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Hyundai Sonata Airbag Issues

leavemealoneleavemealone Member Posts: 4
edited August 2014 in Hyundai
Ok so I have an aftermarket remote starter. Whenever I use this unit to start the car, my Sonata will give the "Passenger Airbag Off" regardless if I have a passenger next to me or not. I have told Hyundai about this and they tell me that the computer has determined that the person sitting there is in a position where the airbag deploying would not be beneficial in an accident. This may be the case in some situations, but I find this extremely hard to believe that EVERY TIME I use my remote starter, my passenger is in an unsafe position. I have had passengers jump up and down, wiggle around, moved the seat forward/back, incline/decline etc....still no go.

If I turn the car off and restart the car with the key, while the passenger is in the car the "passenger airbag off" indicator is unlit specifying that the airbag WILL now deploy.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Realistically I could use the remote starter to warm the car up...get into the car and turn the car off and restart with the key every time but that seems like a pain in the [non-permissible content removed].

I'm wondering if there is some type of time limit for a passenger to sit on the seat to activate the airbag....kind of similar to the seat belt chime which will go off after 10 minutes.

Thanks for the help/ideas/suggestions in advance.
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Comments

  • cajuncyclercajuncycler Member Posts: 172
    Unfortunately as computerized as todays cars are there is no such thing as a simple plug and play aftermarket electronics anymore. My suggestion is to send information to the company that manufactures your remote start unit and see if they have a fix or can at least research it. It is in their best interest to make their equipment compatible in the vehicles it is installed in, not Hyundai's.
  • leavemealoneleavemealone Member Posts: 4
    My initial thoughts would be that Hyundai needs to address the problem. When the car is running, however it has been started, it should be the job of the ECU to continuously check if there is someone sitting on the passenger seat. It does this when the car is started via the key....why shouldn't it do it now?

    In terms of the aftermarket company, I'm not sure how it could possibly be their job to make sure that the car's ECU does its job properly. The job of the unit is to start/stop the car...maintain proper tach....keep a timer of how long car has been running and if over alloted time period stop.

    Thanks for your thoughts/ideas/suggestions. They are very much appreciated.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Well, I guess the thing is that the remote starter is clearly doing something to interfere with the ECU. I agree with cajuncycler - it's their problem, not Hyundai's. Hyundai is just going to tell you don't use the aftermarket part.

    OTOH, the manufacturer of the remote starter wants you and every other Hyundai owner :) to use its product, so it has to make sure it is indeed usable. And right now it is not usable if you have a passenger in the car, at least not without you have to stop and restart the car. That should concern them and they will look at the problem.

    Are there other aftermarket remote starters made by different manufacturers? If so, it would be interesting to know if they also do this.

    (BTW, you don't really want us to leave you alone, do you? :P )
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You could test your time-limit theory by starting the car with the key, then waiting about 10 minutes before an adult climbs into the passenger seat. If the OCS works correctly in that case, it narrows the problem down to something with the remote starter installation.
  • darvizudarvizu Member Posts: 1
    I understand your frustration. If you do a google search, you will find numerous complaints that the airbag light goes on and off on Hyundais. I have a 2006 Tuscon, purchased new, and I got the company line about sitting correctly, etc. for the airbag light to stay off. My 102 lb. passenger and others tried it all but they have a history of problems with the airbag sensor. File a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety office. I also did a video with the passenger holding a newspaper showing the light comes on just in case the dealer will not replace the sensor. Good luck.
  • leavemealoneleavemealone Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the info. I just submitted a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Office.
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I am curious, when you filed this complaint with NHTS where did you place the blame? That is if you assigned blame at all. The reason I ask is I tend to agree totally with some others who posted here stating than you should not tinker with the current generation of vehicles that highly integrate all systems including safety through processors that have more "smarts" than the computers used by NASA for the moon shots. What does that mean? It means you cannot start hacking into these systems...cutting and splicing wiring..rerouting and re-placing pins on plugs and the like. The manufacturers of these aftermarket items will swear they are compatible with everything on the automotive market(otherwise who would buy one)but now at least you know better. If there is blame to be placed I hope you started with the remote starter manufacturer followed closely by...you for allowing you car to be played with in this manner then trying to blame Hyundai for the problem!!
  • leavemealoneleavemealone Member Posts: 4
    I filed the complaint in regards to the airbag sensor not working properly when a passenger enters the car after it has been started. The airbag will not deploy until the car has been shut off and turned on with the person sitting in the passenger's seat.
  • outforrepairoutforrepair Member Posts: 5
    http://www.lemonauto.com/complaints/hyundai/hyundai_sonata.htm

