2011 Hyundai Sonata maintenance

535
Driving your vehicle
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

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Driving your vehicle36
5• Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
• Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in too high
a gear resulting in the engine bucking.
If this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds. • 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
- Engine off dur- ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine 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.

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543
Driving your vehicle
Use high quality ethylene glycol
coolantYour vehicle is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling
system. It is the only type of coolant that
should be used because it helps prevent
corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with the
maintenance schedule in section 7.
Before winter, have your coolant tested to
assure that its freezing point is sufficient
for the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.Check battery and cablesWinter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
7. The level of charge in your battery can
be checked by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer or a service station.
Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessaryIn some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See section 8
for recommendations. If you aren't sure
what weight oil you should use, consult
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.Check spark plugs and ignition
systemInspect your spark plugs as described in
section 7 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
WARNING
- Tire chains
• The use of chains may adverselyaffect vehicle handling.
• Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
• Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other
road hazards, which may cause
the vehicle to bounce.
• Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
CAUTION
• Chains that are the wrong size or improperly installed can damageyour vehicle's brake lines, sus-pension, body and wheels.
• Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

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7
Engine compartment / 7-2
Maintenance services / 7-3
Owner maintenance / 7-4
Scheduled maintenance service / 7-6
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-18
Engine oil / 7-21
Engine coolant / 7-23
Brake fluid / 7-25
Washer fluid / 7-26
Parking brake / 7-27
Air cleaner / 7-28
Climate control air filter / 7-29
Wiper blades / 7-31
Battery / 7-33
Tires and wheels / 7-36
Fuses / 7-49
Light bulbs / 7-58
Appearance care / 7-64
Emission control system / 7-70
California perchlorate notice / 7-73
Maintenance

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Maintenance2
7ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OYF079060
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration. 1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Fuse box
6. Positive battery terminal
7. Negative battery terminal
8. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
9. Radiator cap
10. Engine oil dipstick
* : if equipped

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73
Maintenance
MAINTENANCE SERVICESYou should exercise the utmost care to
prevent damage to your vehicle and
injury to yourself whenever performing
any maintenance or inspection proce-
dures.
Should you have any doubts concerning
the inspection or servicing of your vehi-
cle, we strongly recommend that you
have an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
perform this work.
An authorized HYUNDAI dealer has fac-
tory-trained technicians and genuine
HYUNDAI parts to service your vehicle
properly. For expert advice and quality
service, see an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer.
Inadequate, incomplete or insufficient
servicing may result in operational prob-
lems with your vehicle that could lead to
vehicle damage, an accident, or person-
al injury.
Owner’s responsibility ✽NOTICEMaintenance Service and Record
Retention are the owner's responsibility. You should retain documents that show
proper maintenance has been performed
on your vehicle in accordance with the
scheduled maintenance service charts
shown on the following pages. You need
this information to establish your compli-
ance with the servicing and maintenance
requirements of your vehicle warranties.
Detailed warranty information is provided
in your Owner’s Handbook & Warranty
Information booklet.
Repairs and adjustments required as a
result of improper maintenance or a lack
of required maintenance are not covered.
We recommend you have your vehicle
maintained and repaired by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer. An authorized
HYUNDAI dealer meets HYUNDAI’s high
service quality standards and receives
technical support from HYUNDAI in
order to provide you with a high level of
service satisfaction.
Owner maintenance precautionsImproper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section, sev-
eral procedures can be done only by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer with special
tools.✽NOTICEImproper owner maintenance during
the warranty period may affect warran-
ty coverage. For details, read the sepa-
rate Owner’s Handbook & Warranty
Information booklet provided with the
vehicle. If you're unsure about any serv-
icing or maintenance procedure, have it
done by an authorized HYUNDAI deal-
er.

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Maintenance4
7
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer at the frequencies indicated to
help ensure safe, dependable operation
of your vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.
Owner maintenance schedule When you stop for fuel:• Check the engine oil level.
• Check coolant level in coolant reser-
voir.
• Check the windshield washer fluid level.
• Look for low or under-inflated tires.
WARNING
- Maintenance work
• Performing maintenance work on
a vehicle can be dangerous. You
can be seriously injured while
performing some maintenance
procedures. If you lack sufficient
knowledge and experience or the
proper tools and equipment to do
the work, have it done by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
• Working under the hood with the engine running is dangerous. It
becomes even more dangerous
when you wear jewelry or loose
clothing. These can become
entangled in moving parts and
result in injury. Therefore, if you
must run the engine while work-
ing under the hood, make certain
that you remove all jewelry (espe-
cially rings, bracelets, watches,
and necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose cloth-
ing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause burns
or other serious injury.

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75
Maintenance
While operating your vehicle:• Note any changes in the sound of theexhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
• Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
• Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
• When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
• If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
• Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
• Check parking brake.
• Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
At least monthly:• Check coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
• Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
• Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.At least twice a year (i.e., every Spring and Fall):• Check radiator, heater and air condi- tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
• Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper blades
with clean cloth dampened with wash-
er fluid.
• Check headlight alignment.
• Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
• Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
• Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:• Clean body and door drain holes.
• Lubricate door hinges and checks, andhood hinges.
• Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
• Lubricate door rubber weatherstrips.
• Check the air conditioning system.
• Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
• Clean battery and terminals.
• Check the brake fluid level.

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