2003 Hyundai Sonata maintenance

A010A02A-AATWARRANTIES FOR YOUR HYUNDAI VEHICLE
o New Vehicle 60 Months/60,000 Miles Limited Warranty
o New Vehicle 120 Months/100,000 Miles Limited Powertrain Warranty (first owner only)
o Anti-Perforation Limited Warranty
o Emission Defect Warranty - Federal Vehicle
o California Emission Control System Warranty (if applicable)
o Emission Performance Warranty - Federal Vehicle
o Replacement Parts and Accessories Limited Warranty
NOTE:Detailed warranty information is provided in your Hyundai Owner's Handbook.
A020A01A-AAT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTENANCE
The maintenance requirements for your new Hyundai are found in Section 5. As the owner, it is your responsibility
to see that all maintenance operations specified by the manufacturer are carried out at the appropriate intervals.
When the vehicle is used in severe driving conditions, more frequent maintenance is required for some operations.
Maintenance requirements for severe operating conditions are also included in Section 5.

OWNER'S MANUAL
A030A04Y-AATOperation
Maintenance
Specifications
All information in this Owner's Manual is current at the time of publication. However, Hyundai reserves the right to make changes at any
time so that our policy of continual product improvement may be carried out.
This manual applies to all Hyundai Sonatas and includes descriptions and explanations of optional as well as standard equipment. As a
result, you may find material in this manual that does not apply to your specific vehicle.
HEF-080A

A040A01A-AAT
FOREWORD
Thank you for choosing Hyundai. We are pleased to welcome you to the growing number of discriminating people who
drive Hyundais. The advanced engineering and high-quality construction of each Hyundai we build is something of which
we're very proud.
Your Owner's Manual will introduce you to the features and operation of your new Hyundai. It is suggested that you read
it carefully since the information it contains can contribute greatly to the satisfaction you receive from your new car.
The manufacturer also recommends that all service and maintenance on your car be performed by an authorized Hyundai
dealer. Hyundai dealers are prepared to provide high-quality service, maintenance and any other assistance that may
be required.
A050A04A-AATHYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
Note:Because future owners will also need the information included in this manual, if you sell this Hyundai, please leave
the manual in the vehicle for their use. Thank you.
CAUTION:Severe engine and transaxle damage may result from the use of poor quality fuels and lubricants that do not
meet Hyundai specifications. You must always use high quality fuels and lubricants that meet the specifica-
tions listed on Page 9-3 in the Vehicle Specifications section of the Owner's Manual and which also appear
in the Service Station Information on the back cover of the Owner's Manual.
Copyright 2002 Hyundai Motor Company. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Hyundai Motor
Company.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
1. FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI ........................................................................... 1-1
2. DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI ..................................................................................... 2-1
3. WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY ....................................................................... 3-1
4. CORROSION PREVENTION & APPEARANCE CARE ........................................... 4-1
5. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS ........................................................ 5-1
6. DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE....................................................................... 6-1
7. EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS ......................................................................... 7-1
8. CONSUMER INFORMATION & REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS ........................ 8-1
9. VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................. 9-1
10. INDEX..................................................................................................................10-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

1- 2 FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
!
CAUTION:Your Hyundai's New Vehicle Limited War-
ranty may not cover damage to the fuel
system and any performance problems that
are caused by the use of fuels containing
methanol or fuels containing MTBE (Methyl
Tertiary Butyl Ether) over 15.0% vol. (Oxy-
gen Content 2.7% weight.)B010B01A-AATWhat About Gasohol?
Gasohol (a mixture of 90% unleaded gasoline
and 10% ethanol or grain alcohol) may be used
in your Hyundai. However, if your engine devel-
ops driveability problems, the use of 100%
unleaded gasoline is recommended. Fuels with
unspecified quantities of alcohol, or alcohols
other than ethanol, should not be used.
B010A02A-AATFUEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Use Unleaded Gasoline
Unleaded gasoline with a Pump Octane Rating
of 87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher
must be used in your Hyundai.
If leaded gasoline is used, it will cause the
catalytic converter to become ineffective and
the emission control system to malfunction.
This can also result in increased maintenance
expense.
To avoid accidental use of leaded fuel, the larger
nozzle used with leaded gasoline at service
stations cannot be inserted into the fuel tank
opening of your Hyundai.
B010C01A-AAT
Use of MTBE
Hyundai recommends that fuels containing
MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) over 15.0%
vol. (Oxygen Content 2.7% weight) should not
be used in your Hyundai.
Fuel containing MTBE over 15.0% vol. (Oxygen
Content 2.7% weight) may reduce vehicle per-
formance and produce vapor lock or hard
starting.
B010D01A-AATDo Not Use Methanol
Fuels containing methanol (wood alcohol) should
not be used in your Hyundai. This type of fuel
can reduce vehicle performance and damage
components of the fuel system.
B010F01A-AAT
Operation in Foreign CountriesIf you are going to drive your Hyundai in another
country, be sure to:
o Observe all regulations regarding registra-
tion and insurance.
o Determine that acceptable fuel is available.
!
WARNING:o Do not "TOP-OFF" after the first nozzle
shut off when refueling.
o The fuel cap must be tightened at least
3 clicks, otherwise " " light may
illuminate.
B010A03Y-1
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY

1- 32 FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
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B240C01A-AATSRS Care
o The SRS is virtually maintenance free and
there are no parts you can safely service by
yourself. The entire SRS system must be
inspected by an authorized Hyundai dealer
10 years after the date that the vehicle was
manufactured.
o Any work on the SRS system, such as
removing, installing, repairing, or any work
on the steering wheel must be performed by
a qualified Hyundai technician. Improper
handling of the airbag system may result in
serious personal injury.WARNING:o Do not install a child restraint system in
the front passenger seat position.
A child restraint system must never be
placed in the front seat. The infant or
baby could be severely injured by an
airbag deployment in case of an acci-
dent.
o Modification to SRS components or wir-
ing, including the addition of any kind of
badges to the pad covers or modifica-
tions to the body structure, can ad-
versely affect SRS performance and lead
to possible injury.
o For cleaning the airbag pad covers, use
only a soft, dry cloth or one which has
been moistened with plain water. Sol-
vents or cleaners could adversely affect
the airbag covers and proper deploy-
ment of the system.
o No objects should be placed over or near
the airbag modules on the steering
wheel, instrument panel, and the front
passenger’s panel above the glove box,
because any such object could cause
harm if the vehicle is in a crash severe
enough to cause the airbags to inflate.
o If the airbags inflate, they must be re-
placed by an authorized Hyundai dealer. o Do not place any objects over the airbag
or between the airbag and yourself.
o Do not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the front door and the
front seat. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
if the supplemental side impact air bag
inflates.
o To prevent unexpected deployment of
the side impact air bag that may result in
personal injury,avoid impact to the side
airbag sensor when the ignition key is
on.
HSM393

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 9
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.
!
C090H01L-GATNOTE: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" position to "P" position. The
vehicle must be fully stopped to avoid
transaxle damage.
C090I02L-GAT
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"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.
o See the maintenance schedule for the
proper fluid recommendation.
!
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.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.

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2- 13
first or reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the car cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
o Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with
the accelerator pedal. This can cause the
transaxle to overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
C140A01A-AATDRIVING FOR ECONOMY
You can save fuel and get more miles from your
car if you follow these suggestions:
o Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate
rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts or full-
throttle shifts and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stoplights. Try to
adjust your speed to that of the other traffic
so you don't have to change speeds unnec-
essarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unneces-
sary braking. This also reduces brake wear.
o Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you
drive, the more fuel your car uses. Driving at
a moderate speed, especially on the high-
way, is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption.
o Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components. In
addition, driving with your foot resting on the
brake pedal may cause the brakes to over-heat, which reduces their effectiveness and
may lead to more serious consequences.
o Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated
to the recommended pressure. Incorrect
inflation, either too much or too little, results
in unnecessary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
o Be sure that the wheels are aligned cor-
rectly. Improper alignment can result from
hitting curbs or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes faster tire
wear and may also result in other problems
as well as greater fuel consumption.
o Keep your car in good condition. For better
fuel economy and reduced maintenance
costs, maintain your car in accordance with
the maintenance schedule in Section 5. If
you drive your car in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required (see
Section 5 for details).
o Keep your car clean. For maximum service,
your Hyundai should be kept clean and free
of corrosive materials. It is especially impor-
tant that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be allowed to
accumulate on the underside of the car. This
extra weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
o Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
o Don't let the engine idle longer than neces-
sary. If you are waiting (and not in traffic),
turn off your engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.o Remember, your Hyundai does not require
extended warm-up. As soon as the engine
is running smoothly, you can drive away. In
very cold weather, however, give your en-
gine a slightly longer warm-up period.
o Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging
is driving too slowly in too high a gear result-
ing in the engine bucking. If this happens,
shift to a lower gear. Over-revving is racing
the engine beyond its safe limit. This can be
avoided by shifting at the recommended
speeds.
o Use your air conditioning sparingly. The air
conditioning system is operated by engine
power so your fuel economy is reduced
when you use it.
C160A01A-AATWINTER DRIVING
The more severe weather conditions of winter
result in greater wear and other problems. To
minimize the problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:
C150A01A-AAT
SMOOTH CORNERING
Avoid braking or gear changing in corners,
especially when roads are wet. Ideally, corners
should always be taken under gentle accelera-
tion. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear
will be held to a minimum.