2008 Hyundai Elantra check engine light

13
Introduction
Gasoline engineUnleadedYour new vehicle is designed to use only
unleaded fuel having a pump octane
number ((R+M)/2) of 87 or highter.
Your new vehicle is designed to obtain
maximum performance with UNLEADED
FUEL, as well as minimize exhaust emis-
sions and spark plug fouling.
Gasoline containing alcohol and
methanolGasohol, a mixture of gasoline and
ethanol (also known as grain alcohol),
and gasoline or gasohol containing
methanol (also known as wood alcohol)
are being marketed along with or instead
of leaded or unleaded gasoline.
Do not use gasohol containing more than
10% ethanol, and do not use gasoline or
gasohol containing any methanol. Either
of these fuels may cause drivability prob-
lems and damage to the fuel system.
Discontinue using gasohol of any kind if
drivability problems occur.
Vehicle damage or driveability problems
may not be covered by the manufactur-
er’s warranty if they result from the use
of:
1. Gasohol containing more than 10%
ethanol.
2. Gasoline or gasohol containing
methanol.
3. Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol."E85" fuel is an alternative fuel com-
prised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 per-
cent gasoline, and is manufactured
exclusively for use in Flexible Fuel
Vehicles. “E85” is not compatible with
your vehicle. Use of “E85” may result in
poor engine performance and damage to
your vehicle's engine and fuel system.
Hyundai recommends that customers do
not use fuel with an ethanol content
exceeding 10 percent.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
CAUTION
Never add any fuel system cleaning
agents to the fuel tank other than
what has been specified. (Consult
an authorized Hyundai dealer for
details.)
CAUTION
Never use gasohol which contains
methanol. Discontinue use of any
gasohol product which impairs dri-
vability.
WARNING
• Do not "top off" after the nozzle
automatically shuts off when
refueling.
Tighten the cap until it clicks, oth-
erwise the Check Engine
light will illuminate.
Always check that the fuel cap is
installed securely to prevent fuel
spillage in the event of an acci-
dent.
CAUTION
Your New Vehicle Limited Warranty
does not cover damage to the fuel
system or any performance prob-
lems caused by the use of “E85” fuel.

Features of your vehicle12 4Opening the trunkWith remote trunk lid releaseTo open the trunk lid without using the
key, push the trunk lid release button.
With the keyTo open the trunk lid, insert the key and
turn it clockwise to unlock. The trunk
compartment light will illuminate when
the trunk lid is opened.
Closing the trunkTo close, lower the trunk lid, then press
down on it until it locks. To be sure the
trunk lid is securely fastened, always
check by trying to pull it up.
TRUNK
OHD046007
OHD046006
WARNING
The trunk lid should be always kept
completely closed while the vehicle
is in motion. If it is left open or ajar,
poisonous exhaust gases may
enter the car and serious illness or
death may result. See additional
warnings concerning exhaust
gases in section 5, “Engine exhaust
can be dangerous!”.

Features of your vehicle22 4(Continued)
Use only approved portable plas-
tic fuel containers designed to
carry and store gasoline.
Do not use cellular phones while
refueling. Electric current and/or
electronic interference from cel-
lular phones can potentially
ignite fuel vapors causing a fire.
When refueling, always shut the
engine off. Sparks produced by
electrical components related to
the engine can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire. Once refueling is
complete, check to make sure the
filler cap and filler door are
securely closed, before starting
the engine.
DO NOT use matches or a lighter
and DO NOT SMOKE or leave a lit
cigarette in your vehicle while at
a gas station especially during
refueling. Automotive fuel is
highly flammable and can, when
ignited, result in fire.
(Continued)
(Continued)
If a fire breaks out during refuel-
ing, leave the vicinity of the vehi-
cle, and immediately contact the
manager of the gas station and
then contact the local fire depart-
ment or 911. Follow any safety
instructions they provide.
CAUTION
Make sure to refuel with unleaded
fuel only.
If the fuel filler cap requires
replacement, use only a genuine
Hyundai cap or the equivalent
specified for your vehicle. An
incorrect fuel filler cap can result
in a serious malfunction of the
fuel system or emission control
system.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Do not spill fuel on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Any type
of fuel spilled on painted surfaces
may damage the paint.
If the fuel filler lid will not open in
cold weather because the area
around it is frozen, push or lightly
tap the lid.
After refueling, make sure the fuel
cap is installed securely to pre-
vent fuel spillage in the event of
an accident.

Features of your vehicle28 4Electronic power steering Power steering uses the motor to assist
you in steering the vehicle. If the engine
is off or if the power steering system
becomes inoperative, the vehicle may
still be steered, but it will require
increased steering effort.
The motor driven power steering is con-
trolled by power steering control unit
which sense the steering wheel torque,
steering wheel position and vehicle
speed to command the motor.
The steering wheel becomes heavier as
the vehicle’s speed increases and
becomes lighter as the vehicle’s speed
decreases for the better control of the
steering wheel.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power steer-
ing checked by an authorized Hyundai
dealer.
✽ ✽
NOTICEThe following symptoms may occur dur-
ing normal vehicle operation:
• The EPS warning light does not illumi-
nate.
• The steering wheel becomes heavier
after turning the ignition switch on.
This happens as the system performs
the EPS system diagnostics. When the
diagnostics is completed, the steering
wheel will return to its normal condi-
tion.
• Click noise may be heard from the
EPS relay after the ignition switch is
turned to the ON or LOCK position.
• Motor noise may be heard when the
vehicle is at a stop or at a low driving
speed.
• The steering effort can suddenly
increase, if the operation of EPS sys-
tem is stopped to prevent serious acci-
dents when the malfunction of EPS
system is detected by self-diagnosis.
Tilt steering Tilt steering allows you to adjust the
steering wheel before you drive. You can
also raise it to give your legs more room
when you exit and enter the vehicle.
The steering wheel should be positioned
so that it is comfortable for you to drive,
while permitting you to see the instru-
ment panel warning lights and gauges.
STEERING WHEEL

