HYUNDAI TUCSON 2015 Owners Manual

5-15
Driving your vehicle
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are notengaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart
a stalled engine, or if it is necessary
to stop with the engine ON. Shift into
P (Park) if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason.
Always depress the brake pedal
when you are shifting from N
(Neutral) to another gear.
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence, provid-
ing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle
will automatically downshift to the
next lower gear (or gears, as appro-
priate).
Always come to a complete
stop before shifting into or out
of R (Reverse); you may dam-
age the transaxle if you shift
into R (Reverse) while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
CAUTION
Do not shift into gear unless
your foot is firmly on the brake
pedal. Shifting into gear whenthe engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to
move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people orobjects.
WARNING

5-16
Driving your vehicle
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.In Sports Mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to select the desired range
of gears for the current driving condi-
tions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
✽✽NOTICE
 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 automatical- ly when the vehicle slows down.
When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is
automatically selected.
 When the engine rpm approaches the red zone the transaxle will
upshift automatically.
 If the driver presses the lever to + (Up) or - (Down) position, the
transaxle may not make the
requested gear change if the next
gear is outside of the allowable
engine rpm range. The driver
must execute upshifts in accor-
dance with road conditions, taking
care to keep the engine rpms
below the red zone.
 When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into
the + (Up) position. This causes
the transaxle 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.
OLMB053013
SporSportstsmodemode

5-17
Driving your vehicle
5
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal isdepressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or place the igni-tion switch in the ON position.
3.Move the shift lever.
Shift-lock release
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) or N (Neutral) posi-
tion into R (Reverse) position with
the brake pedal depressed, continue
depressing the brake, and then do
the following: 1.Place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position.
2.Apply the parking brake.
3.Carefully remove the cap (1) cover- ing the shift-lock access hole.
4.Insert a key (or screwdriver) into the access hole and press down
on the key (or screwdriver).
5.Move the shift lever to N (Neutral) while holding down the key (or
screwdriver).
6.Remove the key (or screwdriver) from the shift-lock access hole
then install the cap.
7.Depress the brake pedal, and then restart the engine.
If you need to use the shift-lock
release, have your vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
immediately.
OLMB053053R

5-18
Driving your vehicle
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
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 ignition switch in the
LOCK/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 pedaldepressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is inmotion.
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
transaxle could be damaged.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. Even light, butconsistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure.
When driving in Sports mode, slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.
When you stay in the vehicle
with the engine running, becareful 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 exhaustsystem 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

5-19
Driving your vehicle
5
Always apply the parking brakewhen leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle 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 controlresulting in an accident.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothlydepressing and releasing the
accelerator. 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 highwayspeeds.
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 (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.

5-20
Driving your vehicle
The All Wheel Drive (AWD) System
delivers engine power to all front
and rear wheels for maximum trac-
tion. AWD is useful when extra trac-tion is required on roads such slip-
pery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails
are OK. It is always important that
the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed
the safe operating speed for those
conditions.✽✽NOTICE
 Do not drive in water if the level is higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
 Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water.
Depress the brake pedal several
times as you move slowly until you
feel normal braking return.
 Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance Under
Severe Usage Conditions” in chap-
ter 7).
 Always wash your vehicle thor- oughly after off road use, especial-
ly the bottom of the vehicle.
 Be sure to equip the vehicle with four tires of the same size and
type.
 Make sure that a full time AWD vehicle is towed by a flat bed tow
truck.
AALLLL WW HHEEEE LL DD RRIIVV EE (( AA WW DD)) (( IIFF EE QQ UUIIPP PPEEDD ))
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicles intended
design such as challenging
off-road conditions.
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 a rollover is great-
ly increased if you lose con-
trol of your vehicle at highwayspeeds.
Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over steers to reenter the
roadway.
In the event your vehicle
leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
WARNING

