KIA Forte (2018 year). Instruction — part 2

WARNING

• 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 occupant'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

reason, the use of a cushion that

holds the body away from the

seatback is not recommended.

• Do not operate the vehicle with

the headrests removed as severe

injury to the occupants may occur

in the event of an accident. Headr‐

ests may provide protection

against neck injuries when proper‐

ly adjusted.

• Do not adjust the headrest posi‐

tion of the driver's seat while the

vehicle is in motion.

CAUTION

When there is no occupant in the

rear seats, adjust the height of the

headrest to the lowest position. The

rear seat headrest can reduce the

visibility of the rear area.

WARNING

Do not place or attach the accesso‐

ries or other things near the head‐

rest. When the vehicle stops sudden‐

ly or in certain collisions, they could

come loose and injure vehicle occu‐

pants.

Adjusting the height up and down

To raise the headrest, pull it up to the

desired position (1). To lower the head‐

rest, push and hold the release button

(2) on the headrest support and lower

the headrest to the desired position (3).

WARNING

Make sure the headrest locks in po‐

sition after adjusting it for proper

protection of the occupants.

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CAUTION

If you recline the seatback towards

the front with the headrest and seat

cushion raised, the headrest may

come in contact with the sunvisor or

other parts of the vehicle.

Removal and installation

To remove the headrest:

1. Recline the seatback (2) with the

recline 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

NEVER allow anyone to ride in a seat

with the headrest removed.

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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 switch or lever (3).

3. Adjust the headrest to the appro‐

priate height.

WARNING

Always make sure the headrest

locks into position after reinstalling

and adjusting it properly.

Forward and backward adjustment

(if equipped)

The headrest may be adjusted forward

to 4 different positions by pulling the

headrest forward to the desired de‐

tent. To adjust the headrest to it s fur‐

thest backwards position, pull it fully

forward to the farthest position and

release it. Adjust the headrest so that

it properly supports the head and neck.

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WARNING

A gap between the seat and the

headrest release button may appear

when seating on the seat or when

you push or pull the seat. Be careful

not to get your finger, etc. caught in

the gap.

Rear seat entry (for 2 door)

The driver and front passenger's seat‐

back should be tilted to enter the rear

seat.

By pulling up the walk-in seat lever (1)

on the back of the driver and front pas‐

senger s seatback, the seatback will tilt

forward. Then push the seat forward

to allow the occupants to enter.

By pulling up the seatback, the seat‐

back will recline and return to the origi‐

nal position.

WARNING

Never attempt to adjust the seat

while the vehicle is moving or when

the passenger's seat is occupied as

the seat may suddenly move and in‐

jure the passenger.

Seatback pocket (if equipped)

The seatback pocket is provided on the

back of the front passenger s seatback.

WARNING

n 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.

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Rear seat adjustment

Headrest (if equipped)

The rear seat(s) is equipped with

headrests in all the seating positions

for the occupant's safety and comfort.

The headrest not only provides comfort

for passengers, but also helps protect

the head and neck in the event of a col‐

lision.

WARNING

• 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 occupant'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 reason, the

use of a cushion that holds the

body away from the seatback is

not recommended.

• Do not operate the vehicle with

the headrests removed. Severe in‐

jury to an occupant may occur in

the event of an accident. Headr‐

ests may provide protection

against severe neck injuries when

properly adjusted.

CAUTION

When there is no occupant in the

rear seats, adjust the height of the

headrest to the lowest position. The

rear seat headrest can reduce the

visibility of the rear area.

Adjusting the height up and down

To raise the headrest, pull it up to the

desired position (1). To lower the head‐

rest, push and hold the release button

(2) on the headrest support and lower

the headrest to the desired position (3).

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3-14

Removal

To remove the headrest, raise it as far

as it can go then press the release but‐

ton (1) while pulling the headrest up

(2).

To reinstall the headrest, put the head‐

rest poles (3) into the holes while

pressing the release button (1). Then

adjust it to the appropriate height.

WARNING

Make sure the headrest locks in po‐

sition after adjusting it to properly

protect the occupants.

Armrest (if equipped)

The armrest is located in the center of

the rear seat. Pull the armrest down

from the seatback.

