Hyundai Tiburon 2008 Owner's Manual
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WARNING: ENGINE EXHAUST CAN BE DANGEROUS!
C010A01GK-AATEngine exhaust fumes can be extremely dangerous. If, at any time, you smell exhaust fumes inside the vehicle, open the windows immediately.
o Do not inhale exhaust fumes.
Exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can cause unconsciousness and death by asphyxiation.
o Be sure the exhaust system does not leak.
The exhaust system should be checked whenever the vehicle is raised to change the oil or for any other purpose. If you hear a change
in the sound of the exhaust or if you drive over something that strikes the underneath side of the car, have the exhaust system checked
as soon as possible by your Hyundai dealer.
o Do not run the engine in an enclosed area.
Letting the engine idle in your garage, even with the garage door open, is a hazardous practice. Never run the engine in your garage any
longer than it takes to start the engine and back the car out.
o Avoid idling the engine for prolonged periods with people inside the car.
If it is necessary to idle the engine for a prolonged period with people inside the car, be sure to do so only in an open area with the air intake
set at "Fresh" and fan operating at one of the higher speeds so fresh air is drawn into the interior.
If you must drive with the tail gate open because you are carrying objects that make this necessary:
1. Close all windows.
2. Open side vents.
3. Set the air intake control at "Fresh", the air flow control at "Floor" or "Face" and the fan at one of the higher speeds.
To assure proper operation of the ventilation system, be sure the ventilation air intakes located just in front of the windshield are kept clear
of snow, ice, leaves or other obstructions.
!!
PROPOSITION 65 WARNING:
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automobile components and parts, including components found in the interior furnishings in a vehicle,
contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids
contained in vehicles and certain products of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
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BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINEC020A02A-AATBefore you start the engine, you should always:
1. Look around the vehicle to be sure there are
no flat tires, puddles of oil, water or other
indications of possible trouble.
2. After entering the car, check to be sure the
parking brake is engaged.
3. Check that all windows, and lights are clean.
4. Check that the interior and exterior mirrors
are clean and in position.
5. Check your seat, seatback and headrest to
be sure they are in their proper positions.
6. Close all the doors.
7. Fasten your seat belt and be sure that all
other occupants have fastened theirs.
8. Turn off all lights and accessories that are
not needed.
9. When you turn the ignition switch to "ON",
check that all appropriate warning lights are
operating and that you have sufficient fuel.
10.Check the operation of warning lights and all
bulbs when key is in the "ON" position.
TO START THE ENGINEC030A01A-AATCombination Ignition Switcho If your Hyundai is equipped with a manual
transaxle, place the shift lever in neutral and
depress the clutch pedal fully.
o If your Hyundai has an automatic transaxle,
place the shift lever in "P" (park).
o To start the engine, insert the ignition key and
turn it to the "START" position. Release it as
soon as the engine starts. Do not hold the
key in the "START" position for more than 15
seconds.NOTE:o For safety, the engine will not start if the
clutch pedal is not depressed fully
(Manual transaxle) or the shift lever is
not in "P" or "N" Position (Automatic
transaxle).
o The ignition key cannot be turned from
"ACC" position to "LOCK" position un-
less the shift lever is in the "P" (Park)
position or the negative battery terminal
is disconnected from the battery. To
remove the key, always confirm that the
shift lever is securely positioned in "P"
(Park) (For Automatic transaxle)
!
WARNING:
o All passengers must be properly belted
whenever the vehicle is moving. Refer to
pages: 1-16 through 1-20 for more infor-
mation on their proper use.
o Always check the surrounding areas near
your vehicle for people, especially chil-
dren, before putting a car into 'drive.'
o Always wear appropriate shoes when
operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski boots,
etc.) may interfere with your ability to
use the brake and accelerator pedal, and
the clutch (if installed).
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C070C03A-AATTo Remove the Ignition Key NOTE:
Do not hold the key in the "START" position
for more than 15 seconds.o "ON"When the key is in the "ON" position, the ignition
is on and all accessories may be turned on. If
the engine is not running, the key should not be
left in the "ON" position. This will discharge the
battery and may also damage the ignition sys-
tem.o "ACC"With the key in the "ACC" position, some elec-
trical accessories (radio, etc.) may be oper-
ated.o "LOCK"The key can be removed or inserted in this
position. To protect against theft, the steering
wheel locks by removing the key.NOTE:If difficulty is experienced in turning the
ignition key to the START position, turn the
steering wheel right and left to release the
tension and then turn the key.1. Turn the ignition key counterclockwise from
the "ACC" position to the "LOCK" position.
