2009 Hyundai Elantra warning

717
Maintenance
Changing the engine oil and filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by an
authorised Hyundai dealer according tothe Maintenance Schedule at the begin-ning of this section.The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year-round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at thebeginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.
Checking the coolant level
WARNING
- Removing
radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the radi- ator cap while the engine is oper-
ating or hot. Doing so might leadto cooling system and engine
damage and could result in seri-
ous personal injury from escap-ing hot coolant or steam.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Turn the engine off and wait untilit cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you aresure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiatorcap or the drain plug while the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.
WARNING
Used engine oil may cause irrita- tion or cancer of the skin if left in
contact with the skin for prolonged
periods of time. Used engine oil
contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory ani-
mals. Always protect your skin by
washing your hands thoroughlywith soap and warm water as soon
as possible after handling used oil.
ENGINE COOLANT

Maintenance
18
7
Check the condition and connections of all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side of the
coolant reservoir when the engine iscool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protection
against freezing and corrosion. Bring the
level to F, but do not overfill. If frequent
additions are required, see an authorised
Hyundai dealer for a cooling systeminspection.
Recommended engine coolant
Use only soft (de-mineralised) water in
the coolant mixture.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be pro-
tected by an ethylene-glycol-based
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-ing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the specifiedcoolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution.
For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
Changing the coolant
Have coolant changed by an authorised Hyundai dealer according to theMaintenance Schedule at the beginningof this section.
OHD076008
-15°C 35 65
-25°C 40 60
-35°C 50 50
-45°C 60 40
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
WARNING -
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and
steam may blow out under pres-
sure causing serious injury.
OHD076009

719
Maintenance
BRAKE AND CLUTCH (IF EQUIPPED) FLUID
Checking the brake/clutch fluid
level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir. Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake/clutch fluid, clean the area
around the reservoir cap thoroughly to
prevent brake/clutch fluid contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake linings.
If the fluid level is excessively low, have
the brake system checked by an autho-
rised Hyundai dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch fluid.
(Refer to the section 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING - Brake fluid
When changing and adding
brake/clutch fluid, handle it careful-
ly. Do not let it come in contact with
your eyes. If brake/clutch fluid
should come in contact with your
eyes, immediately flush them with a
large quantity of fresh tap water.
Have your eyes examined by a doc-
tor as soon as possible.
WARNING - Loss of brake fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorised Hyundai dealer.
CAUTION
Do not allow brake/clutch fluid to contact the vehicle's body paint, as paint damage will result.
Brake/clutch fluid, which has been exposed to open air for an extendedtime should never be used as itsquality cannot be guaranteed. Itshould be thrown out. Don't put in
the wrong kind of fluid. A few dropsof mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your brake clutch sys-tem can damage brake clutch sys-
tem parts.
OHD076011
OHD076011R
Brake fluid reservoir
Clutch fluid reservoir (if equipped)

721
Maintenance
✽✽NOTICE
“COLD” scale is for reference only and
should NOT be used to determinetransaxle fluid level. ✽
✽
NOTICE
New automatic transaxle fluid should be
red. The red dye is added so the assem-bly plant can identify it as automatic
transaxle fluid and distinguish it from
engine oil or antifreeze. The red dye,
which is not an indicator of fluid quali-
ty, is not permanent. As the vehicle isdriven, the automatic transaxle fluid
will begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an authorised Hyundai
dealer change the automatic transaxlefluid according to the ScheduledMaintenance at the beginning of thissection.
Use only the specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to the section 8.)
Changing the automatic transaxle fluid
Have automatic transaxle fluid changed
by an authorised Hyundai dealer accord-ing to the Maintenance Schedule at thebeginning of this section.
WARNING - Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should be
checked when the engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during
this procedure.
WARNING - Hand brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply hand brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle slippage. Overfilling can causefoaming, loss of fluid and transaxle malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxle malfunc-tion and failure.

Maintenance
22
7
WASHER FLUID
Checking the washer fluid level
The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visualinspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing. Checking the hand brake
Check the stroke of the hand brake by
counting the number of “clicks’’ heardwhile fully applying it from the released
position. Also, the hand brake alone
should securely hold the vehicle on a fair-
ly steep grade. If the stroke is more or
less than specified, have the hand brake
adjusted by an authorised Hyundai deal-
er.
Stroke : 7
“clicks’’ at a force of
20 kg (44 lbs, 196 N).
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to paint and body trim.
Windshield Washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allowsparks or flame to contact thewasher fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contact-ing windshield washer fluid.
Serious injury or death could
occur.
OHD076013OHD056005R
HAND BRAKE

729
Maintenance
For best battery service
Keep the battery securely mounted.
Keep the battery top clean and dry.
Keep the terminals and connectionsclean, tight, and coated with petroleum
jelly or terminal grease.
Rinse any spilled electrolyte from the battery immediately with a solution of
water and baking soda.
If the vehicle is not going to be used for an extended time, disconnect the bat-
tery cables.
WARNING - Battery
dangers
Always read the following
instructions carefully when
handling a battery.
Keep lighted cigarettes and all other flames or sparks
away from the battery.
Hydrogen, a highly com- bustible gas, is always
present in battery cells and
may explode if ignited.
Keep batteries out of the
reach of children because
batteries contain highly
corrosive SULFURIC ACID.
Do not allow battery acid to
contact your skin, eyes,
clothing or paint finish.
(Continued)(Continued)If any electrolyte gets intoyour eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at least
15 minutes and get immedi-ate medical attention.
If electrolyte gets on your
skin, thoroughly wash the
contacted area. If you feel a
pain or a burning sensa-
tion, get medical attention
immediately.
Wear eye protection when charging or working near a
battery. Always provide
ventilation when working in
an enclosed space.
An inappropriately disposed battery can be harmful to
the environment and human
health. Dispose the battery
according to your local
law(s) or regulation.
(Continued)
BATTERY
OHD076024

731
Maintenance
WARNING- Recharging
battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precautions:
The battery must be removed from the vehicle and placed in an area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes, sparks, or flame near the battery.
Watch the battery during charg- ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
Wear eye protection when check- ing the battery during charging.
(Continued)(Continued)
Disconnect the battery charger inthe following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger main switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from the negative battery terminal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from the positive battery terminal.WARNING
Before performing maintenance or recharging the battery, turn off all accessories and stop the
engine.
The negative battery cable must be removed first and installed
last when the battery is discon-nected.

Maintenance
32
7
TYRES AND WHEELS
Tyre care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tyre infla-
tion pressures and stay within the load
limits and weight distribution recom-
mended for your vehicle. Recommended cold tyre inflation pressures All tyre pressures (including the spare)
should be checked every day when the
tyres are cold. “Cold Tyres” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at least
three hours or driven less than 1.6 km(one mile).
Recommended pressures must be main-
tained for the best ride, top vehicle han-
dling, and minimum tyre wear. All specifications (sizes and pressures)
can be found on a label attached to the
vehicle.
WARNING - Tyre underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (70 kPa (10
psi) or more) can lead to severe
heat build-up, causing blowouts,tread separation and other tyre fail-ures that can result in the loss of
vehicle control leading to severe
injury or death. This risk is much
higher on hot days and when driv-
ing for protracted periods at highspeeds.
OHD086003R