2003 Hyundai Accent Owner's Manual

2. DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
Before Starting the Engine ............................................................. 2-3
Key Positions .................................................................................. 2-3
Starting ............................................................................................ 2-4
Operating the Manual Transaxle .................................................... 2-5
Automatic Transaxle ....................................................................... 2-7
Good Braking Practices ................................................................ 2-10
Anti-Lock Brake System ............................................................... 2-10
Driving for Economy ..................................................................... 2-11
Winter Driving ............................................................................... 2-12
Trailer Towing ............................................................................... 2-14
2

2- 2 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
C010A01A-AAT
WARNING: ENGINE EXHAUST CAN BE DANGEROUS!
Engine exhaust fumes can be extremely dangerous. If, at any time, you smell exhaust fumes inside the vehicle, open the windows
immediately.
o Do not inhale exhaust fumes.
Exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can cause unconsciousness and death by asphyxiation.
o Be sure the exhaust system does not leak.
The exhaust system should be checked whenever the vehicle is raised to change the oil or for any other purpose. If you hear a
change in the sound of the exhaust or if you drive over something that strikes the underneath side of the car, have the exhaust
system checked as soon as possible by your Hyundai dealer.
o Do not run the engine in an enclosed area.
Letting the engine idle in your garage, even with the garage door open, is a hazardous practice. Never run the engine in your garage
any longer than it takes to start the engine and back the car out.
o Avoid idling the engine for prolonged periods with people inside the car.
If it is necessary to idle the engine for a prolonged period with people inside the car, be sure to do so only in an open area with
the air intake set at "Fresh" and fan operating at one of the higher speeds so fresh air is drawn into the interior.
If you must drive with the trunk lid / tail gate open because you are carrying objects that make this necessary:
1. Close all windows.
2. Open side vents.
3. Set the air intake control at "Fresh", the air flow control at "Floor" or "Face" and the fan at one of the higher speeds.
To assure proper operation of the ventilation system, be sure the ventilation air intakes located just in front of the windshield are
kept clear of snow, ice, leaves or other obstructions.
!

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 3
C020A01A-AATBEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
Before you start the engine, you should always:
1. Look around the vehicle to be sure there are
no flat tires, puddles of oil or water or other
indications of possible trouble.
2. After entering the car, check to be sure the
parking brake is engaged.
3. Check that all windows, and lights are clean.
4. Check that the interior and exterior mirrors
are clean and in position.
5. Check your seat, seatback and headrest to
be sure they are in their proper positions.
6. Lock all the doors.
7. Fasten your seat belt and be sure that all
other occupants have fastened theirs.
8. Turn off all lights and accessories that are
not needed.
9. When you turn the ignition switch to "ON",
check that all appropriate warning lights are
operating and that you have sufficient fuel.
10. Check the operation of warning lights and all
bulbs when key is in the "ON" position.
C030A01A-AATCOMBINATION IGNITION SWITCH
To Start the Engine
o If your Hyundai is equipped with a manual
transaxle, place the shift lever in neutral and
depress the clutch pedal fully.
o If your Hyundai has an automatic transaxle,
place the shift lever in "P" (park).
o To start the engine, insert the ignition key
and turn it to the "START" position. Release
it as soon as the engine starts. Do not hold
the key in the "START" position for more
than 15 seconds.
NOTE:o For safety, the engine will not start if the
clutch pedal is not depressed fully (Manual
Transaxle) or the shift lever is not in "P"
or "N" Position (Automatic Transaxle).
o The ignition key cannot be turned from
"ACC" position to "LOCK" position un-
less the shift lever is in the "P" (Park)
position or the negative battery terminal
is disconnected from the battery. (For
Automatic Transaxle)
C040A01A-AATKEY POSITIONS
C040A01E
LOCKACC
ON
START
WARNING:The engine should not be turned off or the
key removed from the ignition key cylinder
while the vehicle is in motion. The steering
wheel is locked by removing the key.
o "START"
The engine is started in this position. It will crank
until you release the key.
NOTE:Do not hold the key in the "START" position
for more than 15 seconds.
!

