Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 2016 Owner's Manual

7-42
Maintenance
For best battery service • Keep the battery securely mounted.
Keep the battery top clean and dry.
Keep the terminals and connec-
tions clean, tight, and coated with
petroleum jelly or terminal grease.
Rinse any spilled acid from the bat-
tery immediately with a solution of
water and baking soda.Battery recharging
Always follow these instructions
when recharging your vehicle’s
battery to avoid the risk of SERI-
OUS INJURY or DEATH from
explosions or acid burns:
Before performing mainte-
nance or recharging the bat-
tery, turn off all accessories and
place the Engine Start/Stop
button to the OFF position.
Keep all flames, sparks, or
smoking materials away from
the battery.
Always work outdoors or in an
area with plenty of ventilation.
Wear eye protection when
checking the battery during
charging.
The battery must be removed
from the vehicle and placed in
a well ventilated area.
(Continued)
WARNING
OLFH074011L
OLFP075011
■Hybrid
■Plug-in hybrid

7-43
7
Maintenance
By jump starting
After a jump start from a good bat-
tery, drive the vehicle for 20-30 min-
utes before it is shutoff. The vehicle
may not restart if you shut it off
before the battery had a chance to
adequately recharge. See “Jump
Starting” in chapter 6 for more infor-
mation on jump starting procedures.
Information
An inappropriately dis-posed battery can be
harmful to the environ-
ment and human health.
Dispose the battery according to
your local law(s) or regulation.
Reset features
Some items need to be reset after
the battery has been discharged or
the battery has been disconnected.
See chapter 3 for:
Power Windows
Trip Computer
Climate Control System
Clock
Audio System
Sunroof
i
(Continued)
Watch the battery during
charging, and stop or reduce
the charging rate if the battery
cells begin boiling violently.
The negative battery cable
must be removed first and
installed last when the battery
is disconnected. Disconnect
the battery charger in the fol-
lowing order:
(1) Turn off the battery charger main switch.
(2) Unhook the negative
clamp from the negative
battery terminal.
(3) Unhook the positive clamp from the positive battery
terminal.
Always use a genuine HYUNDAI
approved battery when you
replace the battery.

7-44
Maintenance
T
TI
IR
R E
ES
S
A
A N
N D
D
W
W H
HE
EE
EL
LS
S

Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within the
load limits and weight distribution rec-
ommended for your vehicle.
(Continued)Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are dam-
aged. Worn tires can cause
loss of braking effectiveness,
steering) control, or traction.
ALWAYS replace tires with the
same size as each tire that
was originally supplied with
this vehicle. Using tires and
wheels other than the recom-
mended sizes could cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics, poor vehicle control, or
negatively affect your vehi-
cle’s Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) resulting in a serious
accident.
Tire failure may cause loss of
vehicle control resulting in an
accident. To reduce risk of
SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH,
take the following precautions:
Inspect your tires monthly for
proper inflation as well as
wear and damage.
The recommended cold tire
pressure for your vehicle can
be found in this manual and on
the tire label located on the dri-
ver’s side center pillar. Always
use a tire pressure gauge to
measure tire pressure. Tires
with too much or too little
pressure wear unevenly caus-
ing poor handling.
Check the pressure of the
spare every time you check
the pressure of the other tires
on your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING

7-45
7
Maintenance
All specifications (sizes and pressures)
can be found on a label attached to the
driver’s side center pillar.
Recommended cold tire infla-
tion pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than
one mile (1.6 km).
Warm tires normally exceed recom-
mended cold tire pressures by 4 to 6
psi (28 to 41 kPa). Do not release air
from warm tires to adjust the pres-
sure or the tires will be under-inflat-
ed. For recommended inflation pres-
sure, refer to “Tire and Wheels” in
chapter 8.Recommended pressures must
be maintained for the best ride,
vehicle handling, and minimum
tire wear.
Over-inflation or under-inflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure that
could result in loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident.
Severe under-inflation can lead
to severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident. This
risk is much higher on hot days
and when driving for long peri-
ods at high speeds.
WARNING
OLFH085007N

7-46
Maintenance
Check tire inflation pressure
Check your tires, including the spare
tire, once a month or more.
How to check
Use a good quality tire pressure
gauge to check tire pressure. You
can not tell if your tires are properly
inflated simply by looking at them.
Radial tires may look properly inflat-
ed when they are under-inflated.
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended pressure. Make sure to
put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. Without the valve cap, dirt or
moisture could get into the valve
core and cause air leakage. If a valve
cap is missing, install a new one as
soon as possible.If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gauge. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leakage.
If a valve cap is missing, install a new
one as soon as possible.
Under-inflation results in
excessive wear, poor handling
and reduced fuel economy.
Wheel deformation is also
possible. Keep your tire pres-
sures at the proper levels. If a
tire frequently needs refilling,
have it checked by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer.
Over-inflation produces a
harsh ride, excessive wear at
the center of the tire tread,
and a greater possibility of
damage from road hazards.
CAUTION

7-47
7
MaintenanceDo not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that may cause loss of
vehicle control resulting in an
accident.
WARNING
Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, HYUNDAI
recommends that the tires be rotated
every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness (proper torque is
65-79 lb.ft [9-11 kg.m]).Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
Information
The outside and inside of the
unsymmetrical tire is distinguish-
able. When installing an unsym-
metrical tire, be sure to install the
side marked "outside" face the
outside. If the side marked
"inside" is installed on the out-
side, it will have a bad effect on
vehicle performance.
i
ODH073802
■
Without a spare tire

7-48
Maintenance
Wheel alignment and tire bal-
ance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Improper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle’s aluminum
wheels. Use only approved wheel
weights.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
NOTICE
OLMB073027
Tread wear indicatorTo reduce the risk of DEATH or
SERIOUS INJURY:
Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
Always replace tires with the
same size as each tire that
was originally supplied with
this vehicle. Using tires and
wheels other than the recom-
mended sizes could cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics, poor vehicle control, or
negatively affect your vehi-
cle’s Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) resulting in a serious
accident.(Continued)
WARNING

7-49
7
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
(Continued)
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, HYUNDAI recommends
that tires be replaced after six
(6) years of normal service.
Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading condi-
tions can accelerate the aging
process. Failure to follow this
warning may cause sudden
tire failure, which could lead to
a loss of vehicle control result-
ing in an accident.
The original tire should be
repaired or replaced as soon as
possible to avoid failure of the
spare and loss of vehicle con-
trol resulting in an accident. The
compact spare tire is for emer-
gency use only. Do not operate
your vehicle over 50 mph (80
km/h) when using the compact
spare tire.
WARNING

7-50
Maintenance
Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.
Tire sidewall labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental charac-
teristics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The
TIN can be used to identify the tire in
case of a recall.
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
205/65R16 95H
205 - Tire width in millimeters.
65 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
95 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
OLMB073028
1
1
2
34
5,6
7

7-51
7
Maintenance
Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
6.5JX16
6.5 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger car tires. The
speed rating is part of the tire size
designation on the sidewall of the
tire. This symbol corresponds to that
tire’s designed maximum safe oper-
ating speed.
3. Checking tire life (TIN : TireIdentification Number)
Any tires that are over six years old,
based on the manufacturing date,
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of the
wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of num-
bers on a tire consisting of numbers
and English letters. The manufactur-
ing date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1615 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2015.
Speed
Rating
Symbol Maximum Speed
S 112 mph (180 km/h) T 118 mph (190 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h) V 149 mph (240 km/h)Z Above 149 mph (240 km/h)