2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Shift

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 3
!!WARNING:o The 2WD Santa Fe is not designed for
off-road use. The 4WD Santa Fe is de-
signed primarily for use on paved roads.
However, occasional use in off-highway
conditions such as established unpaved
roads and non-challenging off-road
trails is allowed. The 4WD Santa Fe is not
designed for blazing new trails, chal-
lenging off-road conditions, or unpaved
hill climbing. Exceeding the conditions
that were intended for the vehicle's pri-
mary design may result in injury or death.
o Utility vehicle has a significantly higher
collision rate than other type of vehicles.
o Utility vehicle have higher ground clear-
ance and a narrower track to make them
capable of performing in a wide variety
of off-road applications. Specific design
characteristics give them a higher center
of gravitiy than ordinary cars. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance is a
better view of the road allowing you to
anticipate problem. They are not de-
signed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional 2-wheel drive vehicles
any more than low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily un-
der off-road conditions. If at all possible,
avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
As with other vehicles of this type, fail-
ure to operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle rollover.
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, 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.
C030A01E-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 that 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. To
remove the key, always confirm that the
shift lever is securely positioned in "P"
(Park) (For Automatic Transaxle)
o For additional information about start-
ing, see page 2-5.
WARNING:o In a collision crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seatbelt.

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 5
!
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.
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 de-
pressing 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 move-
ment 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.
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.
!
C070A01A-AATOPERATING THE MANUAL
TRANSAXLE
Your Hyundai's manual transaxle has a con-
ventional shift pattern. This shift pattern is im-
printed 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.
C050A01E
C070A01O

2- 6 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
!
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 ve-
hicle speed can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to go out of
control.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
difficult 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 1st 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 1st
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.
C070B01A-AATUsing the Clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way to the
floor before shifting, then released slowly. The
clutch pedal should always be used after fully
returning to the original position. 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.
CAUTION:When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth
gear, caution should be taken not to inad-
vertently press the gear lever sideways in
such a manner that second gear is en-
gaged. 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 pos-
sibly cause engine damage.
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
WARNING:o Avoid high cornering speeds.
o Do not make quick steering wheel move-
ments, such as sharp lane changes or
fast, sharp turns.
o Always wear your seat belts.
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, un unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seatbelt.
o Never exceed posted speed limits.
!

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 7
C070E02A-AATRecommended Shift Points
The shift points as shown on the chart are
recommended for optimum fuel economy and
performance.
Shift
from-to
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5Recommended
mph (km/h)
15 (20)
25 (40)
35 (55)
45 (75)
C090A01O-GATAUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
The highly efficient Hyundai automatic transaxle
has four forward speeds and one reverse
speed. The individual speeds are selected au-
tomatically, depending on the position of the
speed selector lever. The selector lever has 2
gates; the main gate and the manual gate.
NOTE:For information on manual gate operation,
refer to "Sports Mode".
In the main gate, the selector lever has 4
positions, and is equipped with a button to avoid
inadvertent wrong selection.
NOTE:Depress the brake pedal and push the
button when shifting.
Push the button when shifting.
The selector lever can be shifted freely.
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, or if the
battery has been disconnected, may be some-
what abrupt. This is a normal condition, and the
shifting sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the T.C.M (Transmission
Control Module).
CAUTION:Never shift into "R" or "P" position while the
vehicle is moving.C090A01O
C090A02L!

2- 8 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
!
C090E01O-AAT
o D(Drive):
Use for normal driving. The transaxle will auto-
matically shift through a four gear sequence.
C090F01O-GATSports Mode
C090D02O-AATo N (Neutral):
In the "N" position, the transaxle is in neutral,
which means that no gears are engaged. The
engine can be started with the shift lever in "N"
position, although this is not recommended
except if the engine stalls while the car is
moving.
C090B01A-AAT
The function of each position is as fol-
lows:
o P (Park):
Use to hold the vehicle in place when parked 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. The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
indicate the selector lever position when the
ignition is switched "ON". During "D" range
operation, green lights indicate the gear cur-
rently in use.
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.Whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion,
sports mode is selected by pushing the selector
lever from the "D" position into the manual gate.
To return to "D" range operation, push the
selector lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the selector lever back-
wards and forwards can make rapid gearshifts
simple. In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with the accel-
erator pedal depressed.
UP (+) : Push the lever forward once to shift up
one gear.
DOWN (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to
shift down one gear.
SKIP : By rapidly moving the selector forward
or backward twice, it is possible to skip one
gear, i.e. 1st to 3rd or 3rd to 1st .
C090F01O