Folding the rear seat (if equipped)

The rear seatbacks may be folded to

facilitate carrying long items or to in‐

crease the luggage capacity of the ve‐

hicle.

WARNING

The purpose of the fold-down rear

seatbacks is to allow you to carry

longer objects than could not other‐

wise be accommodated.

Never allow passengers to sit on top

of the folded down seatback while

the car is moving as this is not a

proper seating position and no seat

belts are available for use. This could

result in serious injury or death in

case of an accident or sudden stop.

Objects carried on the folded down

seatback should not extend higher

than the top of the front seats. This

could allow cargo to slide forward

and cause injury or damage during

sudden stops.

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To fold down the rear seatback:

• 4 door, 2 door

1. Make sure the rear seat belt web‐

bing is in the guide to prevent the

seat belt from being damaged.

2. Set the front seatback to the up‐

right position and if necessary,

slide the front seat forward.

3. Lower the rear headrests to the

lowest position.

4. Pull out the seatback locking

knob(1) in the trunk, then fold the

seat toward the front of the vehi‐

cle.

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5. 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.

6. Return the rear seat belt to the

proper position.

If the seat belt locks after unfolding

the rear seatback, pull out the locked

seat belt, release it then pull it out

again.

• 5 door

1. Set the front seatback to the up‐

right position and if necessary,

slide the front seat forward.

2. Lower the rear headrests to low‐

est position.

3. Pull the lock release lever (1) and

fold the rear seatback forward and

down firmly.

4. 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 can not see the red line at

the folding lever, it means the

seatback is locked completely.

WARNING

After folding the rear seat, unless

the driver’s position is properly set

according to the driver’s physical fig‐

ure, do not fold the rear seat. It may

increase body injuries in a sudden

stop or collision.

WARNING

n Uprighting seat

(Continued)

(Continued)

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

When you return the rear seatback

to its upright position after being

folded down:

Be careful not to damage the seat

belt webbing or buckle. Do not allow

the seat belt webbing or buckle to

get caught or pinched in the rear

seat. Ensure that the seatback is

completely locked into its upright

position by pushing on the top of the

seatback. Otherwise, in an accident

or sudden stop, the seat could fold

down and allow cargo enter the pas‐

senger compartment, which could

result in serious injury or death.

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CAUTION

n Damaging rear seat belt buck‐

les

When you fold the rear seatback, in‐

sert the buckle between the rear

seatback and cushion. Doing so can

prevent the buckle from being dam‐

aged by the rear seatback.

CAUTION

n Rear seat belts

When returning the rear seatbacks

to the upright position, remember to

return the rear shoulder belts to

their proper position.

WARNING

n Cargo

Cargo should always be secured to

prevent it from being thrown about

the vehicle in a collision and causing

injury to the vehicle occupants. Do

not place objects in the rear seats,

since they cannot be properly se‐
(Continued)

(Continued)

cured and may hit the front seat oc‐

cupants in a collision.

WARNING

n Cargo loading

Make sure the engine is off, the au‐

tomatic transaxle/dual clutch trans‐

mission is in P (Park) or the manual

transaxle is in 1st, and the parking

brake is securely applied whenever

loading or unloading cargo. Failure to

take these steps may allow the vehi‐

cle to move if the shift lever is inad‐

vertently moved to another position.

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SEAT BELTS

Seat belt restraint system

WARNING

• For maximum restraint system

protection, the seat belts must al‐

ways be used whenever the vehi‐

cle is moving.

• Seat belts are most effective when

seatbacks are in the upright posi‐

tion.

• Children age 12 and under must al‐

ways be properly restrained in the

rear seat. Never allow children to

ride in the front passenger seat. If

a child over 12 must be seated in

the front seat, he/she must be

properly belted and the seat

should be moved as far back as

possible.

• Never wear the shoulder belt un‐

der your arm or behind your back.

An improperly positioned shoulder

belt can cause serious injuries in a

crash.

The shoulder belt should be posi‐

tioned midway over your shoulder

across your collarbone.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• Avoid wearing twisted seat belts.

A twisted belt can't do its job well.

In a collision, it could even cut into

you. Be sure the belt webbing is

straight and not twisted.

• Be careful not to damage the belt

webbing or hardware. If the belt

webbing or hardware is damaged,

replace it.

