Hyundai Sonata 2014 Owner's Manual

5-22
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has six for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter 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).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above
and still cannot shift the lever out
of P (Park), see “Shift-Lock
Release” in this chapter.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
•ALWAYS check the surround-
ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle 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, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
(Continued)
(Continued)
•Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.
WARNING
•Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
•After the vehicle has stopped,
always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
•Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake.
WARNING

5-23
Driving your vehicle
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart
a stalled engine, or if it is necessary
to stop with the engine ON. Shift into
P (Park) if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason.
Always depress the brake pedal
when you are shifting from N
(Neutral) to another gear.
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence, provid-
ing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle
will automatically downshift to the
next lower gear (or gears, as appro-
priate).
The DRIVE MODE switch, located on
the shift lever console, allows the driv-
er to switch from NORMAL mode to
SPORT or ECO mode. (if equipped)
For more information, refer to
"Drive Mode Integrated Control
System" later in this chapter.
NOTICE
Do not shift into gear unless
your foot is firmly on the brake
pedal. Shifting into gear when
the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to
move very rapidly. You could
lose control of the vehicle and
hit people or objects.
WARNING

5-24
Driving your vehicle
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.
In Sports Mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to select the desired range
of gears for the current driving condi-
tions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one
gear.
Information
• Only the six 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.
• Downshifts are made automatically
when the vehicle slows down. When
the vehicle stops, 1st gear is auto-
matically selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches
the red zone the transaxle will
upshift automatically.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• If the driver presses the lever to
+ (Up) or - (Down) position, the
transaxle may not make the request-
ed gear change if the next gear is
outside of the allowable engine rpm
range. The driver must execute
upshifts in accordance with road
conditions, taking care to keep the
engine rpms below the red zone.
• 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.
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OLF054013
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)

5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the igni-
tion switch in the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, and then do the follow-
ing:
1. Place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov-
ering the shift-lock access hole.
4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw-
driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool.
5. Move the shift lever while holding
down the screwdriver.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock
override access hole then install
the cap.
7. Depress the brake pedal, and then
restart the engine.
If you need to use the shift-lock
release, we recommend that the sys-
tem be inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer immediately.
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5-26
Driving your vehicle
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, apply the parking brake,
and place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position. Take the Key
with you when exiting the vehicle.
Good driving practices
•Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
•Never move the shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
•Do not move the shift lever to N
(Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transaxle could be damaged.
•Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
consistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure.
•When driving in sports mode, slow
down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.
When you stay in the vehicle
with the engine running, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of
time. The engine or exhaust
system may overheat and start
a fire.
The exhaust gas and the
exhaust system are very hot.
Keep away from the exhaust
system components.
Do not stop or park over flam-
mable materials, such as dry
grass, paper or leaves. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
WARNING

5-27
Driving your vehicle
5
•Always apply the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in
P (Park) to keep the vehicle from
moving.
•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
may cause loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident
•Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator.
Information - Kickdown
Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point. The automatic transaxle will
shift to a lower gear depending on the
engine speed.
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To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
•ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.
In a collision, an unbelted
occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belt-
ed occupant.
•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 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
•In the event your vehicle
leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
•HYUNDAI recommends you
follow all posted speed limits.
WARNING

5-28
Driving your vehicle
Power brakes
Yo u r v e h i c l e h a s p o w e r - a s s i s t e d
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Yo u c a n s t i l l s t o p y o u r v e h i c l e b y
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than typical. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be longer than
with power brakes.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
BRAKING SYSTEM
Take the following precautions:
•Do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
•When descending a long or
steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Applying
the brakes continuously will
cause the brakes to overheat
and could result in a tempo-
rary loss of braking perform-
ance.
(Continued)
(Continued)
•Wet brakes may impair the
vehicle’s ability to safely slow
down; the vehicle may also
pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Applying
the brakes lightly will indicate
whether they have been
affected in this way. Always
test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep
water. To dry the brakes, light-
ly tap the brake pedal to heat
up the brakes while maintain-
ing a safe forward speed until
brake performance returns to
normal. Avoid driving at high
speeds until the brakes func-
tion correctly.
WARNING

5-29
Driving your vehicle
5
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high pitched warning sound from
your front or rear brakes. You may
hear this sound come and go or it
may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with worn
brake pads.
Information
Always replace brake pads as com-
plete front or rear axle sets.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
Hand type
Always set the parking brake before
leaving the vehicle, to apply:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Pull up the parking brake lever as far
as possible.
Foot type
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then
depress the parking brake pedal
down as far as possible.
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NOTICE
ODH053142
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, do not oper-
ate the parking brake while the
vehicle is moving except in an
emergency situation. It could
damage the brake system and
lead to an accident.
WARNING
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5-30
Driving your vehicle
Releasing the parking brake
Hand type
To release:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Slightly pull up the parking brake
lever.
While pressing the release button
(1), lower the parking brake (2).
Foot type
To release:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Depress the parking brake pedal
down and it will release automatical-
ly.
If the parking brake does not release
or does not release all the way, we
recommend that the system be
checked by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer.
OLF054048
ODH053143
•Whenever leaving the vehicle
or parking, always come to a
complete stop and continue
to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the
1st gear (for manual transaxle
vehicle) or P (Park, for auto-
matic transaxle vehicle) posi-
tion, then apply the parking
brake, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion.
Vehicles with the parking
brake not fully engaged are at
risk for moving inadvertently
and causing injury to yourself
or others.
•NEVER allow anyone who is
unfamiliar with the vehicle to
touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.
•Only release the parking
brake when you are seated
inside the vehicle with your
foot firmly on the brake pedal.
WARNING

5-31
Driving your vehicle
5
•Do not apply the accelerator
pedal while the parking brake is
engaged. If you depress the
accelerator pedal with the park-
ing brake engaged, warning will
sound. Damage to the parking
brake may occur.
•Driving with the parking brake
on can overheat the braking sys-
tem and cause premature wear
or damage to brake parts. Make
sure the parking brake is
released and the Brake Warning
Light is off before driving.
Check the Parking
Brake Warning Light
by placing the ignition
switch to the ON posi-
tion (do not start the
engine).
This light will be illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is released and the Brake
War ning Light is OFF.
If the Parking Brake Warning Light
remains on after the parking brake is
released while engine is running,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location.
NOTICE