Hyundai Sonata 2012 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle28
5Indicator lightWhen ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
the ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating or illuminates when
ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton.
ESC OFF usageWhen driving
 ESC should be turned on for daily driv-
ing whenever possible.
 To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press the ESC OFF button while
ESC is operating (ESC indicator light
blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.✽ ✽ NOTICE• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminat-
ed).
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system tomalfunction. When replacing tires,make sure they are the same size as your original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESC indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
■ESC indicator light ■ ESC OFF indicator light

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Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
 After parking the vehicle, check to besure the parking brake is not engaged
and that the parking brake indicator
light is out before driving away.
 Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the car is washed. Wet brakes
can be dangerous! Your car will not
stop as quickly if the brakes are wet.
Wet brakes may cause the car to pull
to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the car
under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and call
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer for
assistance.
 Don't coast down hills with the car out of gear. This is extremely hazardous.
Keep the car in gear at all times, use
the brakes to slow down, then shift to a
lower gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating.
If the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may go out of
control.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
WARNING
 Whenever you leave or park yourvehicle, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the P (Park) position. If the
parking brake is not fully
engaged, the vehicle may move
inadvertently and injure yourself
and others.
 All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.

Driving your vehicle30
5 Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting
your foot on the brake pedal while driv-
ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
 If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
car pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place.
 If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transaxle, don't let your vehi-
cle creep forward. To avoid creeping
forward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped.  Use caution when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front wheels
into the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If your vehicle is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the vehicle from rolling, block the
wheels.
 Under some conditions your parking brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. 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 that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the gear
selector lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.  Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade
with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.

531
Driving your vehicle
➀
CRUISE indicator
➁
SET indicator
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
✽ ✽ NOTICEDuring normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM
WARNING
 If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated)
the cruise control can be activat-
ed unintentionally. Keep the
cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-
ting a speed.
 Use the cruise control system only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
 Do not use the cruise control when it may not be safe to keep
the car at a constant speed, for
instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
 Pay particular attention to the driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
 Be careful when driving downhill using the cruise control system,
which may increase the vehicle
speed.
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CAUTION
During cruise-speed driving of amanual transaxle vehicle, do notshift into neutral without depress-ing the clutch pedal, since theengine will be overrevved. If thishappens, depress the clutch pedalor release the cruise control ON-OFF switch.

Driving your vehicle32
5To set cruise control speed:1. Push the cruise ON-OFF button on the
steering wheel to turn the system on.
The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 25 mph (40 km/h). 3. Push the SET- switch, and release it at
the desired speed. The SET indicator
light in the instrument cluster will illumi-
nate. Release the accelerator at the
same time. The desired speed will auto-
matically be maintained.
On a steep grade, the vehicle may slowdown or speed up slightly while goinguphill or downhill.
To increase cruise control set
speed:Follow either of these procedures:
 Push the RES+ switch and hold it. Your vehicle will accelerate. Release the
switch at the speed you want.
 Push the RES+ s witch and release it
immediately. The cruising speed will
increase 1.0 mph (1.6 km/h) each time
the RES+ s witch is operated in this
manner.
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533
Driving your vehicle
To decrease the cruising speed:Follow either of these procedures:
 Pushthe SET- switch and hold it. Your
vehicle will gradually slow down.
Release the switch at the speed you
want to maintain.
 Push the SET- switch and release it immediately. The cruising speed will
decrease 1.0 mph (1.6 km/h) each
time the SET- switch is operated in this
manner.
To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operation
or change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.
To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following: Press the brake pedal.
 Press the clutch pedal with a manualtransaxle.
 Shift the shift lever into N (Neutral) with an automatic transaxle
 Press the CANCEL switch located on the steering wheel.
 Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by 9 mph (15
km/h).
 Decrease the vehicle speed to less than approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
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Driving your vehicle34
5Each of these actions will cancel cruise
control operation (the SET indicator lightin the instrument cluster will go off), but itwill not turn the system off. If you wish to resume cruise control operation, pushthe RES+ switch located on your steeringwheel. You will return to your previously preset speed.
To resume cruising speed at
more than approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h):If any method other than the cruise
ON/OFF switch was used to cancel cruis-
ing speed and the system is still activat-
ed, the most recent set speed will auto-
matically resume when the RES+ switch
is pushed.
It will not resume, however, if the vehicle
speed has dropped below approximately
25 mph (40 km/h).✽ ✽ NOTICEAlways check the road conditions when
pressing the RES+ switch to resume the
speed.
To turn cruise control off, do one
of the following: Push the cruise ON/OFF button (the
CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster will go off).
 Turn the ignition off.Both of these actions cancel cruise con- trol operation. If you want to resume cruise control operation, repeat the stepsprovided in “To set cruise control speed”on the previous page.
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535
Driving your vehicle
Active ECO operation Active ECO helps improve fuel efficiency
by controlling the engine and transaxle.
But fuel-efficiency can be changed by the
driver's driving habits and road condi-
tions.
 When the Active ECO button ispressed the ECO indicator (green) will
illuminate to show that the Active ECO
is operating.
 When the Active ECO is activated, it does not turn off even though the
engine is restarted again. To turn off
the system, press the active ECO but-
ton again.
 If Active ECO is turned off, it will return to the normal mode.
Limitation of Active ECO
operation:If the following conditions occur while
Active ECO is operating, the system
operation is limited even though there is
no change in the ECO indicator.
 When the coolant temperature is low:The system will be limited until engine
performance becomes normal.
 When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain powerwhen driving uphill because the engine
torque is restricted.
 When using sports mode: The system will be limited according tothe shift location.
 When the accelerator pedal is deeply pressed for a few seconds:
The system will be limited, judging that the driver wants to speed up.
ACTIVE ECO SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
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Driving your vehicle36
5Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
miles (kilometers) you can get from a gal-
lon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
 Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you can
avoid unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
 Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion.  Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
 Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
 Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.  Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your car
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
 Keep your car clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
 Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
 Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.ECONOMICAL OPERATION

537
Driving your vehicle
 Remember, your vehicle does notrequire extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
 Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in too high
a gear resulting in the engine bucking.
If this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds.  Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
 Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
 Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer perform scheduled
inspections and maintenance.
WARNING
- Engine off dur- ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.