• Never wear a seat belt over fragile

objects. If there is a sudden stop

or impact, the seat belt can dam‐

age it.

WARNING

Seat belts are designed to bear upon

the bony structure of the body, and

should be worn low across the front

of the pelvis or the pelvis, chest and

shoulders, as applicable; wearing the

lap section of the belt across the ab‐

dominal area must be avoided.

Seat belts should be adjusted as

firmly as possible, consistent with

comfort, to provide the protection

for which they have been designed.
(Continued)

(Continued)

A slack belt will greatly reduce the

protection afforded to the wearer.

Care should be taken to avoid con‐

tamination of the webbing with pol‐

ishes, oils and chemicals, and partic‐

ularly battery acid. Cleaning may

safely be carried out using mild soap

and water. The belt should be re‐

placed if webbing becomes frayed,

contaminated or damaged. It is es‐

sential to replace the entire assem‐

bly after it has been worn in a se‐

vere impact even if damage to the

assembly is not obvious. Belts should

not be worn with straps twisted.

Each belt assembly must only be

used by one occupant; it is danger‐

ous to put a belt around a child being

carried on the occupant's lap.

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WARNING

• No modifications or additions

should be made by the user which

will either prevent the seat belt

adjusting devices from operating

to remove slack, or prevent the

seat belt assembly from being ad‐

justed to remove slack.

• When you fasten the seat belt, be

careful not to latch the seat belt in

buckles of other seat. It's very

dangerous and you may not be

protected by the seat belt proper‐

ly.

• Do not unfasten the seat belt and

do not fasten and unfasten the

seat belt repeatedly while driving.

This could result in loss of control,

and an accident causing death, se‐

rious injury, or property damage.

• When fastening the seat belt,

make sure that the seat belt does

not pass over objects that are hard

or can break easily.

• Make sure there is nothing in the

buckle. The seat belt may not be

fastened securely.

Seat belt warning (if equipped)

As a reminder to the driver, the driver s

seat belt warning lights will illuminate

for approximately 6 seconds each time

you turn the ignition switch ON regard‐

less of belt fastening.

If the driver s seat belt is not fastened

when the ignition switch is turned ON

or if it is disconnected after the ignition

switch is turned ON, the seat belt

warning light will illuminate until the

belt is fastened.

If you continue not to fasten the seat

belt and you drive over 9 km/h, the illu‐

minated warning light will start to blink

until you drive under 6 km/h.

If you continue not to fasten the seat

belt and you drive over 20 km/h

(12 mph) the seat belt warning chime

will

sound

for

approximately

100 seconds and the corresponding

warning light will blink.

NOTICE

• You can find the front passenger s

seat belt warning light on the cen‐

ter fascia panel.

(Continued)

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(Continued)

• Although the front passenger seat

is not occupied, the seat belt

warning light will blink or illumi‐

nate for 6 seconds.

• The front passenger's seat belt

warning may operate when lug‐

gage is placed on the front pas‐

senger seat.

WARNING

Riding in an improper position ad‐

versely affects the front passenger's

seat belt warning system. It is im‐

portant for the driver to instruct the

passenger as to the proper seating

instructions as contained in this

manual.

Lap/shoulder belt

To fasten your seat belt:
To fasten your seat belt, pull it out of

the retractor and insert the metal tab

(1) into the buckle (2). There will be an

audible "click" when the tab locks into

the buckle.

The seat belt automatically adjusts to

the proper length only after the lap

belt portion is adjusted manually so

that it fits snugly around your hips. If

you lean forward in a slow, easy mo‐

tion, the belt will extend and let you

move around. If there is a sudden stop

or impact, however, the belt will lock in‐

to position. It will also lock if you try to

lean forward too quickly.

NOTICE

If you are not able to pull out the

safety belt from the retractor, firm‐

ly pull the belt out and release it.

Then you will be able to pull the belt

out smoothly.

Height adjustment (front, for 4Door,

5Door)
You can adjust the height of the shoul‐

der belt anchor to one of the 4 posi‐

tions for maximum comfort and safety.

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The height of the adjusting seat belt

should not be too close to your neck.

The shoulder portion should be adjus‐

ted so that it lies across your chest and

midway over your shoulder near the

door and not your neck.

