2008 Hyundai Elantra parking brake

Driving your vehicle18 5Parking brake Applying the parking brakeTo engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then without pressing
the release button in, pull the parking
brake lever up as far as possible. In addi-
tion it is recommended that when parking
the vehicle on a gradient, the shift lever
should be positioned in the appropriate
low gear on manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position on automatic
transaxle vehicles.
Releasing the parking brakeTo release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull the parking brake
lever slightly. Secondly, depress the
release button and lower the parking
brake lever while holding the button.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessive brake
pad (or lining) and brake rotor wear.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle
equipped vehicles and in P (Park)
for automatic transaxle equipped
vehicles.
Never allow a person who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle or children
to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released unin-
tentionally, serious injury may
occur.
All vehicles should always have
the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car which
can injure occupants or pedestri-
ans.
OHD056005
OHD056006

519
Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switch in the START or ON
position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
(if equipped)
W-75
WARNING
ABS (ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving maneuvers. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (Electronic Stability Control
System) may be longer than for
those without it in the following
road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle
should be driven at reduced
speeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered
roads.
With tire chains installed.
On roads where the road surface
is pitted or has different surface
height.
(Continued)
(Continued)
The safety features of an ABS
(ESC) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.

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 vehicle36 5
Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the manu-
facturer's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains are
the correct size and type for your
tires. Incorrect snow chains can
cause damage to the vehicle body
and suspension and may not be
covered by your vehicle manufac-
turer warranty. Also, the snow
chain connecting hooks may be
damaged from contacting vehicle
components causing the snow
chains to come loose from the
tire. Make sure the snow chains
are SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installation
for proper mounting after driving
approximately 0.3 to 0.6 miles (0.5
to 1 km) to ensure safe mounting.
Retighten or remount the chains
if they are loose.
WARNING - Mounting chains
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place
a triangular emergency warning
device behind the vehicle if avail-
able. Always place the vehicle in
park (P), apply the parking brake
and turn off the engine before
installing snow chains.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of chains may adversely
affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h)
or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes, sharp turns, and other
road hazards, which may cause
the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-
wheel braking.
Chains that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-
pension, body and wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the
chains any time you hear them
hitting the vehicle.

Driving your vehicle38 5Don't let your parking brake
freezeUnder some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
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 the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily 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.Don't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneathUnder some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the car to be sure the move-
ment of the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipmentDepending on the severity of the weath-
er where you drive your car, you should
carry appropriate emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or chains,
flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a
shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket,
etc.

Driving your vehicle42 5Driving on grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 20 mph (30
km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transaxle,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transaxle.
Parking on hills Generally, you should not park your vehi-
cle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
People can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged if they begin a downhill tra-
jectory.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift into
gear.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your park-
ing brake, and then shift to R
(Reverse) for a manual transaxle or P
(Park) for an automatic transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine
coolant temperature gauge to
ensure the engine does not over-
heat. 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.
You must decide driving speed
depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
WARNING
- Parking on a
hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause seri-
ous injury or death, should the trail-
er break lose.

543
Driving your vehicle
When you are ready to leave after park-
ing on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in Neutral
or automatic transaxle in P (Park),
apply your brakes and hold the brake
pedal down while you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of
the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
Maintenance when trailer towing Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
in hot days or during uphill driv-
ing. If the coolant gauge indicates
over-heating, switch off the A/C
and stop the vehicle in a safe area
to cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle
fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped
with the air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan to
improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.