2009 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual - RHD (UK, Australia)

Safety features of your vehicle
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C040801AUN
Air bag inflation conditions
Front air bag
Front air bags are designed to inflate in a frontal collision depending on the intensi-
ty, speed or angles of impact of the frontcollision.
1JBA3513/H
WARNING
Do not hit or allow any objects to impact the locations where air bag
or sensors are installed.
This may cause unexpected air
bag deployment, which could
result in serious personal injuryor death.
If the installation location or angle of the sensors is altered in
any way, the air bags may deploy
when they should not or they may
not deploy when they should,
causing severe injury or death.
Therefore, do not try to perform
maintenance on or around the air
bag sensors. Have the vehicle
checked and repaired by an
authorised HYUNDAI dealer.
(Continued)(Continued)
Problems may arise if the sensorinstallation angles are changed
due to the deformation of the
front bumper, body or B pillar
where side collision sensors are
installed. Have the vehicle
checked and repaired by an
authorised HYUNDAI dealer.
Your vehicle has been designed to absorb impact and deploy the
air bag(s) in certain collisions.
Installing aftermarket bumper
guards or replacing a bumper
with non-genuine parts may
adversely affect your vehicles
collision and air bag deployment
performance.

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Safety features of your vehicle
Side air bags (if equipped)
Side and/or curtain air bags are designed to inflate when an impact is
detected by side collision sensorsdepending on the strength, speed orangles of impact resulting from a side
impact collision or rollover.Although the front air bags (driver’s and
front passenger’s air bags) are designed
to inflate only in frontal collisions, they
also may inflate in other types of colli-sions if the front impact sensors detect a
sufficient impact. Side air bags (side
and/or curtain air bags) are designed to
inflate only in side impact collisions, but
they may inflate in other collisions if theside impact sensors detect a sufficientimpact.
If the vehicle chassis is impacted by
bumps or objects on unimproved roads
or sidewalks, air bags may deploy. Drive
carefully on unimproved roads or on sur-
faces not designed for vehicle traffic to
prevent unintended air bag deployment.
C040802AUN
Air bag non-inflation conditions
In certain low-speed collisions the air
bags may not deploy. The air bags are
designed not to deploy in such cases
because they may not provide benefits
beyond the protection of the seat belts
in such collisions.
1JBA3515/H
1JBA3516/H
OUN026090

Safety features of your vehicle
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Frontal air bags are not designed to
inflate in rear collisions, because occu-
pants are moved backward by the
force of the impact. In this case, inflat-
ed air bags would not be able to pro-
vide any additional benefit. Front air bags may not inflate in side
impact collisions, because occupants
move to the direction of the collision,
and thus in side impacts, frontal air bag
deployment would not provide addi-tional occupant protection.
However, side or curtain air bags may
inflate depending on the intensity, vehi-cle speed and angles of impact. In a slant or angled collision, the force
of impact may direct the occupants in a
direction where the air bags would not
be able to provide any additional bene-
fit, and thus the sensors may not
deploy any air bags.
OED036100/H1JBA3521/H1JBA3516/H

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Safety features of your vehicle
Just before impact, drivers often brakeheavily. Such heavy braking lowers the
front portion of the vehicle causing it to
“ride” under a vehicle with a higher
ground clearance. Air bags may not
inflate in this "under-ride" situation
because deceleration forces that are
detected by sensors may be signifi-
cantly replaced by such “under-ride”
collisions. Air bags may not inflate in rollover acci-
dents because air bag deployment
would not provide protection to the
occupants.
However, side and/or curtain air bags may inflate when the vehicle is rolled
over by a side impact collision, if the
vehicle is equipped with side air bags
and curtain air bags. Air bags may not inflate if the vehicle
collides with objects such as utility
poles or trees, where the point of
impact is concentrated to one area and
the full force of the impact is not deliv-
ered to the sensors.
1JBA3517/H1JBA35221JBA3518/H

Safety features of your vehicle
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C040900AUN
How does the air bag system operate
Air bags are activated (able to inflate if
necessary) only when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON or STARTposition.
Air bags inflate instantly in the event of serious frontal or side collision (if
equipped with side air bag or curtainair bag) in order to help protect the
occupants from serious physical injury.
There is no single speed at which the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate by the severity of a collision and
its direction. These two factors deter-mine whether the sensors send out an
electronic deployment/inflation signal.
Air bag deployment depends on a number of factors including vehiclespeed, angles of impact and the densi-
ty and stiffness of the vehicles or
objects which your vehicle hits in the
collision. Though, factors are not limit-
ed to those mentioned above.
The front air bags will completely inflate and deflate in an instant. It is virtually impossible for you to see
the air bags inflate during an accident.
It is much more likely that you will sim-ply see the deflated air bags hanging
out of their storage compartments afterthe collision.
In order to help provide protection in a severe collision, the air bags must
inflate rapidly. The speed of air baginflation is a consequence of the
extremely short time in which a collisionoccurs and the need to get the air bag
between the occupant and the vehicle
structures before the occupant impacts
those structures. This speed of inflation
reduces the risk of serious or life-
threatening injuries in a severe collision
and is thus a necessary part of air bagdesign.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which normally can
include facial abrasions, bruises and
broken bones, and sometimes more
severe injuries because the inflationspeed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
There are even circumstances under which contact with the steer-
ing wheel air bag can cause fatal
injuries, especially if the occupant
is positioned excessively close tothe steering wheel.
WARNING
To avoid severe personal injury or death caused by deploying air
bags in a collision, the driver
should sit as far back from the
steering wheel air bag as possi-
ble (at least 250 mm (10 inches)
away). The front passenger
should always move their seat as
far back as possible and sit backin their seat.
Air bag inflates instantly in the event of collision, and passen-
gers may be injured by the air bag
expansion force if they are not in
proper position.
Air bag inflation may cause injuries which normally include
facial or bodily abrasions,
injuries from broken glasses or
burns by the air bag inflationgasses.