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 9
!!
o Before driving away from a stop on a
slippery road, push the selector lever
forward into the +(UP) position. This
causes the transaxle to shift into 2nd
gear which is better for smooth driving
away on a slippery road. Push the selec-
tor lever to the -(DOWN) side to shift
back to 1st gear.
CAUTION:o In sports mode, The driver must execute
upward shifts in accordance with pre-
vailing road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the red
zone.
o For engine protection, upward shifts are
made automatically when the engine
rpm reaches the red zone.
o By rapidly moving the selector lever back-
wards (-) twice it is possible to skip one
gear, i.e., 3rd to 1st, 4th to 2nd. Since
sudden engine braking and/or rapid ac-
celeration can cause a loss of traction,
however, downshifts must be made care-
fully in accordance with the vehicle's
speed.
NOTE:o In sports mode, only the four forward
gears can be selected. To reverse or park
the vehicle, move the selector lever to
the "R" or "P" position as required.
o In sports mode, downward shifts are
made automatically when the vehicle
slows down. When the vehicle stops, 1st
gear is automatically selected.
o To maintain the required levels of ve-
hicle performance and safety, the sys-
tem may not execute certain gearshifts
when the selector lever is operated.
C090H01Y-AATNOTE:o For smooth and safe operation, depress
the brake pedal when shifting from "Neu-
tral" position or "Park" position to a
forward 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", "3", L" position to "P"
position. The vehicle must be fully
stopped to avoid transaxle damage.
C090I01Y-AAT
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 shift-
ing from "P" or "N", to "R", "D", "2", "3"
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
ignition when you leave the vehicle, even
momentarily. Never leave the vehicle
unattended while the engine is running.
o Check the automatic transaxle fluid level
regularly, and add fluid as necessary.
See the maintenance for the proper fluid
recommendation.

2- 10 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
!
!
C120A02A-AATANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)
(If installed)
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is designed
to prevent wheel lock-up during sudden braking
or on hazardous road surfaces. The ABS con-
trol module monitors the wheel speed and con-
trols the pressure applied to each brake. Thus,
in emergency situations or on slick roads, ABS
will increase vehicle control during braking.
NOTE:During ABS operation, a slight pulsation
may be felt in the brake pedal when the
brakes are applied. Also, a noise may be
heard in the engine compartment while
braking. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the anti-lock brake system is
functioning properly.
C090N01Y-AATGood Driving Practices
o Never move the gear selector lever from "P"
or "N" to any other position with the accelera-
tor pedal depressed.
o Never move the gear selector lever into "P"
when the vehicle is in motion.
o Be sure the car is completely stopped before
you attempt to shift into "R".
o Never take the car out of gear and coast
down a hill. This may be extremely hazard-
ous. Always leave the car in gear when
moving.
o Do not "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.
Otherwise, the lower gear may not be en-
gaged.
o Always use the parking brake. Do not de-
pend on placing the transaxle in "P" to keep
the car from moving.
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 ve-
hicle speed can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to go out of
control.WARNING:o Avoid high cornering speeds.
o Do not make quick steering wheel move-
ments, such as sharp lane changes or
fast, sharp turns.
o Always wear your seat belts.
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, un unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seatbelt.
o Never exceed posted speed limits.
WARNING:ABS will not prevent accidents due to im-
proper or dangerous driving maneuvers.
Even though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always main-
tain a safe distance between you and ob-
jects ahead. Vehicle speeds should always
be reduced during extreme road condi-
tions.
The braking distance for cars equipped
with an anti-lock braking system may be
longer than for those without it in the
following road conditions.

2- 14 DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
When driving on a snow-covered road or a
slippery, muddy surface, make sure that
you keep a sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the one ahead of you.
(7) Since the driving torque is always applied to
the 4 wheels, the performance of the full-time
4WD vehicle is greatly affected by the con-
dition of the tires. Be sure to equip it with all
four tires of the same size and type.
o When replacement of any of the tires or
disc wheels is necessary, replace all of
them.
o Rotate the tires and check the tire pres-
sure at regular intervals.
(8)The full-time 4WD vehicle cannot be
towed by an ordinary tow truck. Make
sure that the vehicle is towed with its
four wheels raised off the ground.
o Roadside Assistance Program:
Off-roading is not covered. To receive
service, the vehicle must be on a publicly
maintained road.
o If the vehicle is towed with its only two
wheels raised off the ground, the 4WD
system could be damaged.
o In unavoidable case, if the vehicle is
being towed with all four wheels on the
ground, it should be towed only forward
direction with rope.
o While towing, check the following items.
1. The ignition switch is in "ACC" or
"ON".
2. Place the shift lever in neutral (For
Automatic Transaxle, "N" position).
3. Release the parking brake.NOTE:To avoid serious damage to your 4WD ve-
hicle, limit towing to 10 mph and not for
more than 1 mile at ANY TIME.
(9)For speedometer test or inspection/mainte-
nance (I/M) program of SANTA FE 4WD,
use a four wheel chassis dynamometer.
HSM281Roll tester(Speedometer)Temporary free roller
o In rare cases when it's unavoidable that
a 4WD vehicle is to be inspected for
speedometer test on 2WD roll tester,
strictly follow the procedures next.
CAUTION:Never engage the parking brake while per-
forming these tests.
!
!WARNING:This vehicle is designed primarily for on
road use. Driving the vehicle in challenging
off-road conditions for which it was not
designed may result in damage to the ve-
hicle. Driving in conditions that exceed the
vehicle's intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in severe injury
or death.
Driving 4WD Safely
(1) Be sure to wear the seat belt.
(2) Do not drive in challenging off-road condi-
tions or areas that exceed the vehicle's
basic design intent or the driver's experi-
ence level.
(3) Drive at lower speeds in strong crosswinds.
Because of your vehicle's high center of
gravity, its stability will be affected in cross-
winds. Slower speeds ensure better vehicle
control.
(4) Check the brake condition after driving in wet
or muddy conditions. Press the brake sev-
eral times as you move slowly until you feel
normal braking forces return.
(5) Do not drive the vehicle through water. (i.e.
streams, rivers, lakes, etc.)
(6) The stopping distance of the full-time 4WD
vehicle differs very little from that of the 2WD
vehicle.