2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
22 5
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for daily driv-
ing whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press the ESC OFF button while
ESC is operating (ESC indicator light
blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminated).
• Turning the ESC off does not affect
ABS or brake system operation.
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
(if equipped)
A vehicle has the tendency to slip back
on a steep hill when it starts to go after
stopping. The Hill-start Assist Control
(HAC) prevents the vehicle from slipping
back by operating the brakes automati-
cally for about 2 seconds. The brakes are
released when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• The HAC does not operate when the
transaxle shift lever is in the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position.
• The HAC activates even though the
ESC is off but it does not activate
when the ESC has malfunctioned.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating.
If the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may go out of
control.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
WARNING
The HAC is activated only for about
2 seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the
accelerator pedal.

523
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake is
not engaged and that the parking brake
indicator light is out before driving away. 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 light-
ly until the braking action returns to nor-
mal, 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 an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
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.
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 los-
ing their effectiveness. It also increases
the wear of the brake components.
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 vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic transaxle, don't let your vehicle
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped.
Use caution when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P position. If your
vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep the
vehicle from rolling. If your vehicle is fac-
ing uphill, turn the front wheels away
from the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep the
vehicle 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 positionand block
the rear wheels so the vehicle 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.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or park your
vehicle, always firmly set the
parking brake as far as possible
and fully engage the vehicle's
transaxle into the P (Park) posi-
tion. If the parking brake is not
fully engaged, the vehicle may
move inadvertently and injure
yourself and others.
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.
CAUTION
Do not depress the brake pedal con-
tinuously without READY status. The
battery may be discharged.

Driving your vehicle
24 5
➀CRUISE indicator
➁SET indicator
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
✽ ✽
NOTICE
During normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated)
the cruise control can be activat-
ed unintentionally. Keep the
cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-
ting a speed.
Use the cruise control system
only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control
when it may not be safe to keep
the car at a constant speed, for
instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
Pay particular attention to the
driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
Be careful when driving downhill
using the cruise control system,
which may increase the vehicle
speed.
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525
Driving your vehicle
To set cruise control speed:
1. Push the cruise ON-OFF button on the
steering wheel to turn the system on.
The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which
must be more than 25 mph (40 km/h).3. Push the SET- switch, and release it at
the desired speed. The SET indicator
light in the instrument cluster will illumi-
nate. Release the accelerator at the
same time. The desired speed will auto-
matically be maintained.
On a steep grade, the vehicle may slow
down or speed up slightly while going
uphill or downhill.
To increase cruise control set
speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
Push the RES+ switch and hold it. Your
vehicle will accelerate. Release the
switch at the speed you want.
Push the RES+ switch and release it
immediately. The cruising speed will
increase 1.0 mph (1.6 km/h) each time
the RES+ switch is operated in this
manner.
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Driving your vehicle
26 5
To decrease the cruising speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
Pushthe SET- switch and hold it. Your
vehicle will gradually slow down.
Release the switch at the speed you
want to maintain.
Push the SET- switch and release it
immediately. The cruising speed will
decrease 1.0 mph (1.6 km/h) each
time the SET- switch is operated in this
manner.
To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:
If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operation
or change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.
To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following:
Press the brake pedal.
Shift the shift lever into N (Neutral) with
an automatic transaxle
Press the CANCEL switch located on
the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than
the memory speed by 9 mph (15
km/h).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less
than approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
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527
Driving your vehicle
Each of these actions will cancel cruise
control operation (the SET indicator light
in the instrument cluster will go off), but it
will not turn the system off. If you wish to
resume cruise control operation, push
the RES+ switch located on your steering
wheel. You will return to your previously
preset speed.
To resume cruising speed at
more than approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h):
If any method other than the cruise
ON/OFF switch was used to cancel cruis-
ing speed and the system is still activat-
ed, the most recent set speed will auto-
matically resume when the RES+ switch
is pushed.
It will not resume, however, if the vehicle
speed has dropped below approximately
25 mph (40 km/h).
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Always check the road conditions when
pressing the RES+ switch to resume the
speed.
To turn cruise control off, do one
of the following:
Push the cruise ON/OFF button (the
CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster will go off).
Turn the ignition off.
Both of these actions cancel cruise con-
trol operation. If you want to resume
cruise control operation, repeat the steps
provided in “To set cruise control speed”
on the previous page.
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Driving your vehicle
28 5
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
miles (kilometers) you can get from a gal-
lon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you can
avoid unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster
you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your car
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than
necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

529
Driving your vehicle
Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer perform scheduled
inspections and maintenance.
WARNING - HEV system
off during motion
Never turn the HEV system off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will not
function properly without the HEV
system running. Instead, keep the
HEV system on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine braking
effect. In addition, turning off the
ignition while driving could engage
the steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.