Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 2016 Owner's Manual

5-13
Driving your vehicle
5
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the Engine Start/Stop button 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 hybrid system 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 Engine
Start/Stop button in the OFF
position. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed.
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.
When using Manual Shift
Mode: Do not shift from a high
gear to lower gear rapidly on
slippery 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
hybrid system off.
Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake.
WARNING

5-14
Driving your vehicle
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
transmission if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a 6-gear sequence, pro-
viding the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill, depress
the accelerator fully. The transmis-
sion will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear (or gears, as
appropriate).
The DRIVE MODE switch, located on
the shift lever console, allows the driv-
er to switch from NORMAL mode to
SPORT or ECO mode.
For more information, refer to
"Drive Mode Integrated Control
System" later in this chapter.
NOTICE

5-15
Driving your vehicle
5
Manual shift mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, manual shift mode is
selected by pushing the shift lever
from the D (Drive) position into the
manual gate. To return to D (Drive)
range operation, push the shift lever
back into the main gate.In Manual Shift Mode, moving the
shift lever backwards and forwards
will allow you to select the desired
range of gears for the current driving
conditions.
+ (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.
• In sports mode, the driver must exe-
cute upshifts in accordance with
road conditions.
(Continued)(Continued)
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain
gearshifts when the shift lever is
operated.
• When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into the
+ (Up) position. This causes the
transmission to shift into the 2nd
gear which is better for smooth driv-
ing on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the - (Down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.
• When accelerating from a stop on a
slippery road, push the shift lever
forward into the + (Up) position.
This causes the transmission 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.
i
OLF054013
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)

5-16
Driving your vehicle
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the hybrid system or place
the Engine Start/Stop button in the
ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
Shift-lock release
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 Engine Start/Stop but-
ton in the 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.If you need to use the shift-lock
release, have the system inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
immediately.
OLF054015N

5-17
Driving your vehicle
5
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 Engine Start/Stop but-
ton in the 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
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 transmis-
sion 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. 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

5-18
Driving your vehicle
Information - Kickdown
Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point. The automatic transmission will
shift to a lower gear depending on the
engine speed. i(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.
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)
WARNING

5-19
Driving your vehicle
5
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
If the hybrid system is not on 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 dis-
tance, however, will be longer than
with power brakes.
When the hybrid system is not on,
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.
Do not depress the brake pedal
continuously without the " "
indicator ON. The battery may be
discharged.
NOTICE
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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 down a
long or steep hill, move the
gear shift lever 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 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

5-20
Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn out
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.
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.
Foot parking brake
(if equipped)
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then
depress the parking brake pedal
down as far as possible.
Releasing the parking brake
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, have
the system checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
i
NOTICEODH053142
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
ODH053143

5-21
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 Engine
Start/Stop button to
the ON position (do
not start the hybrid
system).
This light will be illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the
Engine Start/Stop button in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is released and the Brake
Warning Light is OFF.
If the Parking Brake Warning Light
remains on after the parking brake is
released while hybrid system is ON,
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
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 P
(Park) position, then apply the
parking brake, and place the
Engine Start/Stop button in
the OFF position.
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
(red color)

5-22
Driving your vehicle
Electronic Parking Brake
(EPB) (if equipped)
Applying the parking brake
To apply the EPB:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Pull upwards on the EPB switch.
Make sure the Parking Brake Warning
Light ( , red color) comes on.Also, the EPB is applied automatical-
ly if the [AUTO HOLD] switch is on
when the engine is turned off.
However, if you press the EPB switch
within one second after the engine is
turned off, the EPB will not be
applied.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the EPB
With the Engine Start/Stop button in
the ON position.
1. Depress the brake pedal and hold.
2. Press the EPB switch downwards.
Make sure the Parking Brake Warning
Light ( , red color) goes off.OLF054016N
OLF054017N
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, do not oper-
ate the EPB while the vehicle is
moving except in an emergency
situation. It could damage the
brake system and lead to an
accident.
WARNING