Hyundai Santa Fe 2014 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
22 5
Automatic transaxle operation
The highly efficient automatic
transaxle has 6 forward speeds and
one reverse speed. The individual
speeds are selected automatically,
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
(Transaxle Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse
gear.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
• Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle 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
identified.
• Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.
CAUTION
• To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate
the engine in R (Reverse) or
any forward gear position with
the brakes on.
• When stopped on an upgrade,
do not hold the vehicle sta-
tionary with 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.

523
Driving your vehicle
Transaxle ranges
The indicator lights in the instrument
cluster displays the shift lever posi-
tion when the ignition switch is in the
ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating.R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
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) posi-
tion 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 unattend-
ed in a vehicle.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except as explained in
“Rocking the vehicle”, in this
manual.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while
the vehicle is in motion.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work
and lead to an accident.

Driving your vehicle
24 5
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator pedal fully
(more than 80%) until the kick down
mechanism works with a clicking
noise, at which time the transaxle will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear.
✽NOTICE
• Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
• A clicking noise heard from the
kick down mechanism by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal fully is a
normal condition.
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, 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 transaxle, 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.
✽NOTICE
• In sports mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care
to keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
• In sports mode, only the 6 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.
(Continued)
ODM052013
ODMEDR2204R
S S
p p
o o
r r
t t
s s
m m
o o
d d
e e
+ +

( (
U U
P P
) )
- -

( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )
S S
p p
o o
r r
t t
s s
m m
o o
d d
e e
+ +

( (
U U
P P
) )
- -

( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )
■Type A
■Type B

525
Driving your vehicle
(Continued)
• In sports mode, downshifts are
made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine
rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
• When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into
the +(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving
on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the -(down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
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 con-
dition.WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the vehicle.

Driving your vehicle
26 5
Type A, C
1.Press the shift-lock release button.
2.Move the shift lever.
3.We recommend that the system be
inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Type B, D
1.Carefully remove the cap (1) cover-
ing the shift-lock override access
hole.
2.Insert a screwdriver into the
access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.
3.Move the shift lever.
4.We recommend that the system be
inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
ODM052012/ODM053014/ODMEDR2205R/ODMEDR3206R
■Type A
■Type B■Type D
■Type C
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:

527
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position 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 mal-
function. 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 down 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
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.
• 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
accelerator pedal.WARNING
• Always buckle-up! In a colli-
sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than
a properly belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cor-
nering 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.
• Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
• 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
limits.

Driving your vehicle
28 5
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
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 peo-
ple or objects.

529
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. 4WD is useful when extra
traction is required, such as, when
driving on slippery, muddy, wet, or
snow-covered roads. These vehicles
are not designed for challenging off-
road use. Occasional off-road use
such as established unpaved roads
and trails are OK. It is always impor-
tant when traveling off-highway that
the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed
the safe operating speed for those
conditions. In general, off-road con-
ditions provide less traction and
braking effectiveness than normal
road conditions. The driver must be
especially alert to avoid driving on
slopes which tilt the vehicle to either
side.
These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of four-wheel drive
vehicles caused by the difference in
tire rotation at the four wheels and
the zero-degree alignment of the
front wheels and suspension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING - Off road
driving
This vehicle is designed prima-
rily for on road use although it
can operate effectively off road.
However, it was not designed to
drive in challenging off-road
conditions. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle's
intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
CAUTION - 4WD
When turning sharply on a
paved road at low speed while
in four-wheel drive, steering
control will be difficult.
WARNING
If the 4WD system warning light
( ) illuminates, this indicates
that there is a malfunction in the
4WD system.
If this occurs, we recommend
that the system be checked by
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

Driving your vehicle
30 5
• This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp grades,
off-road driving, driving on sandy and muddy roads, etc., to
maximize traction.
• This mode automatically begins to deactivate at speeds
above 30 km/h (19 mph) and is shifted to 4WD AUTO mode
at speed above 40 km/h (25 mph). If the vehicle decelerates
to speeds below 30 km/h (19 mph), however, the transfer
mode is shifted into 4WD LOCK mode again. 4WD AUTO
(4WD LOCK is
deactivated)
(Indicator light is
not illuminated)
✽NOTICE
• When driving on normal roads, deactivate the 4WD LOCK mode by pushing the 4WD LOCK button (the indi-
cator light goes off). Driving on normal roads with 4WD LOCK mode(especially, when cornering) may cause
mechanical noise or vibration. The noise and vibration will disappear when the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated.
Some parts of the power train may be damaged by prolonged driving with the noise and vibration.
• When the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power is delivered entirely to the
front wheels. This shock is not a mechanical failure.
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) transfer mode selection
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
• When driving in 4WD AUTO mode, the vehicle operates sim-
ilar to conventional 2WD vehicles under normal operating
conditions. However, if the system determines that there is a
need for the 4WD mode, the engine’s driving power is dis-
tributed to all four wheels automatically without driver inter-
vention.
• When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehicle
moves similar to conventional 2WD vehicles.
4WD LOCK
(Indicator light is
illuminated)

531
Driving your vehicle
For safe four-wheel drive oper-
ation
• Do not try to drive in deep standing
water or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehi-
cle.• When you are driving up or down
hills drive as straight as possible.
Use extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.
WARNING - Four-wheel
driving
The conditions of on-road or
off-road that demand four-
wheel drive mean all functions
of your vehicle are exposed to
extreme stress than under nor-
mal road conditions. Slow down
and be ready for changes in the
composition and traction of the
surface under your tires. If you
have any doubt about the safety
of the conditions you are fac-
ing, stop and consider the best
way to proceed. Do not exceed
the ability of yourself or your
vehicle to operate safely.
WARNING - Hills
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
HILL1HILL2