2009 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual

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CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS
7
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG):
Tire manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three perfor-
mance factors: treadwear, traction
and temperature resistance. For more
information, see Uniform Tire Qual-
ity Grading on page 8-14.
I030D01JM-AATTIRE TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINI-
TIONS
Air Pressure: The amount of air inside
the tire pressing outward on the tire. Air
pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight: This means the
combined weight of optional accesso-
ries. Some examples of optional ac-
cessories are, automatic transmission,
power seats, and air conditioning.
Aspect Ratio: The relationship of a
tire's height to its width.
Belt: A rubber coated layer of cords that
is located between the plies and the
tread. Cords may be made from steel or
other reinforcing materials.
Bead: The tire bead contains steel
wires wrapped by steel cords that hold
the tire onto the rim.
Bias Ply Tire: A pneumatic tire in which
the plies are laid at alternate angles
less than 90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.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.

8CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS8
Occupant Distribution: Designated
seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall: The side of
an asymmetrical tire that has a particu-
lar side that faces outward when
mounted on a vehicle. The side of the
tire that contains a whitewall, bears
white lettering or bears manufacturer,
brand and or model name molding that
is higher or deeper than the same mold-
ings 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 as 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 upon
which the tire beads are seated.Sidewall: The portion of a tire between
the tread and the bead.
Speed Rating: An alphanumeric code
assigned to a tire indicating the maxi-
mum speed at which a tire can operate.
Traction: The friction between the tire
and the road surface. The amount of
grip provided.
Tread: The portion of a tire that comes
into contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators: Narrow bands,
sometimes called "wear bars," that show
across the tread of a tire when only 2/32
inch of tread remains.
UTQGS: Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards, a tire information system
that provides consumers with ratings
for a tire's traction, temperature and
treadwear. Ratings are determined by
tire manufacturers using government
testing procedures. The ratings are
molded into the sidewall of the tire. 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).

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CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS
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Vehicle Capacity Weight: The number
of designated seating positions multi-
plied by 150 lbs. (68 kg) plus the rated
cargo and luggage load.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:
Load on an individual tire due to curb
and accessory weight plus maximum
occupant and cargo weight.
Vehicle Normal Load on the Tire:
That load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the curb weight, accessory
weight, and normal occupant weight
and dividing by 2.
Vehicle Placard: A label permanently
attached to a vehicle showing the origi-
nal equipment tire size and recom-
mended inflation pressure.
I050A04Y-AATTIRE CHAINS
Tire chains, if necessary, should be
installed on the front wheels. Be sure
that the chains are the proper size and
that they are installed in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions.
To minimize tire and chain wear, do not
continue to use tire chains when they
are no longer needed.
I040B01JM-AATALL SEASON TIRES
Hyundai specifies all season tires on
some models to provide good perfor-
mance for use all year round, including
snowy and icy road conditions. All sea-
son tires are identified by ALL SEASON
and/or M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
sidewall. Snow tires have better snow
traction than all season tires an may be
more appropriate in some areas.I040A01O-AATSNOW TIRES
If you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and have
the same load capacity as the original
tires. Snow tires should be installed on
all four wheels; otherwise, poor han-
dling may result.Snow tires should carry 4 psi (28 kPa)
more air pressure than the pressure
recommended for the standard tires on
the tire label on the driver's side of the
center pillar , or up to the maximum
pressure shown on the tire sidewall,
whichever is less.
Do not drive faster than 75 mph (120
km/h) when your car is equipped with
snow tires.

8CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS10
I070A01A-AATTIRE BALANCING
A tire that is out of balance may affect
handling and tire wear. The tires on your
Hyundai were balanced before the car
was delivered but may need balancing
again during the years you own the car.
Whenever a tire is dismounted for re-
pair, it should be rebalanced before
being reinstalled on the car.
!
I060A02A-AATTIRE ROTATION
Tires should be rotated every 7,500
miles (12,000 km). If you notice that
tires are wearing unevenly between ro-
tations, have the car checked by a
Hyundai dealer so the cause may be
corrected.
After rotating, adjust the tire pressures
and be sure to check the wheel nut
torque. WARNING:
o Do not use the temporary spare
tire for tire rotation.
o Do not mix bias ply and radial ply
tires under any circumstances.
This may cause unusual handling
characteristics that could result in
death, serious injury, or property
damage.
I060A02NF
!
WARNING:
o When driving on roads covered
with snow or ice, drive at less than
20 mph (30 km/h).
o Use the SAE "S" class or wire &
plastic chains.
o If you have noise caused by chains
contacting the body, retighten the
chain to avoid contact with the
vehicle body.
o To prevent body damage, retighten
the chains after driving 0.3~0.6
miles.
o Don't use a tire chains on a vehicle
equipped with aluminium wheels.
If it is unavoidable use wire-type
chains.
o Use wire chains less than 15mm to
prevent damage to the chain's con-
nection.

