2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
6 5
✽
✽
NOTICE
• If you press the HEV system start/stop
button without depressing the brake
pedal, the HEV system does not start
and the HEV system start/stop button
changes as follows :
OFF→ →
ACC → →
ON → →
OFF
• If you leave the engine start/stop but-
ton in the ACC or the ON position for
a long time, the battery will be dis-
charged.
Starting the hybrid system
1. Carry the smart key or leave it inside
the vehicle.
2. Make sure the parking brake is firmly
applied.
3. Place the shift lever in the P(Park)
position. In N(Neutral) position, you
can not start the vehicle.
4. Depress the brake pedal.
5. Press the HEV system start/stop but-
ton.
WARNING
Except in an emergency, never
press the engine start/stop but-
ton while the vehicle is in motion.
The may result in higher braking
effort and steering, which could
cause an accident.
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park), set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occur
if these precautions are not
taken.
Never reach for the engine
start/stop button, or any other
controls through the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of your
hand or arm in this area could
cause a loss of vehicle control,
an accident and serious bodily
injury or death.
Do not place any movable objects
around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interfere
with the driver and lead to an
accident.WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots, etc.) may interfere with your
ability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal.
Before starting the vehicle in slope
area, even if you depress the brake
pedal, the vehicle may be moved
downward when the parking brake
released.
For your safety, after starting the
vehicle firmly, release the parking
brake.

57
Driving your vehicle
6. In extremely cold weather (below -
18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle has not
been operated for several days, let the
engine warm up without depressing
the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm, it
should be started without depressing
the accelerator.Even if the smart key is in the vehicle,
if it is far away from you, the HEV sys-
tem may not start.
When the HEV systemstart/stop button
is in the ACC or ON position, if any door
is open, the system checks for the
smart key. If the smart key is not in the
vehicle, the warning, "Key not in vehi-
cle" will come on, and if all doors are
closed, the chime will also sound for
about 5 seconds. The indicator will turn
off while the vehicle is moving. Keep the
smart key in the vehicle when using the
ACC position or if the vehicle HEV sys-
tem is on.✽ ✽
NOTICE
If ambient temperature is low, the
"READY" symbol may stay illuminated
longer than the normal amount of time.
Before starting the vehicle, if you
depress the brake pedal, you may feel
the stumbling feeling while depressing
the brake pedal. However, if the warn-
ing indicator is not turned on, it is nor-
mal.
WARNING
The HEV system will start only
when the smart key is in the vehi-
cle. Never allow children or any per-
son who is unfamiliar with the vehi-
cle to touch the HEV system
start/stop button or related parts.
CAUTION
If the "READY" is turned off while
you are in motion, do not attempt to
move the shift lever to the P(Park)
position. If traffic and road condi-
tions permit, you may keep the pre-
vious lever position while the vehi-
cle is still moving and press the
engine start/stop button in an
attempt to restart the hybrid system
without pressing the brake pedal.
If the hybrid system starts, the
"READY" symbol comes on. If the
"READY" symbol does not come
on, have the vehicle checked and
repaired by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.

Driving your vehicle
8 5
✽
✽
NOTICE
• If the battery is weak or the smart key
does not work correctly, you can start
the engine by inserting the smart key
into the smart key holder. To eject the
smart key from the smart key holder,
press the smart key inward past the
detent and then pull the key outward.
• When the stop lamp fuse is blown, you
can't start the engine normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If you
are not able to replace the fuse, you
can start the engine by pressing the
engine start/stop button for 10 seconds
with the engine start/stop button in the
ACC mode. Always depress the brake
pedal before starting the engine.
CAUTION
Do not press the HEV system
start/stop button for more than 5
seconds except when the stop
lamp fuse is disconnected.
When you eject the smart key
from the smart key holder, press
the smart key inward and pull it
out. If you pull out the smart key
forcibly without first pushing the
smart key, the smart key holder
may be damaged and will not
operate normally.
OYF059002N

59
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 6 forward
speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-
vidual speeds are selected automatically,
depending on the position of the shift
lever.
To move the shift lever from the P (Park)
position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the shift lock release but-
ton must be pressed.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and the shifting sequence will
adjust after shifts are cycled a few times
by the TCM (Transaxle Control
Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control
Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
OYFH051006N
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button (1) when shifting.
The shift lever can be shifted without depressing the shift lock release button (1).
The shift lock release button (1) must be depressed while moving the shift lever.

Driving your vehicle
10 5
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a
forward or reverse gear.Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position when the
engine start/stop button is in the ON
position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the drive
wheels from rotating.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting a car into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the HEV system off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these pre-
cautions are not followed in the
order identified.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on.
When stopped on an incline, do
not hold the vehicle stationary
with engine power. Use the serv-
ice brake or the parking brake.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) position
and set the parking brake fully.
Never leave a child unattended in
a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.

511
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
• When you shift the transaxle D to N
while decelerating, the surge may
occur in the vehicle.
This is normal situation when the
regenerative brake system stopped by
shifting to N while regenerative brake
system operation.
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to D
(Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except as explained in
“Rocking the vehicle” in this sec-
tion.
OYF059008N
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)Sports mode

Driving your vehicle
12 5
✽
✽
NOTICE
• In sports mode, the driver must exe-
cute upshifts in accordance with road
conditions.
• In sports mode, only the 6 forward
gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) or P (Park) position
as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made
automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm
approaches the red zone, the transaxle
will upshift automatically.
• To maintain the required levels of vehi-
cle performance and safety, the system
may not execute certain gearshifts
when the shift lever is operated.
• When driving on a slippery road, push
the shift lever forward into the +(up)
position. This causes the transaxle to
shift into the 2nd gear which is better
for smooth driving on a slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the -(down) side
to shift back to the 1st gear.
Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the engine
start/stop button to the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
noise near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position into R (Reverse)
position with the brake pedal depressed,
continue depressing the brake, then do
the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap (1) covering
the shift-lock access hole.
2. Insert a key (or screwdriver) into the
access hole and press down on the
key (or screwdriver).
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer immedi-
ately.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting out
of the P (Park) position into anoth-
er position to avoid inadvertent
motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the car.
OYF059011N

513
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the car is completely stopped
before you attempt to shift into R
(Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, slow down and shift to
a lower gear. When you do this, engine
braking will help slow the car.
Slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may
not be engaged.
Always use the parking brake when
parked. Do not depend on placing the
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the car
from moving. Exercise extreme caution when driving
on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-
tor pedal.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision,
an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner-
ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim-
its.