2008 Hyundai Sonata airbag

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI38
!
!
WARNING:
Always use seat belts and child restraints –
every trip, every time, everyone! Airbags
inflate with considerable force and in the
blink of an eye. Seat belts help keep occu-
pants in proper position to obtain maxi-
mum benefit from the airbag. Even with
advanced airbags, improperly and unbelted
occupants can be severely injured when
the airbag inflates. Always follow the pre-
cautions about seat belts, airbags and oc-
cupant safety contained in this manual.
To reduce the chance of serious or fatal
injuries and receive the maximum safety
benefit from your restraint system:
o Never place a child in any child or booster
seat in the front seat (see child restraints
1-28).
o ABC – Always Buckle Children in the
back seat. It is the safest place for
children of any age to ride.
o Front and side impact airbags can injure
occupants improperly positioned in the
front seats.
o Move your seat as far back as practical
from the front airbags, while still main-
taining control of the vehicle.
o Never sit or lean unnecessarily close to
the front or side airbags.
!
WARNING:
o Modification to the seat structure can
adversely affect the seat track position
sensor and cause the airbag to deploy at
a different level than should be pro-
vided.
o Do not place any objects underneath the
front seats as they could damage the
seat track position sensor or interfere
with the occupant classification sys-
tem.
o Do not place any objects that may cause
magnetic fields near the front seat. These
may cause a malfunction of the seat
track position sensor.NOTE:o Be sure to read information about the
SRS on the labels provided on the back-
side of the sun visor.
o Advanced airbags are combined with
pre-tensioner seat belts to help provide
enhanced occupant protection in fron-
tal crashes. Front airbags are not in-
tended to deploy in collisions in which
sufficient protection can be provided by
the pre-tensioner seat belt.
o If you are considering modification of
your vehicle due to a disability, please
contact the Hyundai Customer Assis-
tance Center at 1-800-633-5151.o Never lean against the door or center
console – always sit in an upright posi-
tion.
o Do not allow an adult passenger to ride
in the front seat when the “Passenger
Airbag OFF” indicator is illuminated,
because the airbag will not deploy in the
event of a moderate or severe frontal
crash.
o Never place objects over or near any
airbag module (front or side impact
airbags), because these objects can in-
jure passengers in a crash.
o Never place covers, blankets or after-
market seat warmers on the passenger
seat as these may interfere with the
occupant classification system.
o Do not tamper or disconnect SRS wiring
or other components. Injuries could
result from inadvertent deployment or
failure of the airbag to deploy in a crash.
o If the SRS airbag warning light (see pg 1-
52) remains illuminated while the vehicle
is being driven, have an authorized
Hyundai dealer inspect the airbag sys-
tem as soon as possible.
o Airbags can only be used once – have an
authorized Hyundai dealer replace the
airbag immediately after deployment.
WARNING:

1
FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
39
!
WARNING:
o Move your seat as far back as practical
from the front airbags, while still main-
taining control of the vehicle. You and
your passengers should never sit or lean
unnecessarily close to the airbags. Im-
properly positioned drivers and passen-
gers can be severely injured by inflating
airbags.
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.
Deployed airbags WILL NOT inflate again
and will provide no protection in subse-
quent collisions.
o Do not tamper with or disconnect SRS
wiring or other components of the SRS
system. Doing so could result in injury,
due to accidental deployment of the
airbags or by rendering the SRS inopera-
tive.
!
WARNING:
o The SRS is designed to deploy the front
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. The front
airbags will not deploy in side, rear or
rollover impacts. Additionally, the
airbags will only deploy once. Seat belts
must be worn at all times.
o Front airbags are not intended to deploy
in side-impact, rear-impact or rollover
crashes. In addition, front airbags will
not deploy in frontal crashes below the
deployment threshold.
B240A02NF
Rear impact
Side Impact
Rollover
!
WARNING:
o Even though your vehicle is equipped
with the occupant classification sys-
tem, do not install a child restraint sys-
tem in the front passenger seat position.
A child restraint system must never be
placed in the front seat. The infant or
child could be severely injured or killed
by an airbag deployment in case of an
accident.
o Children younger than 13 years must
always be properly restrained in the rear
seat. Never allow children to ride in the
front passenger seat. If a child over 13
must be seated in the front seat, he or
she must be properly belted and the seat
should be moved as far back as possible.
o For maximum safety protection in all
types of crashes, all occupants includ-
ing the driver should always wear their
seat belts whether or not an airbag is
also provided at their seating position to
minimize the risk of severe injury or
death in the event of a crash. Do not sit
or lean unnecessarily close to the airbag
while the vehicle is in motion.

