2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner's Manual

Safety systems of your vehicle
56
3
Just before impact, drivers often brake
heavily. 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 reduced by such “under-ride”
collisions. Front air bags may not inflate in
rollover accidents because front air
bag deployment would not provide
additional occupant protection.
However, if equipped with side impact
and curtain air bags, the air bags may
inflate in a rollover, when it is detected
by the rollover sensor.
Also, side and curtain air bags may
inflate when the vehicle is rolled over
by a side impact collision. 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.
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357
Safety systems 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 the ON or START
position.
Air bags inflate instantly in the event of serious frontal or side collision in order
to help protect the occupants from seri-
ous physical injury.
Also, the air bags inflate instantly in the
event of a rollover in order to help pro-
tect the occupants from serious physi-
cal injury.
There is no single speed at which the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate based upon the severity of a col-
lision and its direction. These two fac-
tors determine 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. Factors are not limited 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 position 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 col-
lision and is thus a necessary part of air
bag design. However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which include facial
abrasions, bruises and broken bones,
and sometimes more severe injuries
because the inflation speed also caus-
es the air bags to expand with a great
deal of force.
There are even circumstances under which contact with the air bag
can cause fatal injuries, especially if
the occupant is positioned exces-
sively close to the air bag.

Safety systems of your vehicle
58
3
C040902AUN
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 to 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 the cold water
immediately and consult the doctor if the
symptom persists.
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 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 bags inflate instantly in the event of collision, passengers
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.
WARNING
When the air bags deploy, the air
bag related parts in steering wheel
and/or instrument panel and/or in
both sides of the roof rails above
the front and rear doors and in the
front seatbacks are very hot. To pre-
vent injury, do not touch the air bag
storage areas internal components
immediately after an air bag has
inflated.

359
Safety systems of your vehicle
C040903AUN
Do not install a child restraint on thefront 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 a front-facing
child restraint in the front passenger’s
seat. If the front passenger air bag
inflates, it would cause serious or fatal
injuries to the child.
C041000AUN
Air bag warning light
The purpose of the air bag warning light
in your instrument panel is to alert you of
a potential problem with your air bag -
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).
1JBH3051
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 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 a vehicle
equipped with side and/or curtain
air bags, be sure to install the
child restraint system as far away
from the door side as possible,
and securely lock the child
restraint system in position.
Inflation of side and curtain air
bags could cause serious injury
or death to an infant or child.
W7-147

Safety systems of your vehicle
60
3
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.
The light blinks when the ignition switch is in ON position.SRS Care
The SRS is virtually maintenance-free
and 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, the front
passenger's panel, front seats and roof
rails must be performed by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer. Improper handling of
the SRS system may result in serious
personal injury.WARNING
Modification to SRS componentsor 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.
Not only the modification of the parts where the SRS sensors are
but also the modification of other
parts of the vehicle may affect the
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)

361
Safety systems of your vehicle
C041300AUN
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.
(Continued)
If the air bags inflate, they must be 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 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 authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

C041400AUN
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 door, front end or side sheet metal
or ride height, this may affect the opera-
tion of your vehicle's air bag system.
Air bag warning label
Air bag warning labels, some required by
the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), are attached to
alert the driver and passengers of poten-
tial risks of the air bag system.
362
Safety systems of your vehicle
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.
Always have the ignition OFF in an abnormal situation. The side
air bags may inflate if the vehicle
is tilted such as when being
towed because the rollover sen-
sor detects it as a rollover situa-
tion.
Be careful not to cause impact to the doors when the ignition is
ON. The air bags may inflate.
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4
Keys / 4-2
Remote keyless entry / 4-3
Theft-alarm system / 4-5
Door locks / 4-7
Tailgate / 4-11
Windows / 4-13
Hood / 4-17
Fuel filler lid / 4-19
Sunroof / 4-22
Steering wheel / 4-26
Mirrors / 4-28
Instrument cluster / 4-40
Rearview camera / 4-56
Hazard warning flasher / 4-56
Lighting / 4-57
Wipers and washers / 4-61
Interior light / 4-63
Defroster / 4-66
Manual climate control system / 4-67
Automatic climate control system / 4-76
Windshield defrosting and defogging / 4-86
Cluster ionizer / 4-88
Storage compartment / 4-89
Interior features / 4-92
Exterior features / 4-101
Audio system / 4-102
Features of your vehicle