Hyundai Sonata 2012 Owner's Manual

725
Maintenance
Check the condition and connections of
all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side of the
coolant reservoir when the engine is
cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protection
against freezing and corrosion. Bring the
level to F, but do not overfill. If frequent
additions are required, see an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for a cooling system
inspection.
Recommended engine coolant When adding coolant, use only deion-ized water or soft water for your vehicle
and never mix hard water in the
coolant filled at the factory. An improp-
er coolant mixture can result in serious
malfunction or engine damage.
 The engine in your vehicle has aluminum engine parts and must be protected by
an ethylene-glycol-based coolant to pre-
vent corrosion and freezing.
 DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the specified
coolant.
 Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution.
For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
WARNING
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and
steam may blow out under pres-
sure causing serious injury.
5°F (-15°C) 35 65
-13°F (-25°C) 40 60
-31°F (-35°C) 50 50
-49°F (-45°C) 60 40Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
OYF079006-1
OYF079005N

Maintenance26
7
Changing the coolantHave coolant changed by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer according to the
Maintenance Schedule at the beginning
of this section.
Checking the brake/clutch fluid
level Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake/clutch fluid, clean the area
around the reservoir cap thoroughly to
prevent brake/clutch fluid contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake linings.
If the fluid level is excessively low, have
the brake system or clutch (if equipped)
checked by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer.
OYF079007N
BRAKE/CLUTCH FLUID
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.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabric aroundthe radiator cap before refilling thecoolant in order to prevent the coolant from overflowing intoengine parts such as generator.
WARNING
The cooling fan is controlled by
engine coolant temperature and
may sometimes operate even when
the engine is not running. Use
extreme caution when working near
the blades of the coolant fan so that
you are not injured by a rotating fan
blade. As the engine coolant tem-
perature decreases, the fan will
automatically shut off. This is a nor-
mal condition.

727
Maintenance
Use only the specified brake fluid. (Referto “Recommended lubricants or capaci-ties” in section 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
Checking the washer fluid level The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visual
inspection.
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.
OYF079010
WARNING -
Brake/clutch
fluid
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
WARNING -
Loss of brake/
clutch fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to contactthe vehicle's body paint, as paintdamage will result. Brake fluid,which has been exposed to open air for an extended time should neverbe used as its quality cannot beguaranteed. It should be disposedof properly. Don't put in the wrong kind of fluid. A few drops of miner-al-based oil, such as engine oil, inyour brake system can damage brake system parts.
WASHER FLUID

Maintenance28
7
Checking the parking brakeType ACheck whether the stroke is within spec-
ification when the parking brake pedal is
depressed with 44 lb (20 kg, 196 N) of
force. Also, the parking brake alone should
securely hold the vehicle on a fairly steep
grade. If the stroke is more or less than
specified, have the parking brake adjusted
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Stroke : 4~5 notch
Type BCheck the stroke of the parking brake by
counting the number of “clicks’’ heard
while 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 authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Stroke : 5 “clicks’’ at a force of
44 lbs (20 kg, 196 N).
OYF059023
OYF059022N
WARNING -
Coolant
 Do not use radiator coolant orantifreeze 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 allow
sparks or flame to contact the
washer 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 contacting
windshield washer fluid. Serious
injury or death could occur.
PARKING BRAKE

729
Maintenance
AIR CLEANER Filter replacement It must be replaced when necessary, and
should not be cleaned and reused.
You can clean the filter when inspecting
the air cleaner element.
Clean the filter by using compressed air.1. Loosen the air cleaner cover attaching
clips and open the cover. 2. Wipe the inside of the air cleaner.
3. Replace the air cleaner filter.
4. Lock the cover with the cover attaching
clips.
OYF079011
OYF079012
OYF079013

Maintenance30
7Replace the filter according to the
Maintenance Schedule.If the vehicle is operated in extremely
dusty or sandy areas, replace the ele-ment more often than the usual recom-mended intervals. (Refer to “Maintenance under severe usage condi-tions” in this section.)
Filter inspectionThe climate control air filter should be
replaced according to the Maintenance
Schedule. If the vehicle is operated in
severely air-polluted cities or on dusty
rough roads for a long period, it should
be inspected more frequently and
replaced earlier. When you replace the
climate control air filter, replace it per-
forming the following procedure, and be
careful to avoid damaging other compo-
nents.
Filter replacement1. Open the glove box and remove the support strap (1).
CAUTION
 Do not drive with the air cleaner removed; this will result in exces-sive engine wear.
 When removing the air cleaner fil- ter, be careful that dust or dirtdoes not enter the air intake, ordamage may result.
 Use a HYUNDAI genuine part. Use of non-genuine parts could dam-age the air flow sensor.
CLIMATE CONTROL AIR FILTER
OYF079014

731
Maintenance
2. With the glove box open, remove thestoppers by turning them counter-
clockwise on both sides. 3. Remove the climate control air filter
cover while pressing the lock on the
right of the cover. 4. Replace the climate control air filter.
5. Reassemble in the reverse order of
disassembly.
✽ ✽NOTICEWhen replacing the climate control air
filter install it properly. Otherwise, the
system may produce noise and the effec-
tiveness of the filter may be reduced.
OYF079016
OYF079015
OYF079046

Maintenance32
7WIPER BLADES Blade inspection✽
✽
NOTICECommercial hot waxes applied by auto-
matic car washes have been known to
make the windshield difficult to clean.
Contamination of either the windshield or
the wiper blades with foreign matter can
reduce the effectiveness of the wind-
shield wipers. Common sources of con-
tamination are insects, tree sap, and hot
wax treatments used by some commer-
cial car washes. If the blades are not wip-
ing properly, clean both the window and
the blades with a good cleaner or mild
detergent, and rinse thoroughly with
clean water.
Blade replacement When the wipers no longer clean ade-
quately, the blades may be worn or
cracked, and require replacement.
1JBA5122
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, do not use gasoline,kerosene, paint thinner, or other solvents on or near them.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiperarms or other components, do notattempt to move the wipers manual- ly.
CAUTION
The use of a non-specified wiperblade could result in wiper malfunc- tion and failure.

733
Maintenance
Front windshield wiper blade1. Raise the wiper arm.2. Lift up the wiper blade clip. Then pull
down the blade assembly and remove
it. 3. Install the new blade assembly in the
reverse order of removal.
OHM078059
OYF079061
OYF079062
CAUTION
Do not allow the wiper arm to fallagainst the windshield, since it maychip or crack the windshield.

Maintenance34
7For 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.BATTERY
OYF079017
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.
If any electrolyte gets into your eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at least
15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention.
(Continued)
(Continued)
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 whencharging or working near a
battery. Always provide
ventilation when working in
an enclosed space.
An inappropriately disposed battery can be harmful to
the environment and human
health. Dispose the battery
according to your local
law(s) or regulation.
 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 cables
are connected.
(Continued)
Pb