury or death in the event of a
crash.

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