2011 Hyundai Sonata radiator cap

Your vehicle at a glance4
2ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OYF079060
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration. 1. Engine coolant reservoir ...................7-23
2. Engine oil filler cap ...........................7-21
3. Brake/clutch fluid reservoir ...............7-25
4. Air cleaner.........................................7-28
5. Fuse box ...........................................7-49
6. Positive battery terminal ...................7-33
7. Negative battery terminal..................7-33
8. Windshield washer fluid reservoir .....7-26
9. Radiator cap .....................................7-24
10. Engine oil dipstick ...........................7-21
* : if equipped

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Features of your vehicle48
4
Engine temperature gauge This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “If the engine overheats” in section 6.

OYF049047
CAUTION
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the“H” position, it indicates overheat-ing that may damage the engine.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine withinthe tachometer's RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine dam-age.
WARNING
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The engine
coolant is under pressure and
could cause severe burns. Wait
until the engine is cool before
adding coolant to the reservoir.
H

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What to do in an emergency6
6IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATSIf your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power,
or hear loud pinging or knocking, the
engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it
is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (automatic transaxle) or neutral (manual transaxle)
and set the parking brake. If the air con-
ditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out from
the hood, stop the engine. Do not open
the hood until the coolant has stopped
running or the steaming has stopped.
If there is no visible loss of engine
coolant and no steam, leave the
engine running and check to be sure
the engine cooling fan is operating. If
the fan is not running, turn the engine
off. 4. Check to see if the water pump drive
belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the car. (If the air con-
ditioning had been in use, it is normal
for cold water to be draining from it
when you stop.)
5. If the water pump drive belt is broken or engine coolant is leaking out, stop
the engine immediately and call the
nearest authorized HYUNDAI dealer
for assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,
if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-
heating happens again, call an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
WARNING
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling systemand this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorizedHYUNDAI dealer.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This may
result in coolant being blown out of
the opening and cause serious
burns.

YF HMA 6.QXP 11/25/2009 1:58 PM Page 6

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

YF HMA 7.QXP 11/25/2009 1:45 PM Page 2

719
Maintenance
Air cleaner filterA Genuine HYUNDAI air cleaner filter is
recommended when the filter is
replaced.Spark plugsMake sure to install new spark plugs of
the correct heat range.Valve clearance Inspect excessive valve noise and/or
engine vibration and adjust if necessary.
An authorized HYUNDAI dealer should
perform the operation.Cooling systemCheck cooling system components, such
as radiator, coolant reservoir, hoses and
connections for leakage and damage.
Replace any damaged parts.
CoolantThe coolant should be changed at the
intervals specified in the maintenance
schedule.Manual transaxle fluid
(if equipped)Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance schedule.Automatic transaxle fluid
(if equipped)Automatic transaxle fluid should not be
checked under normal usage conditions.
But in severe conditions, the fluid should
be changed at an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer in accordance to the scheduled
maintenance at the beginning of this
chapter.✽NOTICEAutomatic transaxle fluid color is basi-
cally red.
As the vehicle is driven, the automatic
transaxle fluid will begin to look darker.
It is normal condition and you should
not judge the need to replace the fluid
based upon the changed color.
Brake hoses and linesVisually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately.Brake/clutch fluidCheck brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir. The level should be between
“MIN” and “MAX” marks on the side of
the reservoir. Use only hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4
specification.
CAUTION
The use of a non-specified fluid
could result in transaxle malfunc-tion and failure.
Use only specified automatictransaxle fluid. (Refer to“Recommended lubricants andcapacities” in section 8.)

YF HMA 7.QXP 11/25/2009 1:45 PM Page 19

721
Maintenance
ENGINE OILChecking the engine oil level 1. Be sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reachnormal operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few minutes (about 5 minutes) for the oil to
return to the oil pan.
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and re-insert it fully. 5. Pull the dipstick out again and check
the level. The level should be between
F and L.
If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring
the level to F.Do not overfill.
Use a funnel to help prevent oil from
being spilled on engine components.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer to “Recommended lubricants and capaci-ties” in section 8.)
WARNING -
Radiator hose
Be very careful not to touch the
radiator hose when checking or
adding the engine oil as it may be
hot enough to burn you.
CAUTION
Do not overfill with engine oil. Engine damage may result.

OYF079003N

OYF079004N

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723
Maintenance
The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year-round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at the
beginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.Checking the coolant level
Check the condition and connections of
all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side of the
coolant reservoir when the engine is
cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protection
against freezing and corrosion. Bring the
level to F, but do not overfill. If frequent
additions are required, see an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for a cooling system
inspection.

OYF079005N
(Continued)
• Turn the engine off and wait untilit cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you are
sure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
• Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiator
cap or the drain plug while the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.
ENGINE COOLANT
WARNING
- Removing
radiator cap
• Never attempt to remove the radi-
ator cap while the engine is oper-
ating or hot. Doing so might lead
to cooling system and engine
damage and could result in seri-
ous personal injury from escap-
ing hot coolant or steam.
(Continued)

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Maintenance24
7Recommended engine coolant• When adding coolant, use only deion-
ized water or soft water for your vehicle
and never mix hard water in the
coolant filled at the factory. An improp-
er coolant mixture can result in serious
malfunction or engine damage.
• The engine in your vehicle has aluminum engine parts and must be protected by
an ethylene-glycol-based coolant to pre-
vent corrosion and freezing.
• DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the specified
coolant.
• Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution.
For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
Changing the coolantHave coolant changed by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer according to the
Maintenance Schedule at the beginning
of this section.
WARNING -
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and
steam may blow out under pres-
sure causing serious injury.
WARNING -
Coolant
• Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
• Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to paint and body trim.
5°F (-15°C) 35 65
-13°F (-25°C) 40 60
-31°F (-35°C) 50 50
-49°F (-45°C) 60 40Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
OYF079006
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabric around
the radiator cap before refilling the coolant in order to prevent thecoolant from overflowing intoengine parts such as generator.

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