Hyundai Equus 2012 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
8 5
Automatic transmission operation
The automatic transmission has 8 for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed. The
individual speeds are selected automati-
cally, depending on the position of the
shift lever.
✽NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if
the battery has been disconnected, may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and the shifting sequence will
adjust after shifts are cycled a few times
by the TCM (Transmission Control
Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control
Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OVI059004
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
The selector lever can be shifted freely. Depress the brake pedal when shifting. (If your vehicle is installed shift lock system)

59
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a
forward or reverse gear.Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position when the
engine start/stop button is in the ON
position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transmission and prevents the drive
wheels from rotating.
WARNING- Automatic
transmission
• Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting the shift lever into D
(Drive) or R (Reverse).
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order iden-
tified.
CAUTION
• To avoid damage to your trans-
mission, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on.
• When stopped on an incline, do
not hold the vehicle with the
engine power. Use the service
brake or the parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P
(Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause the
drive wheels to lock which will
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
• Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) position
and set the parking brake fully.
• Never leave a child unattended in
a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transmission may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.

Driving your vehicle
10 5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transmission will automatically
shift through a 8-gear sequence, provid-
ing the best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the trans-
mission will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
✽NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to D
(Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a
manual transmission, the sports mode
allows gearshifts with the accelerator
pedal depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transmission if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except when “Rocking the
vehicle” explained in this section.
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- (DOWN)
Sports mode

511
Driving your vehicle
✽NOTICE
• In sports mode, the driver must exe-
cute upshifts in accordance with road
conditions, taking care to keep the
engine speed below the red zone.
• In sports mode, only the 8 forward
gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) or P (Park) position
as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made
automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm
approaches the red zone shift points
are varied to upshift automatically.
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain
gearshifts when the shift lever is oper-
ated.
• When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the trans-
mission to shift into the 2nd (or 3rd)
gear which is better for smooth driv-
ing on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the -(down) side to shift back
to the 1st gear.
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic transmis-
sion has a shift lock system which pre-
vents shifting the transmission out of P
(Park) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the transmission from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
noise near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) or N (Neutral) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake pedal
depressed, continue depressing the
brake, then do the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap (1) covering
the shift-lock access hole.
2. Insert a key (or screwdriver) into the
access hole and press down on the
key (or screwdriver).
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer immedi-
ately.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting out
of the P (Park) position into anoth-
er position to avoid inadvertent
motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the
vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
12 5
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the shift lever into P (Park)
when the vehicle is in motion.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift into
R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
• Never take the vehicle out of gear and
coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
vehicle in gear when moving.
• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. 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 vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may
not be engaged.• Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transmission in
P (Park) to keep the vehicle from mov-
ing.
• 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 vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
• Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-
tor pedal.WARNING
• Always buckle-up! In a collision,
an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when corner-
ing or turning.
• Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
• Lossing control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
• Never exceed posted speed lim-
its.

513
Driving your vehicle
Moving up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start
To move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive) and release
the parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the service
brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-
dency to roll backwards. Shifting the
shift lever into 2 (Second Gear) will
help prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards.
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 procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.

Driving your vehicle
14 5
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
(Continued)
• When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
• Wet brakes may impair the vehi-
cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
• Always, confirm the position of
the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't check
the position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It may
cause a serious accident.
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
WARNING- Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
(Continued)

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Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
Electric parking brake (EPB)
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the brake pedal and then pull the EPB
switch. Make sure that the brake warning
light comes on.
Releasing the parking brake
The parking brake will be released auto-
matically when you shift the shift lever
from P (Park) to R (Reverse), N (Neutral)
or D (Drive) while depressing the brake
pedal.
To release the parking brake manually
with the engine start/stop button in the
ON position, press the EPB switch while
depressing the brake pedal. Make sure
that the brake warning light goes off.
If the parking brake does not release,
have the system checked by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
• To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with worn
brake pads.
• Always replace brake pads as
complete front or rear axle sets.
CAUTION
Do not operate the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving except
in an emergency situation. It could
damage the vehicle system and
make endanger driving safety.
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Driving your vehicle
16 5
✽NOTICE
• For your safety, you can engage the
EPB even though the engine start/stop
button is in the OFF position, but you
cannot release it.
• For your safety, press the brake pedal
and release the parking brake manu-
ally with EPB switch when you drive
downhill or back up the vehicle.
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WARNING
If you depress the accelerator pedal
with EPB engaged, the warning will
sound and message will appear. Do
not apply the accelerator pedal
while the parking brake is engaged.
Damage to the parking brake may
occur.
WARNING
• To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the shift
lever in place of the parking
brake. Set the parking brake and
make sure the shift lever is
securely positioned in P (Park).
• Never allow anyone who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle to touch
the EPB switch. If the EPB is
released unintentionally, serious
injury may occur.
• All vehicles should always have
the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehcile
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.

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Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by turning
the engine start/stop button ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be illumi-
nated when the parking brake is applied
with the engine start/stop button in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released while
the engine is running, there may be a
malfunction in the brake system.
Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion.EPB malfunction indicator
This warning light illuminates if the
engine start/stop button is turned to the
ON position and goes off in approximate-
ly 3 seconds if the system is operation
normally.
If the EPB malfunction indicator remains
on, comes on while driving, or does not
come on when the engine start/stop but-
ton is turned to the ON position, this indi-
cates that the EPB may have malfunc-
tioned.
If this occurs, have your vehicle checked
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer as
soon as possible.
The EPB malfunction indicator may illu-
minate when the ESP indicator comes on
to indicate that the ESP is not working
properly, but it does not indicate a mal-
function of the EPB.
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CAUTION
• A click sound may be heard while
operating or releasing the EPB.
These conditions are normal and
indicate that the EPB is function-
ing properly.
• When leaving your keys with a
parking lot attendant or valet,
make sure to inform him/her how
to operate the EPB.