2010 Hyundai Elantra Owner's Manual

Safety features of your vehicle
48
3
Side and/or curtain air bags
Side impact and curtain air bags are gen-
erally designed to inflate in moderate to
severe side collisions. The impact forces
measured by the side impact sensor and
SRS control module determine whether
or not to inflate the side impact air bags. 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 the
side impact sensors detect a sufficient
impact.
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.
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 occu-
pant protection beyond the protection
of the seat belts in such collisions.

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Safety features of your vehicle
Frontal air bags are not designed toinflate in rear collisions, because occu-
pants are moved backward by the
force of the impact. In this case, inflat-
ed air bags would provide additional
occupant protection. Front air bags are not designed to
inflate in side impact collisions,
because frontal air bag deployment
would not provide additional occupant
protection. In an angular collision, the force of
impact may direct the occupants in a
direction where the air bags would not
provide additional occupant protection,
and thus the sensors may not deploy
any air bags.

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Safety features of your vehicle
50
3
Frontal Air Bags may not inflate in
“under-ride” collisions where the colli-
sions energy is absorbed above the
vehicle’s front bumper. Air bags may not inflate in rollover acci-
dents unless the side of the vehicle is
struck with sufficient force. Air bags may not inflate if the vehicle
collides with objects such as a utility
pole or a tree, where the point of
impact is concentrated and the colli-
sion energy is absorbed by the vehicle
structure.

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Safety features of your vehicle
How does the air bag system
operate
Air bags are activated (able to inflate ifnecessary) only when the ignition
switch is turned to ON or START posi-
tion.
Air bags inflate instantly in the event of a serious frontal or side collision (if
equipped with side air bag or curtain
air 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 vehicle
speed, 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 after
the collision. In order to help provide protection in a
severe collision, the air bags must
inflate rapidly. The speed of air bag
inflation is a consequence of the
extremely short time in which a collision
occurs 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 bag
design.
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 inflation
speed 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 to
the steering wheel.
WARNING
To avoid severe personal injuryor 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 10 inches (250 mm)
away). The front passenger
should always move their seat as
far back as possible and sit back
in 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 inflation
gasses.

Safety features of your vehicle
52
3
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. We strongly urge
you to open your doors and/or win-
dows as soon as possible after impact
in order to reduce discomfort and pre-
vent prolonged exposure to the
smoke and powder.
Though smoke and powder are non-
toxic, it may cause irritation to the skin
(eyes, nose and throat etc). If this is the
case, wash and rinse with cold water
immediately and consult a doctor if the
symptom persists.
Installing a child restraint on a front passenger’s seat is forbidden
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 would cause serious or fatal
injuries to the child.

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WARNING
When the air bags deploy, the air
bag related parts in the steering
wheel 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.

353
Safety features of your vehicle
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 arearward facing child restraint on
a seat protected by an air bag in
front of it!
Never put a child restraint in the front passenger’s seat. If the front
passenger air bag inflates, it
would cause serious or fatal
injuries.
When children are seated in the rear outboard seats of vehicle
equipped with curtain air bag, be
sure to install the child restraint
system as far away from the door
side as possible, and secure the
child restraint system to be
locked in position.
Inflation of side or curtain air bag
could cause serious injury or
death due to the expansion
impact.

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Safety features of your vehicle
54
3
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 authorized
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 authorized Hyundai dealer.
Improper handling of the SRS system
may result in serious personal injury.WARNING
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
air bag deployment in case of an
accident.
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.
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If the air bags inflate, they mustbe replaced by an authorized
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 authorized 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.
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.

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Safety features of your vehicle
Additional safety precautions
Never let passengers ride in the
cargo area 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.
Passengers should not move out of
or change seats while the vehicle is
moving. A passenger who is not wear-
ing a seat belt during a crash or emer-
gency stop can be thrown against the
inside of the vehicle, against other
occupants, or out of the vehicle.
Each 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.
Do not use any accessories on seat
belts. Devices claiming to improve
occupant 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.
Passengers should not place hard
or sharp objects between them-
selves and the air bags. Carrying
hard or sharp objects on your lap or in
your mouth can result in injuries if an
air bag inflates.
Keep occupants away from the air
bag 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
air bag covers, they could be injured if
the air bags inflate.
Do not attach or place objects on or
near the air bag covers. Any object
attached to or placed on the front or
side air bag covers could interfere with
the proper operation of the air bags.
Do not modify the front seats.
Modification of the front seats could
interfere with the operation of the sup-
plemental restraint system sensing
components or side air bags.
Do not place items under the front
seats. Placing items under the front
seats could interfere with the operation
of the supplemental restraint system
sensing components and wiring har-
nesses.
Never hold an infant or child on your
lap. The infant or child could be seri-
ously 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 modify-
ing your air bag-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 air bag system.
WARNING
Sitting improperly or out of posi- tion can cause occupants to be
shifted too close to a deploying
air bag, strike the interior struc-
ture or be thrown from the vehicle
resulting in serious injury or
death.
Always sit upright with the seat- back in an upright position, cen-
tered on the seat cushion with
your seat belt on, legs comfort-
ably extended and your feet on
the floor.