Traction HYUNDAI TUCSON 2015 User Guide

5-49
Driving your vehicle
5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud or sand:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking
or steering.
If stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, 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 a for-
ward gear. Try to avoid spinning the
wheels, and do not race the engine.
To prevent transaxle 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 transaxle is in gear. Slowly spin-
ning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
SSPP EECCIIAA LL DD RRIIVV IINN GG CC OO NNDDIITT IIOO NNSS
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change intire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING
If the tires spin at high speed
the tires can explode, and you
or others may be injured. Do not
attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near
the vehicle.
The vehicle can overheat caus-
ing an engine compartment fire
or other damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and
avoid spinning the wheels at
speeds over 35 mph (56 km/h)as indicated on the speedome-
ter.
WARNING

5-54
Driving your vehicle
If 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.
✽✽NOTICE
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-
ipal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner than other types of tires, they
may be damaged by mounting sometypes 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. 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
OLMB053046

7
Maintenance
7
Maintenance
ENGINE COMPARTMENT .....................................7-3
MAINTENANCE SERVICES .....................................7-4
Owner's responsibility ...................................................7-4
Owner maintenance precautions ..................................7-4
OWNER MAINTENANCE .......................................7-6
Owner maintenance schedule ........................................7-7
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICES ..............7-8
Normal maintenance schedule .......................................7-9
Maintenance under severe usage conditions ..........7-22
EXPLANATION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ITEMS .....................................7-24
ENGINE OIL ...........................................................7-27
Checking the engine oil level .......................................7-27
Checking the engine oil and filter ..............................7-28
ENGINE COOLANT ................................................7-29
Checking the engine coolant level..............................7-29
Changing engine coolant .............................................7-31
BRAKE FLUID ........................................................7-32
Checking the brake fluid level .....................................7-32
WASHER FLUID.....................................................7-34
Checking the washer fluid level .............................7-34
PARKING BRAKE...................................................7-35
Checking the parking brake .........................................7-35
AIR CLEANER .......................................................7-36
Filter replacement ........................................................7-36
CLIMATE CONTROL AIR CLEANER ....................7-38
Filter inspection ...............................................................7-38
WIPER BLADES.....................................................7-40
Blade inspection ..............................................................7-40
Blade replacement .......................................................7-40
BATTERY ...............................................................7-43
For best battery service................................................7-44
Battery recharging .........................................................7-44
Reset features .................................................................7-46
TIRES AND WHEELS ............................................7-47
Tire care ............................................................................7-47
Recommended cold tire inflation pressures.............7-48
Check tire inflation pressure........................................7-49
Tire rotation .....................................................................7-50
Wheel alignment and tire balance ..............................7-51
Tire replacement .............................................................7-51
Wheel replacement .........................................................7-52
Tire traction ......................................................................7-52
Tire maintenance ............................................................7-53
Tire sidewall labeling ......................................................7-53
Tire terminology and definitions.................................7-57
All season tires ................................................................7-60
Summer tires ....................................................................7-60
7

7-47
7
Maintenance
TTIIRR EESS AA NN DD WW HHEEEELLSS
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
(Continued)Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering) control, ortraction.
ALWAYS replace tires with the
same size as each tire that
was originally supplied with
this vehicle. Using tires andwheels other than the recom-
mended sizes could cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics, poor vehicle control, or
negatively affect your vehi-
cle’s Anti-Lock Brake System(ABS) resulting in a seriousaccident.
Tire failure may cause loss of
vehicle control resulting in an
accident. To reduce risk of
SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH,
take the following precautions:
Inspect your tires monthly for
proper inflation as well as
wear and damage.
The recommended cold tire
pressure for your vehicle can
be found in this manual andon the tire label located on the
driver’s side center pillar.
Always use a tire pressure
gauge to measure tire pres-
sure. Tires with too much ortoo little pressure wear
unevenly causing poor han-dling.
Check the pressure of the
spare every time you checkthe pressure of the other tires
on your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING

