engine Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 2012 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
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5
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situation,
do not attempt to modulate your brake
pressure and do not try to pump your
brakes. Press your brake pedal as hard
as possible or as hard as the situation
warrants and allow the ABS to control the
force being delivered to the brakes.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system,
your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
WARNING
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving maneuvers. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Control system) may be longer than
for those without it in the following
road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle
should be driven at reduced
speeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-coveredroads.
With tire chains installed. (Continued)
(Continued)
On roads where the road surfaceis pitted or has different surface
height.
The safety features of an ABS (or
ESC) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.

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Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability control (ESC)
system is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering maneuvers. ESC checks
where you are steering and where the
vehicle is actually going. ESC applies the
brakes at individual wheels and
intervenes in the engine management
system to stabilize the vehicle.
W-78
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problemwith the ABS. In this case, howev-er, your regular brakes will worknormally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds afterthe engine start/stop button is ON.During that time, the ABS will gothrough self-diagnosis and thelight will go off if everything is nor-mal. If the light stays on, you mayhave a problem with your ABS.Contact an authorized HYUNDAIdealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having poor traction, such as an icy road,and operate your brakes continu-ously, the ABS will be active con-tinuously and the ABS warning light may illuminate. Pull your carover to a safe place and stop theengine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then yourABS system is normal.Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact anauthorized HYUNDAI dealer assoon as possible.
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Driving your vehicle
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The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Control System is functioning properly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability control
(ESC) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers and hydroplaning on
wet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding maneuvers that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESC installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.
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Driving your vehicle
When operatingWhen the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.
Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
or driving on a slippery road,
pressing the accelerator
pedal may not cause the
engine rpm (revolutions per
minute) to increase.
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).
is turned to LOCK position
when ESC is off, ESC
remains off. Upon restarting
the engine, the ESC will auto-
matically turn on again.
Indicator light
When engine start/stop button 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.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheelsizes may cause the ESC system tomalfunction. When replacing tires, make sure they are the same size asyour 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
Check to be sure the parking brake isnot 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 light-
ly until the braking action returns to nor-
mal, 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 author-
ized 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.
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 los-
ing their effectiveness. It also increases
the wear of the brake components.
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 auto-
matic transaxle, don't let your vehicle
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, 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 position. If your
vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep the
vehicle from rolling. If your vehicle is fac-
ing 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 positionand 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.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or park yourvehicle, always firmly set the
parking brake as far as possible
and fully engage the vehicle's
transaxle into the P (Park) posi-
tion. 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.
CAUTION
Do not depress the brake pedal con-tinuously without READY status. Thebattery may be discharged.

Driving your vehicle
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Your 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

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Driving your vehicle
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 - HEV system
off during motion
Never turn the HEV system off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will not
function properly without the HEV
system running. Instead, keep the
HEV system 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.

Driving your vehicle
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden in braking or steering. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when stalled
in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn
the steering wheel right and left to clear
the area around your front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and any forward gear. Do not race the
engine, and the wheels as little as possi-
ble. If you are still stuck after a few tries,
have the vehicle pulled out by a tow vehi-
cle to avoid engine overheating and pos-
sible damage to the transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may causeengine over-heating, transaxle dam- age or failure, and tire damage.

533
Driving your vehicle
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine
oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-
out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.
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Driving your vehicle
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More severe weather conditions of winter
result in greater wear and other prob-
lems. To minimize winter driving problem,
you should follow these suggestions:
Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-
cations, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-
cient distance between the vehicle in
operation in front and your vehicle. Also,
apply the brake gently. It should be noted
that installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before fitting tire
chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without first
checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety
and handling of your vehicle may
be adversely affected.
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