To adjust the height of the seat belt

anchor, lower or raise the height ad‐

juster into an appropriate position.

To raise the height adjuster, pull it up

(1). To lower it, push it down (3) while

pressing the height adjuster button (2).

Release the button to lock the anchor

into position. Try sliding the height ad‐

juster to make sure that it has locked

into position.

Improperly positioned seat belts can

cause serious injuries in an accident.

WARNING

• Verify that the shoulder belt an‐

chor is locked into position at the

appropriate height. Never position

the shoulder belt across your neck

or face.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• Failure to replace seat belts after

an accident could leave you with

damaged seat belts that will not

provide protection in the event of

another collision leading to person‐

al injury or death. Replace your

seat belts after being in an acci‐

dent as soon as possible.

WARNING

You should place the lap belt portion

as low as possible and snugly across
(Continued)

(Continued)

your hips, not on your waist. If the

lap belt is located too high on your

waist, it may increase the chance of

injury in the event of a collision. Both

arms should not be under or over

the belt. Rather, one should be over

and the other under, as shown in the

illustration.

Never wear the seat belt under the

arm that is near the door.

When using the rear center seat belt,

the buckle with the CENTER mark

must be used. (if equipped)

Safety features of your vehicle

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To release the seat belt:
The seat belt is released by pressing

the release button (1) on the locking

buckle. When it is released, the belt

should automatically draw back into

the retractor.

If this does not happen, check the belt

to be sure it is not twisted, then try

again.

Lap belt (if equipped)

To fasten your seat belt:
To fasten a 2-point static type belt, in‐

sert the metal tab (1) into the locking

buckle (2). There will be an audible

"click" when the tab locks into the buck‐

le. Check to make sure the belt is prop‐

erly locked and the belt is not twisted.

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With a 2-point static type seat belt, the

length must be adjusted manually so it

fits snugly around your body. Fasten

the belt and pull on the loose end to

tighten. The belt should be placed as

low as possible on your hips, not on

your waist. If the belt is too high, it

could increase the possibility of injury in

an accident.

When using the rear center seat belt,

the buckle with the CENTER mark

must be used.

To release the seat belt:
When you want to release the seat

belt, press the button (1) in the locking

buckle.

WARNING

The center lap belt latching mecha‐

nism is different from those for the

rear seat shoulder belts. When fas‐

tening the rear seat shoulder belts

or the center lap belt, make sure

they are inserted into the correct

buckles to obtain maximum protec‐

tion from the seat belt system and

assure proper operation.

Shoulder belt extension guide

(for 2 door)

You can adjust the position of the

shoulder belt extension guide for easier

access to the shoulder belt.

Set the belt extension guide to the po‐

sition (1~3) when using the seat belt.

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Pre-tensioner seat belt (if

equipped)

Your vehicle is equipped with driver's

and front passenger's pre-tensioner

seat belts. The purpose of the preten‐

sioner is to make sure that the seat

belts fit tightly against the occupant's

body in certain collisions. The pre-ten‐

sioner seat belts may be activated in

crashes where the collision is severe

enough.

When the vehicle stops suddenly, or if

the occupant tries to lean forward too

quickly, the seat belt retractor will lock

into position. In certain collisions, the

pre-tensioner will activate and pull the

seat belt into tighter contact against

the occupant's body.

If the system senses excessive tension

on the driver or passenger's seat belt

when the pre-tensioner activates, the

load limiter inside the pre-tensioner will

release some of the pressure on the af‐

fected seat belt. (if equipped)

NOTICE

n if equipped with rollover sen‐

sor

The pre-tensioner will activate not

only in a frontal collision but also in a

side collision or rollover, if the vehicle

is equipped with a side or curtain air

bag.

NOTICE

n without rollover sensor

(Continued)

(Continued)

The pre-tensioner will activate not

only in a frontal collision but also in a

side collision, if the vehicle is equip‐

ped with a side or curtain air bag.

WARNING

For your safety, be sure that the

belt webbing is not loose or twisted

and always sit properly on your seat.

The seat belt pre-tensioner system

consists mainly of the following compo‐

nents. Their locations are shown in the

illustration:

1. SRS air bag warning light

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