7-51
7
Maintenance
Wheel alignment and tire bal- ance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there isless than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
OLMB073027
Tread wear indicator
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle’s alu-
minum wheels. Use only
approved wheel weights.
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of DEATH or
SERIOUS INJURY:
Replace tires that are worn,
show uneven wear, or are dam-
aged. Worn tires can cause loss
of braking effectiveness, steer-
ing control, and traction.
Always replace tires with the
same size as each tire that was
originally supplied with this
vehicle. Using tires and wheelsother than the recommended
sizes could cause unusual han-
dling characteristics, poor vehi-
cle control, or negatively affect
your vehicle’s Anti-Lock BrakeSystem (ABS) resulting in aserious accident.
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, HYUNDAI recommendsthat tires be replaced after six
(6) years of normal service.(Continued)
WARNING

7-52
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mountedon the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is notdesigned to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset.
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
(Continued)
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent high loading condi-
tions can accelerate the aging
process. Failure to follow this
warning may cause sudden tire
failure, which could lead to a
loss of vehicle control resultingin an accident.
The original tire should be repaired or replaced as soon as
possible to avoid failure of the
spare and loss of vehicle con-
trol resulting in an accident. The
compact spare tire is for emer-
gency use only. Do not operate
your vehicle over 50 mph (80km/h) when using the compact
spare tire.
WARNING

7-55
7
Maintenance
4. Tire ply composition andmaterial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D“ means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and theletter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
5. Maximum permissible infla-tion pressure
This number is the greatest amountof air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width.
For example:
TREAD wear 200
TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate ofthe tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times (1½) as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on your vehicle
may vary with respect to grade.

7-56
Maintenance
Traction - AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measuredunder controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perform-
ance.
Temperature - A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation ofheat and its ability to dissipate heatwhen tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratorytest wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. Grade C
responds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the labora-
tory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The traction grade assigned tothis tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include accelera-
tion, cornering, hydroplaning,
or peak traction characteristics.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
under-inflation, over-inflation,
or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination,
can cause heat build-up and
possible sudden tire failure.
This may cause loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident.
WARNING

7-59
7
Maintenance
Passenger (P-Metric) tire
A tire used on passenger cars and
some light duty trucks and multipur-
pose vehicles.
Recommended InflationPressure
Vehicle manufacturer's recommend-
ed tire inflation pressure as shownon the tire placard.
Radial Ply Tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at 90 degrees to the centerline ofthe tread.
Rim
A metal support for a tire and uponwhich the tire beads are seated.
Sidewall
The portion of a tire between thetread and the bead.
Speed Rating
An alphanumeric code assigned to a
tire indicating the maximum speed at
which a tire can operate.
Traction
The friction between the tire and the
road surface. The amount of grip pro-vided.
Tread
The portion of a tire that comes intocontact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators
Narrow bands, sometimes called
"wear bars," that show across thetread of a tire when only 1/16 inch of
tread remains.
UTQGS
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards is a tire information sys-
tem that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction, tempera-
ture and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing proce-
dures. The ratings are molded into
the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
The number of designated seating
positions multiplied by 150 lbs. (68
kg) plus the rated cargo and luggageload.

7-60
Maintenance
Vehicle Maximum Load on theTire
Load on an individual tire due to curb
and accessory weight plus maximum
occupant and cargo weight.
Vehicle Normal Load on the Tire
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
accessory weight, and normal occu-
pant weight and dividing by 2.
Vehicle Placard
A label permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the original equip-
ment tire size and recommended
inflation pressure.
All season tires
HYUNDAI specifies all season tires
on some models to provide good
performance for use all year round,
including snowy and icy road condi-
tions. All season tires are identified
by ALL SEASON and/or M+S (Mud
and Snow) on the tire sidewall. Snow
tires have better snow traction than
all season tires and may be more
appropriate in some areas.
Summer tires
HYUNDAI specifies summer tires on
some models to provide superior
performance on dry roads. Summer
tire performance is substantially
reduced in snow and ice. Summer
tires do not have the tire traction rat-
ing M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
side wall. If you plan to operate your
vehicle in snowy or icy conditions,
HYUNDAI recommends the use of
snow tires or all season tires on all
four wheels.
Snow tires
If you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and
have the same load capacity as the
original tires. Snow tires should be
installed on all four wheels; other-
wise, poor handling may result. Snow
tires should carry 4 psi (28 kPa)more air pressure than the pressure
recommended for the standard tires
on the tire label on the driver's side of
the center pillar, or up to the maxi-
mum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less. Do not
drive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h)
when your vehicle is equipped with
snow tires.