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CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS
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!
WARNING:
To reduce the chance or serious or
fatal injuries from an accident caused
by tire failure or loss of vehicle con-
trol:
o Replace tires that are worn, show
uneven wear, or are damaged.
Worn tires can cause loss of brak-
ing effectiveness, steering con-
trol, and traction.
o Do not drive your vehicle with too
little or too much pressure in your
tires. This can lead to uneven
wear and tire failure.
o When replacing tires, never mix
radial and bias-ply tires on the
same car. You must replace all
tires (including the spare) if mov-
ing from radial to bias-ply tires.
HNF5015 I090A04JM-AAT
WHEN TO REPLACE TIRES
The original tires on your car have tread
wear indicators. The location of tread
wear indicators is shown by the "TWI"
or " " marks, etc. The tread wear
indicators appear when the tread depth
is 0.06 in. (1.6 mm). The tire should be
replaced when these appear as a solid
bar across two or more grooves of the
tread. Always replace your tires with
those of the recommended size. If you
change wheels, the new wheel's rim
width and offset must meet Hyundai
specification.
Tread wear
indicator 0.06 in. (1.6 mm)
I080A01A-AATTIRE TRACTION
Tire traction can be reduced if you drive
on worn tires, tires that are improperly
inflated or on slippery road surfaces.
Tires should be replaced when tread
wear indicators appear. To reduce the
possibility of losing control, slow down
whenever there is rain, snow or ice on
the road.

8CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS12
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!
I090B02JM-AATTIRE MAINTENANCE
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease tire
wear. If you find a tire is worn unevenly,
have your dealer check the wheel align-
ment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This will
increase vehicle ride comfort and tire
life. Additionally, a tire shoud always be
rebalanced if it is removed from the
wheel. o Using tires and wheel other than
the recommended sizes could
cause unusual handling charac-
teristics and poor vehicle control,
resulting in a serious accident.
o Wheels that do not meet Hyundai's
specifications may fit poorly and
result in damage to the vehicle or
unusual handling and poor ve-
hicle control. WARNING: WARNING:
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used. Regardless
of the remaining tread, it is recom-
mended that tires generally be re-
placed after 6 years of normal ser-
vice. Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading conditions can
accelerate the aging process. Fail-
ure to follow this Warning can result
in sudden tire failure, which could
lead to a loss of control and an
accident involving serious injury or
death.

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CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS
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!
SPARE TIRE AND TOOLSI100A01NF-AATYour Hyundai is delivered with the fol-
lowing:
Spare tire and wheel
Wrench bar (1)
Jack (2)
Wheel nut wrench (3)
Tool receptacle (4)
7I100A01NF-A
I110A01A-AAT
SHOP MANUALA Hyundai Shop Manual is available from
your authorized Hyundai dealer. It's written
for professional technicians, but is simple
enough for
most mechanically-inclined owners to un-
derstand.
WARNING:
o Underinflated or overinflated tires
can cause poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden tire
failure leading to accidents, inju-
ries, and even death. Always check
tires are properly inflated before
driving. Refer to pages 2-23 and 8-
3 for proper tire pressures and
further information.
o Driving on tires with no or insuffi-
cient tread is dangerous. Worn-
out tires can result in loss of ve-
hicle control, collisions, and in-
jury and even death. Worn-out
tires should be replaced as soon
as possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
tire tread before driving your car.
Refer to this page for further infor-
mation and tread limits.
WARRANTIES FOR YOUR
HYUNDAI VEHICLEI120A03A-AATPlease consult your Owner’s Handbook
& Warranty Information booklet for your
vehicle’s specific warranty coverage.

8CONSUMER INFORMATION, REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS & BINDING ARBITRATION OF WARRANTY CLAIMS14
Traction AA, A, B, C - The traction
grades, from highest to lowest, are AA,
A, B, and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction per-
formance.
!
WARNING:
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead brak-
ing traction tests, and does not in-
clude acceleration, cornering, hy-
droplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.
CONSUMER INFORMATIONI130A01A-AATThis consumer information has been
prepared in accordance with regulations
issued by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration of the U.S.
Department of Transportation. It provides
the purchasers and/or prospective
purchasers of Hyundai automobiles with
information on uniform tire quality grading.
Your Hyundai dealer will help answer any
questions you may have as you read this
information.
I130B04A-AATTire Quality Grading
Department of Transportation quality
grades - All passenger vehicle tires
must conform to Federal Safety Stan-
dards in addition to these grades. These
quality grades are molded on the
sidewall.
Treadwear - The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a
tire graded 150 would wear one and a
half (1 - 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to varia-
tions in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.