"passenger air bag off" light question

reference to '05 elantra.

I had some school books in the passenger seat. After i turned the
engine, the "passenger air bag off" light came on. It stayed on
and never shut off.

My question is: does the light stay on all the time when I have
objects in the passenger seat?

Is that a problem that needs to be inspected?

 

I had the same question just after my wife and I got our '05 Elantra.
It takes 120 pounds to turn off that light. I doubt that you have that much
weight in school books.

So, yes that light is going to stay on unless you have a passenger in that
seat.

 

thanks for reply.

Any popular hyundai discussion boards besides usenet that you can
recommend for
questions like these?

 

Join www.elantraclub.com

 

IIRC, the airbag is supposed to turn on (the light shuts off) if there
is 55 pounds or more in the seat. If there is less than that, the light
should be on, indicating that the airbag is off. If the seat is empty,
the light should be on, which means it's on most of the time.

 

I'd just add that your owner's manual has an informative section on this
lamp and what it means. I highly recommend reading that section in
particular.