Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 2016 Owner's Manual

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Driving your vehicle
5
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or
on slick pavement:
Slow down and allow extra follow-
ing distance. A heavy rainfall
makes it harder to see and increas-
es the distance needed to stop
your vehicle.
Turn OFF your Cruise Control.
Replace your windshield wiper
blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windshield.
Be sure your tires have enough
tread. If your tires do not have
enough tread, making a quick stop
on wet pavement can cause a skid
and possibly lead to an accident.
See "Tire Tread" in chapter 7.
Turn on your headlamps to make it
easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly. If you believe your brakes may be
wet, apply them lightly while driv-
ing until normal braking operation
returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the
water. The best advice is SLOW
DOWN when the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increas-
es as the depth of tire tread
decreases, refer to "Tire Tread" in
chapter 7.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.

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Driving your vehicle
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation, as specified.
Under-inflation may overheat or
damage the tires.
Do not install worn-out or damaged
tires, which may reduce traction or
fail the braking operation.
Information
Never over-inflate your tires above the
maximum inflation pressure, as speci-
fied on your tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine
oil
Driving at higher speeds on the high-
way consumes more fuel and is less
efficient than driving at a slower,
more moderate speed. Maintain a
moderate speed in order to conserve
fuel when driving on the highway.
Be sure to check both the engine
coolant level and the engine oil
before driving.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
overheat the engine.
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5-85
Driving your vehicle
5
The severe weather conditions of
winter quickly wear out tires and
cause other problems. To minimize
winter driving problems, you should
take the following suggestions:
Snow or icy conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake
applications, and sharp turns are
potentially very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause the vehicle to skid.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, a flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables,
a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tiresIf you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure to use 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.
The traction provided by snow tires
on dry roads may not be as high as
your vehicle's original equipment
tires. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Information
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munici-
pal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
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Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner than other types of tires, they
may be damaged by mounting some
types of tire chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is
recommended instead of tire chains.
Do not mount tire chains on vehicles
equipped with aluminum wheels; if
unavoidable use a wire type chain. If
tire chains must be used, use gen-
uine HYUNDAI parts and install the
tire chain after reviewing the instruc-
tions provided with the tire chains.
Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper tire chain use is not cov-
ered by your vehicle manufacturer’s
warranty.
Information
• Install tire chains on the front tires.
It should be noted that installing tire
chains on the tires will provide a
greater driving force, but will not
prevent side skids.
• Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and
municipal regulations for possible
restrictions against their use.
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The use of tire chains may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling:
Drive less than 20 mph (30
km/h) or the chain manufac-
turer’s recommended speed
limit, whichever is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid
bumps, holes, sharp turns,
and other road hazards, which
may cause the vehicle to
bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked
wheel braking.
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
5
Chain Installation
When installing tire chains, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly possible. Drive
slowly (less than 20 mph (30 km/h))
with chains installed. If you hear the
chains contacting the body or chas-
sis, stop and tighten them. If they still
make contact, slow down until the
noise stops. Remove the tire chains
as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning Flasher and place a
triangular emergency warning device
behind the vehicle (if available).
Always place the vehicle in P (Park),
apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine before installing snow
chains.When using tire chains:
Wrong size chains or improperly
installed chains can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-
pension, body and wheels.
Use SAE “S” class or wire
chains.
If you hear noise caused by
chains contacting the body,
retighten the chain to prevent
contact with the vehicle body.
To prevent body damage,
retighten the chains after driving
0.3~0.6 miles (0.5~1.0 km).
Do not use tire chains on vehi-
cles equipped with aluminum
wheels. If unavoidable, use a
wire type chain.
Use wire chains less than 0.47 in
(12 mm) wide to prevent damage
to the chain’s connection.
Winter Precautions
Use high quality ethylene glycol
coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
NOTICE

