flat tire Hyundai Elantra 2009 Owner's Manual

Safety features of your vehicle22 3Periodic inspectionIt is recommended that all seat belts be
inspected periodically for wear or dam-
age of any kind. Parts of the system that
are damaged should be replaced as
soon as possible.Keep belts clean and drySeat belts should be kept clean and dry.
If belts become dirty, they can be
cleaned by using a mild soap solution
and warm water. Bleach, dye, strong
detergents or abrasives should not be
used because they may damage and
weaken the fabric.When to replace seat beltsEntire in-use seat belt assembly or
assemblies should be replaced if the
vehicle has been involved in an accident.
This should be done even if no damage
is visible. Additional questions concern-
ing seat belt operation should be directed
to an authorized Hyundai dealer.Children riding in the car should sit in the
rear seat and must always be properly
restrained to minimize the risk of injury in
an accident, sudden stop or sudden
maneuver. According to accident statis-
tics, children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seats than in the
front seat. Larger children not in a child
restraint should use one of the seat belts
provided.
You should be aware of the specific
requirements in your state. Child and/or
infant safety seats must be properly
placed and installed in the rear seat. You
must use a commercially available child
restraint system that meets the require-
ments of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS).
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt, or
by a tether anchor and/or LATCH anchors
(if equipped).
Children could be injured or killed in a
crash if their restraints are not properly
secured. For small children and babies, a
child seat or infant seat must be used.
Before buying a particular child restraint
system, make sure it fits your car seat
and seat belts, and fits your child. Follow
all the instructions provided by the man-
ufacturer when installing the child
restraint system.
CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM
WARNING
A child restraint system must be
placed in the rear seat. Never
install a child or infant seat on the
front passenger's seat. Should an
accident occur and cause the
passenger side air bag to deploy,
it could severely injure or kill an
infant or child seated in an infant
or child seat. Thus only use a
child restraint in the rear seat of
your vehicle.
A seat belt or child restraint sys-
tem can become very hot if it is
left in a closed vehicle on a sunny
day, even if the outside tempera-
ture does not feel hot. Be sure to
check the seat cover and buckles
before placing a child there.
When the child restraint system
is not in use, store it in the trunk
or fasten it with a seat belt so that
it will not be thrown forward in
the case of a sudden stop or an
accident.
Children may be seriously injured
or killed by an inflating air bag.
All children, even those too large
for child restraints, must ride in
the rear seat.

Features of your vehicle50 4Low tire pressure
telltale (if equipped)The low tire pressure telltale
comes on for 3 seconds after the ignition
switch is turned to the ON position.
If the warning light does not come on, or
continuously remains on after coming on
for about 3 seconds when you turned the
ignition switch to the ON position, the
Tire Pressure Monitoring System is not
working properly. If this occurs, have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.
This warning light will also illuminate if
one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible. If
the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing, reduce vehicle speed immediately
and stop the vehicle. Avoid hard braking
and overcorrecting at the steering wheel.
Inflate the tires to the proper pressure as
indicated on the vehicle’s tire information
placard.
TPMS (Tire pressure mon-
itoring system)
malfunction indicator
(if equipped)TPMS malfunction indicator comes on for
3 seconds after the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position. If the warning
light does not come on, or continuously
remains on after coming on for about 3
seconds when you turned the ignition
switch to the ON position, the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System is not work-
ing porperly. If this occurs, have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.The warning light also comes on and
stays on when there is a problem with the
Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
If this happens, the system may not mon-
itor the tire pressure. Have the system
checked by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer as soon as possible.
TPMS
WARNING
- Low tire pres-
sure
Significantly low tire pressure
makes the vehicle unstable and can
contribute to loss of vehicle control
and increased braking distances.
Continued driving on low pressure
tires will cause the tires to overheat
and fail.
WARNING
- Safe stopping
The TPMS cannot alert you to
severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors.
If you feel any vehicle instability,
immediately take your foot off the
accelerator, apply the brakes
gradually and with light force,
and slowly move to a safe posi-
tion off the road.

525
Driving your vehicle
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting
your foot on the brake pedal while driv-
ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving,
apply the brakes gently and keep the
car pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place.
If your car is equipped with an auto-
matic transaxle, don't let your car
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the car is stopped.
Use caution when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the gear selector lever in "P"
(automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle). If
your car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels into the curb to help keep
the car from rolling. If your car is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the car from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the car from rolling, block the wheels. Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the gear
selector lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the car cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade
with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.

Driving your vehicle30 5Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
miles (kilometers) you can get from a gal-
lon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you can
avoid unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster
you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal.
This can increase fuel consumption
and also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with your
foot resting on the brake pedal may
cause the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and may
lead to more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.
Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your car
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in Section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see Section
7 for details). Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than
necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in too
high a gear resulting in the engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a lower
gear. Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds.ECONOMICAL OPERATION

Driving your vehicle34 5Higher speed motoringTires:Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.✽ ✽
NOTICENever exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil:High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine
oil.Drive belt:A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to section
9, “Tires and wheels”.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi-
cient tread is dangerous. Worn-
out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to section 7,
“Tires and wheels”.

