2004 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual

FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI 1- 21
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!WARNING:o When using the rear seat center belt, you
must lock all metal tabs and buckles. If
any metal tab or buckle is not locked, it
will increase the chance of injury in the
event of collision.
o Never unlock the metal tab (a) and the
buckle (b) with the following excep-
tions.
(1) In case of folding rear seatbacks
down.
(2) If transporting an object on the rear
seat may cause damage to the rear
seat center belt.o Lock the metal tab (a) and the buckle (b)
immediately after folding rear seatbacks
up.
o To disconnect the metal tab (a) from the
buckle (b) , insert a sharp-ended tool
into the groove located on the buckle
(b).
B220C01Y-AAT
To Release the Seat Belt
When you want to release the seat belt, press
the button in the locking buckle.
WARNING:The rear seat center belt latching mecha-
nism is different from those for the out-
board rear seat shoulder belts. When fas-
tening the outboard rear seat shoulder belts
or the rear seat center belt, make sure they
are inserted into the correct buckles to
obtain maximum protection from the seat
belt system and assure proper operation.
B220A02Y
B220C02Y

1- 22 FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
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B230A02Y-AATCHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM
Children riding in the car should sit in the rear
seat and must always be properly restrained to
minimize the risk of injury in an accident, sudden
stop or sudden maneuver. According to acci-
dent statistics provided by the National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats than in the front seat. Larger
children should use one of the seat belts pro-
vided.
All 50 states have child restraint laws. You
should be aware of the specific requirements in
your state. Child and/or infant safety seats must
be properly placed and installed in the rear seat.
You must use a commercially available child
restraint system that meets the requirements of
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS).
Children could be injured or killed in a crash if
their restraints are not properly secured. For
small children and babies, a child seat or infant
seat must be used. Before buying a particular
child restraint system, make sure it fits your car
and seat belts, and fits your child. Follow all the
instructions provided by the manufacturer when
installing the child restraint system.WARNING:o A child restraint system must be placed
in the rear seat. Never install a child or
infant seat on the front passenger's seat.
Should an accident occur and cause the
passenger side airbag to deploy, it could
severely injure or kill an infant or child
seated in an infant or child seat. thus,
only use a child restraint in the rear seat
of your vehicle.
o Since a safety belt or child restraint sys-
tem can become very hot if it is left in a
closed vehicle, be sure and check the
seat cover and buckles before placing a
child there.
o When the child restraint system is not in
use, store it in the trunk or fasten it with
a safety belt so that it will not be thrown
forward in the case of a sudden stop or
an accident.
o Children who are too large to be in a child
restraint should still sit in the rear seat
and be restrained with the available lap/
shoulder belts. Never allow children to
ride in the front passenger seat.
o Always make sure that the shoulder belt
portion of the lap/shoulder belt is posi-
tioned midway over the shoulder and
never across the neck or behind the
back. Moving the child closer to the
center of the vehicle may help provide a
good shoulder belt fit. The lap belt por-tion of the lap/shoulder belt must always
be positioned as low as possible on the
child's hips, and as snug as possible.
o If the seat belt will not properly fit the
child, we recommend the use of an ap-
proved booster seat in the rear seat in
order to raise the child's seating height
so that the seat belt will properly fit the
child.
Before purchasing a booster seat, make
sure that it meets applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and that
it is satisfactory for use with this vehicle.
o Never allow a child to stand up or kneel
on the seat.
o Never use an infant carrier or a child
safety seat that "hooks" over a seatback;
it may not provide adequate security in
an accident.
o Never allow a child to be held in a person's
arms while they are in a moving vehicle,
as this could result in serious injury to
the child in the event of an accident or a
sudden stop. Holding a child in a moving
vehicle does not provide the child with
any means of protection during an acci-
dent, even if the person holding the child
is wearing a seat belt.

FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI 1- 23
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B230B01Y-AATUsing a Child Restraint SystemFor small children and babies, the use of a child
seat or infant seat is strongly recommended
and may be required in your state. This child
seat or infant seat should be of appropriate size
for the child and should be installed in accor-
dance with the manufacturer's instructions. It is
further recommended that the seat be placed in
the vehicle's rear seat since this can make an
important contribution to safety. Your vehicle is
provided with three child restraint hook holders
on the rear seat package tray for installing the
child seat or infant seat.
B230C02Y-AATInstalling a Child Restraint seat1. Position the child restraint seat on the rear
passenger seat cushion.
2. Route the child restraint seat tether strap
over the back of the seat.
For vehicles with adjustable head restraints,
route the tether strap under the head re-
straint and between the head restraint posts,
otherwise route the tether strap over the top
of the seatback.
3. Locate the correct anchor on the rear seat
package tray for the selected seating posi-
tion.
WARNING:The tether strap may not work properly if
attached somewhere other than the correct
tether anchor.4. Open the tether anchor cover.
5. Clip the tether strap hook to the tether strap
hook holder.
B230C02Y-2B230C03Y
B230C04Y
Rear seat package tray
Child restraint
Hook Holders
Tether Strap
Hook Holder
Front of Vehicle
Tether anchor coverTether strap
hook holder
Tether strap hook