Features of your vehicle44 4Tripmeter
This mode indicates the total distance
travelled since the last tripmeter reset.
Total distance is also reset to zero if the
battery is disconnected.
Pressing the TRIP button for more than 1
second when the tripmeter is being dis-
played clears the tripmeter to zero.
The meter's working range is from 0 to
999.9 miles.
Warnings and indicatorsAll warning lights are checked by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). Any light that does not illuminate
should be checked by an authorized
Hyundai dealer.
After starting the engine, check to make
sure that all warning lights are off. If any
are still on, this indicates a situation that
needs attention. When releasing the
parking brake, the brake system warning
light should go off. The fuel warning light
will stay on if the fuel level is low.Air bag warning light This warning light will illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds each time you
turn the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion.
This light also comes on when the SRS
is not working properly. If the AIR BAG
warning light does not come on, or con-
tinuously remains on after operating for
about 6 seconds when you turned the
ignition switch to the ON position or start-
ed the engine, or if it comes on while
driving, have the SRS inspected by an
authorized Hyundai dealer.
Anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light
(if equipped)This light illuminates if the ignition switch
is turned to ON and goes off in approxi-
mately 3 seconds if the system is operat-
ing normally.
If the ABS warning light remains on,
comes on while driving, or does not
come on when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position, this indicates
that there may be a problem with the
ABS.
If this occurs, have your vehicle checked
by an authorized Hyundai dealer as soon
as possible. The normal braking system
will still be operational, but without the
assistance of the anti-lock brake system.
OHD046043N Tripmeter
Odometer
AIR
BAG

Features of your vehicle46 4Engine oil pressure warn-
ing This warning light indicates the engine oil
pressure is low.
If the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
stop.
2. With the engine off, check the engine
oil level. If the level is low, add oil as
required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available, call an
authorized Hyundai dealer.
Parking brake & brake
fluid warning Parking brake warning
This light is illuminated when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch in
the START or ON position. The warning
light should go off when the parking
brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the
brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required. Then check all brake
components for fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are
found, the warning light remains on or
the brakes do not operate properly.
Have it towed to any authorized
Hyundai dealer for a brake system
inspection and necessary repairs.
CAUTION
If the engine is not stopped imme-
diately after the engine oil pressure
warning light is illuminated, severe
damage could result.
CAUTION
If the oil pressure warning light
stays on while the engine is run-
ning, serious engine damage may
result. The oil pressure warning
light comes on whenever there is
insufficient oil pressure. In normal
operation, it should come on when
the ignition switch is turned on,
then go out when the engine is
started. If the oil pressure warning
light stays on while the engine is
running, there is a serious malfunc-
tion.
If this happens, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so, turn off
the engine and check the oil level. If
the oil level is low, fill the engine oil
to the proper level and start the
engine again. If the light stays on
with the engine running, turn the
engine off immediately. In any
instance where the oil light stays on
when the engine is running, the
engine should be checked by an
authorized Hyundai dealer before
the car is driven again.

447
Features of your vehicle
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-diago-
nal 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 a portion 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.
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
Front fog light indicator
(if equipped) This light comes on when the front fog
lights are ON.Shift pattern indicators
(if equipped)The individual indicators illu-
minate to show the automat-
ic transaxle shift lever selec-
tion.
Charging system warning This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electrical
charging system.
If the warning light comes on while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera-
tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob-
lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an authorized
Hyundai dealer correct the problem as
soon as possible.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light on is dangerous. If the brake
warning light remains on, have the
brakes checked and repaired imme-
diately by an authorized Hyundai
dealer.

Features of your vehicle48 4Trunk lid open warning
lightThis warning light illuminates when the
trunk lid is not closed securely with the
ignition in any position.Door ajar warning lightThis warning light illuminates when a
door is not closed securely with the igni-
tion in any position.Low fuel level
warningThis warning light indicates the fuel tank
is nearly empty. When it comes on, you
should add fuel as soon as possible.
Driving with the fuel level warning light on
or with the fuel level below “E” can cause
the engine to misfire and damage the
catalytic converter.
Malfunction indicator lamp
(MIL) (check engine light) This indicator light is part of the Engine
Control System which monitors various
emission control system components. If
this light illuminates while driving, it indi-
cates that a potential problem has been
detected somewhere in the emission
control system.
This light will also illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON posi-
tion, and will go out in a few seconds
after the engine is started. If it illuminates
while driving, or does not illuminate when
the ignition key is turned to the ON posi-
tion, take your vehicle to your nearest
authorized Hyundai dealer and have the
system checked.
Generally, your vehicle will continue to be
drivable, but have the system checked by
an authorized Hyundai dealer promptly.
Low washer fluid level
warning indicator
(if equipped)This warning light indicates the washer
fluid reservoir is near empty. Refill the
washer fluid as soon as possible.
CAUTION
Prolonged driving with the
Emission Control System
Malfunction Indicator Light
( ) illuminated may cause
damage to the emission control
systems which could effect dri-
vability and/or fuel economy.
If the
Emission
Control System
Malfunction Indicator Light ( )
illuminates, potential catalytic
converter damage is possible
which could result in loss of
engine power. Have the Engine
Control System inspected as soon
as possible by an authorized
Hyundai dealer.