steering HYUNDAI SONATA 2023 Owner's Guide

While Driving
6-6
Key Ignition Switch (if equipped)
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH, take the following precautions: • NEVER allow children or any person
who is unfamiliar with the vehicle to
touch the ignition switch or related
parts. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur.
• NEVER reach through the steering
wheel for the ignition switch, or any
other control, while the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of your hand
or arm in this area may cause a loss
of vehicle control resulting in an
accident.
OAE056172L
Whenever the front door is opened, the
ignition switch will illuminate, provided
the ignition switch is not in the ON
position. The light will go off immediately
when the ignition switch is turned on or
go off after about 30 seconds when the door is closed. (if equipped)
WARNING
NEVER turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK or ACC position while the vehicle
is in motion except in an emergency.
This will result in the engine turning
off and loss of power assist for the
steering and brake systems. This may
lead to loss of directional control and
braking function, which could cause an
accident.
Before leaving the driver's seat, always
make sure the shift button is in P (Park)
position, apply the parking brake,
and turn ignition switch to the LOCK position.
Unexpected vehicle movement may
occur if these precautions are not
followed.
ignition Switch
LOCK ACC
ON
START

06
6 -7
Key ignition switch positions
Switch
Position Action Notice
LOCKTo turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, put the key in at
the ACC position and turn the key
towards the LOCK position.
The ignition key can be removed in
the LOCK position.
(The shift button must be in the P
(Park) position)
ACC Electrical accessories are usable.
The steering wheel unlocks.
ON This is the normal key position when
the engine has started.
All features and accessories are usable.
The warning lights can be checked
when you turn the ignition switch
from ACC to ON. Do not leave the ignition switch in the ON position when the engine is
not running in order to prevent the
battery from discharging.
START To start the engine, turn the ignition
switch to the START position. The
switch returns to the ON position
when you let go of the key. The engine will crank until you
release the key.

06
6-9
Engine Start/Stop Button (if equipped)
ODN8069001
Whenever the front door is opened, the
Engine Start/Stop button will illuminate
and will go off 30 seconds after the door is closed.
WARNING
To reduce risk of serious injury or death,
NEVER allow children or any person
who is unfamiliar with the vehicle to
touch the Engine Start/Stop button or
related parts. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur.
WARNING
To turn the engine off in an emergency:
Press and hold the Engine Start/Stop
button for more than two seconds OR
rapidly press and release the Engine
Start/Stop button three times (within
three seconds).
If the vehicle is still moving, you can
restart the engine without depressing
the brake pedal by pressing the Engine
Start/Stop button with the shift button
in the N (Neutral) position.
WARNING
• NEVER press the Engine Start/Stop
button while the vehicle is in motion
except in an emergency. This will
result in the engine turning off and
loss of power assist for the steering
and brake systems.
This may lead to loss of directional
control and braking function, which
could cause an accident.
• Before leaving the driver's seat,
always make sure the shift button
is in the P (Park) position, set the
parking brake, press the Engine
Start/Stop button to the OFF
position, and take the Smart Key with
you. Unexpected vehicle movement
may occur if these precautions are
not followed.
• NEVER reach through the steering
wheel for the Engine Start/Stop
button or any other control while the
vehicle is in motion. The presence
of your hand or arm in this area
may cause a loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident.

06
6-15
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position. The
transmission will automatically shift
through a 8-gear sequence, providing
the best fuel economy and power.
To start the vehicle forward, push the D
(Drive) button by depressing the brake
pedal with the engine ON. Then depress
the accelerator pedal smoothly.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or driving uphill, depress the
accelerator fully. The transmission will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear (or gears, as appropriate).
When the vehicle is stopped in D (Drive)
position, if you open the driver's door
with the seat belt unfastened, the gear is
shifted to P (Park) position automatically.
However when the vehicle moves in D
(Drive) position, if you open the driver's
door with the seat belt unfastened, the
gear may not shift to P (Park) position
automatically to protect the automatic
transmission.
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transmission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the gear from
P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse)
or D (Drive) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the gear from P (Park) or N
(Neutral) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the ignition switch in the ON position.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the R (Reverse) or D (Drive) button. Stay in N (Neutral) position when engine is Off
ODN8069006
ODN8069008
If you want to keep the N (Neutral)
position after the engine is OFF, do the
following.
1. Deactivate the AUTO HOLD and release the parking brake when the
ignition switch is ON.
2. Start the engine. Push the N (neutral) button while depressing the brake
pedal. If the message ("Press and
hold OK button to stay in Neutral
when vehicle is OFF") appears on the
cluster LCD display, press and hold
the OK button on the steering wheel
for more than 1 second.
3. When the message ("Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear to cancel")
appears on the cluster LCD display,
turn off the engine.
In this situation, if you unfasten the
driver's seat belt and open the driver's
door within 3 minutes, the gear stays in
the N (Neutral) position and the ignition
switch is turned off.

