2011 Hyundai Sonata towing

Driving your vehicle
50
5
When you are ready to leave after park-
ing on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in Neutral
or automatic transaxle in P (Park),
apply your brakes and hold the brake
pedal down whilst you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks. Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-tion to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and towbar. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all towbar nutsand bolts should be tight.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occurin hot days or during uphill driv- ing. If the coolant gauge indicatesover-heating, switch off the A/C
and stop the vehicle in a safe area to cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
WARNING - Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.

551
Driving your vehicle
If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
Do not do any towing with your car dur-ing its first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) in
order to allow the engine to properly
break in. Failure to heed this caution
may result in serious engine or
transaxle damage.
When towing a trailer, be sure to con- sult an authorised HYUNDAI dealer for
further information on additional
requirements such as a towing kit, etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a moder- ate speed (less than 100 km/h (60mph)).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower.
The chart contains important consider- ations that have to do with weight:Engine
Item2.0L2.4L
M/T A/T M/T A/T
Maximum trailer weight kg (Ibs.)
Without brake
System 650
(1433) 400
(882) 650
(1433) 400
(882)
With brake System 1300
(2866) 800
(1764) 1700
(3748) 800
(1764)
Maximum permissible static
vertical load on the coupling
device kg (Ibs.)130
(287) 80
(76) 170
(375) 80
(76)
Recommended distance fromrear wheel centre to couplingpoint mm (inch) 1185 (46.7)
WARNING
HYUNDAI DO NOT recommend the use of load levelling devices of anytype.
The use of a load levelling devices may place undue stress on the chassis
causing chassis or mounting point failure.
M/T : Manual transaxle
A/T : Automatic transaxle

Driving your vehicle
52
5
Weight of the trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than the maxi-
mum trailer weight with trailer brakes. But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your
trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
often your vehicle is used to pull a trailer
are all important. The ideal trailer weight
can also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.
Weight of the trailer tongue
The tongue load of any trailer is an
important weight to measure because it
affects the total gross vehicle weight
(GVW) of your vehicle. This weight
includes the kerb weight of the vehicle,
any cargo you may carry in it, and the
people who will be riding in the vehicle.
And if you will tow a trailer, you must addthe tongue load to the GVW because
your vehicle will also be carrying that
weight.
The trailer tongue should weigh within
the limits of the maximum permissible
trailer tongue load. After you've loaded
your trailer, weigh the trailer and then the
tongue, separately, to see if the weightsare within specification. If they aren’t, you may be able to correct
them simply by moving some items
around in the trailer.
Tongue loads can be increased or
decreased by redistributing the load in
the trailer. This can be verified by check-
ing the total weight of the loaded trailer
and then checking the load on the
tongue.
WARNING -
Trailer
Never load a trailer with more weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be loaded
with approximately 60% of the
total trailer load; the rear should
be loaded with approximately40% of the total trailer load.
Never exceed the maximum weight limits of the trailer or trail-
er towing equipment. Improper
loading can result in damage to
your vehicle and/or personal
injury. Check weights and loading
at a commercial scale or public
weighbridge.
An improperly loaded trailer can cause loss of vehicle control.
C190E02JM
Gross Axle WeightGross Vehicle Weight
C190E01JM
Tongue Load Total Trailer Weight

6
Road warning / 6-2
In case of an emergency whilst driving / 6-3
If the engine will not start / 6-4
Emergency starting / 6-5
If the engine overheats / 6-7
If you have a flat tyre / 6-8
Towing / 6-16
What to do in an emergency

65
What to do in an emergency
EMERGENCY STARTING
Connect cables in numerical order and
disconnect in reverse order.
Refer to the following page for written
procedure. Jump starting
Jump starting can be dangerous if done
incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to
yourself or damage to your vehicle or
battery, follow the jump starting proce-
dures. If in doubt, we strongly recom-
mend that you have a competent techni-
cian or towing service jump start your
vehicle.
CAUTION
Use only a 12-volt jumper system.
You can damage a 12-volt startingmotor, ignition system, and other
electrical parts beyond repair byuse of a 24-volt power supply (eithertwo 12-volt batteries in series or a24-volt motor generator set).
WARNING - Battery
• Keep all flames or sparks away from the battery. The battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which may
explode if exposed to flame orsparks.
If these instructions are not fol-
lowed exactly, serious personal
injury and damage to the vehicle
may occur! If you are not sure
how to follow this procedure,
seek qualified assistance.
Automobile batteries contain sul-
furic acid. This is poisonous and
highly corrosive. When jump
starting, wear protective glasses
and be careful not to get acid on
yourself, your clothing or on the
car.
Do not attempt to jump start the vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte level
is low; the battery may rupture or
explode.
WARNING - Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as this
may cause the battery to rupture or
explode causing serious injury.
1VQA4001

What to do in an emergency
16
6
TOWING
Towing service
If emergency towing is necessary, we
recommend having it done by an autho-
rised HYUNDAI dealer or a commercial
tow-truck service. Proper lifting and tow-
ing procedures are necessary to prevent
damage to the vehicle. The use of wheeldollies or flatbed is recommended.
For trailer towing guidelines information, refer to “Trailer towing” in section 5.
It is acceptable to tow the vehicle with the
rear wheels on the ground (without dol-
lies) and the front wheels off the ground.
If any of the loaded wheels or suspen- sion components are damaged or the
vehicle is being towed with the front
wheels on the ground, use a towing dolly
under the front wheels.
When being towed by a commercial tow
truck and wheel dollies are not used, the
front of the vehicle should always be lift-
ed, not the rear.
OMC045012
A
B
C dolly
HXD02
HXD03
CAUTION
Do not tow the vehicle with the
front wheels on the ground asthis may cause damage to thevehicle.
Do not tow with sling-type equip- ment. Use wheel lift or flatbedequipment.

617
What to do in an emergency
When towing your vehicle in an emer- gency without wheel dollies :
1. Set the ignition switch in the ACC posi-tion.
2. Place the shift lever in N (Neutral).
3. Release the parking brake.
Removable towing hook
(front, if equipped)
1. Open the trunk, and remove the tow-ing hook from the tool case.
2. Remove the hole cover pressing the lower part of the cover on the front
bumper.
3. Install the towing hook by turning it clockwise into the hole until it is fullysecured.
4. Remove the towing hook and install the cover after use.
Emergency towing
CAUTION
Failure to place the shift lever in N(Neutral) may cause internal dam-age to the transaxle.OYF069021L
OYF061031
OYF069016
 Type B
■ Front
 Type A
■ Rear
OYF061030

What to do in an emergency
18
6
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer or a commercial tow
truck service.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing hook
under the front/rear of the vehicle. Use
extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull a vehi-
cle out of mud, sand or other condi-
tions from which the vehicle cannot be
driven out under its own power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other frequent-
ly. Before emergency towing, check that
the hook is not broken or damaged.
Fasten the towing cable or chain securely to the hook.
Do not jerk the hook. Apply steady and even force.
To avoid damaging the hook, do not pull from the side or at a vertical angle.
Always pull straight ahead.
WARNING
Use extreme caution when towing
the vehicle.
driving manoeuvres which would
place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and tow-
ing cable or chain. The hook and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
If the disabled vehicle is unable to be moved, do not forcibly con-
tinue the towing. Contact an
authorised HYUNDAI dealer or a
commercial tow truck service for
assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle dur- ing towing.CAUTION
Attach a towing strap to the tow
hook.
Using a portion of the vehicle other than the tow hooks for tow-ing may damage the body of yourvehicle.
Use only a cable or chain specifi- cally intended for use in towingvehicles. Securely fasten thecable or chain to the towing hook provided.