    This should make 06 Sonata owners happy...Just bought one...Now it has to go in to get all this crap fixed...Surely, it is definately Hyundai's fault...Otherwise, love this car...
  • outforrepairoutforrepair Member Posts: 5
    edited October 2010
    Btw, another problem...Wait till over 60k miles and your airbag light on the dashboard will come on...Hmmm....Not a recall, yet...I, also, filed a complaint...Since it's almost 400,000 under recall, it's not your remote starter...
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    I have the same year, make and model car as you and I was wondering something. If you use the remote starter while someone is in the seat, than the airbag light should stay off until you put the key in the ignition and turn to start position, right? If not, than there is something wrong with your remote starter unit. You may also want to at least have a dealer make sure the airbag itself is working properly when you use the remote starter when you say it's not on.
  • outforrepairoutforrepair Member Posts: 5
    After a few hrs of researching Hyundai problems, I have found out things I don't even want to know about. 1 - A remote starter has nothing to do with the airbag system in any car. I bet a dozen doughnuts that if you took the car back to where you had the remote starter installed and had them disconnect it, the problem would still be there. 2 - I have seen a multitude of posts about Hyundai's in front and side crashes over 25mph and the airbags NEVER deployed. Scary, huh? And this is over several models and several years. Airbags are "supposed" to be designed to deploy above 25mph. Alot of accidents were above 40mph and these people sustained major injuries that could have been prevented if the airbags actually deployed. Funny how Hyundai says in these instances that the car worked as designed. This is not only a lie, but criminal. The only time you should see an airbag light at all is when the car is started and the "idiot" lights do a self-test. The idiot lights are all the dashboard lights that come on when you start the car and go off in a couple of seconds. The problem with your passenger seat (and mine) is the air bladder that measures the weight on the cushion. It's a recalled and defective part. From my 120 lb. wife to her 270 lb. cousin, that light should never come on as no one on planet earth would consider them "child" weight. Here's the skinny. As far as the dashboard "airbag" light, I've heard several problems. It could be a low voltage battery ( I really laughed at this one), under-dash wiring harness problem, seatbelt sensor defective, under-the-seat connectors becoming disconnected when moving the seats, drinks spilling in the drink holders corroding wires, etc...Hyundai has a billion dollar problem on their hands and the only way for them to fix it is to deny it. The government should step in but they're too busy spending this country's wealth. Hence, don't hit anything. That could really ruin your day...
  • outforrepairoutforrepair Member Posts: 5
    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/hyundai_airbags_p10.html

    Airbags not deploying....
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    Yes, and after only a few MINUTES of on line research I found deployment and non-deployment issues (including recalls and NHTSA investigations) for the following manufacturers: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, BMW, VW, Toyota, Honda, Saturn and probably every other company if I had looked further. So, don't try to single out Hyundai as the only manufacturer with SRS issues. Further, I went to the link which you provided to read some of the "documented" Hyundai SRS non-deployment and unintended deployment issues and some make nice fictional reading but if you think I believe all there..guess again. I don't even think some of the earlier (1999-2000-2001) Hyundai models especially the Accent and Elantra even had side impact curtains and people there were suprised they didn't deploy???
  • outforrepairoutforrepair Member Posts: 5
    Calm down, targetpractice...We're specifically talking about Hyundai's here...What you THINK about other people having problems with their cars doesn't matter here...Hey, did you ever think that some people might not know exactly what airbag setup they have?...Don't know who pissed in yer Cherrios, but try adding somethng positive here...Seriously, it won't hurt...lol....
  • targettuningtargettuning Member Posts: 1,371
    I am calm...you should see me otherwise. However, linking to a site with dubious information, written by people who don't even know if their specific car has a side curtain system then complain when the non existing system didn't deploy isn't, in my opinion, useful. And, of course, what I THINK matters otherwise I'll just agree with you all the time.
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