Hyundai Sonata 2012 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle85ACC(Accessory)Press the engine start/stop button while it
is in the OFF position without depressing
the brake pedal.
The electrical accessories are operative.
If you leave the engine start/stop button
in the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the battery power will turn off automati-
cally to prevent the battery from dis-
charging.ONPress the engine start/stop button while it
button is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the ON position if the engine is not run-
ning to prevent battery discharge.STARTTo start the engine, press the brake
pedal and press the engine start/stop
button with the shift lever in the P(Park)
or the N(Neutral) position.
For your safety, start the engine with the
shift lever in the P(Park) position.
✽ ✽NOTICE• If you press the engine start/stop but-
ton without depressing the brake
pedal, the engine does not start and
the engine start/stop button changes
as follows :
OFF → →
ACC →
→
ON →
→
OFF
• If you leave the engine start/stop but- ton in the ACC or the ON position for
a long time, the battery will be dis-
charged.
WARNING
 Never press the engine start/stop
button while the vehicle is in
motion. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause an
accident.
 Before leaving the driver’s seat, always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park), set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occur
if these precautions are not
taken.
 Never reach for the engine start/stop button, or any other
controls through the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of your
hand or arm in this area could
cause a loss of vehicle control,
an accident and serious bodily
injury or death.
 Do not place any movable objects around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interfere
with the driver and lead to an
accident.

59
Driving your vehicle
Starting the engine1. Carry the smart key or leave it insidethe vehicle.
2. Make sure the parking brake is firmly applied.
3. Place the shift lever in the P(Park) position.
4. Depress the brake pedal.
5. Press the engine start/stop button.
6. In extremely cold weather (below - 18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle has not
been operated for several days, let the
engine warm up without depressing
the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm, itshould be started without depressing
the accelerator. 
Even if the smart key is in the vehicle,
if it is far away from you, the engine
may not start.
 When the engine start/stop button is in
the ACC or ON position, if any door is
open, the system checks for the smart
key. If the smart key is not in the vehi-
cle, the warning, "Key is not in vehicle"
will come on, and if all doors are
closed, the chime will also sound for
about 5 seconds. The indicator will turn
off while the vehicle is moving. Keep
the smart key in the vehicle when
using the ACC position or if the vehicle
engine is on.
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots, etc.) may interfere with your
ability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal.
WARNING
The engine will start only when the
smart key is in the vehicle. Never
allow children or any person who is
unfamiliar with the vehicle to touch
the engine start/stop button or
related parts.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are in
motion, do not attempt to move theshift lever to the P (Park) position. Iftraffic and road conditions permit, you may put the shift lever in theN(Neutral) position while the vehi-cle is still moving and press theengine start/stop button in an attempt to restart the engine.

Driving your vehicle10
5✽
✽
NOTICE• If the battery is weak or the smart key
does not work correctly, you can start
the engine by inserting the smart key
into the smart key holder. To eject the
smart key from the smart key holder,
press the smart key inward past the
detent and then pull the key outward.
• When the stop lamp fuse is blown, you can't start the engine normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If you
are not able to replace the fuse, you
can start the engine by pressing the
engine start/stop button for 10 seconds
with the engine start/stop button in the
ACC mode. Always depress the brake
pedal before starting the engine.
OYF059002N
CAUTION
 Do not press the engine
start/stop button for more than 5seconds except when the stop lamp fuse is disconnected.
 When you eject the smart key from the smart key holder, pressthe smart key inward and pull it out. If you pull out the smart keyforcibly without first pushing the smart key, the smart key holdermay be damaged and couldn’t operate normally.

511
Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operationThe manual transaxle has 6 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-
plished.
To shift gears, press the clutch pedal
down fully, select the desired gear with
the gearshift lever, and release the clutch
pedal slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an igni-
tion lock switch, the engine will not start
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal.
The shift lever must be returned to the
neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse). The ring (1) located below the
shift knob must be pulled upward while
moving the shift lever to the R (Reverse)
position.Make sure the vehicle is completelystopped before shifting into R (Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OYF059005
The shift lever can be moved into any of
the forward gears without pulling the
ring (1).The ring (1) must be pulled while mov-
ing the shift lever into reverse.
CAUTION
 When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear, cautionshould be taken not to inadver- tently press the shift lever side-ways in such a manner that thesecond gear is engaged. Such a drastic downshift may cause theengine speed to increase to the point that the tachometer willenter the red-zone. Such over-revving of the engine and transaxle may possibly causeengine damage.
 Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear whenthe engine is running at highspeed (5,000 RPM or higher). Such a downshifting may damagethe engine.

Driving your vehicle12
5 During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
 If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R (Reverse),
leave the shift lever in the neutral posi-
tion and release the clutch. Depress
the clutch pedal back down, and then
shift into 1st or R (Reverse) gear posi-
tion.
Using the clutchThe clutch should be depressed all the
way to the floor before shifting, then
released slowly. The clutch pedal should
always be fully released while driving. Do
not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This can cause unneces-
sary wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an incline.
This causes unnecessary wear. Use the
foot brake or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an incline. Do not operate the
clutch pedal rapidly and repeatedly.DownshiftingIt is important to downshift when you
must slow down in heavy traffic or while
driving up or down steep hills.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration.
When the vehicle is traveling down steep
hills, downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
WARNING
 Before leaving the driver’s seat,always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then
make sure the transaxle is shifted
into 1st gear when the vehicle is
parked on a level or uphill grade,
and shifted into R (Reverse) on a
downhill grade. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are not
followed in the order identified.
CAUTION
 To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on anuphill grade, while waiting for a traffic light, etc.
 Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe transaxle shift forks.
 When operating the clutch pedal, press the clutch pedal down fully.
If you don't press the clutch pedalfully, the clutch may be damagedor noise may occur.

513
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices Never take the vehicle out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
 Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, 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. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
 Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your vehicle.
 Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
R (Reverse). The transaxle can be
damaged if you do not. To shift into R
(Reverse), depress the clutch, move
the shift lever to neutral, wait three sec-
onds, then shift to the R (Reverse)
position.
 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.
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.
 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.
 Never exceed posted speed lim- its.

Driving your vehicle14
5
Automatic transaxle operationThe automatic transaxle has 6 forward
speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-
vidual speeds are selected automatically,
depending on the position of the shift
lever.
To move the shift lever from the P (Park)
position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the lock release button
must be pressed.✽ ✽
NOTICEThe 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).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
OYF059006N+ (UP)- (DOWN)
Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button (1) when shifting, if your vehicle
is equipped shift lock system. The shift lever can be shifted without depressing the lock release button (1).
The lock release button (1) must be depressed while moving the shift lever.

515
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress the brakepedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear. Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position 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 prevents the drive
wheels from rotating.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
 Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting a car 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 transaxle, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on.
 When stopped on an incline, do not hold the vehicle stationarywith engine power. Use the serv- ice brake or the parking brake.
 Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove 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.

Driving your vehicle16
5
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.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is in motion, except as explained in“Rocking the vehicle” in this sec- tion.

517
Driving your vehicle
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.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once toshift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one gear.
✽ ✽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 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.
• 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, the transaxle
will 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
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.
Paddle shifter (if equipped)The paddle shifter is available when the
shift lever is in the D position or the sport
mode.
OYF059008N
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode
OYF059021