6
Road warning / 6-2
In case of an emergency while driving / 6-2
If the engine will not start / 6-3
Emergency starting / 6-4
If the engine overheats / 6-5
Tires pressure monitoring system (TPMS) / 6-7
If you have a flat tire / 6-12
Towing / 6-20
What to do in an emergency

What to do in an emergency2 6ROAD WARNING Hazard warning flasher The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle.It should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.
Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
The turn signals do not work when the
hazard flasher is on.
Care must be taken when using the
hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.
If the engine stalls at a crossroad
and crossingIf the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehi-
cle to a safe place.If you have a flat tire while drivingIf a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal
and let the car slow down while driving
straight ahead. Do not apply the brakes
immediately or attempt to pull off the
road as this may cause a loss of con-
trol. When the car has slowed to such
a speed that it is safe to do so, brake
carefully and pull off the road. Drive off
the road as far as possible and park on
firm, level ground. If you are on a divid-
ed highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes.
2. When the car is stopped, turn on your
emergency hazard flashers, set the
parking brake and put the transaxle in
P (automatic transaxle) or reverse
(manual transaxle).
3. Have all passengers get out of the car.
Be sure they all get out on the side of
the car that is away from traffic.IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
WHILE DRIVING
OHD046044L

63
What to do in an emergency
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the
instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.If engine stalls while driving1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your
vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized Hyundai dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
If engine doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly1. If your car has an automatic transaxle,
be sure the gear selector lever is in N
(Neutral) or P (Park) and the emer-
gency brake is set.
2. Check the battery connections to be
sure they are clean and tight.
3. Turn on the interior light. If the light
dims or goes out when you operate the
starter, the battery is discharged.
4. Check the starter connections to be
sure they are securely tightened.
5. Do not push or pull the vehicle to start
it. See instructions for "Jump starting".
If engine turns over normally but
does not start1. Check fuel level.
2. With the ignition switch in the OFF
position, check all connectors at igni-
tion, coil and spark plugs. Reconnect
any that may be disconnected or
loose.
3. Check the fuel line in the engine com-
partment.
4. If the engine still does not start, call an
authorized Hyundai dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
WARNING
If the engine will not start, do not
push or pull the car to start it. This
could result in a collision or cause
other damage. In addition, push or
pull starting may cause the catalyt-
ic converter to be overloaded and
create a fire hazard.

67
What to do in an emergency
TIRES PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) (IF EQUIPPED) (1) Low Tire Pressure Telltale
(2) TPMS Malfunction Indicator
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehi-
cle manufacturer on the vehicle plac-
ard or tire inflation pressure label. (If
your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper inflation pressure for those
tires.)As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low
tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire caus-
es the tire to overheat and can lead
to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsi-
bility to maintain correct tire pres-
sure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumina-
tion of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS mal-
function indicator is provided by a
separate telltale, which displays the
symbol "TPMS" when illuminated.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunc-
tions may occur for a variety of rea-
sons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
indicator after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
OHD067001

What to do in an emergency8 6
Low tire pressure tell-
tale
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning telltale is illuminat-
ed, one or more of your tires is sig-
nificantly under-inflated.
Immediately reduce your speed,
avoid hard cornering and anticipate
increased stopping distances. You
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible. Inflate the tires to
the proper pressure as indicated on
the vehicle’s placard or tire inflation
pressure label located on the driver’s
side center pillar outer panel. If you
cannot reach a service station or if
the tire cannot hold the newly added
air, replace the low pressure tire with
the compact spare tire. Because the
compact spare tire is not equipped
with a tire pressure sensor, the
TPMS malfunction indicator may go
on and the Low Tire Pressure telltale
still turn on after restarting and about
20 minutes of continuous driving
before you have the low-pressure tire
repaired and replaced on the vehicle.
WARNING
- Low pressure
damage
Significantly low tire pressure
makes the vehicle unstable and
can contribute to loss of vehicle
control and increased braking
distances.
Continued driving on low pres-
sure tires will cause the tires to
overheat and fail.
CAUTION
In winter or cold weather, the
low tire pressure telltale may be
illuminated if the tire pressure
was adjusted to the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure
in warm weather. It does not
mean your TPMS is malfunction-
ing because the decreased tem-
perature leads to a proportional
lowering of tire pressure.
When you drive your vehicle
from a warm area to a cold area
or from a cold area to a warm
area, or the outside temperature
is greatly higher or lower, you
should check the tire inflation
pressure and adjust the tires to
the recommended tire inflation
pressure.