Engine overheating Hyundai Elantra 2017 User Guide

5-94
Driving your vehicle
To prevent engine and/or transmis-
sion (transmission) overheating:
• When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine
coolant temperature gauge to
ensure the engine does not
overheat. If the needle of the
coolant temperature gauge
moves towards “130 or H(Hot)” ,
pull over and stop as soon as it
is safe to do so, and allow the
engine to idle until it cools
down. You may proceed once the
engine has cooled sufficiently.
• When towing a trailer, your vehi-
cle speed may be much slower
than the general flow of traffic,
especially when climbing an
uphill grade. Use the right hand
lane when towing a trailer on an
uphill grade. Choose your vehi-
cle speed according to the max-
imum posted speed limit for
vehicles with trailers, the steep-
ness of the grade, and your trail-
er weight.
(Continued)(Continued)
• For vehicles equipped with the
dual clutch transmission, some
extra precaution should be
taken when towing a trailer. Due
to the added load on the trans-
mission when towing a trailer,
the clutches may get hot if the
vehicle experiences excessive
upshifting and downshifting.
Under certain conditions, such
as repeated stop-and-go launch-
es on steep grades, the trans-
mission clutches may become
overheated. When the clutches
start to become overheated, the
transmission safe protection
mode logic is enabled. If the safe
protection mode logic is
enabled, the gear position indi-
cator on the cluster LCD display
blinks, a chime sounds, and a
warning message will appear.
(Continued)(Continued)
If the dual clutch transmission
starts to become overheated,
the gear shift characteristics
may change. Gear shifts may
become more abrupt. If contin-
ued operation while towing a
trailer includes frequent and
continuous upshifts and down-
shifts, the overheat warning
message on the cluster LCD dis-
play may illuminate. If this
occurs, stop the vehicle, apply
the brakes or shift the vehicle to
(P) Park, and allow the transmis-
sion to cool.
NOTICE

5-96
Driving your vehicle
Maintenance when towing a
trailer
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition is another important item to
frequently check. If you're trailering,
it's a good idea to review these items
before you start your trip. Don't forget
to also maintain your trailer and
hitch. Follow the maintenance sched-
ule that accompanied your trailer and
check it periodically. Preferably,
inspect the vehicle and trailer at the
start of each day's driving. Inspect
the hitch mounting to make sure the
hitch is properly secured to the vehi-
cle. Inspect the trailer electrical
wiring to make sure brake lights, turn
signal lights, running lights, and haz-
ard lights are working properly.To prevent vehicle damage:
• Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
on hot days or during uphill driv-
ing. If the coolant gauge indi-
cates over-heating, switch off
the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.
• When towing check the automat-
ic transmission fluid more fre-
quently. (Note: This is not appli-
cable for vehicles equipped with
the dual clutch transmission.)
• If your vehicle is not equipped
with an air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan
to improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.
NOTICE

6-8
What to do in an emergency
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you experience a loss
of power, or hear loud pinging or
knocking, the engine may be over-
heating. If this happens, 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 (Park, for
automatic transmission vehicle) or
neutral (for manual transmission
vehicle) and set the parking brake.
If the air conditioning is ON, turn it
OFF.
3. If engine coolant is running out
under the vehicle or steam is com-
ing 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 for coolant leaking from the
radiator, hoses or under the vehi-
cle. (If the air conditioning had been
in use, it is normal for cold water to
be draining from it when you stop.)
5. If engine coolant is leaking out, stop
the engine immediately and we rec-
ommend that you call an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
While the engine is
running, keep hands,
clothing and tools
away from the mov-
ing parts such as the
cooling fan and drive
belt to prevent seri-
ous injury.
WARNING
NEVER remove the
radiator cap or the
drain plug while the
engine and radiator
are hot. Hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure, causing serious injury.
Turn the engine off and wait
until the engine cools down.
Use extreme care when remov-
ing the radiator cap. Wrap a
thick towel around it, and turn it
counterclockwise slowly to the
first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you are
sure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the
cap, using a thick towel, and
continue turning counterclock-
wise to remove it.
WARNING

6-9
What to do in an emergency
6
6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to nor-
mal. 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 overheat-
ing. If overheating happens again,
we recommend that you call an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer for
assistance.
•Serious loss of coolant indi-
cates a leak in the cooling
system and we recommend
the system be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
•When the engine overheats
from low engine coolant, sud-
denly adding engine coolant
may cause cracks in the
engine. To prevent damage,
add engine coolant slowly in
small quantities.
CAUTION