warning Hyundai Sonata

731
Maintenance
✽✽NOTICE
“C” (COLD) range is for reference only
and should NOT be used to determinetransaxle fluid level. ✽
✽
NOTICE
New automatic transaxle fluid should be
red. The red dye is added so the assem-bly plant can identify it as automatic
transaxle fluid and distinguish it from
engine oil or antifreeze. The red dye,
which is not an indicator of fluid quali-
ty, is not permanent. As the vehicle isdriven, the automatic transaxle fluid
will begin to look darker. The colour
may eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer change the automatictransaxle fluid according to theScheduled Maintenance at the begin-ning of this section.
Use only the specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to “Recommended
lubricants and capacities” in section 9.) G100200AFD-EA Changing the automatic transaxle fluid
Have automatic transaxle fluid changed
by an authorised HYUNDAI dealeraccording to the Maintenance Scheduleat the beginning of this section.
WARNING - Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should be
checked when the engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during
this procedure.
WARNING - Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply parking brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle slippage. Overfilling can causefoaming, loss of fluid and transaxle malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxle malfunc-tion and failure.

Maintenance
32
7
WASHER FLUID
G120100AUN
Checking the washer fluid level
The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visualinspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing. G140100ANF-EA
Checking the parking brake
Check the stroke of the parking brake by
counting the number of “clicks’’ heardwhile fully applying it from the released
position. Also, the parking brake alone
should securely hold the vehicle on a fair-
ly steep grade. If the stroke is more or
less than specified, have the parking
brake adjusted by an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer.
Stroke : 8 “clicks’’ at a force of 20 kg
(44 lbs, 196 N).
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to paint and body trim.
Windshield washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allowsparks or flame to contact thewasher fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contact-ing windshield washer fluid.
Serious injury or death could
occur.
ONF078009ONF058009R
PARKING BRAKE

733
Maintenance
FUEL FILTER (FOR DIESEL)
G150100AFD-EA
Draining water from fuel filter
The fuel filter for diesel engine plays an
important role of separating water from
fuel and accumulating the water in itsbottom.
If water accumulates in the fuel filter, the
warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
If the light is turned on, take your car to
the authorised HYUNDAI dealer and
have drain the water and checked thesystem. G150200AFD
Fuel filter cartridge replacement
✽✽NOTICE
When replacing the fuel filter cartridge, use HYUNDAI genuine parts.
ONF055004
CAUTION
If the water accumulated in the fuel filter is not drained at proper times,
damages to the major parts such asthe fuel system can be caused bywater permeation in the fuel filter.

Maintenance
40
7
BATTERY
G190100AUN
For best battery service
Keep the battery securely mounted.
Keep the battery top clean and dry.
Keep the terminals and connections clean, tight, and coated with petroleum
jelly or terminal grease.
Rinse any spilled electrolyte from the battery immediately with a solution of
water and baking soda.
If the vehicle is not going to be used for an extended time, disconnect the bat-
tery cables.
WARNING - Battery
dangers
Always read the following
instructions carefully when
handling a battery.
Keep lighted cigarettes and all other flames or sparks
away from the battery.
Hydrogen, a highly com- bustible gas, is always
present in battery cells and
may explode if ignited.
Keep batteries out of the
reach of children because
batteries contain highly
corrosive SULFURIC ACID.
Do not allow battery acid to
contact your skin, eyes,
clothing or paint finish.
(Continued)(Continued)If any electrolyte gets intoyour eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at least
15 minutes and get immedi-ate medical attention.
If electrolyte gets on your
skin, thoroughly wash the
contacted area. If you feel a
pain or a burning sensa-
tion, get medical attention
immediately.
Wear eye protection when charging or working near a
battery. Always provide
ventilation when working in
an enclosed space.
(Continued)
ONF078017

741
Maintenance
G190200AUN
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
If the battery becomes discharged in ashort time (because, for example, the
headlights or interior lights were left on
while the vehicle was not in use),
recharge it by slow charging (trickle)
for 10 hours.
If the battery gradually discharges because of high electric load while the
vehicle is being used, recharge it at 20-
30A for two hours.(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-cased bat- tery, excessive pressure on the
case may cause battery acid to
leak, resulting in personal injury.
Lift with a battery carrier or with
your hands on opposite corners.
Never attempt to recharge the battery when the battery cablesare connected.
The electrical ignition system works with high voltage. Never
touch these components with theengine running or the ignition
switched on.
Failure to follow the above warn-
ings can result in serious bodily
injury or death.WARNING - Recharging
battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precautions:
The battery must be removed from the vehicle and placed in an area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes, sparks, or flame near the battery.
Watch the battery during charg- ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
Wear eye protection when check- ing the battery during charging.
(Continued)

