Hyundai Accent (HC): Safety System of Your Vehicle / Air bag - Advanced supplemental restraint system

Contents:

• Where Are the Air Bags?
• How Does the Air Bag System Operate?
• What to Expect After an Air Bag Inflates
• Occupant Classification System (OCS)
• Why Didn't My Air Bag Go Off in a Collision?
• SRS Care
• Additional Safety Precautions
• Air Bag Warning Labels

In addition to seat belts and child restraints, the Hyundai Accent uses an Advanced Supplemental Air Bag System to help protect occupants in certain types of crashes. Air bags are not a substitute for seat belts; they are designed to work with properly worn belts.

1. Driver's front air bag
2. Passenger's front air bag
3. Side air bag
4. Curtain air bag

This vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Supplemental Air Bag System for the driver's seat and front passenger's seats. In the Hyundai Accent, sensors and the SRS control module manage deployment to match certain crash conditions.

The front air bags are designed to supplement the three-point seat belts. For these air bags to provide protection, the seat belts must be worn at all times when driving. Proper belt use helps keep you positioned correctly so the Hyundai Accent air bags can provide their intended benefit.

You can be severely injured or killed in an accident if you are not wearing a seat belt. Air bags are designed to supplement seat belts, but do not replace them. Also, air bags are not designed to deploy in every collision. In some accidents, the seat belts are the only restraint protecting you.

WARNING

AIR BAG SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

ALWAYS use seat belts and child restraints - every trip, every time, everyone! Even with air bags, you can be seriously injured or killed in a collision if you are improperly belted or not wearing your seat belt when the air bag inflates.

NEVER place a child in any child restraint or booster seat in the front passenger seat. An inflating air bag could forcefully strike the infant or child causing serious or fatal injuries.

ABC - Always Buckle Children under age 13 in the back seat. It is the safest place for children of any age to ride. If a child age 13 or older 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.

All occupants should sit 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 until the vehicle is parked and is turned off. If an occupant is out of position during an accident, the rapidly deploying air bag may forcefully contact the occupant causing serious or fatal injuries.

You and your passengers should never sit or lean unnecessarily close to the air bags or lean against the door or center console.

Move your seat as far back as possible from front air bags, while still maintaining control of the vehicle. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that drivers allow at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the center of the steering wheel and the chest.

Where Are the Air Bags? ➤

How Does the Air Bag System Operate?

The Hyundai Accent air bag system is electronically controlled and continuously monitored to ensure readiness in the event of a collision.

The SRS consists of the following components:

1. Driver's front air bag module
2. Passenger's front air bag module
3. Side air bag modules/ Side impact sensors
4. Curtain air bag modules
5. Retractor pre-tensioner assemblies
6. Air bag warning light
7. SRS control module (SRSCM)/ Rollover sensor
8. Front impact sensors
9. Side pressure sensors
10. Emergency Fastening Device System
11. Occupant classification system

The SRSCM (Supplemental Restraint System Control Module) continually monitors all SRS components while the ignition switch is in the ON position to determine if a crash impact is severe enough to require air bag deployment or pre-tensioner seat belt deployment. This constant monitoring helps the Hyundai Accent respond appropriately to different collision scenarios.

SRS warning light

The SRS (Supplement Restraint System) air bag warning light on the instrument panel displays the air bag symbol depicted in the illustration. The system checks the air bag electrical system for malfunctions. The light indicates that there is a potential malfunction with your air bag system, which could include your side and curtain air bags used for rollover protection.

WARNING

If your SRS malfunctions, the air bag may not inflate properly during an accident increasing the risk of serious injury or death. If any of the following conditions occur, your SRS is malfunctioning:

• The light does not turn on for approximately six seconds when the Engine Start/Stop button is in the ON position.
• The light stays on after illuminating for approximately six seconds.
• The light comes on while the vehicle is in motion.
• The light blinks when the engine is running.

Have an authorized HYUNDAI dealer inspect the SRS as soon as possible if any of these conditions occur.

During a frontal collision, sensors will detect the vehicle's deceleration. If the rate of deceleration is high enough, the control unit will inflate the front air bags.

The front air bags help protect the driver and front passenger by responding to frontal impacts in which seat belts alone cannot provide adequate restraint. When needed, the side air bags help provide protection in the event of a side impact or rollover in the Hyundai Accent.

• Air bags are activated (able to inflate if necessary) only when the Engine Start/Stop button is in the ON position.
• Air bags inflate in the event of certain frontal or side collisions to help protect the occupants from serious physical injury.
• Generally, air bags are designed to inflate based upon the severity of a collision, its direction, and other factors.
• Air bag deployment depends on a number of factors including vehicle speed, angles of impact and the density and stiffness of the objects impacted.
• The front air bags will completely inflate and deflate in an instant, often faster than the human eye can perceive.
• In vehicles equipped with rollover sensors, side and curtain air bags may remain inflated longer to help provide protection from ejection.
• Rapid inflation is necessary to reduce the risk of serious or life-threatening injuries, even though the force of deployment itself may cause minor injuries.
• There are circumstances under which contact with an air bag can cause fatal injuries, especially if an occupant is positioned too close.

