2008 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual

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FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
43
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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

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FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
45
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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.

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI46
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WARNING:
o Do not modify or replace the front pas-
senger 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 af-
fect the occupant classification system.
o Do not sit on sharp objects such as tools
when occupying the front passenger
seat. This can adversely affect the occu-
pant classification system.
o Do not use accessory seat covers on the
front seats.
o Accident statistics show that children
are safer if they are restrained in the rear,
as opposed to the front seat. It is recom-
mended 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.
o Airbags can only be used once – have an
authorized Hyundai dealer replace the
airbag immediately after deployment.
!
WARNING:
o A smaller-stature adult who is not seated
correctly (for example: seat excessively
reclined, leaning on the center console,
or hips shifted forward in the seat) can
cause a condition where the advanced
frontal airbag system senses less weight
than if the occupant were seated prop-
erly (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.
B990B05Y-AATSide Impact Airbag (If installed)Your Hyundai is equipped with a side impact
airbag in each front seat. The purpose of the
airbag is to provide the vehicle's driver and/or
the front passenger with additional protection
than that offered by the seat belt alone. The side
impact airbags are designed to deploy only
during certain side-impact collisions, depend-
ing on the crash severity, angle, speed and point
of impact. The side impact airbags are not
designed to deploy in all side impact situations.
B990B02LZ

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FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
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o For best protection from the side impact
airbag system and to avoid being injured
by the deploying side impact airbag,
both front seat occupants should sit in
an upright position with the seat belt
properly fastened. The driver's hands
should be placed on the steering wheel
at the 9:00 and 3:00 positions. The
passenger's arms and hands should be
placed on their laps.
o Do not use any accessory seat covers.
o Use of seat covers could reduce or pre-
vent the effectiveness of the system.
o Do not install any accessories on the
side or near the side impact airbag.
o Do not place any objects over the airbag
or between the airbag and yourself.
o Do not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the front door and the
front seat. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
if the supplemental side impact airbag
inflates.
o To prevent unexpected deployment of
the side impact airbag that may result in
personal injury, avoid impact to the side
impact sensor when the ignition key is
on.
WARNING:
WARNING:
o The side impact airbag is supplemental
to the driver's and the passenger's 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. The airbags deploy only in cer-
tain side impact conditions severe
enough to cause significant injury to the
vehicle occupants.
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B990B01NF-A
Side impact sensor
B990C01LZ-GATCurtain AirbagCurtain airbags are located along both sides of
the roof rails above the front and rear doors.
They are designed to help protect the heads of
the front seat occupants and the rear outboard
seat occupants in certain side impact collisions.
The curtain airbags are designed to deploy only
during certain side impact collisions, depending
on the crash severity, angle, speed and impact.
The curtain airbags are not designed to deploy
in all side impact situations, collisions from the
front or rear of the vehicle or in most rollover
situations.
HLZ2051
Curtain Airbag

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI48
o If the airbags inflate, they must be re-
placed by an authorized Hyundai dealer.
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 inflation of the airbags
or by rendering the SRS inoperative.
o If components of the airbag system must
be discarded, or if the vehicle must be
scrapped, certain safety precautions
must be observed. Your Hyundai dealer
knows these precautions and can give
you the necessary information. Failure
to follow these precautions and proce-
dures could increase the risk of personal
injury.
o If your car was flooded and has soaked
carpeting or water on flooring, you
shouldn't try to start the engine; have
the car towed to an authorized Hyundai
dealer.
!
WARNING:
B240C03NF-AATSRS CareThe SRS is virtually maintenance-free and so
there are no parts you can safely service by
yourself. If the SRS "AIRBAG" warning light
does not illuminate, or continuously remains on,
have your vehicle immediately inspected by
your Hyundai dealer.
Any work on the SRS system, such as remov-
ing, installing, repairing, or any work on the
steering wheel must be performed by a qualified
Hyundai technician. Improper handling of the
SRS system may result in serious personal
injury.
WARNING:
o Do not install a child restraint system 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 by an
airbag deployment in case of an acci-
dent.
o Modification to SRS components or wir-
ing, including the addition of any kind of
badges to the pad covers or modifica-
tions to the body structure, can ad-
versely affect SRS performance and lead
to possible injury.
o For cleaning the airbag pad covers, use
only a soft, dry cloth or one which has
been moistened with plain water. Sol-
vents or cleaners could adversely affect
the airbag covers and proper deploy-
ment of the system.
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 inflate.
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HSM393

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FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
49
B240D02NF-AATAdditional Safety PrecautionsoNever let passengers ride in the cargo
area (trunk) or on top of a folded-down
back seat. All occupants should sit upright,
fully back in their seats with their seat belts
on and their feet on the floor.
oPassengers should not move out of or
change seats while the vehicle is mov-
ing. A passenger who is not wearing a seat
belt during a crash or emergency stop can
be thrown against the inside of the vehicle,
against other occupants, or out of the ve-
hicle.
oEach seat belt is designed to restrain one
occupant. If more than one person uses the
same seat belt, they could be seriously
injured or killed in a collision.
oDo not use any accessories on seat
belts. Devices claiming to improve occu-
pant comfort or reposition the seat belt can
reduce the protection provided by the seat
belt and increase the chance of serious
injury in a crash.oPassengers should not place hard or
sharp objects between themselves and
the airbags. Carrying hard or sharp objects
on your lap or in your mouth can result in
injuries if an airbag inflates.
oKeep occupants away from the airbag
covers. All occupants should sit upright, fully
back in their seats with their seat belts on and
their feet on the floor. If occupants are too
close to the airbag covers, they could be
injured if the airbags inflate.
oDo not attach or place objects on or near
the airbag covers. Any object attached to
or placed on the front or side impact airbag
covers could interfere with the proper opera-
tion of the airbags.
oDo not modify the front seats. Modifica-
tion of the front seats could interfere with the
operation of the supplemental restraint sys-
tem sensing components or side impact
airbags.
oDo not place items under the front seats.
Placing items under the front seats could
interfere with the operation of the supple-
mental restraint system sensing compo-
nents and wiring harnesses.
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WARNING:
o Sitting improperly or out of position can
cause occupants to be shifted too close
to a deploying airbag, strike the interior
structure or be thrown from the vehicle
resulting in serious injury or death.
o Always sit upright with the seatback in
an upright position, centered on the seat
cushion with your seat belt on, legs
comfortably extended and your feet on
the floor. oNever hold an infant or child on your lap.
The infant or child could be seriously injured
or killed in the event of a crash. All infants and
children should be properly restrained in
appropriate child safety seats or seat belts
in the rear seat.Adding Equipment to or Modifying Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle.If you modify your vehicle by changing your
vehicle's frame, bumper system, front end or
side sheet metal or ride height, this may affect
the operation of your vehicle's airbag system.

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI50
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND INDICATOR LIGHTSB260A02NF-AAT
B260B01NF-U