2- 4 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
C070C01A-AATTo Remove the Ignition Key
1. Turn the ignition key to the "ACC" position.
2. Simultaneously push and turn the ignition
key counterclockwise from the "ACC" posi-
tion to the "LOCK" position.
3. The key can be removed in the "LOCK"
position.
C050A01A-AATSTARTING
WARNING:
Never run the engine in a closed or poorly
ventilated area any longer than is needed to
move your car in or out of the area. The
carbon monoxide gas emitted is odorless
and can cause serious injury or death.
o "ON"
When the key is in the "ON" position, the ignition
is on and all accessories may be turned on. If
the engine is not running, the key should not be
left in the "ON" position. This will discharge the
battery and may also damage the ignition sys-
tem.
o "ACC"
With the key in the "ACC" position, some elec-
trical accessories (radio, etc.) may be operat-
ed.
o "LOCK"
The key can be removed or inserted in this
position. To protect against theft, the steering
wheel locks by removing the key.
NOTE:To unlock the steering wheel, insert the key,
and then turn the steering wheel and key
simultaneously.
C070C01E
LOCKACC
ON
START
C050A01E
!

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 5
The starter should not be operated for more
than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 15-30 sec-
onds between starting attempts to protect
the starter from overheating.C050B01A-AATNormal Conditions:
The Starting Procedure:
1. Insert key, and fasten the seat belt.
2. Depress the clutch pedal fully and place the
gearshift lever (manual transaxle) in neutral
or the selector lever (automatic transaxle) in
"P" (park) position.
3. After turning the ignition key to the "ON"
position, make certain all warning lights and
gauges are functioning properly before start-
ing the engine.
WARNING:Be sure that the clutch is fully depressed
when starting a manual transaxle vehicle.
Your manual transaxle equipped vehicle will
not start unless the clutch pedal is fully
depressed. On a manual transaxle equipped
vehicle that can be started without depress-
ing the clutch, there is the potential to cause
damage to the vehicle or injury to someone
inside or outside the vehicle as a result of
the forward or backward movement of the
vehicle that will occur if the clutch is not
depressed when the vehicle is started.
!
4. Turn the ignition key to the "Start" position
and release it when the engine starts.
After the engine has started, allow the engine
to run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to placing
the vehicle in gear.
C070A02A-AAT
OPERATING THE MANUAL
TRANSAXLE
Your Hyundai's manual transaxle has a conven-
tional shift pattern. This shift pattern is also
imprinted on the shift knob. The transaxle is fully
synchronized in all forward gears so shifting to
either a higher or a lower gear is easily accom-
plished.
C070A01A
NOTE:o To shift into reverse, rest the lever in
neutral for at least 3 seconds after your
car is completely stopped. Then move the
lever into the reverse position.
o During cold weather, shifting may be dif-
ficult until the transaxle lubricant has
warmed up. This is normal and not harm-
ful to the transaxle.
o If you've come to a complete stop and it's
hard to shift into 1
st or R(Reverse), put
the shift lever in N(Neutral) position and
release the clutch. Press the clutch pedal
back down, and then shift into 1
st or
R(Reverse) gear position.
o Do not use the shift lever as a handrest
during driving, as this can result in pre-
mature wear of the transaxle shift forks.
CAUTION:When downshifting from fifth gear to
fourth gear, caution should be taken not
to inadvertently press the gear shift lever
sideways in such a manner that second
gear is engaged. Such a drastic downshift
may cause the engine speed to increase to
the point that the tachometer will enter the
red zone. Such over revving of the engine
may possibly cause engine damage.
!

2- 6 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
WARNING:o The risk of rollover is greatly increased if
you lose control of your vehicle at high-
way speeds.
o Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway and
the driver oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
o In the event your vehicle leaves the road-
way, do not steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into the travel
lanes.
o In a collision crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seatbelt.
The shift points as shown above are recom-
mended for optimum fuel economy and perform-
ance.
C070E03A-AAT
RECOMMENDED SHIFT POINTS
C070D02A-AATGood Driving Practices
o Never take the car out of gear and coast
down a hill. This is extremely hazardous.
Always leave the car in gear.
o Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them
to overheat and malfunction. Instead, when
you are driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you do this,
engine braking will help slow the car.
o Slow down before shifting to a lower gear.
This will help avoid over-revving the engine,
which can cause damage.
o Slow down when you encounter cross winds.
This gives you much better control of your
car.
o Be sure the car is completely stopped before
you attempt to shift into reverse. The transaxle
can be damaged if you do not. To shift into
reverse, depress the clutch, move the shift
lever to neutral, wait three seconds, then
shift to the reverse position.
o 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 the vehicle to go out of control.
C070B01A-AATUsing the Clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way to the
floor before shifting, then released slowly. Do
not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while
driving. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold the car
on an incline. This causes unnecessary wear.
Use the parking brake to hold the car on an
incline. Do not operate the clutch pedal rapidly
and repeatedly.
Shift
from-toRecommended
mph(km/h)
15 (20)
25 (40)
35 (55)
45 (75) 1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
!