You can take steps to help reduce the risk of being injured by an inflating air bag. The greatest risk is sitting too close to the air bag. An air bag needs about 10 inches (25 cm) of space to inflate. NHTSA recommends that drivers allow at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the center of the steering wheel and the chest.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury or death from an inflating air bag, take the following precautions:

• NEVER place a child restraint in the front passenger seat. Always properly restrain children under age 13 in the rear seats of the vehicle.
• Adjust the front passenger’s and driver's seats as far to the rear as possible while allowing you to maintain full control of the vehicle.
• Hold the steering wheel with hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions.
• Never place anything or anyone between the air bag and the seat occupant.
• Do not allow the front passenger to place their feet or legs on the dashboard.

â–  Driver's front air bag (1)

When the SRSCM detects a sufficiently severe impact to the front of the vehicle, it will automatically deploy the front air bags.

â–  Driver's front air bag (2)

Upon deployment, tear seams molded directly into the pad covers will separate under pressure from the expansion of the air bags. Further opening of the covers allows full inflation of the air bags.

A fully inflated air bag, in combination with a properly worn seat belt, slows the driver or the front passenger forward motion, reducing the risk of head and chest injury.

â–  Driver's front air bag (3)

â–  Passenger's front air bag

After complete inflation, the air bag immediately starts deflating, enabling the driver to maintain forward visibility and the ability to steer or operate other controls.

WARNING

To prevent objects from becoming dangerous projectiles when the passenger's air bag inflates:

• Do not install or place any objects (drink holder, CD holder, stickers, etc.) on the front passenger's panel above the glove box where the passenger's air bag is located.
• Do not install a container of liquid air freshener near the instrument cluster or on the instrument panel surface.

What to Expect After an Air Bag Inflates

After a frontal or side air bag inflates in your Hyundai Accent, it will deflate extremely quickly. This rapid deflation is intentional and ensures that air bag deployment does not obstruct the driver’s forward vision through the windshield or interfere with the ability to steer the vehicle. In the case of a side impact, curtain air bags in the Hyundai Accent may remain partially inflated for a short period after deployment to provide extended head protection.

WARNING

After an air bag inflates, take the following precautions:

• Open your windows and doors as soon as possible after impact to reduce prolonged exposure to the smoke and powder released by the inflating air bag. Ventilating the Hyundai Accent interior helps improve air quality after deployment.
• Do not touch the air bag storage area's internal components immediately after an air bag has inflated. The parts that come into contact with an inflating air bag may be very hot and can cause burns.
• Always wash exposed skin areas thoroughly with cold water and mild soap to remove any residue left by the air bag deployment.
• Always have an authorized HYUNDAI dealer replace the air bag immediately after deployment. Air bags in the Hyundai Accent are designed to be used only once and must be replaced to restore full SRS protection.

Noise and smoke from inflating air bag

When the air bags inflate, they make a loud noise and may produce smoke and powder in the air inside of the vehicle. This is normal and is a result of the ignition of the air bag inflator. After the air bag inflates, you may feel substantial discomfort in breathing because of the contact of your chest with both the seat belt and the air bag, as well as from breathing the smoke and powder. In the Hyundai Accent, this sensation is temporary but can be more noticeable immediately after a collision.

The powder may aggravate asthma for some people. If you experience breathing problems after an air bag deployment, seek medical attention immediately.

Though the smoke and powder are nontoxic, they may cause irritation to the skin, eyes, nose, throat, or respiratory tract. If this is the case, wash and rinse with cold water immediately and seek medical attention if the symptoms persist. Taking these steps helps ensure a safer recovery after an air bag deployment in your Hyundai Accent.

Occupant Classification System (OCS) ➤

Why Didn't My Air Bag Go Off in a Collision?

In the Hyundai Accent, the air bag system is engineered to deploy only when it can provide useful supplemental protection. That means air bags are not designed to inflate in every collision. There are certain types of accidents in which an air bag would not be expected to add protection beyond the seat belts, including rear impacts, second or third impacts in multiple-impact accidents, and many low-speed crashes. Also remember that visible damage to the vehicle mainly shows where crash energy was absorbed by the vehicle structure, and it is not an indicator of whether or not an air bag should have inflated. In other words, the Hyundai Accent may show noticeable body damage in a crash where air bag deployment is not required, and in rare cases may show limited visible damage even when sensors detect a severe enough deceleration to deploy.

Air bag collision sensors

WARNING

Improper service or impacts to sensor areas can increase the risk of an air bag deploying unexpectedly and causing serious injury or death. To help the Hyundai Accent Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) operate correctly, take the following precautions:

• Do not hit or allow any objects to impact the locations where air bags or sensors are installed.
• Do not perform maintenance on or around the air bag sensors. If the location or angle of the sensors is altered, the air bags may deploy when they should not or may not deploy when they should.
• Do not install bumper guards or replace the bumper with non-genuine HYUNDAI parts. This may adversely affect the collision sensing and air bag deployment performance.
• Place the ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF or ACC position when the vehicle is being towed to help prevent inadvertent air bag deployment.
• Have all air bag repairs conducted by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

Air bag inflation conditions

Front air bags

Front air bags are designed to inflate in a frontal collision depending on the severity and direction of the front impact. In the Hyundai Accent, front impact sensors monitor rapid deceleration patterns; when the measured forces meet deployment thresholds, the control unit commands inflation to supplement the protection provided by the three-point seat belt.

