Hyundai Sonata

53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tyres.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”. Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls are
easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 for more information on their
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
car into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING
When you intend to park or stop the
vehicle with the engine on, be care-ful not to depress the accelerator
pedal for a long period of time. It
may overheat the engine or exhaust
system and cause fire.
WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous. Driving under the influence of alco-
hol is a major contributor to the
National Road Toll every year. Evena small amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment. Driving whilst under
the influence of drugs is as danger-
ous or more dangerous than driv-ing drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driveror call a cab.

Driving your vehicle
4
5
Illuminated ignition switch
Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will be illuminated for your
convenience, 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 sec-onds when the door is closed. Ignition switch position
LOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at
the ACC position and turn the key towardthe LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.
✽✽
NOTICE
If difficulty is experienced turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn
the key whilst turning the steering wheel
right and left to release the tension.
ON
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is the
normal running position after the engine
is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if the engine is not running to prevent the bat-tery from discharging.
KEY
OYF059017NOYF059016

55
Driving your vehicle
START
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The engine
will crank until you release the key; then
it returns to the ON position. The brake
warning lamp can be checked in thisposition.Starting the engine
WARNING -
Ignition
switch
Never turn the ignition switch to LOCK or ACC whilst the vehicle is
moving. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause anaccident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the parking
brake. 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 occurif these precautions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the ignition switch,or any other controls through the
steering wheel whilst the vehicle is
in motion. The presence of yourhand or arm in this area could
cause a loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily injuryor death.
Do not place any movable objects around the driver’s seat as they
may move whilst driving, interferewith the driver and lead to an acci-dent.
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots,etc.) may interfere with yourability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal, and the clutch (ifequipped).

Driving your vehicle
6
5
1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2. Manual Transaxle - Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the clutch
pedal and brake pedal depressed
whilst turning the ignition switch to the
start position.
Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)
position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START and hold it there until the engine starts (a
maximum of 10 seconds), then
release the key.
4. 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 depress-
ing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm, it
should be started without depressing
the accelerator.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls whilst you are in motion, do not attempt to move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position. Iftraffic and road conditions permit,you may put the shift lever in the N (Neutral) position whilst the vehicle
is still moving and turn the ignitionswitch to the START position in anattempt to restart the engine.
CAUTION
Do not engage the starter for morethan 10 seconds. If the engine stallsor fails to start, wait 5 to 10 seconds
before re-engaging the starter.Improper use of the starter maydamage it.

57
Driving your vehicle
Illuminated engine start/stop but- ton
Whenever the front door is opened, the
engine start/stop button will illuminate for
your convenience. The light will go off
immediately when the engine start/stop
button turns to the ON position or go offafter about 30 seconds when the door isclosed.Engine start/stop button position
OFF
To turn off the engine, press the engine
start/stop button with the engine
start/stop button ON and the shift lever in
P(Park). When you press the engine
start/stop button without the shift lever in
P(Park), the engine start/stop button
does not turn to the OFF position, but
turns to the ACC position.
Also, the steering wheel locks when the
engine start/stop button is in the OFFposition to protect against theft.
It locks when the door is opened, when
you pull out the smart key from the smart
key holder, or when you lock the doors
using the smart key.
✽✽
NOTICE
 If difficulty is experienced turning the engine start/stop button to the ACC
position, turn the steering wheel right
and left to release the tension whilst
pressing the engine start/stop button.
 When you turn off the engine, the vehicle should be stopped.
ACC (Accessory)
Press the engine start/stop button when it is in the OFF position without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.
If you leave the engine start/stop button
in the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the engine is off automatically to prevent
the battery from discharging.
ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
In an emergency situation whilst
the vehicle is moving, you can
switch off the engine and change
the engine start/stop button status
to the ACC position by pressing the
engine start/stop button for morethan 2 seconds or 3 times succes-
sively withinn 3 seconds. If the
vehicle is moving, you can restartthe engine without pressing the
brake pedal by pressing the engine
start/stop button with the shift leverin N(Neutral).
OYF059001R

Driving your vehicle
8
5
ON
Press the engine start/stop button whilst
it is in the ACC position without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the button in the ON position if the engine
is not running to prevent the battery fromdischarging.
START
To 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 safe-
ty, 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 follow :
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 may be dis-
charged.
WARNING
Never press the engine start/stop button whilst the vehicle is in
motion. This would result in theengine turning off and loss of
power assist for the steering and
brakes, which may lead to loss of
directional control and braking
function, which could cause anaccident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the
parking brake. 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 sudden vehicle
movement may occur if theseprecautions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the enginestart/stop button, or any other
controls through the steering
wheel whilst the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of yourhand 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 whilst driving, inter-
fere with the driver and lead to anaccident.

59
Driving your vehicle
Starting the engine
1. 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 appear in the dashboard display,and if all doors are closed, the chime
will also sound for about 5 seconds.
The indicator will turn off whilst 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 yourability to use the brake and acceler-ator pedal.
WARNING
The engine will start by pressing
the engine start/stop button, only
when the smart key is in the vehi-
cle. Never allow children or any per-son who is unfamiliar with the vehi-
cle to touch the engine start/stop
button or related parts.CAUTION
If the engine stalls whilst you are in motion, do not attempt to move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position. Iftraffic and road conditions permit,you may put the shift lever in the N(Neutral) position whilst the vehi-
cle is still moving and press theengine start/stop button in anattempt to restart the engine.

Driving your vehicle
10
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 passed 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 sec-
onds with the engine start/stop button
in the ACC. The engine can start with-
out depressing the brake pedal. But
for your safety always depress the
brake pedal before starting the
engine.
OYF059002
CAUTION
Do not press the engine
start/stop button for more than 5
seconds except when the stoplamp fuse is disconnected.
When you eject the smart key from the smart key holder, press
the smart key inward and pull it out. If you pull out the smart keyforcibly without pushing thesmart key, the smart key holder
may be damaged and couldn’t operate normally.

511
Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operation
The 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.
Press the clutch pedal down fully whilst
shifting, then release it 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. (if equipped)
The gearshift lever must be returned to
the neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse). The ring located immediately
below the shift knob must be pulled
upward whilst moving the shift lever tothe R 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)
CAUTION
When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear, caution
should be taken not to inadver- tently press the gear shift leversideways in such a manner thatsecond gear is engaged. Such a
drastic downshift may cause theengine speed to increase to the point that the tachometer will
enter the red-zone. Such over- revving of the engine may possi-bly cause engine damage.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear when
the engine is running at highspeed (5,000 RPM or higher). Such a downshifting may damagethe engine.
OYF059005
The ring (1) must be pulled up whilst
moving the shift lever.
The shift lever can be moved without
pulling the ring (1).

Driving your vehicle
12
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 at N(Neutral) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be
fully released whilst driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal whilst driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary 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.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on anuphill grade, whilst 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.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Thenmake 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 canoccur if these precautions are not
followed in the order identified.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may moveand cause a serious accident
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedalwhilst the parking brake is
released and the shift lever not inthe N(Neutral) position.
CAUTION
When operating the clutch pedal,
press the clutch pedal down fully. Ifyou don’t press the clutch pedal fully, the clutch may be damaged or
noise may occur.