wheels Hyundai Santa Fe 2019 User Guide

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Driving your vehicle
The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system
delivers engine torque to both the
front and rear wheels for extra trac-
tion. AWD is useful when maximum
traction is required on slippery,
muddy, wet, or snow-covered roads.
Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails
are OK. It is always important that
the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed
the safe operating speed for those
conditions. Do not drive in water if the level
is higher than the bottom of the
vehicle.
Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or
water. Depress the brake pedal
several times as you move slow-
ly until you feel normal braking
return.
Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see "Maintenance
Under Severe Usage Conditions"
in chapter 7).
Always wash your vehicle thor- oughly after off road use, espe-
cially the bottom of the vehicle.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four tires of the same size and
type.
Make sure that a full time AWD vehicle is towed by a flat bed
tow truck.
NOTICE
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To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicles intended
design such as challenging
off-road conditions.
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 a rollover is great-
ly increased if you lose con-
trol of your vehicle at highway
speeds.
Loss of 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.
WARNING
OTM058010

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Driving your vehicle
5
AWD Operation
If AWD warning light ( ) stays on the instrument cluster, your vehicle may have a malfunction with the
AWD system. When the AWD warning light ( ) illuminates have your vehicle checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
In the AWD LOCK mode, the system is deactivated whenvehicle speed is over 40 mph (60 km/h) and the mode is shift-
ed to AWD AUTO mode. If the vehicle speed is reduced back
down to 40 mph (60 km/h) the system shifts back into AWD
LOCK mode.
Use this mode when driving up or down steep inclines, driv- ing off-road, driving on sandy and muddy roads, etc. to max-
imize traction.
The driving force distribution (AWD) state is not displayed on the cluster LCD display.
AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is deactivated) -
(not illuminated)
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
In the AWD AUTO mode, under normal operating conditions,
the vehicle operates similar to conventional 2WD vehicles. If
the system determines there is a need for four wheel drive,
the engine's driving power is distributed to all four wheels
automatically.
Use this mode when driving on normal roads.
If you select the Assist mode ( ) in the cluster LCD dis- play, driving force distribution (AWD) state is displayed.
AWD LOCK
(illuminated)
All Wheel Drive (AWD) mode selection

5-42
Driving your vehicle
When driving on normal roads,
deactivate the AWD LOCK mode
by pushing the AWD LOCK button
(AWD LOCK indicator light goes
off). Driving on normal roads with
the AWD LOCK mode, especially,
when cornering may cause
mechanical noise or vibration. The
noise and vibration will disappear
when the AWD LOCK mode is
deactivated. Prolong driving with
the noise and vibration may dam-
age some parts of the power train.
Information
When the AWD LOCK mode is deac-
tivated, a sensation may be felt as the
driving power is delivered entirely to
the front wheels.
For safe AWD operation
Before driving
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
Sit upright and closer to the steer- ing wheel than usual. Adjust the
steering wheel to a position com-
fortable for you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy
roads
Start off slowly by applying theaccelerator pedal gently.
Use snow tires or tire chains.
Keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you.
Apply engine braking during decel- eration by switching the gear shift
lever to Manual Shift Mode and
manually selecting a lower gear.
Avoid speeding, rapid accelera- tion, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns to prevent skids.
Driving in sand or mud
Maintain slow and constant speed.
Use tire chains driving in mud ifnecessary.
Keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you.
Reduce vehicle speed and always check the road condition.
Avoid speeding, rapid accelera- tion, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns to prevent getting
stuck.
i
NOTICE
When the vehicle is stuck in
snow, sand or mud, place a non-
slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction OR
Slowly spin the wheels in for-
ward and reverse directions
which causes a rocking motion
that may free the vehicle.
However, avoid running the
engine continuously at high
rpm, doing so may damage the
AWD system.
CAUTION

