2011 Hyundai Sonata traction

Features of your vehicle62
4Engine coolant
temperature warning light(if equipped)The warning light illuminates if the tem-
perature of the engine coolant is above
257±4.5°F (125±2.5°C).
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “Overheating” in section 6.
ESC indicator (ElectronicStability Control) The ESC indicator will illuminate when
the ignition switch is turned ON, but
should go off after approximately 3 sec-
onds. When the ESC is on, it monitors
the driving conditions under normal driv-
ing conditions, the ESC light will remain
off. When a slippery or low traction con-
dition is encountered, the ESC will oper-
ate, and the ESC indicator will blink to
indicate the ESC is operating.
The ESC indicator stays on when the
ESC may have a malfunction. Take your
car to an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
and have the system checked.ESC OFF indicator The ESC OFF indicator will illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned ON,
but should go off after approximately 3
seconds. To switch to ESC OFF mode,
press the ESC OFF button. The ESC
OFF indicator will illuminate indicating
the ESC is deactivated.
Cruise indicator (if equipped)CRUISE indicator
The indicator light illuminates when the
cruise control system is enabled.
The cruise indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster is illuminated when the
cruise control ON-OFF button on the
steering wheel is pushed.
The indicator light turns off when the
cruise control ON-OFF button is pushed
again. For more information about the
use of cruise control, refer to “Cruise
control system or Smart cruise control
system” in section 5.
CAUTION
• Prolonged driving with the Malfunction Indicator Light illumi-nated may cause damage to the emission control systems whichcould effect drivability and/or fuel economy.
•If the Malfunction Indicator Light illuminates, potential catalyticconverter damage is possible.This could result in loss of engine power. Have the Engine ControlSystem inspected as soon as pos- sible by an authorized HYUNDAIdealer.

CRUISE

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513
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices• Never take the vehicle out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, shift to a lower gear.
When you do this, engine braking will
help slow down the vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
• Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your vehicle.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
R (Reverse). The transaxle can be
damaged if you do not. To shift into R
(Reverse), depress the clutch, move
the shift lever to neutral, wait three sec-
onds, then shift to the R (Reverse)
position.
• Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
WARNING
• Always buckle-up! In a collision,
an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
• Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
• Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
• Never exceed posted speed lim- its.

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519
Driving your vehicle
Ignition key interlock system The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position. If the ignition switch is in any
other position, the key cannot be
removed.
Good driving practices• Never move the gear shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
• Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into R
(Reverse) or D (Drive).
• Never take the car out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, slow down and shift to
a lower gear. When you do this, engine
braking will help slow the car.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may
not be engaged. • Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in P
(Park) to keep the car from moving.
• Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
• Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-
tor pedal.

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Driving your vehicle26
5✽
NOTICEWhen 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.

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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.
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 carover to a safe place and stop the engine.
• Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then yourABS system is normal. Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact an authorized HYUNDAI dealer assoon as possible.

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537
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-tance for braking.
• Avoid sudden in braking or steering. • If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
• Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when stalled
in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn
the steering wheel right and left to clear
the area around your front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between 1st (First)
and R (Reverse) in vehicles equipped
with a manual transaxle or R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehicles
equipped with an automatic transaxle.
Do not race the engine, and spin the
wheels as little as possible. If you are still
stuck after a few tries, have the vehicle
pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid
engine overheating and possible dam-
age to the transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS

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WARNING -
ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may causeengine over-heating, transaxle dam-age or failure, and tire damage.

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Driving your vehicle40
5Highway drivingTiresAdjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.✽
NOTICENever exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oilHigh speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine
oil.Drive beltA loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
• Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
• Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-
out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.

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541
Driving your vehicle
More severe weather conditions of winter
result in greater wear and other prob-
lems. To minimize winter driving problem,
you should follow these suggestions:
Snowy or icy conditionsTo drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-
cations, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-
cient distance between the vehicle in
operation in front and your vehicle. Also,
apply the brake gently. It should be noted
that installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.✽NOTICETire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before fitting tire
chains.
Snow tires If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without first
checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING
- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety
and handling of your vehicle may
be adversely affected.

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Maintenance40
7Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
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Tread wear indicator
WARNING
- Replacing
tires
To reduce the chance or serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
• Replace tires that are worn, show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
• Do not drive your vehicle with too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
• When replacing tires, never mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same car. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Using tires and wheel otherthan the recommended sizes
could cause unusual handling
characteristics and poor vehi-
cle control, resulting in a seri-
ous accident.
• Wheels that do not meet HYUNDAI’s specifications
may fit poorly and result in
damage to the vehicle or
unusual handling and poor
vehicle control.
• The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. Tire
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) to work irregularly.

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