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 7
C090A01A-AATAUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
The highly efficient Hyundai automatic transaxle
has four forward speeds and one reverse speed.
It has a conventional shift pattern as shown in
the illustration. At night, with the multi-function
switch turned on to the parking light or head light
position the appropriate symbol on the shift
pattern indicator will be illuminated according to
the range selected.
C090B01A-AAT
The function of each position is as
follows:
o P (Park):
Use to hold the vehicle in place when parking or
while starting the engine; shift the selector lever
to the "P" (Park) position. Whenever parking the
car, apply the parking brake and shift the selec-
tor lever to the "P" (Park) position.
C090C01A-AATo R(Reverse):
Use for backing up the vehicle. Bring the car to
a complete stop before shifting the selector
lever to "R" position.
CAUTION:Never shift into "R" or "P" position while the
car is moving.
NOTE:Depress the brake pedal and push the
button when shifting
Push the button when shifting
The selector lever can be shifted freely.
For optimum fuel economy, accelerate gradu-
ally. The transaxle will automatically shift to the
second, third and overdrive gears.
C090A01A
!CAUTION:Never place the selector lever in the "P"
(Park) position unless the vehicle is fully
stopped. Failure to observe this caution will
cause severe damage to the transaxle.
!
C090D02A-AAT
o N (Neutral):
In the "N" position, the transaxle is in neutral
position, which means that no gears are en-
gaged. The engine can be started with the shift
lever in "N" position, although this is not recom-
mended except if the engine stalls while the car
is moving.
C090E01A-AAT
o D (Drive):
Use for normal driving. The transaxle will auto-
matically shift through a four-gear sequence.
Never downshift manually to "2" position or "L"
position when vehicle speed is more than 60
mph (96 km/h).

2- 8 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
C090P01A-AATOverdrive Switch
When the overdrive switch is turned on, the
transaxle will automatically upshift to the sec-
ond, third and overdrive gears. When the over-
drive switch is turned off, the transaxle will not
upshift to the overdrive gear. For normal driving,
the selector lever should be left in the "D"
position and the overdrive switch turned on.
If you need to accelerate rapidly, press the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor. The
transaxle will automatically shift to a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed and load.
C090G01A-AAT
o L (Low gear):
Use for driving up a very steep grade or for
engine braking when descending steep hills.
When downshifting to "L", the transaxle will
temporarily remain in second gear until the ve-
hicle has slowed enough for low gear to engage.
Do not exceed 31 mph (50 km/h) in low gear.
C090I01A-AAT C090F01A-AAT
o 2 (Second gear):
Use for driving on a slippery road, hill climbing
or engine braking downhill. "2" automatically
shifts between first and second gears.
This means that no shift-up to 3rd gear is per-
formed. However, the shift-up to third gear is
done when the car speed exceeds a certain
value to prevent the engine from over-revving.
Manually move the selector to "D" returning to
normal driving condition.
C090H01A-AATNOTE:
o For smooth and safe operation, depress
the brake pedal when shifting from "Neu-
tral" position or "Park" position to a for-
ward or reverse gear.
o The ignition key must be in the "ON"
position and the brake pedal fully de-
pressed in order to move the shift lever
from the "P" (Park) position to any of the
other positions.o It is always possible to shift from "R",
"N", "D", "2", "L" position to "P" posi-
tion.
CAUTION:o Shift into "R" and "P" position only when
the vehicle has completely stopped.
o Do not accelerate the engine in reverse or
any of the forward positions with the
brakes applied.
o Always apply the footbrake when shifting
from "P" or "N", to "R", "D", "2" or "L"
position.
o Do not use the "P" (Park) position in
place of the parking brake. Always set
the parking brake, shift the transaxle into
"P" (Park) position and turn off the igni-
tion when you leave the vehicle, even
momentarily. Never leave the vehicle un-
attended while the engine is running.
o Check the automatic transaxle fluid level
regularly, and add fluid as necessary.
!
C090P01A