1- 24 FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
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B230G03Y-AATInstallation on Rear Seats
WARNING:
If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the
child restraint seat may not be restrained
properly in the event of a collision.
6. Tighten the tether strap to secure the seat.
To install a child restraint system in the rear
seats, extend the shoulder/lap belt entirely from
its retractor until a "click" is felt. This will engage
the seat belt retractor automatic locking feature,
which allows the seat belt to retract but not
extend. Install the child restraint system, buckle
the seat belt and allow the seat belt to take up
any slack. Make sure that the lap portion of the
belt is tight around the child restraint system and
the shoulder portion of the belt is positioned so
that it can not interfere with the child's head or
neck. Also, double check to be sure that the
retractor has engaged the Automatic Locking
feature by trying to extend webbing out of the
retractor. If the retractor is in the Automatic
Locking mode, the belt will be locked. After
installation of the child restraint system, try to
move it in all directions to be sure the childrestraint system is securely installed. If you
need to tighten the belt, pull more webbing
toward the retractor. When you unbuckle the
seat belt and allow it to retract, the retractor will
automatically revert back to its normal seated
passenger Emergency Locking usage condi-
tion.
NOTE:o Before installing the child restraint sys-
tem in any seating position, read the
instructions supplied by the child re-
straint system manufacturer.
o If the seat belt does not operate as de-
scribed, have the system checked imme-
diately by your authorized Hyundai
dealer.
WARNING:o If the retractor is not in the Automatic
Locking mode, the child restraint sys-
tem can move when your vehicle turns or
stops abruptly.
o Do not install any child restraint system
in the front passenger seat. Should an
accident occur and cause the passenger
side airbag to deploy, it could severely
injure or kill an infant or child seated in
an infant or child seat. Therefore, only
use a child restraint system in the rear
seat of your vehicle.
B235G01Y

FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI 1- 25
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B230D03E-AATSecuring the child Restraint seat with
the "ISOFIX" system
WARNING:
o Do not install a child safety seat at the
center of the rear seat using the vehicle's
ISOFIX anchors. The ISOFIX anchors are
only provided for the left and right out-
board rear seating positions. Do not
misuse the ISOFIX anchors by attempt-
ing to attach a child sefety seat in the
middle of the rear seat position to the
ISOFIX anchors. In a crash, the child seat
ISOFIX attachments may not be strong
enough to secure the child restraint seat
properly in the center of the rear seat and
may break, causing serious injury or
death.
o Do not mount more than one child re-
straint to a single tether or to a child
restraint lower anchorage point. the
improper increased load may cause the
anchorage points or tether anchor to
break, causing serious injury or death.
o Attach the ISOFIX or ISOFIX-compatible
child seat only to the appropriate loca-
tions shown.
o Always follow the installation and use
instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the child restraint. Some child seat manufacturers make safety
seats that are labeled as ISOFIX or ISOFIX-
compatible child seats. These seats include two
rigid or webbing mounted attachments that
connect to two ISOFIX anchors at specific
seating positions in your vehicle. This type of
child seat eliminates the need to use seat belts
to attach the child seat for forward-facing child
seats.
ISOFIX anchors have been provided in your
vehicle. The ISOFIX anchors are located in the
left and right outboard rear seating positions.
Their locations are shown in the illustration.
There is no ISOFIX anchor provided for the
center rear seating position.The ISOFIX anchors are located between the
seatback and the seat cushion of the rear seat
left and right outboard seating positions.
Follow the child seat manufacturer's instruc-
tions to properly install safety seats with ISOFIX
or ISOFIX-compatible attachments.
Once you have installed the ISOFIX child re-
straint seat, assure that the seat is properly
attached to the ISOFIX and tether anchors.
Also, test the safety seat before you place the
child in it. Tilt the seat from side to side. Also try
to tug the seat forward. Check to see if the
anchors hold the seat in place.
B230F01EB230D03Y
ISOFIX AnchorISOFIX Anchor
lndicator Button

1- 26 FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
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!WARNING:If the child restraint seat is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being seriously
injured or killed in a collision greatly in-
creases.
The pre-tensioner seat belt operates in the
same way as an Emergency Locking Retractor
(ELR) type of seat belt. When the vehicle stops
suddenly, or if the occupant tries to lean forward
too quickly, the seat belt retractor will lock into
position. However, in certain frontal collisions,
the pre-tensioner will activate and pull the seat
belt into tighter contact against the occupant's
body.The seat belt pre-tensioner system consists
mainly of the following components.
Their locations are shown in the illustration.
1. SRS airbag warning light
2. Seat belt pre-tensioner assembly
3. SRS control module
B180B01HP-AATPre-tensioner Seat Belt
Your Hyundai vehicle is equipped with driver's
and front passenger's pre-tensioner seat belts.
The purpose of the pre-tensioner is to make
sure that the seat belts fit tightly against the
occupant's body in certain frontal collisions.
The pre-tensioner seat belts can be activated
alone or, where the frontal collision is severe
enough, together with the airbags.
WARNING:To obtain maximum benefit from a pre-
tensioner seat belt:
1. The seat belt must be worn correctly.
2. The seat belt must be adjusted to the correct
position.
HXG229B180B02S
1
2
3 Driver's airbag
Passenger's
airbag

FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI 1- 27
NOTE:o Both the driver's and front passenger's
pre-tensioner seat belts will be activated
in certain frontal collisions. The pre-
tensioner seat belts can be activated
alone or, where the frontal collision is
severe enough, together with the
airbags.
o When the pre-tensioner seat belts are
activated, a loud noise may be heard and
fine dust, which may appear to be smoke,
may be visible in the passenger com-
partment. These are normal operating
conditions and are not hazardous.
o Although it is harmless, the fine dust
may cause skin irritation and should not
be breathed for prolonged periods. Wash
your hands and face thoroughly after an
accident in which the pre-tensioner seat
belts were activated.
CAUTION:o Because the sensor that activates the
SRS airbag is connected with pre-
tensioner seat belt, the SRS airbag warn-
ing light on the instrument panel will
blink for approximately 6 seconds after
the ignition key has been turned to the
"ON" position, and then it should turn
off.
o If the pre-tensioner seat belt is not work-
ing properly, this warning light will illu-
minate even if there is no malfunction of
SRS airbag system. If the SRS airbag
warning light does not illuminate when
the ignition key is turned to "ON" or if it
remains illuminated after blinking for
approximately 6 seconds, or if it illumi-
nates while the vehicle is being driven,
please have an authorized Hyundai dealer
inspect the pre-tensioner seat belt or
SRS airbag system as soon as possible.
!
AIR
BAG
WARNING:o Pre-tensioners are designed to operate
only one time. After activation, pre-
tensioner seat belts must be replaced.
All seat belts, of any type, should always
be replaced after they have been worn
during a collision.
o The pre-tensioner seat belt assembly
mechanisms become hot during activa-
tion. Do not touch the pre-tensioner seat
belt assemblies for several minutes after
they have been activated.
o Do not attempt to inspect or replace the
pre-tensioner seat belts yourself. This
must be done by an authorized Hyundai
dealer.
o Do not strike the pre-tensioner seat belt
assemblies.
o Do not attempt to service or repair the
pre-tensioner seat belt system in any
manner.
o Improper handling of the pre-tensioner
seat belt assemblies, and failure to heed
the warnings to not strike, modify, in-
spect, replace, service or repair the pre-
tensioner seat belt assemblies may lead
to improper operation or inadvertent
activation and serious injury.
o Always wear the seat belts when driving
or riding in a motor vehicle.
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1- 28 FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
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B240A03Y-AATSUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
(AIRBAG) SYSTEM (SRS)NOTE:Be sure to read information about the SRS
on the labels provided on the backside of
the sun visor and in the glove box.
o Front airbags are not intended to deploy
in side-impact, rear-impact or rollover
crashes. In addition, airbags will not
deploy in frontal crashes below the de-
ployment threshold speed.
o The driver should sit back as far as
possible while still maintaining control
of the vehicle. If you are sitting too close
to the airbag, it can cause death or seri-
ous injury when it inflates.
o No objects should be placed over or near
the airbag modules on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, and the front
passenger's panel above the glove box,
because any such object could cause
harm if the vehicle is in a crash severe
enough to cause the airbags to deploy.
o If the airbags deploy, they must be re-
placed by an authorized Hyundai dealer. Your Hyundai is equipped with a Supplemental
Restraint (Airbag) System. The indications of
the system’s presence are the letters "SRS
AIRBAG" embossed on the airbag pad cover in
the steering wheel and the passenger’s side
front panel pad above the glove box.
The Hyundai SRS consists of airbags installed
under the pad covers in the center of the
steering wheel and the passenger’s side front
panel above the glove box. The purpose of the
SRS is to provide the vehicle’s driver and the
front passenger with additional protection when
used together with the seat belt, in case of a
frontal impact.
WARNING:o As its name implies, the SRS is designed
to work with, and be supplemental to,
the driver’s and the passenger’s three
point seat belt systems and is not a
substitute for them. Therefore your seat
belts must be worn at all times while the
vehicle is in motion. In addition, the
airbags deploy only in certain frontal
impact conditions severe enough to likely
cause significant injury to the vehicle
occupants.
o The SRS is designed to deploy the
airbags only when an impact is suffi-
ciently severe and when the impact angle
is less than 30° from the forward longi-
tudinal axis of the vehicle. Additionally,
the airbags will only deploy once. Thus,
seat belts must be worn at all times.
o Front airbags are not intended deploy in
light collisions in which protection can
be provided by the seat belt.
HEF-200B240B02Y
Driver's Side Airbag
Side ImpactRear Impact
Rollover