2009 Hyundai Elantra check oil

75
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized Hyundai
dealer at the frequencies indicated to
help ensure safe, dependable operation
of your vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.
Owner maintenance schedule When you stop for fuel: Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant reser-
voir.
Check the windshield washer fluid
level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle: Note any changes in the sound of the
exhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering
wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns
slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for
unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper-
ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park)
function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle
(water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause burns
or other serious injury.

Maintenance12 7EXPLANATION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ITEMSEngine oil and filterThe engine oil and filter should be
changed at the intervals specified in the
maintenance schedule. If the car is being
driven in severe conditions, more fre-
quent oil and filter changes are required.Drive beltsInspect all drive belts for evidence of
cuts, cracks, excessive wear or oil satu-
ration and replace if necessary. Drive
belts should be checked periodically for
proper tension and adjusted as neces-
sary.
Fuel filterA clogged filter can limit the speed at
which the vehicle may be driven, damage
the emission system and cause multiple
issues such as hard starting. If an exces-
sive amount of foreign matter accumu-
lates in the fuel tank, the filter may
require replacement more frequently.
After installing a new filter, run the engine
for several minutes, and check for leaks
at the connections. Fuel filters should be
installed by trained technicians.
Fuel lines, fuel hoses and con-
nectionsCheck the fuel lines, fuel hoses and con-
nections for leakage and damage. Have
a trained technician replace any dam-
aged or leaking parts immediately.

Maintenance14 7Manual transaxle fluid
(if equipped)Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance schedule.✽ ✽
NOTICEIf the oil level is low, check for possible
leaks before adding oil. Do not overfill.Automatic transaxle fluid
(if equipped)The fluid level should be in the "HOT"
range of the dipstick, after the engine
and transaxle are at normal operating
temperature. Check the automatic
transaxle fluid level with the engine run-
ning and the transaxle in neutral, with the
parking brake properly applied.Brake hoses and linesVisually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately.
Brake fluidCheck brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir. The level should be between
“MIN” and “MAX” marks on the side of
the reservoir. Use only hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4
specification.Rear disc brake / linings, parking
brakeCheck the rear disc brake and linings for
scoring, burning, leaking fluid, broken
parts, and excessive wear. Inspect the
parking brake system including the park-
ing brake lever and cables.Brake pads, calipers and rotorsCheck the pads for excessive wear, discs
for run out and wear, and calipers for fluid
leakage.Exhaust pipe and mufflerVisually inspect the exhaust pipes, muf-
fler and hangers for cracks, deterioration,
or damage. Start the engine and listen
carefully for any exhaust gas leakage.
Tighten connections or replace parts as
necessary.
Suspension mounting boltsCheck the suspension connections for
looseness or damage. Retighten to the
specified torque.Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball jointWith the vehicle stopped and engine off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or damage.
Check the dust boots and ball joints for
deterioration, cracks, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts.Drive shafts and bootsCheck the drive shafts, boots and clamps
for cracks, deterioration, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts and, if nec-
essary, repack the grease.Air conditioning refrigerant
(if equipped)Check the air conditioning lines and con-
nections for leakage and damage.

715
Maintenance
ENGINE OILChecking the engine oil level 1. Be sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reach
normal operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few
minutes (about 5 minutes) for the oil to
return to the oil pan.4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and
re-insert it fully.
5. Pull the dipstick out again and check
the level. The level should be between
F and L.
If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring
the level to F.Do not overfill.
Use a funnel to refill the new oil com-
fortably.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer
to the section 9.)Changing the engine oil and filterHave engine oil and filter changed by an
authorized Hyundai dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the begin-
ning of this section.
WARNING -
Radiator hose
Be very careful not to touch the
radiator hose when checking or
adding the engine oil as it may be
hot enough to burn you.
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OHD076006R

Maintenance16 7
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 the
beginning 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 lead
to cooling system and engine
damage and could result in seri-
ous personal injury from escap-
ing hot coolant or steam.
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Turn the engine off and wait until
it 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 are
sure 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 radiator
cap 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.
ENGINE COOLANT
PROPOSITION 65
WARNING
Engine oil contains chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer, birth defects and
reproductive harm. Used engine oil
may cause irritation or cancer of
the skin if left in contact with the
skin for prolonged periods of time.
Always protect your skin by wash-
ing your hands thoroughly with
soap and warm water as soon as
possible after handling used oil.

719
Maintenance
BRAKES AND CLUTCH (IF EQUIPPED) FLUIDChecking 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 author-
ized Hyundai dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch fluid.
(Refer to the section 9.)
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 authorized Hyundai dealer.
OHD076011
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 extended
time should never be used as its
quality cannot be guaranteed. It
should be disposed of properly.
Don't put in the wrong kind of fluid.
A few drops of mineral-based oil,
such as engine oil, in your
brake/clutch system can damage
brake/clutch system parts.

721
Maintenance
✽ ✽
NOTICE“COLD” range is for reference only and
should NOT be used to determine
transaxle fluid level.
✽ ✽
NOTICENew 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 is
driven, the automatic transaxle fluid
will begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an authorized Hyundai
dealer change the automatic transaxle
fluid according to the Scheduled
Maintenance at the beginning of this
section.Use only the specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to the section 9.)Changing the automatic transaxle
fluidHave automatic transaxle fluid changed
by an authorized Hyundai dealer accord-
ing to the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning 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
- Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply parking brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle
slippage. Overfilling can cause
foaming, loss of fluid and transaxle
malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid
could result in transaxle malfunc-
tion and failure.

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 120°F (49°C).
Wear eye protection when check-
ing the battery during charging.
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Disconnect the battery charger in
the 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.