743
Maintenance
TYRES AND WHEELS
G200100AUN-EA
Tyre care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tyre
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle. G200200AFD-EA Recommended cold tyre inflation pressures All tyre pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tyres are cold. “Cold Tyres” means
the vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tyre
wear.
For recommended inflation pressure
refer to “Tyre and wheels” in section9. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the vehicle.
WARNING - Tyre underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (70 kPa (10 psi) or more) can lead to
severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation andother tyre failures that can
result in the loss of vehicle con-
trol leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for long periods at high speeds.
OHD086003R

Maintenance
44
7
WARNING - Tyre inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tyre life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tyre failure. This
could result in loss of vehicle
control and potential injury.
CAUTION - Tyre pressure
Always observe the following:
Check tyre pressure when the tyres are cold. (After vehiclehas been parked for at leastthree hours or hasn't been driven more than 1.6 km (onemile) since startup.)
Check the pressure of your spare tyre each time youcheck the pressure of other tyres.
Never overload your vehicle. Be careful not to overload avehicle luggage rack if yourvehicle is equipped with one.
Worn, old tyres can cause accidents. If your tread isbadly worn, or if your tyreshave been damaged, replacethem.
CAUTION
Underinflation also results in excessive wear, poor handlingand reduced fuel economy. Wheel deformation also ispossible. Keep your tyre pres-sures at the proper levels. If a tyre frequently needs refilling,have it checked by an autho-rised HYUNDAI dealer.
Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear atthe centre of the tyre tread,and a greater possibility ofdamage from road hazards.
CAUTION
Warm tyres normally exceed recommended cold tyre pres-sures by 28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6 psi). Do not release air fromwarm tyres to adjust the pres-sure or the tyres will be under- inflated.
Be sure to reinstall the tyre inflation valve caps. Withoutthe valve cap, dirt or moisturecould get into the valve core and cause air leakage. If avalve cap is missing, install anew one as soon as possible.

745
Maintenance
G200300AUN-EA
Checking tyre inflation pressure
Check your tyres once a month or
more.
Also, check the tyre pressure of the
spare tyre. G200301AFD-EA
How to check
Use a good quality gauge to check
tyre pressures. You can not tell if your
tyres are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tyres may
look properly inflated even when
they're underinflated.
Check the tyre's inflation pressure
when the tyres are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven nomore than 1.6 km (1 mile).Remove the valve cap from the tyre
valve stem. Press the tyre gauge
firmly onto the valve to get a pres-
sure measurement. If the cold tyreinflation pressure matches the rec-ommended pressure on the tyre and
loading information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the pres-
sure is low, add air until you reachthe recommended amount.
If you overfill the tyre, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the
centre of the tyre valve. Recheck the
tyre pressure with the tyre gauge. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.
WARNING
Inspect your tyres frequently for proper inflation as well as
wear and damage. Always use
a tyre pressure gauge.
Tyres with too much or too lit- tle pressure wear unevenly
causing poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and suddentyre failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.The recommended cold tyre
pressure for your vehicle can
be found in this manual and onthe tyre label located on the
driver's side centre pillar.
Worn tyres can cause acci- dents. Replace tyres that are
worn, show uneven wear, or
are damaged.
Remember to check the pres- sure of your spare tyre.
HYUNDAI recommends that
you check the spare every
time you check the pressure
of the other tyres on your
vehicle.

747
Maintenance
G200500AUN-EA Wheel alignment and tyre balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tyre
life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tyre
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.G200600BFD-EA
Tyre replacement
If the tyre is worn evenly, a tread
wear indicator will appear as a solid
band across the tread. This showsthere is less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch)
of tread left on the tyre. Replace the
tyre when this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tyre.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alumini- um wheels. Use only approvedwheel weights.
1LDA5026
Tread wear indicatorWARNING - Replacing tyres
Driving on worn-out tyres is very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-tion.
Your vehicle is equipped with tyres designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility. Do not use a size andtype of tyre and wheel that is
different from the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury. When replacing
the tyres, be sure to equip all
four tyres with the tyre and
wheel of the same size, type,
tread, brand and load-carrying
capacity.
(Continued)

Maintenance
48
7
G200700BUN-EA Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset. G200800AUN-EA
Tyre traction
Tyre traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tyres, tyres that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tyres should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
G200900AUN-EA
Tyre maintenance In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps to decrease
tyre wear. If you find a tyre is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check thewheel alignment.
When you have new tyres installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tyre life. Additionally, a tyre should
always be rebalanced if it is removedfrom the wheel.(Continued)
The use of any other tyre size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, stopping distance, body
to tyre clearance, snow tyre
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
It is best to replace all four tyres at the same time. If that
is not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tyres as a pair.Replacing just one tyre can
seriously affect your vehicle’shandling.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. Tyre
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tyres, all 4
tyres must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tyres of a dif-
ferent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESP (Electronic Stability
Program) (if equipped) to
work irregularly.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tyre clearance,
snow chain clearance,speedometer and odometer cal-
ibration, headlight aim and
bumper height.