345
Safety features of your vehicle
C040902AEN
Noise and smoke
When the air bags inflate, they make a
loud noise and they leave smoke and
powder in the air inside of the vehicle.
This is normal and is a result of the igni-
tion of the air bag inflator. After the air
bag inflates, you may feel substantial dis-
comfort in breathing due to the contact of
your chest with both the seat belt and the
air bag, as well as from breathing the
smoke and powder.Open your doors
and/or windows as soon as possible
after impact in order to reduce dis-
comfort and prevent prolonged expo-
sure to the smoke and powder.
Though the smoke and powder are non-
toxic, they may cause irritation to the skin
(eyes, nose and throat, etc). If this is the
case, wash and rinse with cold waterimmediately and consult a doctor if the
symptom persists. C040903AEN
Do not install a child restraint on the
front passenger’s seat.
Never place a rear-facing child restraint
in the front passenger’s seat. If the air
bag deploys, it would impact the rear-fac-
ing child restraint, causing serious or
fatal injury.
In addition, do not place front-facing child
restraint in the front passenger’s seat
either. If the front passenger air bag
inflates, it could cause serious or fatal
injuries to the child.
1JBH3051
WARNING
When the air bags deploy, the air
bag related parts in the steeringwheel and/or instrument panel
and/or in both sides of the roof rails
above the front and rear doors are
very hot. To prevent injury, do not
touch the air bag storage area’s
internal components immediately
after an air bag has inflated.

Safety features of your vehicle
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C041000AUN
Air bag warning light
The purpose of air bag warning light in
your instrument panel is to alert you of a
potential problem with your air bag -
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).
When the ignition switch is turned ON,
the indicator light should illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds, then go off.
Have the system checked if:
The light does not turn on briefly when
you turn the ignition ON.
The light stays on after illuminating for approximately 6 seconds.
The light comes on while the vehicle is in motion.
WARNING
Extreme Hazard! Do not use a rearward facing child restraint on
a seat protected by an air bag in
front of it!
Never put child restraint in the front passenger’s seat. If the front
passenger air bag inflates, it cancause serious or fatal injuries.
(Continued)
(Continued)
When children are seated in therear outboard seats in which side
air bags are equipped, be sure to
put the child restraint system as
far away from the door side as
possible, and secure the child
restraint system to be locked inposition.
Inflation of side or curtain air bag
could cause serious injury or
death due to the expansionimpact.
W7-147R5LDA004

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Safety features of your vehicle
C041100AFD-EA SRS Care
The SRS is virtually maintenance-free
and so there are no parts you can safely
service by yourself. If the SRS air bag
warning light does not illuminate, or con-
tinuously remains on, have your vehicle
immediately inspected by an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer.
Any work on the SRS system, such as
removing, installing, repairing, or any
work on the steering wheel must be per-
formed by an authorised HYUNDAI deal-
er. Improper handling of the SRS system
may result in serious personal injury.
WARNING
Modification to SRS components or wiring, including the addition
of any kind of badges to the pad
covers or modifications to the
body structure, can adversely
affect SRS performance and lead
to possible injury.
For cleaning the air bag pad cov- ers, use only a soft, dry cloth or
one which has been moistened
with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could adversely affect
the air bag covers and proper
deployment of the system.
No objects should be placed over or near the air bag 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 air bags to inflate.
(Continued)(Continued)
If the air bags inflate, they mustbe replaced by an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer.
Do not tamper with or disconnect SRS wiring, or other components
of the SRS system. Doing so
could result in injury, due to acci-
dental inflation of the air bags or
by rendering the SRS inopera-
tive.
If components of the air bag sys- tem must be discarded, or if the
vehicle must be scrapped, certain
safety precautions must be
observed. An authorised
HYUNDAI dealer knows these
precautions and can give you the
necessary information. Failure to
follow these precautions and pro-cedures could increase the risk
of personal injury.
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 authorised HYUNDAI dealer.