53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls are
easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors. Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 for more information on their
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
vehicle into “Drive” or “Reverse”.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSI-
TION 65 WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automobile components and
parts, including components foundin the interior furnishings in a vehi-
cle, contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, cer-
tain fluids contained in vehicles
and certain products of component
wear contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm.
59
Driving your vehicle
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
This vehicle is geared for improved fuel
economy and may need to be driven in a
lower gear when driving up hills or into
high winds. Using top gear is best for fuel
economy, but you should use the best
gear for the road conditions.
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
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 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
reverse. The transaxle can be dam-
aged if you do not. To shift into reverse,
depress the clutch, move the shift lever
to neutral, then shift to the reverseposition.
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.
515
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the vehicle 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 down the vehicle.
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 vehicle 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.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.
Driving your vehicle
20
5
You must consciously take the effort to
learn how to corner in a AWD vehicle.
Do not rely on your experience in con-
ventional 2WD vehicles in choosing
safe cornering speed in AWD mode.
For starters, you must drive more slow-
ly in AWD.
Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are
going to drive before you begin driving.
Always hold the steering wheel firmlywhen you are driving off-road.
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts. If you need to drive in the water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to the
AWD LOCK mode and drive at lessthan 5 mph (8 km/h).
WARNING - Steering wheel
Do not grab the inside of the steer-
ing wheel when you are driving off-
road. You may hurt your arm by a
sudden steering maneuver or fromsteering wheel rebound due to
impact with objects on the ground.
You could lose control of the steer-ing wheel.
WARNING- Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind, the
vehicle's higher center of gravity
decreases your steering control
capacity and requires you to drive
more slowly.
WARNING- Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving too
fast in water, the water can get into
the engine compartment and wet
the ignition system, causing your
vehicle to suddenly stop. If this
happens and your vehicle is in a
tilted position, your vehicle may roll
over. Excessive water in the engine can
cause irreversible engine damage,
which is not covered under warran-
ty.
OLM059022L
WARNING - AW D
Reduce speed when you turn cor-
ners. The center of gravity of AWD
vehicles is higher than that of con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you turn corners too fast.
521
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
Do not drive in water if the level is higher than the bottom of the vehicle.
Check your brake condition once you
are out of mud or water. Press the
brake pedal several times as you move
slowly until you feel normal braking
forces return.
Shorten your scheduled maintenance interval if you drive in off-road condi-
tions such as sand, mud or water (see
“Maintenance under severe usage
conditions” in section 7). Always wash
your vehicle thoroughly after off road
use, especially cleaning the bottom of
the vehicle.
Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the perform-
ance of the AWD vehicle is greatly
affected by the condition of the tires.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
A full time four wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary tow
truck. Make sure that the vehicle is
placed on a flat bed truck for moving.Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
SUV’s have higher ground clearance and
a narrower track to make them capable
of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteris-
tics give them a higher center of gravity
than ordinary vehicles. An advantage of
the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, which allows you to
anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger vehi-
cles, any more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactori-
ly in off-road conditions. Due to this risk,
driver and passengers are strongly rec-
ommended to buckle their seat belts. In
a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. There are steps that a driver
can make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never modify
your vehicle in any way.
CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc.the vehicle can sometimes be driv-
en out by depressing the accelera-tor pedal further; however avoid
running the engine continuously athigh rpm because doing so could
damage the AWD system.
WARNING - AWD driving
Avoid high cornering speed.
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 high speed.
In a collision, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die
compared to a person wearing a seat belt.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over
steers to re-enter the roadway. In
the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Driving your vehicle
22
5
WARNING - Jacked vehicle
While a full-time AWD vehicle is
raised on a jack, never start the
engine or cause the tires to rotate.
There is a danger that rotating tires
touching the ground could cause
the vehicle to fall off the jack and to
jump forward or rearward.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with tires
designed to provide safe ride and
handling capability. Do not use a
size and type of tire and wheel that
is different from the one that is
originally installed on your vehicle.
It can affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle, which could
lead to steering failure or rollover
and serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all four tires with the tire and wheel of the
same size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you never-
theless decide to equip your vehi-
cle with any tire/wheel combination
not recommended by HYUNDAI for
off road driving, you should not use
these tires for highway driving.WARNING - Rollover
As with other Sports Utility Vehicle
(SUV), failure to operate this vehi-
cle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.
Utility vehicles have a significant- ly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, nar-
rower track, etc.) give this vehicle
a higher center of gravity than
ordinary vehicles.
A SUV is not designed for corner- ing at the same speeds as con-
ventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more like-
ly to die than a person wearing a
seat belt. Make sure everyone in
the vehicle is properly buckledup.
545
Driving your vehicle
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust 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.
✽✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine oil.
Drive belt
A 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.
1VQA1004
What to do in an emergency
6
6
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If 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 vehicle 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 operat-
ing. 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 vehicle. (If the air
conditioning had been in use, it is nor-
mal 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 soon
as possible by an authorizedHYUNDAI dealer.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.