engine coolant Hyundai Elantra 2011 Owner's Manual

Your vehicle at a glance
4 2
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OMD070047N
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.1. Engine oil filler cap ...........................7-21
2. Engine oil dipstick .............................7-21
3. Brake/clutch fluid reservoir ...............7-25
4. Positive battery terminal ...................7-33
5. Negative battery terminal..................7-33
6. Fuse box ...........................................7-50
7. Air cleaner.........................................7-27
8. Radiator cap .....................................7-24
9. Engine coolant reservoir ...................7-23
10. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ...7-26

445
Features of your vehicle
When the door is open, or if the engine is
not started within 1 minute, the tachometer
pointer may move slightly in ON position
with the engine OFF. This movement is
normal and will not affect the accuracy of
the tachometer once the engine is running.
Engine temperature gauge
This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “If the engine overheats” in section 6.
OMD040048N
CAUTION
If the gauge moves beyond the nor-
mal range area toward the “H” posi-
tion, it indicates overheating that
may damage the engine.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine within
the tachometer's RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine dam-
age.
WARNING
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The engine
coolant is under pressure and
could cause severe burns. Wait
until the engine is cool before
adding coolant to the reservoir.

53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-
ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind
you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
BEFORE DRIVING
CALIFORNIA PROPOSI-
TION 65 WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide variety
of automobile components and
parts, including components found
in the interior furnishings in a vehi-
cle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, cer-
tain 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.
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result
in a loss of vehicle control, that
may lead to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The dri-
ver’s primary responsibility is in
the safe and legal operation of a
vehicle, and use of any handheld
devices, other equipment, or vehi-
cle systems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehicle
or which are not permissible by law
should never be used during oper-
ation of the vehicle.

Driving your vehicle
40 5
Highway driving
Tires
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.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Never 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. Inspect your
drive belt for proper tension, or have your
Hyundai dealer inspect this at the normal
service intervals listed in section 7.
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 tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
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 “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.
OMG015008

Driving your vehicle
44 5
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an
approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into
the key opening. If a lock is covered with
ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing
fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is
frozen internally, you may be able to thaw
it out by using a heated key. Handle the
heated key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is
available from an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer and most auto parts outlets. Do
not use engine coolant or other types of
anti-freeze as these may damage the
paint finish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
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 of the parking
brake may freezing, apply it only tem-
porarily while you put the shift lever in P
(automatic transaxle) or in first or reverse
gear (manual transaxle) and block the
rear wheels so the vehicle cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the car to be sure the move-
ment of the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er where you drive your car, you should
carry appropriate emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or chains,
flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a
shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket,
etc.

What to do in an emergency
6 6
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power,
or hear loud pinging or knocking, the
engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it
is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or neutral (manual transaxle)
and set the parking brake. If the air con-
ditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under
the car or steam is coming out from
the hood, stop the engine. Do not open
the hood until the coolant has stopped
running or the steaming has stopped.
If there is no visible loss of engine
coolant and no steam, leave the
engine running and check to be sure
the engine cooling fan is operating. If
the fan is not running, turn the engine
off.4. Check to see if the water pump drive
belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the car. (If the air con-
ditioning had been in use, it is normal
for cold water to be draining from it
when you stop.)
5. If the water pump drive belt is broken
or engine coolant is leaking out, stop
the engine immediately and call the
nearest authorized HYUNDAI dealer
for assistance.6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,
if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for
further signs of overheating. If over-
heating happens again, call an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
WARNING
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling system
and this should be checked as soon
as possible by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This may
result in coolant being blown out of
the opening and cause serious
burns.

7
Engine compartment / 7-2
Maintenance services / 7-3
Owner maintenance / 7-4
Scheduled maintenance service / 7-6
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-18
Engine oil / 7-21
Engine coolant / 7-23
Brake/clutch fluid / 7-25
Washer fluid / 7-26
Parking brake / 7-26
Air cleaner / 7-27
Climate control air filter / 7-28
Wiper blades / 7-30
Battery / 7-33
Tires and wheels / 7-36
Fuses / 7-49
Light bulbs / 7-58
Appearance care / 7-67
Emission control system / 7-73
California perchlorate notice / 7-76
Maintenance

Maintenance
2 7
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OMD070047N
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.1. Engine oil filler cap
2. Engine oil dipstick
3. Brake/clutch fluid reservoir
4. Positive battery terminal
5. Negative battery terminal
6. Fuse box
7. Air cleaner
8. Radiator cap
9. Engine coolant reservoir
10. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
* : if equipped

Maintenance
4 7
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer at the frequencies indicated to
help ensure safe, dependable operation
of your vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant reser-
voir.
Check the windshield washer fluid
level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
WARNING- Maintenance
work
Performing maintenance work on
a vehicle can be dangerous. You
can be seriously injured while
performing some maintenance
procedures. If you lack sufficient
knowledge and experience or the
proper tools and equipment to do
the work, have it done by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Working under the hood with the
engine running is dangerous. It
becomes even more dangerous
when you wear jewelry or loose
clothing. These can become
entangled in moving parts and
result in injury. Therefore, if you
must run the engine while work-
ing under the hood, make certain
that you remove all jewelry (espe-
cially rings, bracelets, watches,
and necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose cloth-
ing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause burns
or other serious injury.

75
Maintenance
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the
exhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering
wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns
slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for
unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper-
ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park)
function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle
(water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the engine
coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior
lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all
tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air condi-
tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check windshield washer spray and
wiper operation. Clean wiper blades
with clean cloth dampened with wash-
er fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields
and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear
and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel
lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks, and
hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and
latches.
Lubricate door rubber weatherstrips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate automatic
transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.