Hyundai Elantra Owners Manual
Why didn’t my air bag go off in a collision? (Inflation and non-inflation conditions
of the air bag)Safety features of your vehicle / Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint system / Why didn’t my air bag go off in a collision? (Inflation and non-inflation conditions
of the air bag)
There are many types of accidents in which the air bag would not be expected to provide additional protection.
These include rear impacts, second or third collisions in multiple impact accidents, as well as low speed impacts. In other words, just because your vehicle is damaged and even if it is totally unusable, don’t be surprised that the air bags did not inflate.
Air bag collision sensors
(1) SRS control module
(2) Front impact sensor
(3) Side impact sensor
(4) Side pressure sensor
WARNING
- Do not hit or allow any objects to impact the locations where air bags or sensors are installed. This may cause unexpected air bag deployment, which could result in serious personal injury or 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 authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
- Problems may arise if the sensor installation angles are changed due to the deformation of the front bumper, body or B pillars or front door where side collision sensors are installed. Have the vehicle checked and repaired by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
- Your vehicle has been designed to absorb impact and deploy the air bag(s) in certain collisions. Installing bumper guards or replacing a bumper with non-genuine parts may adversely affect your vehicle’s collision and air bag deployment performance.
Air bag inflation conditions
Front air bags
Front air bags are designed to inflate in a frontal collision depending on the intensity, speed or angles of impact of the front collision.
Side impact and curtain air bags (if equipped)
Side impact and curtain air bags are designed to inflate when an impact is detected by side collision sensors depending on the strength, speed or angles of impact resulting from a side impact collision.
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 collisions if the front impact sensors detect a sufficient impact. Side impact and 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, the air bags may deploy. Drive carefully on unimproved roads or on surfaces 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 benefits beyond the protection of the seat belts in such collisions.
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 air bags would not be able to provide 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 additional occupant protection.
However, side impact and curtain air bags may inflate depending on the intensity, vehicle speed and angles 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 any 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 "under-ride" situation because deceleration forces that are detected by sensors may be significantly reduced by such “under-ride” collisions.
Front air bags may not inflate in rollover accidents because air bag deployment would not provide protection to the occupants.
Side impact 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 delivered to the sensors.