2. The key can be removed in the "LOCK"
position.
3. The key can be removed in the "LOCK"
position.
C070C01E-1
LOCKACC
ON
START
!KEY POSITIONSC040A02A-AAT
WARNING:
The engine should not be turned off or the
key removed from the ignition key cylinder
while the vehicle is in motion. The steering
wheel is locked by removing the key.o "START"The engine is started in this position. It will crank
until you release the key.
C040A01E-1
LOCKACC
ON
START
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STARTING!
C050A01A-AAT
WARNING:
Never run the engine in a closed or poorly
ventilated area any longer than is needed to
move your car in or out of the area. The
carbon monoxide gas emitted is odorless
and can cause serious injury or death.
C050A01E-1
LOCKON
START
C050B02A-AATNormal Conditions:
The Starting Procedure:1. Insert key, and fasten the seat belt.
2. Depress the clutch pedal fully and place the
gearshift lever (manual transaxle) in neutral
or the selector lever (automatic transaxle) in
"P" (park) position.
3. After turning the ignition key to the "ON"
position, make certain all warning lights and
gauges are functioning properly before start-
ing the engine.
WARNING:
Be sure that the clutch is fully depressed
when starting a manual transaxle vehicle.
Your manual transaxle equipped vehicle
will not start unless the clutch pedal is fully
depressed. On a manual transaxle equipped
vehicle that can be started without de-
pressing the clutch, there is the potential to
cause damage to the vehicle or injury to
someone inside or outside the vehicle as a
result of the forward or backward move-
ment of the vehicle that will occur if the
clutch is not depressed when the vehicle is
started.
!
4. Turn the ignition key to the "Start" position
and release it when the engine starts.
After the engine has started, allow the engine
to run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to placing
the vehicle in gear.
The starter should not be operated for more
than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 15-30 sec-
onds between starting attempts to protect
the starter from overheating.
!
WARNING:
Always fully depress the brake pedal before
and while shifting out of the "P" Park posi-
tion into another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the car.
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CAUTION:
o Do not downshift more than 2 gears or
downshift the gear when the engine is
running at high speed (5,000 RPM or
higher). Such downshifting may dam-
age the engine.
o When downshifting from fifth gear to
fourth gear, caution should be taken not
to inadvertently press the gear shift lever
sideways in such a manner that second
gear is engaged. Such a drastic down-
shift may cause the engine speed to
increase to the point that the tachometer
will enter the red zone. Such over revving
of the engine may possibly cause engine
damage.
!
o If you 've come to a complete stop and
it's hard to shift into 1st or R(Reverse),
put the shift lever in N(Neutral) position
and release the clutch. Press the clutch
pedal down, and then shift into 1st or
R(Reverse) gear position.
o Do not use the shift lever as a handrest
during driving, as this can result in pre-
mature wear of the transaxle shift forks.
OPERATING THE MANUAL
TRANSAXLEC070A04GK-AATYour Hyundai's manual transaxle has a con-
ventional shift pattern. This shift pattern is im-
printed on the shift knob. The transaxle is fully
synchronized in all forward gears so shifting to
either a higher or a lower gear is easily accom-
plished.
HGK3023
Type A Type B
When shifting into reverse gear, pull the mis-
shift prevention tab and shift into reverse gear
position. (B Type: 6 speed type)NOTE:o To shift into reverse, rest the lever in
neutral for at least 3 seconds after your
car is completely stopped. Then move
the lever into the reverse position.
o During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant has
warmed up. This is normal and not harm-
ful to the transaxle.
HGK3024
Type B
Mis-shift
prevention
tab
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C070B01A-AATUsing the ClutchThe clutch should be pressed all the way to the
floor before shifting, then released slowly. The
clutch pedal should always be fully returned to
the original position. Do not rest your foot on the
clutch pedal while driving. This can cause un-
necessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold the car
on an incline. This causes unnecessary wear.