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI40
11.Side Impact Sensor
12.Retractor Pre-tensioner Assemblies
13.Side Impact Airbag Module
14.Curtain Airbag Module
The SRSCM continually monitors all elements
while the ignition is "ON" to determine if a frontal
or near-frontal impact is severe enough to
require airbag deployment or pre-tensioner seat
belt deployment.
The SRS "AIRBAG" warning light on the instru-
ment panel will illuminate for about 6 seconds
after the ignition key is turned to the "ON"
position or after the engine is started, after which
the "AIRBAG" warning light should go out.
B240B01L
!
WARNING:
o Sitting improperly or out of position can
result in serious or fatal injury in a crash.
All occupants should sit 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 until the ve-
hicle is parked and the ignition key is
removed.
o The SRS airbag system must deploy very
rapidly to provide protection in a crash.
If an occupant is out of position because
of not wearing a seat belt, the airbag may
forcefully contact the occupant causing
serious or fatal injuries.
B240B03NF-AATSRS Components and FunctionsThe SRS consists of the following components:
1. Front Impact Sensor
2. "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" Indicator
(Front passenger's seat only)
3. SRS "AIRBAG" warning light
4. Knee Bolster
5. Passenger's Airbag Module
6. Driver's Airbag Module
7. SRS Control Module (SRSCM)
8. Occupant Classification System
(Front passenger's seat only)
9. Driver's and Front Passenger's Seat Track
Position Sensors
10.Driver's and Front Passenger's Seat Belt
Buckle Sensors/Buckle Pre-tensioner As-
semblies
B240B01NF-A

1
FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
41
B240B02L
Upon deployment, tear seams molded directly
into the pad covers will separate under pres-
sure from the expansion of the airbags. Further
opening of the covers then allows full inflation of
the airbags.A fully inflated airbag, in combination with a
properly worn seat belt, slows the driver's or the
passenger's forward motion, reducing the risk
of head and chest injury.
After complete inflation, the airbag immediately
starts deflating, enabling the driver to maintain
forward visibility and the ability to steer or
operate other controls.
B240B03L
The airbag modules are located both in the
center of the steering wheel and in the front
passenger's panel above the glove box. When
the SRSCM detects a sufficiently severe impact
to the front of the vehicle, it will automatically
deploy the front airbags.
Passenger's Front Airbag
CAUTION:
o Do not install or place any accessories
(drink holder, cassette holder, sticker,
etc.) on the front passenger's panel
above the glove box in a vehicle with a
passenger's airbag. Such objects may
become dangerous projectiles and cause
injury if the passenger's airbag inflates.
o When installing a container of liquid air
freshener inside the vehicle, do not place
it near the instrument cluster nor on the
instrument panel surface. If there is any
leakage from the air freshener onto these
areas (instrument cluster, instrument
!
B240B04NF

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI42
B990A02NF-AATOCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMYour vehicle is equipped with an occupant
classification system in the front passenger's
seat.
The Occupant Classification system is de-
signed to detect the presence of a properly-
seated front passenger and determine if the
passenger's front airbag should be enabled
(may inflate) or not. The driver's front airbag is
not affected or controlled by the Occupant
Classification system.
If the front passenger seat is occupied by a
person that the system determines to be of adult
size, and he/she sits properly (sitting upright
with the seatback in an upright position, cen-
tered on the seat cushion with their seat belt on,
B990A02NF-A
!Passenger's Front Airbag
B240B05L
!Always wash all exposed skin areas thor-
oughly with lukewarm water and a mild
soap after an accident in which the
airbags were deployed.
o The SRS can function only when the
ignition key is in the "ON" position. If the
SRS "AIRBAG" warning light does not
illuminate, or continuously remains on
after illuminating for about 6 seconds
when the ignition key is turned to the
"ON" position, or after the engine is
started, comes on while driving, the SRS
is not working properly. If this occurs,
have your vehicle immediately inspect-
ed by your Hyundai dealer.
o Before you replace a fuse or disconnect
a battery terminal, turn the ignition key
to the "LOCK" position and remove the
ignition key. Never remove or replace the
airbag related fuse(s) when the ignition
key is in the "ON" position. Failure to
heed this warning will cause the SRS
"AIRBAG" warning light to illuminate. panel or air ventilator), it may damage
these parts. If the liquid from the air
freshener does leak onto these areas,
wash them with water immediately.
WARNING:
o If an airbag deploys, there may be a loud
noise followed by a fine dust released in
the vehicle. These conditions are nor-
mal and are not hazardous - the airbags
are packed in this fine powder. The dust
generated during airbag deployment
may cause skin or eye irritation as well as
aggravate asthma for some persons.
WARNING:

