2005 Hyundai Sonata towing

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FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
53
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B260H02A-AAT
Parking Brake/Low Brake Fluid
Level Warning Light
The brake fluid level warning light indicates that
the brake fluid level in the brake master cylinder
is low and hydraulic brake fluid conforming to
DOT 3 or DOT 4 specifications should be
added. After adding fluid, if no other trouble is
found, the car should be immediately and care-
fully driven to a Hyundai dealer for inspection.
If further trouble is experienced, the vehicle
should not be driven at all but taken to a dealer
by a professional towing service or some other
safe method.
Your Hyundai is equipped with dual-diagonal
braking systems. This means you still have
braking on two wheels even if one of the dual
systems should fail. With only one of the dual
systems working, more than normal pedal travel
and greater pedal pressure are required to stop
the car. Also, the car will not stop in as short a
distance with only half of the brake system
working. If the brakes fail while you are driving,
shift to a lower gear for additional engine braking
and stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
WARNING:
If you suspect brake trouble, have your
brakes checked by a Hyundai dealer as
soon as possible. Driving your car with a
problem in either the brake electrical sys-
tem or brake hydraulic system is danger-
ous, and could result in a serious injury or
death.Warning Light OperationThe parking brake/brake fluid level warning light
should come on when the parking brake is
applied and the ignition switch is turned to "ON"
or "START". After the engine is started, the light
should go out when the parking brake is re-
leased.
If the parking brake is not applied, the warning
light should come on when the ignition switch is
turned to "ON" or "START", then go out when
the engine starts. If the light comes on at any
other time, you should slow the vehicle and bring
it to a complete stop in a safe location off the
roadway.
B260J02A-AAT
Charging System Warning Light
The charging system warning light should come
on when the ignition is turned on, then go out
when the engine is running. If the light stays on
while the engine is running, there is a malfunc-
tion in the electrical charging system. If the light
comes on while you are driving, stop, turn off the
engine and check under the hood. First, make
certain the generator drive belt is in place. If it is,
check the tension of the belt. Do this as shown
on page 6-19 by pushing down on the center of
the belt. Have the system checked by your
Hyundai dealer as soon as possible.B260K01S-AAT
Trunk Lid Open Warning Light
This light remains on unless the trunk lid is
completely closed and latched.

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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Engine Exhaust Can Be Dangerous! ............................ 2-2
Before Starting the Engine ............................................ 2-3
Key Positions ................................................................ 2-3
Starting .........................................................................2-4
Operating the Manual Transaxle .................................. 2-5
Automatic Transaxle ..................................................... 2-8
Power Adjustable Pedals.............................................2-11
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ...................................2-12
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) System ..................2-13
Good Braking Practices..............................................2-14
Driving for Economy ....................................................2-15
Smooth Cornering........................................................2-16
Winter Driving..............................................................2-16
Trailer or Vehicle Towing .............................................2-19
Vehicle Load Limit........................................................2-22
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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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POWER ADJUSTABLE PEDALS
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C090N03O-AATGood Driving Practiceso 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.
In a collision, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt.
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 Never exceed posted speed limits.
o Excessive depressing of the accelerater
pedal in slippery driving conditions such
as pulling out of deep snow or mud may
cause severe damage to the transaxle.
Rocking the vehicle is not recommended.
Rather, use an appropriate towing
method.
C100A01NF-AAT(With Automatic Transaxle) (If Installed)To adjust the position of the accelerator and
brake pedals, turn the ignition key to the "ON"
position with the selector lever in the "P" position
and push the switch.
If you push the " " portion of the switch, the
pedals move rearward.
If you push the " " portion of the switch, the
pedals move forward.
HNF2115-A

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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C190B01S-AATTrailer HitchesSelect the proper hitch and ball combination,
making sure that its location is compatible with
that of the trailer or vehicle being towed.
Use a quality non-equalizing hitch which distrib-
utes the tongue load uniformly throughout the
chassis.
The hitch should be bolted securely to the car
and installed by a qualified technician. DO NOT
USE A HITCH DESIGNED FOR TEMPORARY
INSTALLATION AND NEVER USE ONE THAT
ATTACHES ONLY TO THE BUMPER.C190C01Y-AATTrailer BrakesIf your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed and
operating correctly.NOTE:If you tow a trailer or vehicle, your car will
require more frequent maintenance due to
the additional load. See Maintenance Under
Severe Usage Conditions" on page 5-6.
TRAILER OR VEHICLE TOWING!
C190A01S-AATIf you are considering towing with your car, you
should first check with your State's Department
of Motor Vehicles to determine their legal re-
quirements.
Since laws vary from State to State the require-
ments for towing trailers, cars, or other types of
vehicles or apparatus may differ. Ask your
Hyundai dealer for further details before towing.
CAUTION:
Do not do any towing with your car during
its first 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in order to
allow the engine to properly break in. Fail-
ure to heed this caution may result in seri-
ous engine or transaxle damage.
USE OF LIGHTSC180A01A-AATCheck your lights regularly for correct opera-
tion and always keep them clean. When driving
during the day in conditions of poor visibility, it
is helpful to drive with headlights on low beam.
This enables you to be seen as well as to see.