Use the foot brake or parking brake to hold the
car on an incline. Do not operate the clutch pedal
rapidly and repeatedly.
C070D04A-AATGood Driving Practiceso Never take the car out of gear and coast
down a hill. This is extremely hazardous.
Always leave the car in gear.
o Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them
to overheat and malfunction. Instead, when
you are driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you do this,
engine braking will help slow the car.
o Slow down before shifting to a lower gear.
This will help avoid over-revving the engine,
which can cause damage.
o Slow down when you encounter cross winds.
This gives you much better control of your
car.
o Be sure the car is completely stopped before
you attempt to shift into reverse. The
transaxle can be damaged if you do not. To
shift into reverse, depress the clutch, move
the shift lever to neutral, wait three seconds,
then shift to the reverse position.
o Exercise extreme caution when driving on a
slippery surface. Be especially careful when
braking, accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change in ve-
hicle speed can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to go out of
control.
!
WARNING:
o Always buckle-up! In a collision, an
unbelted occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured or killed
than a properly belted occupant.
o Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
o Do not make quick steering wheel move-
ments, such as sharp lane changes or
fast, sharp turns.
o The risk of rollover is greatly increased if
you lose control of your vehicle at high-
way speeds.
o Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway and
the driver oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
o In the event your vehicle leaves the road-
way, do not steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into the travel
lanes.
o Never exceed posted speed limits.
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The first few shifts on a new vehicle, or if the
battery has been disconnected, may be
somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condi-
tion, and the shifting sequence will adjust
after shifts are cycled a few times by the
T.C.M (Transaxle Control Module).
HGK3040
!
CAUTION:
Never shift into "R" or "P" position while the
vehicle is moving.
C070E01GK-AATRecommended Shift PointsThe shift points as shown below are recom-
mended for optimum fuel economy and perfor-
mance.
Shift
from-to
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5Recommended
15 mph (20 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
35 mph (55 km/h)
45 mph (75 km/h)Shift
from-to
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6Recommended
10 mph (15 km/h)
20 mph (35 km/h)
30 mph (50 km/h)
45 mph (70 km/h)
60 mph (95 km/h)
Type A (5 speed)
Type B (6 speed)
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLEC090A03Y-AATThe highly efficient Hyundai automatic transaxle
has four forward speeds and one reverse
speed. The individual speeds are selected au-
tomatically, depending on the position of the
speed selector lever. The selector lever has 2
gates; the main gate and the manual gate.NOTE:For information on manual gate operation,
refer to "Sports Mode".
In the main gate, the selector lever has 4
positions, and is equipped with a button to avoid
inadvertent selection.
HGK3025
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!
C090B01A-AATThe function of each position is as fol-
lows:
o P (Park):Use to hold the vehicle in place when parked or
while starting the engine. Whenever parking the
car, apply the parking brake and shift the selec-
tor lever to the "P" (Park) position.
CAUTION:
Never place the selector lever in the "P"
(Park) position unless the vehicle is fully
stopped. Failure to observe this caution
will cause severe damage to the transaxle.NOTE:
Depress the brake pedal and push
the button when shifting.
Push the button when shifting.
The selector lever can be shifted
freely.
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
indicate the selector lever position when the
ignition is switched "ON". During the sports
mode operation, the gear currently in use dis-
plays in the numeral indicator.
C090E02O-AATo D(Drive):Use for normal driving. Bring the car to a
complete stop before shifting the selector lever
to "D" position. The transaxle will automatically
shift through a four gear sequence.C090D02O-AATo N (Neutral):In the "N" position, the transaxle is in neutral,
which means that no gears are engaged. The
engine can be started with the shift lever in "N"
position, although this is not recommended
except if the engine stalls while the car is
moving.C090C01A-AATo R(Reverse):Use for backing up the vehicle. Bring the car to
a complete stop before shifting the selector
lever to "R" position.
C090F02GK-GATSports ModeWhether the vehicle is stationary or in motion,
sports mode is selected by pushing the selector
lever from the "D" position into the manual gate.
To return to "D" range operation, push the
selector lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the selector lever back-
wards and forwards can make rapid gearshifts
simple. In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with the accel-
erator pedal depressed.
