2007 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
4
NOTE:Do not hold the key in the "START" position
for more than 15 seconds.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 oper-
ated.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:If difficulty is experienced in turning the
ignition key to the START position, turn the
steering wheel right and left to release the
tension and then turn the key.
C070C01A-AATTo remove the ignition key1. 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.
C070C01E
LOCKACC
ON
START
KEY POSITIONSC040A02A-AAT
CAUTION:
The engine should not be turned off or the
key removed from the ignition key cylinder
while the car is in motion. The steering
wheel is locked by removing the key.
C040A01E
LOCKACC
ON
START!
o "START"The engine is started in this position. It will crank
until you release the key.

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
5
!
STARTING!
C050A01A-AAT
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.
C050A01E
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
seconds between starting attempts to pro-
tect the starter from overheating.
C050B02A-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.
!
WARNING:
Always fully depress the brake pedal before
and while shifting out of the "P" Park posi-
tion into another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the car. LOCKON
START

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6
CAUTION:
o Do not downshift more than 2 gears or
downshift the gear when the engine is
running at high speed (5,000 RPM or
higher). Such a downshifting may dam-
age the engine.
o 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 down-
shift may cause the engine speed to
increase to the point that the tachometer
will enter the red-zone. Such over-rev-
ving of the engine may possibly cause
engine damage. 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.
When shifting into reverse gear, pull the mis-
shift prevention tab and shift into reverse gear
position.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.Mis-shift
prevention
tab
HNF3020
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OPERATING THE MANUAL
TRANSAXLE (5 SPEED M/T)C070A01NF-AATThis shift pattern is 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 accomplished.
C070A01NF-A

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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!
C070B02A-AATUsing the ClutchThe clutch should be pressed all the way to the
floor before shifting, then released slowly. The
clutch pedal should always be fully released
while driving. Do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal while driving. This can cause unneces-
sary wear. Do not partially engage the clutch to
hold the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or parking
brake to hold the car on an incline. Do not
operate the clutch pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
WARNING:
o Always buckle-up! In a collision, an
unbelted occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured or killed
than a properly belted occupant.
o Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
o Do not make quick steering wheel move-
ments, such as sharp lane changes or
fast, sharp turns.
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.
C070D03O-AATGood Driving Practiceso 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 ve-
hicle speed can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to go out of
control.
C070E02O-AATRECOMMENDED SHIFT POINTSThe 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
15 mph (20 km/h)
25 mph (40 km/h)
35 mph (55 km/h)
45 mph (75 km/h)

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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NOTE:
Depress the brake pedal when shift-
ing.
The selector lever can be shifted freely.
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, or if the
battery has been disconnected, may be
somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condi-
tion, and the shifting sequence will adjust
after shifts are cycled a few times by the
T.C.M (Transaxle Control Module).
!
C090A02NF
CAUTION:
Never shift into "R" or "P" position while the
vehicle is moving.
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
indicate the selector lever position when the
ignition is switched "ON". During sports mode
operation, the gear currently in use displays in
the numeral indicator.C090B02A-AATThe 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. Whenever parking the
car, apply the parking brake and shift the selec-
tor lever to the "P" (Park) position.
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.
!
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
(4 SPEED A/T, 5 SPEED A/T)C090A01NF-GAT(If Installed)The highly efficient Hyundai automatic transaxle
has four/five 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.
C090A01NF

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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C090E01NF-GATo D (Drive):Use for normal driving. The transaxle will auto-
matically shift through a four/five gear sequence.C090D02A-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.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:
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
backwards (-) twice it is possible to skip
one gear, i.e., 3rd to 1st, 4th to 2nd or 5th
to 3rd. Since sudden engine braking
and/or rapid acceleration can cause a
loss of traction, however, downshifts
must be made carefully in accordance
with the vehicle's speed.
!
C090F02L-GATSports ModeWhether 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 .
C090F02NF
NOTE:o In sports mode, only the four/five for-
ward 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.

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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C090I03L-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" or "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 When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-
dency to roll backwards. Shifting the
shift lever into 2nd gear while in Sport
mode will help prevent the vehicle from
rolling backwards.
o Check the automatic transaxle fluid level
regularly, and add fluid as necessary.
o See the maintenance schedule for the
proper fluid recommendation.
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", or "D" position to "P" position. The
vehicle must be fully stopped to avoid
transaxle damage. 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.
C090J01NF-GATSHIFT LOCK RELEASE (If Installed)If you cannot move the shift lever from the "P"
(Park) position to any other position with the
brake pedal fully depressed and the ignition key
in the "ON" position, remove the cap on the
console and with a thin object such as a flat-
head screwdriver, push the shift lock release
button down. Then, with the brake pedal de-
pressed, move the shift lever to the desired
position, and then the shift lock release button
will automatically return to its original position
after shifting from the "P" (Park) position. Then,
reinstall the cap.
If you need to use the shift lock release, it could
mean your car is developing a problem. Have
the car checked by your Hyundai dealer.
C090J01NF

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
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!
!
C090N05O-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 vehicle
speed can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle to go out of control.
o Optimum vehicle performance and economy
is obtained by smoothly depressing and
releasing the accelerator pedal.
WARNING:
o Always buckle-up! In a collision, an
unbelted occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured or killed
than a properly belted occupant.
o Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
o Do not make quick steering wheel move-
ments, such as sharp lane changes or
fast, sharp turns.
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.
WARNING:
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt to
rock the vehicle free by moving it forward
and backward. Do not attempt this proce-
dure if people or objects are anywhere near
the vehicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move forward or
backward as it becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.