overheating Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 2016 Owner's Manual

3-85
Convenient features of your vehicle
3
Low Washer Fluid
This warning message is displayed
in the service reminder mode, when
the washer fluid in the reservoir is
nearly empty.
If this warning message is displayed,
have the washer fluid reservoir
refilled.
Low Fuel
This warning message is displayed if
the fuel tank is almost out of fuel.
When this message is displayed, the
vehicle range is approximately 30
miles.
When this message is displayed, the
low fuel level warning light in the
instrument cluster will come on.
It is recommended to look for the
nearest fueling station and refuel as
soon as possible.
Engine has overheated
This warning message is displayed
when the engine coolant tempera-
ture is above 248°F (120°C). This
means that the engine is overheated
and may be damaged.
If your vehicle is overheated, refer
to “Overheating” in chapter 6.
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3-148
Convenient features of your vehicle
Information
• When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature gauge
closely while driving up hills or in
heavy traffic when outside tempera-
tures are high. Air conditioning sys-
tem operation may cause engine
overheating. Continue to use the
blower fan but turn the air condi-
tioning system off if the temperature
gauge indicates engine overheating.
• When opening the windows in
humid weather air conditioning
may create water droplets inside the
vehicle. Since excessive water
droplets may cause damage to elec-
trical equipment, air conditioning
should only be used with the win-
dows closed.
Air conditioning system operation
tips
If the vehicle has been parked in
direct sunlight during hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to let the hot air inside the vehicle
escape.
Use air conditioning to reduce
humidity and moisture inside the
vehicle on rainy or humid days.
During air conditioning system
operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed as the air conditioning com-
pressor cycles. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.
Use the air conditioning system
every month only for a few minutes
to ensure maximum system per-
formance.
When using the air conditioning
system, you may notice clear water
dripping (or even puddling) on the
ground under the passenger side
of the vehicle. This is a normal sys-
tem operation characteristic. Operating the air conditioning sys-
tem in the recirculated air position
provides maximum cooling, how-
ever, continual operation in this
mode may cause the air inside the
vehicle to become stale.
During cooling operation, you may
occasionally notice a misty air flow
because of rapid cooling and
humid air intake. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.
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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

5-40
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices Wet brakes can be dangerous! The
brakes may get wet if the vehicle is
driven through standing water or if it
is washed. Your vehicle will not stop
as quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet
brakes may cause the vehicle to pull
to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns
to normal, taking care to keep the
vehicle 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 authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
DO NOT drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
constant pedal pressure can result in
the brakes overheating, brake wear,
and possibly even brake failure.If a tire goes flat while you are driv-
ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle 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 location.
Keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped to
prevent the vehicle from rolling for-
ward. Whenever leaving the vehicle or
parking, always come to a com-
plete 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 parked with the park-
ing brake not applied or not
fully engaged may roll inadver-
tently and may cause injury to
the driver and others. ALWAYS
apply the parking brake before
exiting the vehicle.
WARNING

5-81
Driving your vehicle
5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud and sand, take the
below suggestions:
Drive cautiously and keep a longer
braking distance.
Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
When your vehicle is stuck in snow,
mud, or sand, use second gear.
Accelerate slowly to avoid unnec-
essary wheel spin.
Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or
other non-slip materials under the
wheels to provide additional trac-
tion while the vehicle becomes
stuck 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 a for-
ward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and
do not race the engine.
To prevent transmission wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal while
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
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Downshifting with an automatic
transmission while driving on
slippery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING
If the vehicle is stuck and
excessive wheel spin occurs,
the temperature in the tires can
increase very quickly. If the tires
become damaged, a tire blow
out or tire explosion can occur.
This condition is dangerous -
you and others may be injured.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehi-
cle, the vehicle can overheat
quickly, possibly causing an
engine compartment fire or
other damage. Try to avoid spin-
ning the wheels as much as
possible to prevent overheating
of either the tires or the engine.
DO NOT allow the vehicle to
spin the wheels above 35 mph
(56 km/h).
WARNING

