wheels Hyundai Santa Fe 2008 Owner's Manual

1
FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
65
!
WARNING:
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
may cause the tires to overheat and fail. 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.
If you have a flat tire, the Low tire Pressure
and Position Telltales will illuminate.
Replace the flat tire with the spare tire(see
page 3-12)
Each wheel is equipped with a tire pres-
sure sensor mounted inside the tire be-
hind the valve stems. You must use TPMS
specific wheels. IT is recommended that
you always have tires serviced by your
Hyundai dealer or qualified technician.
After you replace the flat tire, the Low Tire
Pressure and Position Telltales remain
illuminated. This is normal; the system is
not monitoring the spare tire pressure.
Check the spare tire pressure to make sure
it is correct.B260T01O-GAT
AWD (All Wheel Drive)
System Warning Light
(If installed)
When the key is turned to the "ON" position,
the AWD(All Wheel Drive) system warning
light will illuminate and then go off in a few
seconds.
CAUTION:
If the AWD system warning light ( )
blinks while driving, this indicates that
there is a malfunction in the AWD sys-
tem. If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Hyundai dealer
as soon as possible.
!
CAUTION:
Never use a puncture-repair agent in a
flat tire. If used, the tire pressure sensor
will be damaged and will require replace-
ment. Have the flat tire repaired by a
Hyundai dealer or qualified technician
as soon as possible.
!
B260V01CM-GAT
AWD (All Wheel Drive) Lock
Indicator Light (If installed)
The AWD (All Wheel Drive) lock indicator
light in the instrument cluster is illuminated
when the AWD lock switch is pushed.
The purpose of this switch is to increase
the drive power when driving on wet pave-
ment, snow-covered roads and/or off-road.
The AWD lock indicator light is turned off by
pushing the switch again.NOTE:Do not use AWD LOCK on normal dry
pavement conditions.

1
FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
67
The brake fluid level warning light indi-
cates that the brake fluid level in the brake
master cylinder is low and hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4 speci-
fications should be added. After adding
fluid, if no other trouble is found, the car
should be immediately and carefully driven
to a Hyundai dealer for inspection. If further
trouble is experienced, the vehicle should
not be driven at all but taken to a dealer by
a professional towing service.
Your Hyundai is equipped with dual-di-
agonal braking systems. This means you
still have braking on two wheels even if
one of the dual systems should malfunc-
tion. With only one of the dual systems
working, more than normal pedal travel
and greater pedal pressure are required to
stop the car. Also, the car will not stop in as
short a distance with only half of the brake
system working. If the brakes malfunction
while you are driving, shift to a lower gear
for additional engine braking and stop the
car as soon as it is safe to do so.
B260J02TG-AAT
Charging System Warning
Light
The charging system warning light should
illuminate when the ignition is turned on,
then go out when the engine is running. If
the light stays on while the engine is run-
ning, there is a malfunction in the electrical
charging system. If the light illuminates
while you are driving, have the system
checked by your Hyundai dealer as soon
as possible.Parking brake warning chime
(if installed)The parking brake warning chime sounds
to remind you that the parking brake is
applied when your are driving above
6mph(10km/h). Always release the park-
ing brake before you drive.
B260G02A-AAT
Low Oil Pressure Warning
Light
CAUTION:
If the low oil pressure warning light stays
on while the engine is running, serious
engine damage may result. The oil pres-
sure warning light comes on whenever
there is insufficient oil pressure. In nor-
mal operation, it should illuminate when
the ignition switch is turned on, then go
out when the engine is started. If the oil
pressure warning light stays on while
the engine is running, there is a serious
malfunction.
If this happens, stop the car as soon as
it is safe to do so, turn off the engine and
check the oil level. If the oil level is low,
fill the engine oil to the proper level and
start the engine again. If the light stays
on with the engine running, turn the en-
gine off immediately. In any instance
where the oil light stays on when the
engine is running, the engine should be
checked by a Hyundai dealer before the
car is driven again.
!

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
9
C070D04O-AATGood Driving Practiceso Never take the car out of gear and coast
down a hill. This is extremely hazard-
ous. Always leave the car in gear.
o Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause
them to overheat and malfunction. In-
stead, 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 con-
trol 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 vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control. The shift points as shown above are rec-
ommended for optimum fuel economy and
performance.
C070E03A-AATRecommended Shift Points
Shift
from-toRecommended
mph(km/h)
15 (20)
25 (40)
35 (55)
45 (75) 1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
!
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 occu-
pant.
o Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
o Do not make quick steering wheel
movements, such as sharp lane
changes or fast, sharp turns.
o The risk of rollover is greatly in-
creased if you lose control of your
vehicle at highway speeds.
o Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway
and the driver oversteers to reenter
the roadway.
o In the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply. In-
stead, slow down before pulling back
into the travel lanes.
o Never exceed posted speed limits.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
14
!
