2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
14 5
Moving up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start
To move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive). Depress the
accelerator gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
Power brakes
Your vehicle's brake system is power-
assisted by the electric hydraulic pump.
In the event the brakes lose power
because of brake control system mal-
function, unstable power supply or some
other reason, you can still stop your vehi-
cle by applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The stop-
ping distance, however will be longer. For
your safety, please have the system
checked as soon as possible.WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle free
by moving it forward and backward.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
(Continued)

515
Driving your vehicle
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
1) When you apply the brake repeatedly,
you may hear the sound operating the
electric hydraulic pump or motor
operation. It is normal sound.
2) When you apply the pedal as follows,
the abnormal brake feeling may occur,
however it is normal condition.
- When you apply the pedal quickly
- When you apply the pedal continu-
ously and repeatedly
- While braking, when the ABS oper-
ated
(Continued)
Wet brakes may impair the vehi-
cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
Do not turn off the Hybrid system
while going down a hill. The brake
booster may not work sufficiently
and the braking distance may be
longer.
If the brake pedal does not return
to its normal position when
released, there may be a malfunc-
tion in the brake system. Take
your vehicle to an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer and have the
system checked.
(Continued)(Continued)
To avoid applying the brakes do
not get too close to the vehicle in
front of you and try to avoid
going down steep roads or sharp
corning if the power assisted
brakes are not functioning nor-
mally. The vehicle will stop but
the braking distance may be
longer.
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
CAUTION
If the driver’s door is not firmly
closed for a long time, the auxiliary
battery may be discharged because
the brake controller keeps the
standby operation. To prevent the
battery discharge, close the door
certainly.

Driving your vehicle
16 5
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving condi-
tions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and does
not indicate a problem with your brakes.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then depress the park-
ing brake pedal down as far as possible.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, depress
the parking brake pedal a second time
while applying the foot brake. The pedal
will automatically extend to the fully
released position.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with worn
brake pads.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.
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517
Driving your vehicle
If the parking brake does not release or
does not release all the way, have the
system checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Check the brake warning light by turning
the engine start/stop button ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be illumi-
nated when the parking brake is applied
with the engine start/stop button in the
START or ON position.
Also, the brake warning light may illumi-
nate for a second even though the park-
ing brake is released at the moment the
engine start/stop button is turned to the
ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on after
the parking brake is released while the
hybrid system is in READY state, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.If at all possible, cease driving the vehicle
immediately. If that is not possible, use
extreme caution while operating the vehi-
cle and only continue to drive the vehicle
until you can reach a safe location or
repair shop.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow anyone who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have
the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.
W-75
WARNING
It is normal for the brake warning
light to illuminate temporarily
when the brake is depressed
repeatedly and go out after a few
seconds when the brake is not
depressed. But the braking dis-
tance might be longer when the
brake pedal is depressed while
the brake warning light is on.
Have your system checked if the
brake warning light is on. It may
lead to an accident.

Driving your vehicle
18 5
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the situa-
tion warrants and allow the ABS to con-
trol the force being delivered to the
brakes.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system,
your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering.
The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
WARNING
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving maneuvers. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Control system) may be longer than
for those without it in the following
road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle
should be driven at reduced
speeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered
roads.
With tire chains installed.
(Continued)
(Continued)
On roads where the road surface
is pitted or has different surface
height.
The safety features of an ABS (or
ESC) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.

519
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability control (ESC)
system is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering maneuvers. ESC checks
where you are steering and where the
vehicle is actually going. ESC applies the
brakes at individual wheels and
intervenes in the engine management
system to stabilize the vehicle.
W-78
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS. In this case, howev-
er, your regular brakes will work
normally.
The ABS warning light will stay on
for approximately 3 seconds after
the engine start/stop button is ON.
During that time, the ABS will go
through self-diagnosis and the
light will go off if everything is nor-
mal. If the light stays on, you may
have a problem with your ABS.
Contact an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop the
engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS
warning light is off, then your
ABS system is normal.
Otherwise, you may have a prob-
lem with the ABS. Contact an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as
soon as possible.
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Driving your vehicle
20 5
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Control System is functioning properly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition

ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.

for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).

you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability control
(ESC) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers and hydroplaning on
wet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding maneuvers that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESC installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.
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521
Driving your vehicle
When operating
When the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.

Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.

or driving on a slippery road,
pressing the accelerator
pedal may not cause the
engine rpm (revolutions per
minute) to increase.
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state

press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).

is turned to LOCK position
when ESC is off, ESC
remains off. Upon restarting
the engine, the ESC will auto-
matically turn on again.
Indicator light
When engine start/stop button is turned
to ON, the indicator light illuminates, then
goes off if the ESC system is operating
normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating or illuminates when
ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size as
your original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESC indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light