5-82
Driving your vehicle
Information
The ESC system must be turned OFF
before rocking the vehicle.
If you are still stuck after rocking
the vehicle a few times, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle
to avoid engine overheating, possi-
ble damage to the transmission,
and tire damage. See "Towing" in
chapter 6.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration.
Driving at night
Night driving presents more hazards
than driving in the daylight. Here are
some important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lamps.
Keep your headlamps clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlamps will make it
much more difficult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the head-
lamps of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
NOTICE
i

6-7
What to do in an emergency
6
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, you
experience a loss of power, or hear
loud pinging or knocking, the engine
may be overheating. If this happens,
you should:
1. Turn ON the hazard warning flash-
er, pull off the road and stop as
soon as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (Park)
and set the parking brake.
3. Make sure that there is no hot
steam gushing out of the engine
compartment. When it is safe to
do so, open the engine compart-
ment, and check the water-pump
connector. When the water-pump
connector is disconnected, stop
the engine, re-connect the water-
pump connector, and then re-start
the engine.
4. Set the temperature and the air
flow to the maximum, and turn ON
the air conditioner.5. When the Service warning light
( ) illuminates on the instru-
ment cluster, immediately stop the
engine, and contact an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer. When the
engine warning light ( ) illumi-
nates, or when the coolant or hot
steams gush out of the engine
compartment, leave the engine
compartment opened, while run-
ning the engine. This is to ventilate
the engine compartment and to
cool down the engine.
6. Check the coolant temperature
gauge on the instrument cluster to
make sure the coolant temperature
is sufficiently cooled down. Check
the coolant level. When it is insuffi-
cient, check its connection with the
radiator, the heater hose, and the
water pump for any leakage. When
there is no leakage, add the
coolant. However, if the problems
persists, such as the illumination of
the warning lights, leakages, or the
cooling-fan malfunction, which may
overheat the engine, immediately
stop the engine, and have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
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6-8
What to do in an emergency
7. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to nor-
mal. Then, if coolant has been
lost, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir to bring the fluid level in
the reservoir up to the halfway
mark.
8. Proceed with caution, keeping
alert for further signs of overheat-
ing. If overheating happens again,
call an authorized HYUNDAI deal-
er for assistance.
Serious loss of coolant indi-
cates a leak in the cooling sys-
tem and should be checked as
soon as possible by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer.
CAUTION
The electric motor for
the cooling fan may
continue to operate
or start up when the
engine is not running
and can cause serious injury.
Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from the rotating fan
blades of the cooling fan.
WARNING
Your vehicle is
equipped with a pres-
surized coolant
reserve tank. NEVER
remove the coolant
reserve tank cap or the radiator
drain plug while the engine and
radiator are HOT. Hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure, causing serious
injury.
Turn the engine off and wait
until the engine cools down.
Use extreme care when remov-
ing the coolant reserve tank
cap. Wrap a towel or thick rag
around it, and turn it counter-
clockwise slowly to release
some of the pressure from the
system. Step back while the
pressure is released.
When you are sure all the pres-
sure has been released, contin-
ue turning the cap counter-
clockwise to remove it.
WARNING

7-32
Maintenance
Changing engine coolant
Have coolant changed by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
To prevent damage to engine
parts, put a thick towel around the
radiator cap before refilling the
coolant to prevent the coolant
from overflowing into engine
parts, such as the generator.
Checking the hybrid starter &
generator (HSG) belt
Have the hybrid starter & generator
(HSG) belt inspected or replaced
according to the Maintenance
Schedule in this chapter by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
NOTICE
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Turn the vehicle off while you
inspect the engine or hybrid
starter & generator(HSG) belt.
Otherwise it may result in
serious injury.
Keep hands, clothing etc.
away from the hybrid starter &
generator (HSG) belt.
WARNING
When the HSG belt is worn out
or damaged, replace the belt.
Otherwise, it may cause engine
overheating or battery dis-
charge.
CAUTIONDo not use engine coolant or
antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Engine coolant can severely
obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may
cause loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident.
Engine coolant may also cause
damage to paint and body trim.
WARNING