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 occu-
pant.
o Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
o Do not make quick steering wheel
movements, such as sharp lane
changes or fast, sharp turns.
o The risk of rollover is greatly in-
creased if you lose control of your
vehicle at highway speeds.
o Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway
and the driver oversteers to reenter
the roadway.
o In the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply. In-
stead, slow down before pulling back
into the travel lanes.
o Never exceed posted speed limits. 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 vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
o Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly de-
pressing and releasing the accelerator
pedal.
C090N01CM-AATGood Driving Practiceso Never move the gear selector lever
from "P" or "N" to any other position with
the accelerator 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
hazardous. Always leave the car in gear
when moving.
o Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause
them to overheat and malfunction. In-
stead, 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 engaged.
o Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in "P"
to keep the car from moving.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
16
!
C310B01JM-AATESC ON/OFF ModeWhen the ESC is operating, the ESC indi-
cator in the instrument cluster will blink.
If you turn the system off by pressing the
ESC switch, the ESC-OFF indicator will
come on and stay on. In the ESC-OFF
mode, the stability control will be deacti-
vated. Adjust your driving accordingly. To
turn the system back on, press the switch
again. The ESC-OFF indicator should go
off.NOTE:The ESC mode will automatically be
turned ON after the engine is turned off
and restarted.
OCM053009A
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) sys-
tem is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering manuevers. ESC checks
where you are steering and where the
vehicle is actually going. ESC applies the
brakes at individual wheels and intervenes
in the engine management system to sta-
bilize the vehicle.
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) sys-
tem is an electronic system designed to
help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a substi-
tute for safe driving practices.
CAUTION:
Driving with varying tire or wheel size
may cause the ESC system to malfunc-
tion. When replacing tires, make sure
they are the same size as your original
tires.
!
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in prevent-
ing a loss of control. It is still your respon-
sibility to drive and corner at reasonable
speeds and to leave a sufficient margin of
safety.
WARNING:
Electronic stability control is only a driv-
ing aid; all normal precautions for driv-
ing in inclement weather and on slippery
road surfaces should be observed.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
17
FULL-TIME AWD OPERATIONC350A01CM-AAT(If installed)Engine power can be delivered to all
wheels. Full-time AWD (All Wheel Drive) is
useful when good traction is required, such
as when driving on slippery, wet or snow-
covered roads and when moving out of
mud. Your vehicle is not designed for chal-
lenging off-road use. Full-time AWD ve-
hicles are designed primarily to improve
traction and performance on paved roads
and highways in wet and/or slippery con-
ditions. Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails is
considered normal use. It is always impor-
tant when traveling off-highway that the
driver carefully reduce their speed to a
level that does not exceed the safe oper-
ating speed for those conditions. In gen-
eral, off-road conditions provide less trac-
tion and braking effectiveness than on
road conditions. These factors must be
carefully considered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with the
driving surface and under control in these
conditions is always the driver's responsi-
bility for the safety of him/herself and his or
her passengers.
C310D01JM-AATIndicators and WarningThe indicators should illuminate when the
ignition key is turned to ON or START but
should go out after three seconds.
If the indicators do not illuminate, or the
ESC or ESC-OFF indicator does not go out
after 3 seconds, have the vehicle checked
by an authorized dealer.
Should there be any unusual conditions in
the device while driving, ESC-OFF indica-
tor illuminates as a warning.
If ESC-OFF indicator illuminates, pull your
car to a safe place and stop the engine.
Then, start the engine again to check if the
ESC-OFF indicator goes out.
If the indicator remains lit even after the
engine has been started, have your car
checked by an authorized Hyundai dealer.
!
WARNING:
This vehicle is designed primarily for on
road use. Driving the vehicle in challeng-
ing off-road conditions may result in
damage to the vehicle. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle's intended
design or the driver's experience level
may result in severe injury or death.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
18
Driving AWD Safely(1)As always, be sure to wear the seat belt.
(2)Do not drive in challenging off-road
conditions or areas that exceed the
vehicle's basic design intent or the
driver's experience level.
(3)Drive at lower speeds in strong cross-
winds. Because of your vehicle's higher
center of gravity, its stability will be
affected in crosswinds. Slower speeds
ensure better vehicle control.
(4)Check the brake condition after driving
in wet or muddy conditions. Press the
brake several times as you move slowly
until you feel normal braking forces
return.
(5)Do not drive the vehicle through water.
(i.e. streams, rivers, lakes, etc.)
(6)When driving on a snow-covered road
or a slippery, muddy surface, make sure
that you keep a sufficient distance be-
tween your vehicle and the one ahead
of you.(7)Since the driving torque is always ap-
plied to all 4 wheels, the performance of
the full-time AWD vehicle is affected by
the condition of the tires. Be sure to
equip your vehicle with four tires of the
same size and type.
o When replacement of any of the tires
or wheels is necessary, replace all
of them with tires or wheels of the
same size type.
o Rotate the tires and check the tire
pressure at regular intervals.
