2008 HYUNDAI TUCSON ESP

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
20
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) transfer mode selection
Transfer modeSelection buttonIndicator lightDescription
o This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp grades, off-road
driving, driving on sandy and muddy roads etc. to maximize traction.
o This mode automatically begins to deactivate at speed above 19 mph
(30 km/h) and is shifted to 4WD AUTO mode at speed above 25 mph
(40 km/h). If the vehicle decelerates to speeds below 19 mph (30 km/
h), however, the transfer mode is shifted into 4WD LOCK mode again.
o When driving in AUTO mode, the vehicle operates similar to the
conventional 2WD vehicles under normal operating conditions.
However, if the system determines that there is a need for the 4WD
mode, the engine’s driving power is distributed to all four wheels
automatically without driver intervention.
o When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehicle moves
similar to the conventional 2WD vehicles.
4WD
LOCK
(Indicator light is
illuminated)
4WD LOCK
4WD AUTO(4WD LOCK is
deactivated)
(Indicator light is
not illuminated)
NOTE:o When driving on normal roads, deactivate the 4WD LOCK mode by pushing the 4WD LOCK button(the indicator light goes off). Driving
on normal roads with 4WD LOCK mode(especially, when cornering) may cause mechanical noise or vibration. The noise and vibration
will disappear when the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated. Some parts of the power train may be damaged by prolonged driving with the
noise and vibration.
o When the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power delivered entirely to the front wheels. This shock is
not a mechanical failure.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
22
o Be sure that the wheels are aligned cor-
rectly. Improper alignment can result from
hitting curbs or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes faster tire
wear and may also result in other problems
as well as greater fuel consumption.
o 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 5. If
you drive your car in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required (see
Section 5 for details).
o Keep your car clean. For maximum service,
your Hyundai should be kept clean and free
of corrosive materials. It is especially impor-
tant that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be allowed to
accumulate on the underside of the car. This
extra weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
o Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
o Don't let the engine idle longer than neces-
sary. If you are waiting (and not in traffic),
turn off your engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.o Remember, your Hyundai does not require
extended warm-up. After the engine has
started, allow the engine to run for 10 to 20
seconds prior to placing the vehicle in gear.
In very cold weather, however, give your
engine a slightly longer warm-up period.
o Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging
is driving too slowly in too high a gear result-
ing 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
avoided by shifting at the recommended
speeds.
o Use your air conditioning sparingly. The air
conditioning system is operated by engine
power so your fuel economy is reduced
when you use it.
DRIVING FOR ECONOMYC140A02A-AATYou can save fuel and get more miles from your
car if you follow these suggestions:
o Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate
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 unnec-
essarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unneces-
sary braking. This also reduces brake wear.
o Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you
drive, the more fuel your car uses. Driving at
a moderate speed, especially on the high-
way, is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption.
o Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components. In
addition, driving with your foot resting on the
brake pedal may cause the brakes to over-
heat, which reduces their effectiveness and
may lead to more serious consequences.
o 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.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
23
SMOOTH CORNERINGC150A01A-AATAvoid braking or gear changing in corners,
especially when roads are wet. Ideally, corners
should always be taken under gentle accelera-
tion. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear
will be held to a minimum.
C160D01A-AATCheck Battery and CablesWinter puts additional burdens on the battery
system. Visually inspect the battery and cables
as described in Section 6. The level of charge
in your battery can be checked by your Hyundai
dealer or a service station.C160C01A-AATUse High Quality Ethylene Glycol
CoolantYour Hyundai is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling system. It
is the only type of coolant that should be used
because it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water pump and
prevents freezing. Be sure to replace or replen-
ish your coolant in accordance with the main-
tenance schedule in Section 5. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure that its
freezing point is sufficient for the temperatures
anticipated during the winter.NOTE:o Tire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before fitting tire
chains.
o Tire chains are to be used on front tires
only.
C160A01A-AATThe more severe weather conditions of winter
result in greater wear and other problems. To
minimize the problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:C160B01JM-AATSnowy or Icy ConditionsTo drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may be
necessary to use snow tires or to install tire
chains on your tires. If snow tires are needed,
it is necessary to select tires equivalent in size
and type of the original equipment tires. Failure
to do so may adversely affect the safety and
handling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns are potentially very hazardous
practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking to the
fullest extent. Sudden brake applications on
snowy or icy roads may cause skids to occur.
You need to keep sufficient distance between
the vehicle in operation in front and your vehicle.
Also, apply the brake gently. It should be noted
that installing tire chains on the tire will provide
a greater driving force, but will not prevent side
skids.WINTER DRIVING

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DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
28
C190F01O-AATTrailer 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. Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
conditions.
3. To maintain engine braking efficiency, do not
tow a trailer with the transaxle in fifth gear
(manual transaxle) or overdrive (automatic
transaxle).
4. Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.8. 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.
9. During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
10.Avoid jerky starts, sudden acceleration or
sudden stops.
11.Avoid sharp turns and rapid lane changes.
12.Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the brakes
to overheat, resulting in reduced braking
efficiency.
13.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.
14.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.
15.If the transaxle shifts frequently while going
up a hill, shift down one gear.
NOTE:When towing check transaxle fluid more
frequently.
!
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 affected vehicle han-
dling 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.
o Do not exceed 45 mph or the posted
towing speed limit, whichever is lower.

