2009 Hyundai Sonata overheating

1FEATURES OF YOUR HYUNDAI
102
B740C02O-AATDe-Humidified HeatingFor dehumidified heating:
o Set the air flow control to the face ( )
position.
o Turn on the air conditioning switch. The
air conditioning indicator light should
come on at the same time.
o Set the air intake control to the fresh air
( ) position.
o Adjust the fan control to the desired
speed.
o For more rapid action, set the fan at one
of the higher speeds.
o Adjust the temperature control to provide
the desired amount of warmth.
B740D02Y-AATOperation Tipso If the interior of the car is hot when you
first get in, open the windows for a few
minutes to expel the hot air.
o When you are using the air conditioning
system, keep all windows closed to
keep hot air out.
o When moving slowly, as in heavy traffic,
shift to a lower gear. This increases
engine speed, which in turn increases
the speed of the air conditioning
compressor.
o On steep grades, turn the air condition-
ing off to avoid the possibility of the
engine overheating.
o During winter months or in periods when
the air conditioning is not used regularly,
run the air conditioning once every
month for a few minutes. This will help
circulate the lubricants and keep your
system in peak operating condition.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
5
!
STARTING!
C050A01A-AAT
WARNING:
Never run the engine in a closed or poorly
ventilated area any longer than is needed
to move your car in or out of the area. The
carbon monoxide gas emitted is odorless
and can cause serious injury or death.
C050A01E
4. Turn the ignition key to the "START"
position and release it when the engine
starts.
After the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds prior
to placing the vehicle in gear.
The starter should not be operated for
more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait
15-30 seconds between starting
attempts to protect the starter from
overheating.
C050B02A-AATNormal Conditions:The Starting Procedure:
1. Insert key, and fasten the seat belt.
2. Depress the clutch pedal fully and place
the gearshift lever (manual transaxle)
in neutral or the selector lever (automatic
transaxle) in "P" (Park) position.
3. After turning the ignition key to the "ON"
position, make certain all warning lights
and gauges are functioning properly
before starting the engine.
WARNING:
Be sure that the clutch is fully depressed
when starting a manual transaxle vehicle.
Your manual transaxle equipped vehi-
cle will not start unless the clutch pedal
is fully depressed. On a manual transaxle
equipped vehicle that can be started
without depressing the clutch, there is
the potential to cause damage to the
vehicle or injury to someone inside or
outside the vehicle as a result of the
forward or backward movement of the
vehicle that will occur if the clutch is not
depressed when the vehicle is started.
!
WARNING:
Always fully depress the brake pedal
before and while shifting out of the "P"
Park position into another position to
avoid inadvertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in or around
the car.
LOCKON
START

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
15
!GOOD BRAKING PRACTICESC130A02A-AAT
WARNING:
o Whenever leaving vehicle or parking,
always set the parking brake as far as
possible and fully engage the
vehicle's transaxle into the park
position. Vehicles not fully engaged
in park with the parking brake set are
at risk for moving inadvertently and
injuring yourself or others.
o All vehicles should always have the
parking brake fully engaged when
parking to avoid inadvertent
movement of the car which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.
o Nothing should be carried on top of
the shelf panel behind the rear seat. If
there were an accident or a sudden
stop, such objects could move forward
and cause damage to the vehicle or
injure the occupants.o After being parked, check to be sure the
parking brake is not engaged and that the
parking brake indicator light is out before
driving away.
o Driving through water may get the brakes
wet. They can also get wet when the car is
washed. Wet brakes can be dangerous!
Your car will not stop as quickly if the brakes
are wet. Wet brakes may cause the car to
pull to one side. To dry the brakes, apply
the brakes lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to keep the
car under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop as
soon as it is safe to do so and call your
Hyundai dealer for assistance.
o Don't coast down hills with the car out of
gear. This is extremely hazardous. Keep
the car in gear at all times, use the brakes
to slow down, then shift to a lower gear so
that engine braking will help you maintain
a safe speed.
o Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your
foot on the brake pedal while driving can
be dangerous because it can result in the
brakes overheating and losing their
effectiveness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.
o 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.o If your car is equipped with an automatic
transaxle, don't let your car creep
forward. To avoid creeping forward,
keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal
when the car is stopped.
o 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.
o Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. 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) or in first
or reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the car cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
o 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.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
19
!
C160K01A-AATCarry Emergency EquipmentDepending on the severity of the weather
where you drive your car, you should carry
appropriate emergency equipment. Some
of the items you may want to carry include
tire chains, tow straps or chains, flashlight,
emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper
cables, a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
HIGHER SPEED MOTORINGC170A02A-AATPre-Trip Inspections1. Tires:
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to speci-
fication. 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 failure.NOTE:Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.2. 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.
3. Drive belt:
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING:
o Underinflated or overinflated tires
can cause poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden tire failure
leading to accidents, injuries, 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 insufficient
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 tire
tread before driving your car. Refer
to 8-10 for further information and
tread limits.

