Kia Picanto: Air bag—supplemental restraint system / Adding equipment to or modifying your air bag-equipped vehicle. SRS care

Adding equipment to or modifying your air bag-equipped vehicle

Changes to your Kia Picanto’s frame, bumper system, front end, side body panels or ride height may affect how the air bag system operates. These modifications can alter the vehicle characteristics on which the restraint system depends, so their effect on air bag operation must be considered before any equipment is added or structural changes are made.

SRS care

The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) requires virtually no routine maintenance. However, it contains no components that you can safely service yourself. Inspection or repair of the system must be left to a professional workshop.

If the SRS air bag warning light fails to illuminate when expected or remains continuously illuminated, have the system inspected by a professional workshop. Kia recommends visiting an authorised Kia dealer/service partner to investigate the warning-light condition.

• Never allow passengers to travel in the cargo area or on a folded rear seatback. Every occupant must use a proper seating position, sit upright and fully back against the seat, wear a correctly fastened seat belt and keep both feet on the floor.

• Passengers must not leave their seating position or change seats while the vehicle is moving. During a collision or emergency stop, an occupant who is not wearing a seat belt can be thrown against the vehicle interior, into another occupant or out of the vehicle.

• Each seat belt is intended to restrain one person only. Never share a belt between occupants. If two or more people use the same belt, they may suffer serious or fatal injuries in a collision.

• Do not fit accessories to the seat belts. Devices advertised as improving comfort or changing the belt’s position can interfere with its intended fit. This can reduce the protection provided by the belt and increase the risk of serious injury during a crash.

• Keep hard or sharp objects out of the space between occupants and air bags. Holding such objects on your lap or in your mouth can cause injury if an air bag deploys. Keep the deployment area clear rather than carrying objects where the inflating air bag could strike them.

• Maintain an appropriate distance from the air bag covers. All occupants should sit upright and fully back in their seats, with seat belts fastened and feet on the floor. Sitting or leaning too close to an air bag cover increases the risk of injury when the air bag inflates.

• Do not attach or place objects on or near air bag covers. Anything fixed to or resting on a front or side air bag cover can interfere with correct deployment. Leave these covers and the surrounding deployment areas unobstructed.

• Do not modify the front seats. Changes to these seats can interfere with the operation of SRS sensing components or the side air bags. The seats form part of the restraint system’s intended operating arrangement.

• Do not store objects beneath the front seats. Items placed there can interfere with SRS sensing components and wiring harnesses. Keep these areas clear to avoid obstructing or disturbing the system.

• Never carry an infant or child on your lap. A child held this way can be seriously injured or killed in a crash. Infants and children must travel in the rear seat, properly secured in a suitable child safety seat or, when appropriate, with the available seat belt.

WARNING

• Do not modify SRS components or wiring, add badges or other attachments to air bag pad covers, or alter the vehicle’s body structure. These changes can adversely affect SRS performance and expose occupants to injury.

• Specific safety precautions must be followed when air bag components are discarded or the vehicle is scrapped. An authorised Kia dealer can explain the required procedures and provide the necessary information. Failure to follow those precautions can increase the risk of personal injury.

• Incorrect posture or sitting out of position can move an occupant dangerously close to a deploying air bag. It can also allow the occupant to strike the interior structure or be thrown from the vehicle, potentially causing serious injury or death.

• Whenever travelling in your Kia Picanto, sit upright with the seatback upright and your body centred on the seat cushion. Fasten the seat belt correctly, keep your legs comfortably extended and place your feet on the floor.