1
FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
43
!
legs comfortably extended and their feet on the
floor), the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indi-
cator will be turned off and the front passenger's
airbag will be able to inflate, if necessary, in
frontal crashes.
You will find the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF"
indicator on the center facia panel. This system
detects the conditions 1~4 in the following table
and activates or deactivates front passenger
airbags based on these conditions.
Condition and operation in the front pas-
senger occupant classification 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 larger child who
has outgrown a child restraint system sits in
the front passenger seat, the system may
recognize him/her as an adult depending on
his/her physique or posture.
*3) Never install a child restraint system on the
front passenger seat.
Front
passenger
airbag
Activated
Deactivated
Deactivated
Activated Condition
detected by
the occupant
classification
system
1. Adult*
1
2. Child*
2 or
child restraint
system*3
3. Unoccupied
4. There is a
malfunction
in the
systemSRS
warning
light
Off
Off
Off
On
"Passenger
air bag off"
indicator light
Off
On
On
Off
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 classification system
(OCS).
o NEVER excessively recline the front pas-
senger seatback.
B990A03O
o NEVER put a heavy load in the front
passenger seat.
B990A08O

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI44
When an adult is seated in the front passenger
seat, if the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indica-
tor is on, turn the ignition key to "LOCK" 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 for about 30 seconds. This
will allow the system to detect the person and to
enable the passenger airbag. If the "PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF" indicator is still on, turn the
ignition key to "LOCK" and ask the passenger to
sit properly and restart the engine again.
If the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indicator is
still on, ask the passenger to move to the rear
seat.
- NEVER place feet on the dashboard.
B990A07O
B990A05O
- NEVER lean on the center console.
- NEVER
sit on one side of the front passen-
ger seat.
o NEVER sit with hips shifted towards the
front of the seat.
B990A02O
Proper position
B990A01O

1
FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
45
!
!
NOTE:The "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indicator
illuminates for about 6 seconds after the
ignition key is turned to the "ON" position
or after the engine is started. If the front
passenger seat is occupied, the occupant
classification sensor will then classify the
front passenger within approximately 10
seconds after the ignition is turned on.
CAUTION:
If the occupant classification system is not
working properly, the SRS airbag warning
light on the instrument panel will
illuminate because the passenger's front
airbags are connected with the occupant
classification system. If there is a malfunc-
tion of the occupant classification system,
the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indicator
will not illuminate and the passenger's front
airbags will inflate in frontal impact crashes
even if there is no occupant in the front
passenger's seat. If the SRS airbag warning
light does not illuminate when the ignition
key is turned to the "ON" position, remains
illuminated after approximately 6 seconds
when the ignition key is turned to the "ON"
position, or if it illuminates while the vehicle
is being driven, have an authorized Hyundai
dealer inspect the occupant classification
system and the SRS airbag system as soon
as possible.
!
WARNING:
o Even though your vehicle is equipped
with the occupation classification sys-
tem, never install a child restraint system
in the front passenger's seat. A deploy-
ing airbag can forcefully strike a child
resulting in serious injuries or death.
Any child under 13 years of age should
ride in the rear seat. Children too large
for child restraints should use the avail-
able lap/shoulder belts. No matter what
type of crash, children of all ages are
safer when restrained in the rear seat.
o If the "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indi-
cator 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.
o If you change the weight on the front
passenger seat just after sit-in or restart
of the engine, the "PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF" indicator may be turned on or
off for a few seconds, disabling or en-
abling the passenger airbags. After the
initial stage of about 30 seconds, the
"PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" indicator
will not toggle.
WARNING:
Do not allow an adult passenger to ride in
the front seat when the “PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, be-
cause the airbag will not deploy in the event
of a crash. If the "PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF" indicator remains illuminated after
the passenger repositions themselves prop-
erly and the car is restarted, Hyundai recom-
mends that passenger move to the rear seat
because the passenger's front airbag will
not deploy.
The “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF” indicator
will not change according to the occupants
posture after the vehicle has been running
for 30 seconds. Front seat passengers
must stay properly seated to avoid serious
injury from a deploying airbag. For more
information see page 1-42.