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
23
8. When parking your car and trailer, es-
pecially 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.
9. 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.
10. During your trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure, and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
11. Avoid jerky starts, sudden acceleration
or sudden stops.
12. Avoid sharp turns and rapid lane
changes.
13. Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This could
cause the brakes to overheat, resulting
in reduced braking efficiency.
14. When going down a hill, shift into a
lower gear and use the engine braking
effect.
When ascending a long grade, down-
shift the transaxle to a lower gear and
reduce speed to reduce chances of
engine overloading and/or overheat-
ing.
CAUTION:
If overheating should occur when tow-
ing, (the temperature gauge reads near
red zone), taking the following action
may reduce or eliminate the problem.
1. Turn off the air conditioner.
2. Reduce highway speed.
3. Select a lower gear when going uphill.
4. While in stop and go traffic, place the
gear selector in park or neutral and
idle the engine at a higher speed.
!
VEHICLE LOAD LIMITC190F02JM-AATTire and Loading Information Label
ONF058021N
15. 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 over-
heat. Use the parking brake or
footbrake.NOTE:When towing check transaxle fluid more
frequently.
Type A
Type B
ONF058022N

34WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
!!
!
WARNING:
While the engine is running, keep hair,
hands and clothing away from moving
parts such as the fan and drive belts to
prevent injury.
5. If the water pump drive belt is broken or
engine coolant is leaking out, stop the
engine immediately and call the nearest
Hyundai dealer for assistance.
WARNING:
Do not remove the radiator cap when the
engine is hot. This can allow coolant to be
blown out of the opening and cause se-
rious burns.6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheat-ing, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to normal.
Then, if coolant has been lost, carefully
add coolant to the reservoir (page 6-9)
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
overheating happens again, call a
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 a Hyundai dealer.
D030A02A-AATIf your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power, or
hear loud pinging or knocking, the engine
is probably too hot. If this happens, you
should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it
is safe to do so.
2. Place the gear selector lever in "P"
(automatic) or neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking brake. If
the air conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under
the car or steam is coming out from the
hood, stop the engine. Do not open the
hood until the coolant has stopped
running or the steaming has stopped. If
there is no visible loss of engine coolant
and no steam, leave the engine running
and check to be sure the engine cooling
fan is operating. If the fan is not running,
turn the engine off.
4. Check to see if the water pump drive belt
is missing. If it is not missing, check to
see that it is tight. If the drive belt seems
to be satisfactory, check for coolant
leaking from the radiator, hoses or under
the car. (If the air conditioning had been
in use, it is normal for cold water to be
draining from it when you stop).

6
DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
9
G050B01A-AATRecommended Engine CoolantUse a high quality ethylene-glycol coolant
in a 50/50 mix with water. The engine
coolant should be compatible with
aluminum engine parts. Additional
corrosion inhibitors or additives should
not be used. The cooling system must be
maintained with the correct concentration
and type of engine coolant to prevent
freezing and corrosion. Never allow the
concentration of antifreeze to exceed the
60% level or go below the 35% level, or
damage to the cooling system may result.
For proper concentration when adding or
replacing the engine coolant, refer to the
following table.
G050C01NF-GATTo Check the Coolant LevelThe coolant level can be seen on the side
of the plastic coolant reservoir. The level of
the coolant should be between the "L" and
"F" lines on the reservoir when the engine
is warm with it at idle . If the level is below
the "L" mark, add engine coolant to bring
it up to "F". If the level is low, inspect for
coolant leaks and recheck the fluid level
frequently. If the level drops again, visit
your Hyundai dealer for an inspection and
diagnosis of the reason.
G050C01NFG050D01NF-GAT
To Change the Engine CoolantThe engine coolant should be changed at
those intervals specified in the vehicle
maintenance schedule in Section 5.
CAUTION:
o Engine coolant can damage the finish
of your car. If you spill engine coolant
on the car, wash it off thoroughly with
clean water.
o The engine in your vehicle has alumi-
num engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol base
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-
ing.
Do not use hard water. Hard water can
cause engine damage from corro-
sion, overheating or freezing.
!
1. Park the car on level ground, set the
parking brake and remove the radiator
cap when cool. Ambient
temperature
°F (°C)
5 (-15)
-13 (-25)
-31 (-35)
-49 (-45)
65%
60%
50%
40% 35%
40%
50%
60%Water Antifreeze
solution Engine Coolant concentration