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Driving your vehicle
Check battery and cables
The winter temperature increases
the battery consumption.Inspect
the battery and cables, as speci-
fied in the chapter 7.The battery
charging level can be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or in a
service station.
Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary
In some regions during winter, it is
recommended to use the "winter
weight" oil with lower viscosity. For
further information, refer to the chap-
ter 8. When you are not sure about a
type of winter weight oil, consult an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.Check spark plugs and ignition
system
Inspect the spark plugs, as speci-
fied in the chapter 7.If necessary,
replace them. Also check all ignition
wirings and components for any
cracks, wear-out, and damage.
To prevent locks from freezing
To prevent the locks from being
frozen, spray approved de-icing fluid
or glycerin into key holes. When a
lock opening is already covered with
ice, spray approved de-icing fluid
over the ice to remove it. When an
internal part of a lock freezes, try to
thaw it with a heated key. Carefully
use the heated key to avoid an injury.Use approved window washer
anti-freeze solution in system
To prevent the window washer from
being frozen, add authorized window
washer anti-freeze solution, as spec-
ified on the window washer contain-
er. Window washer anti-freeze solu-
tion is available from an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer, and so are the
most vehicle accessory outlets. Do
not use engine coolant or other types
of anti-freeze solution to prevent any
damage to the vehicle paint.

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Driving your vehicle
5
Do not let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
When there is the risk that your park-
ing brake may freeze, temporarily
apply it with the shift lever in P
(Park). Also, block the rear wheels in
advance, so the vehicle may not roll.
Then, release the parking brake.Do not let ice and snow accumu-
late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in such conditions during the
severe winter, you should check
underneath the vehicle on a regular
basis, so that moving the front
wheels and the steering components
is unblocked.
Carry emergency equipment
In accordance with weather condi-
tions, you should carry appropriate
emergency equipment, while driving.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, shovel, jumper cables,
window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, blanket, etc.Do not place objects or materials
in the engine compartment
Putting objects or materials in the
engine compartment may cause an
engine failure or combustion, because
those may block the engine cooling.
Such damage will not be covered by
the manufacturer’s warranty.

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Driving your vehicle
Two labels on your driver’s door sill
show how much weight your vehicle
was designed to carry: the Tire and
Loading Information Label and the
Certification Label.
Before loading your vehicle, familiar-
ize yourself with the following terms
for determining your vehicle’s weight
ratings, from the vehicle’s specifica-
tions and the Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight
This is the weight of the vehicle
including a full tank of fuel and all
standard equipment. It does not
include passengers, cargo, or option-
al equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight
This is the weight of your new vehicle
when you picked it up from your deal-
er plus any aftermarket equipment.Cargo Weight
This figure includes all weight added
to the Base Curb Weight, including
cargo and optional equipment.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)
This is the total weight placed on
each axle (front and rear) - including
vehicle curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single
axle (front or rear). These numbers
are shown on the Certification Label.
The total load on each axle must
never exceed its GAWR.GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
This is the Base Curb Weight plus
actual Cargo Weight plus passen-
gers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle
(including all options, equipment,
passengers and cargo). The GVWR
is shown on the Certification Label
located on the driver’s door sill.
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Driving your vehicle
5
Tire loading information label
The label located on the driver’s door
sill gives the original tire size, cold
tire pressures recommended for your
vehicle, the number of people that
can be in your vehicle and vehicle
capacity weight.
Vehicle capacity weight
904 lbs. (410 kg)
Vehicle capacity weight is the maxi-
mum combined weight of occupants
and cargo. If your vehicle is equipped
with a trailer, the combined weight
includes the tongue load.
Seating capacity
Total : 5 persons
(Front seat : 2 persons,
Rear seat : 3 persons)
Seating capacity is the maximum
number of occupants including a
driver, your vehicle may carry.
However, the seating capacity may
be reduced based upon the weight of
all of the occupants, and the weight
of the cargo being carried or towed.
Do not overload the vehicle as there
is a limit to the total weight, or load
limit including occupants and cargo,
the vehicle can carry.
Towing capacity
We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.
Cargo capacity
The cargo capacity of your vehicle
will increase or decrease depending
on the weight and the number of
occupants and the tongue load, if
your vehicle is equipped with a trailer.
OLFH054451/OLFH054452
■ Type A
■ Type B

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Driving your vehicle
Steps for determining correct
load limit
1. Locate the statement "The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs.’’ on your vehicle’s
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example, if
the "XXX" amount equals 1400
lbs. and there will be five 150 lb.
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.6. If your vehicle will be towing a trail-
er, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle.Do not overload the vehicle as
there is a limit to the total
weight, or load limit, including
occupants and cargo, the vehi-
cle can carry. Overloading can
shorten the life of the vehicle. If
the GVWR or the GAWR is
exceeded, parts on the vehicle
can break, and it can change the
handling of your vehicle. These
could cause you to lose control
and result in an accident.
WARNING