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Driving your vehicle
5
Towing
AWD vehicles must be towed with a
wheel lift and dollies or flatbed equip-
ment with all the wheels off the
ground.For more details, refer to
"Towing" in chapter 6.
Dynamometer testing
A full-time AWD vehicle must be test-
ed on a special four wheel chassis
dynamometer.
A full-time AWD vehicle should not
be tested on a 2WD roll tester. If a
2WD roll tester must be used, per-
form the following procedure:
1. Check the tire pressures recom-mended for your vehicle.
2. Place the front wheels on the roll tester for a speedometer test 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.
OTM058013Roll Tester (Speedometer)
Temporary Free Roller
Never engage the parking
brake while performing the
test.
When the vehicle is lifted up,
do not operate the front and
rear wheel separately. All four
wheels should be operated.
CAUTION
Keep away from the front of the
vehicle while the vehicle is in
gear on the dynamometer. The
vehicle can jump forward and
cause serious injury or death.
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
5
Hazardous Driving Conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud and sand, take the
below suggestions:
Drive cautiously and keep a longerbraking distance.
Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
When your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use second
gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid
unnecessary wheel spin.
Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or other non-slip materials under the
wheels to provide additional trac-
tion while the vehicle becomes
stuck in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the Vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and a for-
ward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and
do not race the engine.
To prevent transmission wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal while
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
S SP
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Downshifting with an automatic
transmission while driving on
slippery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING
If the vehicle is stuck and
excessive wheel spin occurs,
the temperature in the tires can
increase very quickly. If the tires
become damaged, a tire blow
out or tire explosion can occur.
This condition is dangerous -
you and others may be injured.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehicle,
the vehicle can overheat quickly,
possibly causing an engine
compartment fire or other dam-
age. Try to avoid spinning the
wheels as much as possible to
prevent overheating of either the
tires or the engine. DO NOT
allow the vehicle to spin the
wheels above 35 mph (56 km/h).
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
5
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The severe weather conditions of
winter quickly wear out tires and
cause other problems. To minimize
winter driving problems, you should
take the following suggestions:
Snow or Icy Conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake
applications, and sharp turns are
potentially very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause the vehicle to skid.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, a flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables,
a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure to use radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
The traction provided by snow tires
on dry roads may not be as high as
your vehicle's original equipment
tires. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Information
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munici-
pal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
Tire chains
The mounting of some types of tire
chains may cause damage to the
tire. Therefore the use of snow tires
is preferred over the use of tire
chains.
If the road and weather conditions
require the use of tire chains, be sure
to use tire chains that have been
properly selected for the size of tire
on your HYUNDAI vehicle.
Be sure to follow the guidelines and
installation instructions provided
from the tire chain manufacturer.
i
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle’s
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
WARNING
OTM058044

5-130
Driving your vehicle
Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper tire chain use is not cov-
ered by your vehicle manufacturer’s
warranty.
When using tire chains, attach them
to the drive wheels as follows.
2WD : Front wheels
AWD : All four wheels
If a full set of chains are not available
for an AWD vehicle, chains may be
installed on the front wheels only.
Information
• Install tire chains on both left and right front tires. It should be noted
that installing tire chains on the
tires will provide a greater driving
force, but will not prevent side
skids.
• Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and
municipal regulations for possible
restrictions against their use.
Chain installation
When installing tire chains, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly possible. Drive
slowly (less than 20 mph (30 km/h))
with chains installed. If you hear the
chains contacting the body or chas-
sis, stop and tighten them. If they still
make contact, slow down until the
noise stops. Remove the tire chains
as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning Flasher and place a
triangular emergency warning device
behind the vehicle (if available).
Always place the vehicle in P (Park),
apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine before installing snow
chains.i
The use of tire chains may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling:
Drive less than 20 mph
(30 km/h) or the chain manu-
facturer's recommended speed
limit, whichever is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid
bumps, holes, sharp turns,
and other road hazards, which
may cause the vehicle to
bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked
wheel braking.
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
5
- When using tire chains:
Wrong size chains or improperlyinstalled chains can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-
pension, body and wheels.
Use SAE "S" class or wire chains.
If you hear noise caused by chains contacting the body,
retighten the chain to prevent
contact with the vehicle body.
To prevent body damage, retighten the chains after driving
0.3~0.6 miles (0.5~1.0 km).
Do not use tire chains on vehi- cles equipped with aluminum
wheels. If unavoidable, use a
wire type chain.
Use wire chains less than 0.59 inch (15 mm) wide to prevent
damage to the chain’s connec-
tion.
Winter Precautions
Use high quality ethylene glycolcoolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in chapter 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Change to "winter weight" oil ifnecessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
chapter 8 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in chapter 7. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or a
service station.
NOTICE

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Driving your vehicle
Check spark plugs and ignitionsystem
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in chapter 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
Use approved window washeranti-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 instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er 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.
Do not let your parking brakefreeze
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 the parking brake may
freeze, apply it only temporarily while
you put the gear selector lever in P
and block the rear wheels so the car
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
Do not let ice and snow accu-mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
car to be sure the movement of the
front wheels and the steering com-
ponents is not obstructed.
Don't place foreign objects ormaterials in the engine com-partment
Placement of foreign object or mate-
rials which prevent cooling of the
engine, in the engine compartment,
may cause a failure or combustion.
The manufacturer is not responsible
for the damage caused by such
placement.
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 heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.

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Driving your vehicle
Driving on hills
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
overheated and may not operate effi-
ciently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transmission
overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer
brakes, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer. Operating your
vehicle in D (Drive) when towing a
trailer will minimize heat build-up and
extend the life of your transmission.To prevent engine and/or trans-
mission 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 "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.
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer attached
to your vehicle, you should not park
your vehicle on a hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking area.
Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the curb (right if head-
ed down hill, left if headed up hill).
2. Shift the vehicle to P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place wheel chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side
of the wheels.
NOTICE