5-21
Driving your vehicle
5
AWD operation
In the AWD LOCK mode, the system is deactivated when vehi-
cle speed is over 19mph (30 km/h) and the mode is shifted to
AWD AUTO mode. If the vehicle speed slows down to 19mph
(30 km/h), the mode shifts back to the AWD LOCK mode.
Use this mode when driving up or down sharp inclines, driving
off-road, driving on sandy and muddy roads, etc. to maximize
traction
AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is deactivated)
(not illuminated)
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
In the AWD AUTO mode, under normal operating conditions,
the vehicle operates similar to conventional 2WD vehicles. If the
system determines there is a need for four wheel drive, the
engine’s driving power is distributed to all four wheels automat-
ically.
Use this mode when driving on normal roads.
AWD LOCK
(illuminated)
All Wheel Drive (AWD) mode selection
If AWD warning light ( ) stays on the instrument cluster, your vehicle may have a malfunction with the
AWD system. When the AWD warning light ( ) illuminates have your vehicle checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING

5-22
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
When the AWD LOCK mode is
deactivated, a sensation may be felt
as the driving power is delivered
entirely to the front wheels.
For safe AWD operation
Before driving
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
Sit upright and closer to the steer- ing wheel than usual. Adjust the
steering wheel to a position com-
fortable for you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy
roads
Start off slowly by applying theaccelerator pedal gently.
Use snow tires or tire chains.
Keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Use engine braking during deceler- ation.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and
sharp turns to prevent skids.
Driving in sand or mud
Maintain slow and constant speed.
Use tire chains driving in mud ifnecessary.
Keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Reduce vehicle speed and always check the road condition.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and
sharp turns to prevent getting
stuck.
When driving on normal roads,
deactivate the AWD LOCK mode
by pushing the AWD LOCK but-
ton (AWD LOCK indicator light
goes off). Driving on normal
roads with the AWD LOCK
mode, especially, when corner-
ing may cause mechanical
noise or vibration. The noiseand vibration will disappear
when the AWD LOCK mode is
deactivated. Prolong drivingwith the noise and vibration
may damage some parts of the
power train.CAUTION
When the vehicle is stuck in
snow, sand or mud, place a non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction OR
Slowly spin the wheels in for-
ward and reverse directions
which causes a rocking motion
that may free the vehicle.
However, avoid running the
engine continuously at high
rpm, doing so may damage the
AWD system.
CAUTION

5-23
Driving your vehicle
5
Driving up or down hills
Driving uphill - Before starting off, check if it ispossible to drive uphill.
- Drive as straight as possible.
Driving downhill
- Do not change gear while drivingdownhill. Select gear before driv-
ing downhill.
- Drive slowly using engine braking while driving downhill.
- Drive straight as possible.
OLMB053017OLMB053018
Do not drive across the contour
of steep hills. A slight change in
the wheel angle can destabilize
the vehicle, or a stable vehicle
may lose stability if the vehicle
stops its forward motion. Your
vehicle may roll over and lead to
a serious injury or death.
WARNING
Exercise extreme caution driv-
ing up or down steep hills. The
vehicle may flip depending on
the grade, terrain and water /
mud conditions.
WARNING

5-24
Driving your vehicle
Driving through water
Try to avoid driving in deep stand-ing water. It may stall your engine
and clog your exhaust pipes.
If you need to drive in water, stop your vehicle, set the vehicle in
AWD LOCK mode and drive under5mph (8 km/h).
Do not change gear while driving in water.
Additional driving conditions
Become familiar with the off-roadconditions before driving.
Always pay attention when driving off-road and avoid dangerous
areas.
Drive slowly when driving in heavy wind.
Reduce vehicle speed when cor- nering. The center of gravity of
AWD vehicles is higher than con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you rapidly turn corners. Always hold the steering wheel
firmly when you are driving off-road.
Always drive slowly in water. If
you drive too fast, water may
get into the engine compart-ment and wet the ignition sys-
tem causing your vehicle to
suddenly stop.
CAUTION
OLMB053019
Do not grab the inside of the
steering wheel when you are
driving off-road. You may hurt
your arm by a sudden steering
maneuver or from steeringwheel rebound due to an impact
with objects on the ground. You
could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel that may lead to seri-
ous injury or death.
WARNING