UP (+) : Push the lever forward once to shift up
one gear.
DOWN (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to
shift down one gear.
HGK3027
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!
C090I04L-GAT
CAUTION:
o Shift into "R", "D" and "P" position only
when the vehicle has completely
stopped.
o Do not accelerate the engine in reverse
or any of the forward positions with the
brakes applied.
o Always apply the footbrake when shift-
ing from "P" or "N", to "R", "D"position.
o Do not use the "P" (Park) position in
place of the parking brake. Always set
the parking brake, shift the transaxle
into "P" (Park) position and turn off the
ignition when you leave the vehicle, even
momentarily. Never leave the vehicle
unattended while the engine is running.
o Check the automatic transaxle fluid level
regularly, and add fluid as necessary.
o When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-
dency to roll backwards. Shifting the
shift lever into 2nd gear while in Sport
mode will help prevent the vehicle from
rolling backwards.
o See the maintenance schedule for the
proper fluid recommendation.
!
CAUTION:
o In sports mode, the driver must execute
shifts in accordance with prevailing road
conditions, taking care to keep the en-
gine speed below the red zone.
o For engine protection, upward shifts are
made automatically when the engine
rpm reaches the red zone.
o By rapidly moving the selector lever
backwards (-) twice it is possible to skip
one gear by using the sports mode.
Since sudden engine braking and/or
rapid acceleration can cause a loss of
traction, however, downshifts must be
made carefully in accordance with the
vehicle's speed.NOTE:o In sports mode, only the four forward
gears can be selected. To select reverse
or park, move the selector lever to the "R"
or "P" position as required.
o In sports mode, downward shifts are
made automatically when the vehicle
slows down. When the vehicle stops, 1st
gear is automatically selected.o To maintain the required levels of ve-
hicle performance and safety, the sys-
tem may not execute certain gearshifts
when the selector lever is operated.
o Before driving away from a stop on a
slippery road, push the selector lever
forward into the +(UP) position. This
causes the transaxle to shift into 2nd
gear which is better for smooth driving
away on a slippery road. Push the selec-
tor lever to the -(DOWN) side to shift
back to 1st gear.
C090H01L-GATNOTE:o For smooth and safe operation, depress
the brake pedal when shifting from "Neu-
tral" position or "Park" position to a
forward or reverse gear.
o The ignition key must be in the "ON"
position and the brake pedal fully de-
pressed in order to move the shift lever
from the "P" (Park) position to any of the
other positions.
o It is always possible to shift from "R",
"N", "D" position to "P" position. The
vehicle must be fully stopped to avoid
transaxle damage.
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C090N06O-AATGood Driving Practiceso Never move the gear selector lever from "P"
or "N" to any other position with the accelera-
tor pedal depressed.
o Never move the gear selector lever into "P"
when the vehicle is in motion.
o Be sure the car is completely stopped before
you attempt to shift into "R" or "D".
o Never take the car out of gear and coast
down a hill. This may be extremely hazard-
ous. Always leave the car in gear when
moving.
o Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause
them to overheat and malfunction. Instead,
when you are driving down a long hill, slow
down and shift to a lower gear. When you do
this, engine braking will help slow the car.
o Slow down before shifting to a lower gear.
Otherwise, the lower gear may not be en-
gaged.
o Always use the parking brake. Do not de-
pend on placing the transaxle in "P" to keep
the car from moving.
o Exercise extreme caution when driving on a
slippery surface. Be especially careful when
braking, accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change in ve-
hicle speed can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to go out of
control.
!
WARNING:
o Always buckle-up! In a collision, an
unbelted occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured or killed
than a properly belted occupant.
o Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
o Do not make quick steering wheel move-
ments, such as sharp lane changes or
fast, sharp turns.
o The risk of rollover is greatly increased if
you lose control of your vehicle at high-
way speeds.
o Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway and
the driver oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
o In the event your vehicle leaves the road-
way, do not steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into the travel
lanes.
o Never exceed posted speed limits. o Optimum vehicle performance and economy
is obtained by smoothly depressing and
releasing the accelerator pedal.
WARNING:
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt to
rock the vehicle free by moving it forward
and backward. Do not attempt this proce-
dure if people or objects are anywhere near
the vehicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move forward or
backward as it becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
!