06
6-17
LCD Display Message
Shifting conditions not met
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when engine RPM is too
high, or when driving speed is too fast to
shift the gear.
We recommend you decrease the engine
speed or slow down before shifting the
gear.
Press brake pedal to change gear
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the brake pedal is not
depressed while shifting the gear.
We recommend you to depress the brake
pedal and then shift the gear.
Shift to P after stopping
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the gear is shifted to P
(Park) while the vehicle is moving.
Stop the vehicle before shifting to P
(Park).
PARK engaged
The message appears on the LCD display
when the P (Park) position is engaged.
Stop the vehicle before shifting to P
(Park).
Press and hold OK button to stay in
Neutral when vehicle is Off
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when pushing the N
(Neutral) button. If you want to stay N
(Neutral) after turning off the engine,
press and hold the “OK” button on the
steering wheel more than 1 second.Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear
to cancel
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when depressing the "OK"
button on the steering wheel after the
message ("Press and hold OK button
to stay in Neutral when vehicle is Off")
appears on the cluster LCD display. The
gear stays in N(Neutral) position after
turning off the engine. NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) position is engaged.
Gear already selected
The message appears on the LCD
display, when pushing the current shift
button again.
Shift button held down
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the shift button is
pressed continuously or the shift button
does not properly operate. Clean the
surroundings of gear shift button.
If this message appears again, have
the vehicle inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Shifter system malfunction
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the transmission
or the shift button does not properly
operate in the P (Park) position.
In this case, have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Check shift controls
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when there is a malfunction
with transmission shift button.
In this case, have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

While Driving
6-18
Good Driving Practices
• Never shift the gear from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) to any other position with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
• Never shift the gear 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 shift the gear to N (Neutral)
when driving. Doing so may result
in an accident because of a loss of
engine braking and the transmission could be damaged.
• While driving up or downhill, check
the gear position, indicated on the
cluster, to ensure the vehicle is
driving forward while in D (Drive), or
backward while in R (Reverse). If you
drive in the opposite direction of the
selected gear, the engine will turn off
and a serious accident may occur due
to the degraded brake performance.
• 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 the manual shift
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.
• Always apply the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle. Do not depend on
placing the transmission 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.
WARNING
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 belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering 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.
• HYUNDAI recommends you follow all
posted speed limits.
Information
Kickdown Mechanism (if equipped)
If you depress the accelerator pedal equipped with Kickdown device beyond
the pressure point, it maximizes the engine
power. You may feel when the Kickdown
equipment starts to work and hear the sound of Kickdown operation. It is normal
operation, not a failure.

06
6-25
WARNING
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.
To stay in N (Neutral) when vehicle is
OFF (button type)
ODN8069006
„„Type A
ODN8069007
„„Type B
ODN8069008
If you want to stay in N (Neutral) after the
engine is OFF (in the ACC state), do the
following.
1. Turn off Auto Hold and release Electronic Parking Brake when the engine is running.
2. Push the N(Neutral) button by depressing the brake pedal. If the
message (“Press and hold the OK
button on the steering wheel to stay in
Neutral ”) appears on the cluster LCD
display, press and hold the OK button
on the steering wheel for more than 1 second.
3. When the message ‘Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear to cancel’ (or ‘N will
stay engaged when the vehicle is Off’)
will appear on the cluster LCD display,
press the Engine Start/Stop button
while depressing the brake pedal.
However, if you open the driver's
door, the gear will automatically
shift to P (Park) and the Engine Start/
Stop button will change to the OFF position.
NOTICE
With the gear in N (Neutral) the Engine
Start/Stop button will be in the ACC
position. Note that the doors cannot
be locked in the ACC position or the
battery may discharge if left in the ACC
position for a long period.

While Driving
6-28
Press and hold the OK button on the
steering wheel to stay in Neutral
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when pushing the
N(Neutral) button. If you want to stay
N(Neutral) after turning off the engine,
press and hold the “OK” button on the
steering wheel more than 1 second.
Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear
to cancel
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when pushing the “OK”
button on the steering wheel after the
message (“Press and hold OK button
to stay in Neutral when vehicle is Off”)
appears on the cluster LCD display. The
gear stays in N(Neutral) position after
turning off the engine. NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) position is engaged.
Gear already selected
The message appears on the LCD
display, when pushing the current shift
button again.
Shift button held down
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the shift button is
pressed continuously or the shift button
does not properly operate. Clean the
surroundings of gear shift button.
If this message appears again, we
recommend you to have the vehicle
inspected by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer.
Shifter system malfunction! Service
immediately
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the transmission
or the shift button does not properly
operate in the P (Park) position.
In this case, we recommend you to
immediately have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Check shift controls
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when there is a malfunction
with transmission shift button.
In this case, we recommend you to
immediately have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

06
6-29
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift lever/button
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any
other position with the accelerator
pedal depressed.
• Never move the shift lever/button 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/button
to N (Neutral) when driving. Doing
so may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transmission 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.
• Always apply the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle. Do not depend on
placing the transmission 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. WARNING
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 belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering 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.
• HYUNDAI recommends you follow all
posted speed limits.

While Driving
6-30
BrAke SySteM
Power Brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted 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. You can still
stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than typical.
The stopping distance, 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.
Only pump the brakes on slippery
surfaces if the power assist has been
interrupted to maintain steering control.
Do not pump the brakes on slippery
surfaces if the brakes are operating
normally.
WARNING
Take the following precautions: • Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. This will create
abnormal high brake temperatures,
excessive brake lining and pad wear,
and increased stopping distances.
• When descending down a long or
steep hill, move the gear shift button
to Manual Shift Mode and manually
downshift to a lower gear in order
to control your speed without using
the brake pedal excessively. Applying
the brakes continuously will cause
the brakes to overheat and could
result in a temporary loss of braking
performance.
• 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 fashion after driving
through deep water. To dry the
brakes, lightly tap the brake pedal to
heat up the brakes while maintaining
a safe forward speed until brake
performance returns to normal.
Avoid driving at high speeds until the
brakes function correctly.
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.
Note that some driving conditions or
climates may cause a brake squeal
when you first apply (or lightly apply)
the brakes. This is normal and does not
indicate a problem with your brakes.
NOTICE
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not
continue to drive with worn brake pads.
Information
Always replace brake pads as complete
front or rear axle sets.