Kia Optima: Placing a passenger seat belt into the auto lock mode

The auto lock mode will help prevent the normal movement of the child in the vehicle from causing the seat belt to loosen and compromise the child restraint system. To secure a child restraint system, use the following procedure.

To install a child restraint system on the outboard or center rear seats, do the following:

1. Place the child restraint system in the seat and route the lap/shoulder belt around or through the restraint, following the restraint manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure the seat belt webbing is not twisted.

2. Fasten the lap/shoulder belt latch into the buckle. Listen for the distinct “click” sound.

Position the release button so that it is easy to access in case of an emergency.

3. Pull the shoulder portion of the seat belt all the way out. When the shoulder portion of the seat belt is fully extended, it will shift the retractor to the “Auto Lock” (child restraint) mode.

4. Slowly allow the shoulder portion of the seat belt to retract and listen for an audible “clicking” or “ratcheting” sound. This indicates that the retractor is in the “Auto Lock” mode. If no distinct sound is heard, repeat steps 3 and 4.

5. Remove as much slack from the belt as possible by pushing down on the child restraint system while feeding the shoulder belt back into the retractor.

6. Push and pull on the child restraint system to confirm that the seat belt is holding it firmly in place. If it is not, release the seat belt and repeat steps 2 through 6.

7. Double check that the retractor is in the “Auto Lock” mode by attempting to pull more of the seat belt out of the retractor. If you cannot, the retractor is in the “Auto Lock” mode.

To remove the child restraint, press the release button on the buckle and then pull the lap/shoulder belt out of the restraint and allow the seat belt to retract fully.

WARNING - Auto lock mode

The lap/shoulder belt automatically returns to the “emergency lock mode” whenever the belt is allowed to retract fully. Therefore, the preceding seven steps must be followed each time a child restraint is installed.

If the retractor is not in the Auto lock mode, the child restraint can move when your vehicle turns or stops suddenly. A child can be seriously injured or killed if the child restraint is not properly anchored to the car, including setting the retractor to the Auto lock mode.

When the seat belt is allowed to retract to its fully stowed position, the retractor will automatically switch from the “Auto Lock” mode to the emergency lock mode for normal adult usage.