!
WARNING:
Your vehicle is equipped with tires de-
signed to provide for safe ride and han-
dling capability.
Do not use a size and type of tire and
wheel that is different from the one that
is originally installed on your vehicle. It
can affect the safety and performance
of your vehicle, which could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and serious in-
jury.
When replacing the tires, be sure to equip
all four tires with the tire and wheel of the
same size, type, tread, brand and load-
carrying capacity.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
19
o In rare cases when it's unavoidable
that a AWD vehicle is to be inspected
on a 2WD roll tester, strictly follow the
procedures.
1. Check the tire pressures recom-
mended for your vehicle.
2. Place the front wheels on the roll
tester as shown in the illustration.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Place the rear wheels on the tem-
porary free roller as shown in the
illustration.!
WARNING:
Keep away from the front of the vehicle
while inspecting.
OCM051013
Roll tester(Speedometer)Temporary free roller(9)For a speedometer test or inspection/
maintenance (I/M) program of a Santa
Fe AWD vehicle, use a four wheel chas-
sis dynamometer.
!
CAUTION:
Never engage the parking brake while
performing these tests. (8)The full-time AWD vehicle cannot be
towed by an ordinary tow truck. Make
sure that the vehicle is towed with all
four wheels raised off the ground.
o Roadside Assistance Program:
Off-roading is not covered. To re-
ceive service, the vehicle must be on
a publicly maintained road.
o If the vehicle is towed with only two
wheels raised off the ground, the
AWD system could be damaged.
o In unavoidable cases, if the vehicle
is being towed with all four wheels on
the ground, it should only be towed
forward.
o While towing, check the following
items.
1. The ignition switch is in "ACC" or
"ON".
2. Place the shift lever in neutral (For
Automatic Transaxle, "N" posi-
tion).
3. Release the parking brake.
NOTE:To avoid serious damage to your AWD
vehicle, limit towing to 10 mph and not for
more than 1 mile at ANY TIME.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
20
!
CAUTION:
If one of the front or rear wheels begins
to spin in mud, snow, etc., the vehicle can
sometimes be driven out by depressing
the accelerator pedal further; however,
avoid running the engine continuously at
high rpm because doing so could dam-
age the AWD system. (10)When using tire chains, always at-
tach them to the four wheels. In some
unavoidable circumstances, install
them on only the front wheels, not the
rear wheels.
(11) If the front or rear wheels get stuck in
the mud, do not spin them recklessly.
The AWD system could be damaged.
!
WARNING:
o Avoid high cornering speeds.
o Do not make quick steering wheel
movements, such as sharp lane
charges or fast, sharp turns.
o The risk of rollover is greatly in-
creased if you lose control of your
vehicle at highway speeds.
o While the full-time AWD vehicle is
being raised on a jack, never start the
engine or cause the tires to rotate.
There is danger that rotating tires
touching the ground could cause the
vehicle to go off the jack and to jump
forward.
o In a collision, an unbelted person is
signicantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a person wearing
a seat belt.
o Loss of control may occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway
and the driver oversteers to reenter
the roadway.
o In the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply. Instead,
slow down before pulling back into the
travel lanes.
AWD LOCK SYSTEMC360A01CM-AAT(With Electronic Control AWD)
(If installed)
OCM051045COCM051046N
Type AType B

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
21
GOOD BRAKING PRACTICESC130A02A-AAT
WARNING:
o Whenever leaving vehicle or parking,
always set the parking brake as far as
possible and fully engage the vehicle's
transaxle into the park position. Ve-
hicles not fully engaged in park with
the parking brake set are at risk for
moving inadvertently and injuring
yourself or others.
o All vehicles should always have the
parking brake fully engaged when
parking to avoid inadvertent move-
ment of the car which can injure occu-
pants or pedestrians.
o Nothing should be carried on top of
the shelf panel behind the rear seat. If
there were an accident or a sudden
stop, such objects could move for-
ward and cause damage to the ve-
hicle or injure the occupants.
!
This AWD system is designed for dividing
the power ratio automatically in normal
driving conditions.
During off-road or low-friction driving con-
ditions, press the AWD lock button to drive
in full-time AWD, dividing the power ratio
to 50:50 in the front and rear wheels. The
AWD lock indicator light in the instrument
cluster is illuminated.
This setup begins to get cancelled when
the vehicle speed exceeds 19 mph, and
the function is completely released at a
speed of 25 mph or higher. Conversely,
the function is rerun when the speed again
drops to 25 mph or lower, and is fully
established at speeds below 19 mph.
To release the AWD lock function, press
the AWD lock button again.
The AWD lock indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster should go off.1) Pressing the AWD lock button on the
tough terrain, the driving power is
equally distributed to the front and rear.
AWD lock keeps activating when not
exceeding 25 mph.
2) Release the AWD lock button on the
normal driving conditions.
OCM051047L
1)
2)