Side and curtain air bags

Side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate when an impact is detected by side collision sensors depending on the severity of impact resulting from a side impact collision. The side and curtain air bags on both sides of the vehicle may also deploy if a rollover or possible rollover is detected (if equipped), helping provide additional protection—especially when used in conjunction with properly fastened seat belts.

Although the driver's and front passenger's air bags are designed to inflate mainly in frontal collisions, they may also inflate in other types of collisions if the front impact sensors detect a sufficient impact. Side and curtain air bags are designed to inflate mainly in side impact collisions or rollover situations, but they may inflate in other collisions if the side impact sensors detect a sufficient impact. This is part of how the Hyundai Accent SRS evaluates crash direction and severity to decide which restraint devices should activate. This careful decision process helps provide protection without unnecessary deployments.

If the vehicle chassis is impacted by bumps or objects on unimproved roads, the air bags may deploy. Drive carefully on unimproved roads or on surfaces not designed for vehicle traffic to help reduce the risk of 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 benefits beyond the protection of the seat belts, and unnecessary deployment can introduce additional risk and expense.

Front air bags are not designed to inflate in rear collisions, because occupants are moved backward by the force of the impact. In this case, inflated front air bags would not provide additional benefit.

Front air bags may not inflate in many side impact collisions, because occupants move in the direction of the collision, and thus in side impacts, front air bag deployment would not provide additional occupant protection. However, side and curtain air bags may inflate depending on the severity and direction of impact.

In an angled collision, the force of impact may direct the occupants in a direction where the air bags would not be able to provide additional benefit, and thus the sensors may not deploy any air bags.

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 "underride" situation because deceleration forces that are detected by sensors may be significantly reduced by such "underride" collisions.

Front air bags may not inflate in rollover accidents because front air bag deployment may not provide protection to the occupants in that type of event. However, side and curtain air bags may inflate when the vehicle is rolled over by a side impact collision or when rollover sensing detects a possible rollover (if equipped).

Air bags may not inflate if the vehicle collides with objects such as utility poles or trees, where the point of impact is concentrated and the collision energy is absorbed primarily by a small area of the vehicle structure.

Additional tip for Hyundai Accent owners: even when air bags do not deploy, properly worn seat belts remain the primary restraint and often provide excellent protection. After any collision—whether or not an air bag deployed—have the vehicle inspected to confirm that seat belts, pretensioners (if equipped), sensors, and the SRS warning light system are all operating correctly.

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 when the ignition switch is in the ON position, or continuously remains on, have your Hyundai Accent 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 and may prevent the Hyundai Accent air bags from operating as intended.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury or death, take the following precautions:

• Do not attempt to modify or disconnect the SRS components or wiring, including the addition of any kind of badges to the pad covers or modifications to the body structure.
• Do not place objects over or near the air bag modules on the steering wheel, instrument panel, or the front passenger's panel above the glove box.
• Clean the air bag pad covers with a soft cloth moistened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could adversely affect the air bag covers and proper deployment of the system.
• Always have inflated air bags replaced by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
• If components of the air bag system must be discarded, or if the vehicle must be scrapped, certain safety precautions must be observed. Consult an authorized HYUNDAI dealer for the necessary information. Failure to follow these precautions could increase the risk of personal injury.

Additional Safety Precautions

Passengers should not move out of or change seats while the vehicle is moving. A passenger who is not wearing a seat belt during a crash or emergency stop can be thrown against the inside of the Hyundai Accent, against other occupants, or be ejected from the vehicle.

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. For proper Hyundai Accent safety performance, keep the belt routed normally and snug across the hips and shoulder.

Do not modify the front seats. Modification of the front seats could interfere with the operation of the supplemental restraint system sensing components or side air bags, and may also affect occupant sensing functions on equipped models.

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 harnesses.

Do not cause impact to the doors. Impact to the doors when the Engine Start/Stop button is in the ON position may cause the air bags to inflate.

Modifications to accommodate disabilities. If you require modification to your vehicle to accommodate a disability, contact the HYUNDAI Customer Connect Center at 800-633-5151.

Adding equipment to or modifying 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 Hyundai Accent air bag system. Any structural changes that alter sensor mounting points or the way crash forces are managed can influence how and when the SRS detects a collision.

Air Bag Warning Labels

Air bag warning labels, required by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are attached to alert the driver and passengers of potential risks of the air bag system. Be sure to read all of the information about the air bags that are installed on your Hyundai Accent in this Owners Manual, and follow all seat belt and child restraint instructions every trip.