2008 Hyundai Elantra Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle24 5ESC OFF usageWhen driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESC turned
on for daily driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press ESC OFF button while ESC
is operating (ESC indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.✽ ✽
NOTICE• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminat-
ed). If the ESC is left on, it may pre-
vent the vehicle speed from increas-
ing, and result in false diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect
ABS or brake system operation.
Good braking practices After being parked, check to be sure
the parking brake is not engaged and
that the parking brake indicator light is
out before driving away.
Driving through water may get the
brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the car is washed. Wet brakes
can be dangerous! Your car will not
stop as quickly if the brakes are wet.
Wet brakes may cause the car to pull
to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the car
under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and call
an authorized Hyundai dealer for
assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the car out
of gear. This is extremely hazardous.
Keep the car in gear at all times, use
the brakes to slow down, then shift to a
lower gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating.
If the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may go out of
control.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.

525
Driving your vehicle
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting
your foot on the brake pedal while driv-
ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving,
apply the brakes gently and keep the
car pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place.
If your car is equipped with an auto-
matic transaxle, don't let your car
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the car is stopped.
Use caution when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the gear selector lever in "P"
(automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle). If
your car is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels into the curb to help keep
the car from rolling. If your car is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the car from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the car from rolling, block the wheels. Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the gear
selector lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the car cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.
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.

Driving your vehicle26 5The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without pressing the acceler-
ator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
✽ ✽
NOTICEDuring normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
To set cruise control speed:1. Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button on
the steering wheel to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which
must be more than 25 mph (40 km/h).
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated)
the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally. Keep
the cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-
ting a speed.
Use the cruise control system
only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control
when it may not be safe to keep
the car at a constant speed, for
instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Pay particular attention to the
driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
During cruise-speed driving of a
manual transaxle vehicle, do not
shift into neutral without
depressing the clutch pedal,
since the engine will be over-
revved. If this happens, depress
the clutch pedal or release the
cruise control ON/OFF switch.
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Driving your vehicle
3. Push the COAST/SET switch, and
release it at the desired speed. The SET
indicator light in the instrument cluster
will illuminate. Release the accelerator
at the same time. The desired speed will
automatically be maintained.On a steep grade, the vehicle may
momentarily slow down while going down-
hill.
To increase cruise control set
speed:Follow either of these procedures:
Push the RES/ACCEL switch and hold
it. Your vehicle will accelerate. Release
the switch at the speed you want.
Push the RES/ACCEL switch and
release it immediately. The cruising
speed will increase by 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
each time the RES/ACCEL switch is
operated in this manner.
To decrease the cruising speed:Follow either of these procedures:
Push the COAST/SET switch and hold
it. Your vehicle will gradually slow
down. Release the switch at the speed
you want to maintain.
Push the COAST/SET switch and
release it immediately. The cruising
speed will decrease by 1 mph (1.6
km/h) each time the COAST/SET
switch is operated in this manner.
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Driving your vehicle28 5To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operation
or change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.
To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following: Press the brake pedal.
Press the clutch pedal with an manual
transaxle.
Shift into N (Neutral) with an automatic
transaxle.
Press the CANCEL switch located on
the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than
the memory speed by 9 mph (15
km/h).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less
than approximately 24 mph (40 km/h).
Each of these actions will cancel cruise
control operation (the SET indicator light
in the instrument cluster will go off), but it
will not turn the system off. If you wish to
resume cruise control operation, push
the RES/ACCEL switch located on your
steering wheel. You will return to your
previously preset speed.
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Driving your vehicle
To resume cruising speed at
more than approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h):If any method other than the CRUISE
ON-OFF switch was used to cancel
cruising speed and the system is still
activated, the most recent set speed will
automatically resume when the
RES/ACCEL switch is pushed.
It will not resume, however, if the vehicle
speed has dropped below 25 mph (40
km/h).
To turn cruise control off, do one
of the following: Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button (the
CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster will go off).
Turn the ignition off.Both of these actions cancel cruise con-
trol operation. If you want to resume
cruise control operation, repeat the steps
provided in “To set cruise control speed”
on the previous page.
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Driving your vehicle30 5Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
miles (kilometers) you can get from a gal-
lon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate 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 unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you can
avoid unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster
you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal.
This can increase fuel consumption
and also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with your
foot resting on the brake pedal may
cause the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and may
lead to more serious consequences.
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.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.
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 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see Section
7 for details). Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than
necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in too
high a gear resulting 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 avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds.ECONOMICAL OPERATION

531
Driving your vehicle
Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized
Hyundai dealer perform scheduled
inspections and maintenance.
WARNING
- Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.