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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C190D01S-AATSafety ChainsShould the hitch connection between your car
and the trailer or vehicle you are towing fail, the
trailer or vehicle could wander dangerously
across other lanes of traffic and ultimately leave
the roadway. To eliminate this potentially dan-
gerous situation, safety chains, attached be-
tween your car and the trailer or towed vehicle,
are required in most states.
CAUTION:
o Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
o When towing a trailer on steep grades (in
excess of 12%) pay close attention to the
engine coolant temperature gauge to
ensure the engine does not overheat. If
the needle of the coolant temperature
gauge moves across the dial towards
"H" (HOT), pull over and stop as soon as
it is safe to do so, and allow the engine
to idle until it cools down. You may
proceed once the engine has cooled
sufficiently.
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C190E02JM
Gross Axle WeightGross Vehicle
Weight
2. The total gross vehicle weight with trailer
must not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) shown on the
vehicle identification plate (see page 8-
2). The total gross vehicle weight is the
combined weight of the vehicle, driver,
all passengers and their luggage, cargo,
hitch, trailer tongue load and other op-
tional equipment.
C190E01NF-AATTrailer Weight Limit
Tongue Load Total Trailer Weight
o Keep the tongue load 10% of the total trailer
load.
o Tongue load
o Tongue loads can be increased or de-
creased by re-distributing the load in the
trailer.
This can be verified by checking the total
weight of the loaded trailer and then checking
the load on the tongue.
C190E01JM
x 100 = 10% (MAX)
Total trailer weight
NOTE:1. Never load the trailer with more weight in
the back than in the front. About 60% of
the trailer load should be in the front half
on the trailer and the remaining 40% in
the rear.

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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C190F01Y-GATTrailer or Vehicle Towing Tips1. Before towing, check hitch and safety chain
connections as well as proper operation of
the trailer running lights, brake lights, and
turn signals.
2. Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. (Less than 60 mph)
3. Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
conditions.
4. To maintain engine braking efficiency and
electrical charging performance, do not tow
a trailer with the transaxle in fifth gear (manual
transaxle).
5. Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
6. Check the condition and air pressure of all
tires on the trailer and your car. Low tire
pressure can seriously affect the handling.
Also check the spare tire.
7. The vehicle/trailer combination is more af-
fected by crosswind and buffeting.
When being passed by a large vehicle, keep
a constant speed and steer straight ahead.
If there is too much wind buffeting, slow down
to get out of the other vehicle's air turbulence.
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lbs(kg)
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Tongue
200 (90)
- With3.3L
Brake 2.4L
Without BrakeMaximum Towable Weight
Trailer
2000 (900)
1500 (675)
1000 (450)
CAUTION:
The following specifications are recom-
mended when towing a trailer. The loaded
trailer weight cannot safely exceed the val-
ues in the chart below.
WARNING:
o Improperly loading your vehicle and
trailer can seriously affect its steering
and braking performance causing a
crash which could cause serious injury
or death.
o Towing a trailer affects vehicle handling
and braking.
o Drive more slowly when towing a trailer
and allow more distance when braking.
o Be careful when driving in slippery and
windy conditions.
o Be careful when turning and while driv-
ing up and down hills. 3. The front or rear axle weight must not
exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) shown on the vehicle identifi-
cation plate (see page 8-2). It is possible
that your towing package does not ex-
ceed the GVWR but exceeds the GAWR.
Improper trailer loading and/or too much
luggage in the trunk can overload the
rear axle. Redistribute the load and check
the axle weight again.

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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8. When parking your car and trailer, especially
on a hill, be sure to follow all the normal
precautions. Turn your front wheel into the
curb, set the parking brake firmly, and put the
transaxle in 1st or Reverse (manual) or Park
(automatic). In addition, place wheel chocks
at each of the trailer's tires.
9. If the trailer has electric brakes, start your
vehicle and trailer moving, and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the
brakes are working. This lets you check
your electrical connection at the same time.
10.During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
11.Avoid jerky starts, sudden acceleration or
sudden stops.
12.Avoid sharp turns and rapid lane changes.
13.Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the brakes
to overheat, resulting in reduced braking
efficiency.
14.When going down a hill, shift into a lower gear
and use the engine braking effect.
When ascending a long grade, downshift the
transaxle to a lower gear and reduce speed
to reduce chances of engine overloading
and/or overheating.
CAUTION:
If overheating should occur when towing,
(the temperature gauge reads near red zone),
taking the following action may reduce or
eliminate the problem.
1. Turn off the air conditioner.
2. Reduce highway speed.
3. Select a lower gear when going uphill.
4. While in stop and go traffic, place the
gear selector in park or neutral and idle
the engine at a higher speed.
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VEHICLE LOAD LIMITC190F01JM-AATTire and Loading Information Label
I030A03NF-A
The tire label located on the driver's
side of the center pillar outer panel
gives the original tire size, cold tire
pressures recommended for your ve-
15.If you have to stop while going uphill, do not
hold the vehicle in place by pressing on the
accelerator. This can cause the automatic
transaxle to overheat. Use the parking brake
or footbrake.NOTE:When towing check transaxle fluid more
frequently.
I030A04NF-A

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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C190F01JMTotal
1400 lbs
(635 kg)
300 lbs
(136 kg)
1100 lbs
(489 kg)
Example 1Item
A
B
CDescription
Vehicle Capacity Weight
Subtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg) × 2
Available Cargo and
Luggage Weight
ABC
hicle, the number of people that can be
in your vehicle and vehicle capacity
weight.
Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit
(1)Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX pounds'' on your
vehicle's placard.
(2)Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
(3)Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX pounds.(4)The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs, and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers
in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capac-
ity is 650 lbs. (1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
(5)Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
(6)If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this re-
duces the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity of your vehicle.