2009 Hyundai Elantra overheating

37
Safety features of your vehicle
Seat warmer (if equipped)The seat warmer is provided to warm the
front seats during cold weather. With the
ignition switch in the ON position, push
either of the switches to warm the driver's
seat or the front passenger's seat.
During mild weather or under conditions
where the operation of the seat warmer
is not needed, keep the switches in the
"OFF" position.✽ ✽
NOTICEWith the seat warmer switch in ON
position, the heating system in the seat
turns off or on automatically depending
on the seat temperature.
OHD036008
WARNING
- Seat warmer
burns
Passengers should use extreme
caution when using seat warmers
due to the possibility of excess
heating or burns. In particular, the
driver must exercise extreme care
for the following types of passen-
gers:
1. Infants, children, elderly or hand-
icapped persons, or hospital out-
patients
2. Persons with sensitive skin or
those that burn easily
3. Fatigued individuals
4. Intoxicated individuals
5. Individuals taking medication
that can cause drowsiness or
sleepiness (sleeping pills, cold
tablets, etc.)
CAUTION
When cleaning the seats, do not
use an organic solvent such as
thinner, benzene, alcohol and
gasoline. Doing so may damage
the surface of the heater or seats.
To prevent overheating the seat
warmer, do not place blankets,
cushions or seat covers on the
seats while the seat warmer is in
operation.
Do not place heavy or sharp
objects on seats equipped with
seat warmers. Damage to the seat
warming components could occur.

Features of your vehicle66 4Operation Tips To keep dust or unpleasant fumes from
entering the car through the ventilation
system, temporarily set the air intake
control to the recirculated air position.
Be sure to return the control to the
fresh air position when the irritation
has passed to keep fresh air in the
vehicle. This will help keep the driver
alert and comfortable.
Air for the heating/cooling system is
drawn in through the grilles just ahead
of the windshield. Care should be
taken that these are not blocked by
leaves, snow, ice or other obstructions.
To prevent interior fog on the wind-
shield, set the air intake control to the
fresh air position and fan speed to the
desired position, turn on the air condi-
tioning system, and adjust temperature
control to desired temperature.
Air conditioning (if equipped) All Hyundai Air Conditioning Systems are
filled with environmentally friendly
R-134a refrigerant which is not damag-
ing to the ozone layer.
1. Start the engine. Push the air condi-
tioning button.
2. Set the mode to the position.
3. Set the air intake control to the outside
air or recirculated air position.
4. Adjust the fan speed control and tem-
perature control to maintain maximum
comfort.
When maximum cooling is desired, set
the temperature control to the extreme
left position, set the mode control to
the MAX A/C position, then set the fan
speed control to the highest speed.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature gauge
closely while driving up hills or in
heavy traffic when outside tempera-
tures are high. Air conditioning sys-
tem operation may cause engine over-
heating. Continue to use the blower
fan but turn the air conditioning sys-
tem off if the temperature gauge indi-
cates engine overheating.
• When opening the windows in humid
weather air conditioning may create
water droplets inside the vehicle.
Since excessive water droplets may
cause damage to electrical equipment,
air conditioning should only be run
with the windows closed.

Features of your vehicle82 4Cigarette lighterFor the cigarette lighter to work, the igni-
tion switch, must be in the ACC position
or the ON position.
To use the cigarette lighter, push it all the
way into its socket. When the element
has heated, the lighter will pop out to the
"ready" position.
Do not hold the cigarette lighter pressed
in. This can damage the heating element
and create a fire hazard.
If it is necessary to replace the cigarette
lighter, use only a genuine Hyundai
replacement or its approved equivalent.
AshtrayThe front ashtray may be opened by
pulling the ashtray lid. To clean the ash-
tray, the plastic receptacle should be
removed by lifting the plastic ash recep-
tacle upward and pulling it out.
INTERIOR FEATURES
OHD046085
CAUTION
Do not hold the lighter in after it is
already heated because it will
overheat.
Only a genuine Hyundai lighter
should be used in the cigarette
lighter socket. The use of plug-in
accessories (shavers, hand-held
vacuums, and coffee pots, for
example) may damage the socket
or cause electrical failure.
If the lighter does not pop out
within 30 seconds, remove it to
prevent overheating.
OHD046086
WARNING
- Ashtray use
Do not use the vehicle’s ashtrays
as waste receptacles.
Putting lit cigarettes or matches
in an ashtray with other com-
bustible materials may cause a
fire.

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 vehicle34 5Higher speed motoringTires:Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.✽ ✽
NOTICENever exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil:High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine
oil.Drive belt:A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to section
9, “Tires and wheels”.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi-
cient tread is dangerous. Worn-
out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to section 7,
“Tires and wheels”.

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.

What to do in an emergency6 66. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,
if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for
further signs of overheating. If over-
heating happens again, call an author-
ized Hyundai dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling system
and this should be checked as soon
as possible by an authorized
Hyundai dealer.