Kia Optima: Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detection system

*1) The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*2) Do not allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. When a smaller child than the same age sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as an infant depending on his/her physique or posture.
*3) Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
*4) The PASSENGER AIR BAG "OFF" indicator may turn on or off when a child above 12 months to 12 years old (with or without child restraint system) sits in the front passenger seat. This is a normal condition.

WARNING

Riding in an improper position or placing weight on the front passenger's seat when it is unoccupied by a passenger adversely affects the occupant detection system (ODS).

- Never put a heavy load in the front passenger seat.

- Never place the feet on the front passenger seatback.

- Never sit with the hips shifted towards the front of the seat.

- Never excessively recline the front passenger seatback.

- Never place the feet on the dashboard.

- Never lean on the door or center console.

- Never sit on one side of the front passenger seat.

When an adult is seated in the front passenger seat, if the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is on, turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position and ask the passenger to sit properly (sitting upright with the seat back in an upright position, centered on the seat cushion with their seat belt on, legs comfortably extended and their feet on the floor). Restart the engine and have the person remain in that position. This will allow the system to detect the person and to enable the passenger air bag.

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is still on, ask the passenger to move to the rear seat.

WARNING

Do not allow an adult passenger to ride in the front seat when the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is illuminated, because the air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator remains illuminated after the passenger repositions themselves properly and the car is restarted, it is recommended that passenger move to the rear seat because the passenger's front air bag will not deploy.

Front seat passengers must stay properly seated to avoid serious injury from a deploying air bag.

✽ NOTICE

The PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator illuminates for about 4 seconds after the ignition switch 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.

WARNING

Do not put a heavy load in the front passenger seat. Do not place any items under the front passenger seat. Any of these could interfere with proper sensor operation.

WARNING

• • Even though your vehicle is equipped with the occupant detection system, never install a child restraint system in the front passenger's seat. A deploying air bag can forcefully strike a child resulting 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 occupied 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.
• • If you change the weight on the front passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator may turn on or off for a few seconds, disabling or enabling the passenger air bag.
• • Do not modify or replace the front passenger seat. Don't place anything on or attach anything such as a blanket or after market seat heater to the front passenger seat. This can adversely affect the occupant detection system.
• • Do not sit on sharp objects such as tools when occupying the front passenger seat.This can adversely affect the occupant detection system.
• • Do not use accessory seat covers on the front seats.
• • Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear, as opposed to the front seat. It is recommended that child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat.
• • Air bags can only be used once – have an authorized Kia dealer replace the air bag immediately after deployment.
• • A smaller-stature adult who is not seated correctly (for example: seat excessively reclined, leaning on the door or center console, or hips shifted forward in the seat) can cause a condition where the advanced frontal air bag system senses less weight than if the occupant were seated 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).

This condition can result in an adult potentially being misclassified and illumination of the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator.

WARNING

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 connected with the occupant detection system. If there is a malfunction of the occupant detection system, the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indicator will not illuminate and the passenger's front air bag will inflate in frontal impact crashes even if there is no occupant in the front passenger's seat. If the SRS air bag warning light does not illuminate when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position, remains illuminated after approximately 6 seconds when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position, or if it illuminates while the vehicle is being driven, have an authorized Kia dealer inspect the occupant detection system and the SRS air bag system as soon as possible.