3
WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY
5
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
C320A01JM C320A02JM-AAT
(If installed)➀ Low Tire Pressure Telltale
➁ TPMS Malfunction Indicator
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflation pres-
sure recommended by the vehicle manu-
facturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, you should de-
termine the proper tire inflation pres-
sure for those tires.)As an added safety feature, your ve-
hicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure tell-
tale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not operat-
ing properly. The TPMS malfunction
indicator is provided by a separate tell-
tale, which displays the symbol "TPMS"
when illuminated. When the malfunc-
tion indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low
tire pressure as intended. TPMS mal-
functions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels
on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check
the TPMS malfunction telltale after re-
placing one or more tires or wheels on
your vehicle to ensure that the replace-
ment or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function prop-
erly.

6
DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
5
CHECKING THE ENGINE OILG030A01A-AATEngine oil is essential to the performance and
service of the engine. It is suggested that you
check the oil level at least once a week in normal
use and more often if you are on a trip or driving
in severe conditions.
G030C01JM-AATTo Check the Oil LevelBefore checking the oil, warm up the engine to
the normal operating temperature and be sure
your car is parked on level ground. Turn the
engine off.
Wait five minutes , then remove the dipstick,
wipe it off, fully reinsert the dipstick and withdraw
it again. Then note the highest level the oil has
reached on the dipstick. It should be between
the upper ("FULL") and lower ("LOW") range.
G030C01JM
DOHC V6
!
WARNING:
Be very careful not to touch the radiator
hose when checking the engine oil as it may
be hot enough to burn you.
G030B01O-AATRecommended OilThe engine oil quality should meet the following
classification.
API SJ, SL or ABOVE,
ILSAC GF-3 or ABOVE
G030B01JM-U
NOTE:o For good fuel economy, SAE 5W-20 (5W-
30), ILSAC GF-3 engine oil is preferred
regardless of regional option and en-
gine variation.
o If SAE 5W-20, ILSAC GF-3 engine oil is
not available, secondary recommended
engine oil for corresponding tempera-
ture range can be used.

8
CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS
5
CAUTION:
Always observe the following:
o Check pressures when the tires
are cold. (After the vehicle has
been parked for at least three hours
or hasn't been driven more than
one mile (1.6 km) since starting
up.)
o Check the pressure of your spare
tire each time you check the pres-
sure of other tires.
o Never overload your vehicle. Be
especially careful about overload-
ing if you equip your vehicle with
a luggage rack.
o Worn, old tires can cause acci-
dents. If your tread is badly worn,
or if your tires have been dam-
aged, replace them.
!
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firmly
onto the valve to get a pressure mea-
surement. If the cold tire inflation pres-
sure matches the recommended pres-
sure on the tire and loading information
label, no further adjustment is neces-
sary. If the pressure is low, add air until
you reach the recommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the center
of the tire valve. Recheck the tire pres-
sure with the tire gage. Be sure to put
the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out
dirt and moisture.
I035A01JM-AATCHECKING TIRE INFLATION PRES-
SURE
Check your tires once a month or more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality gage to check tire
pressure. You can not tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by looking
at them. Radial tires may look properly
inflated even when they're underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure when
the tires are cold. - "Cold" means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1
mile (1.6 km).

8
CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS8
Intended Outboard Sidewall: The side
of an asymmetrical tire, that must al-
ways face outward when mounted on a
vehicle.
Kilopascal (kPa): The metric unit for
air pressure.
Load Index: An assigned number rang-
ing from 1 to 279 that corresponds to
the load carrying capacity of a tire.
Maximum Inflation Pressure: The
maximum air pressure to which a cold
tire may be inflated. The maximum air
pressure is molded onto the sidewall.
Maximum Load Rating: The load rat-
ing for a tire at the maximum permis-
sible inflation pressure for that tire.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight:
The sum of curb weight; accessory
weight; vehicle capacity weight; and
production options weight.
Normal Occupant Weight: The num-
ber of occupants a vehicle is designed
to seat multiplied by 150 pounds (68
kg).Occupant Distribution: Designated
seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall: The side of
a asymmetrical tire that has a particular
side that faces outward when mounted
on a vehicle. The side of the tire that
contains a whitewall, bears white letter-
ing or bears manufacturer, brand and or
model name molding that is higher or
deeper than the same moldings on the
other sidewall of the tire.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire: A tire used
on passenger cars and some light duty
trucks and multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Inflation Pressure:
Vehicle manufacturer's recommended
tire inflation pressure and shown on the
tire placard.
Radial Ply tire: A pneumatic tire in
which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
Rim: A metal support for a tire and upon
which the tire beads are seated. Cold Tire Pressure: The amount of air
pressure in a tire, measured in pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascals
(kPa) before a tire has built up heat from
driving.
Curb Weight: This means the weight of
a motor vehicle with standard and op-
tional equipment including the maxi-
mum capacity of fuel, oil and coolant,
but without passengers and cargo.
DOT Markings: A code molded into the
sidewall of a tire signifying that the tire
is in compliance with the U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation motor vehicle
safety standards. The DOT code in-
cludes the Tire Identification Number
(TIN), an alphanumeric designator which
can also identify the tire manufacturer,
production plant, brand and date of
production.
GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GAWR FRT: Gross Axle Weight Rating
for the front Axle.
GAWR RR: Gross Axle Weight Rating
for the rear axle.