2012 Hyundai Elantra Owner's Manual

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 / 7-22
Brake/clutch fluid / 7-25
Washer fluid / 7-26
Parking brake / 7-26
Air cleaner / 7-27
Climate control air filter / 7-28
Wiper blades / 7-30
Battery / 7-33
Tires and wheels / 7-36
Fuses / 7-49
Light bulbs / 7-58
Appearance care / 7-67
Emission control system / 7-73
California perchlorate notice / 7-76
Maintenance

Maintenance
2 7
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OMD070047N
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.1. Engine oil filler cap
2. Engine oil dipstick
3. Brake/clutch fluid reservoir
4. Positive battery terminal
5. Negative battery terminal
6. Fuse box
7. Air cleaner
8. Radiator cap
9. Engine coolant reservoir
10. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
* : if equipped

73
Maintenance
MAINTENANCE SERVICES
You 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
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Maintenance 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 precautions
Improper 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.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Improper 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.

Maintenance
4 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.

75
Maintenance
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the
exhaust 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 engine
coolant 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, and
hood 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.

Maintenance
6 7
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE
Follow Normal Maintenance Schedule if
the vehicle is usually operated where
none of the following conditions apply. If
any of the following conditions apply, fol-
low Maintenance Under Severe Usage
Conditions.
Repeated short distance driving.
Driving in dusty conditions or sandy
areas.
Extensive use of brakes.
Driving in areas where salt or other
corrosive materials are being used.
Driving on rough or muddy roads.
Driving in mountainous areas.
Extended periods of idling or low
speed operation.
Driving for a prolonged period in cold
temperatures and/or extremely humid
climates.
More than 50% driving in heavy city
traffic during hot weather above 90°F
(32°C).If your vehicle is operated under the
above conditions, you should inspect,
replace or refill more frequently than the
following Normal Maintenance Schedule.
After 120 months or 150,000 miles
(240,000 km) continue to follow the pre-
scribed maintenance intervals.

77
Maintenance
NORMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
The following maintenance services must be performed to ensure good emission control and performance. Keep receipts for all
vehicle emission services to protect your warranty. Where both mileage and time are shown, the frequency of service is deter-
mined by whichever occurs first.
15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 12 months
❑ Rotate tire
❑ Inspect battery condition
❑Inspect air cleaner filter
❑Inspect vacuum hose
❑Inspect air conditioning refrigerant
❑Inspect brake hoses and lines
❑Inspect drive shafts and boots
❑Inspect exhaust pipe and muffler
❑Inspect front brake disc/pads, calipers
❑Inspect rear brake disc/pads (if equipped)
(Continued)
22,500 miles (36,000 km) or 18 months
❑ Rotate tire
❑ Inspect battery condition
❑Inspect air cleaner filter
❑Inspect vacuum hose
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(22,500 miles (36,000 km) or 36 months)
❑Add fuel additive *3 (22,500 miles (36,000 km) or 36 months)
7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 6 months
❑ Rotate tire
❑ Inspect battery condition
❑Inspect air cleaner filter
❑Inspect vacuum hose
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 12 months)
❑Add fuel additive *3 (7,500 miles (12,000 km) or 12 months)
(Continued)
❑Inspect rear brake drums/linings (if equipped)
❑Inspect steering gear box, linkage & boots/lower arm ball joint,
upper arm ball joint
❑Inspect suspension mounting bolts
❑Replace climate control air filter (for evaporator and blower unit)
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 24 months)
❑Add fuel additive *3 (15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 24 months)
*3: If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is not available, one bottle of additive is rec-
ommended. Additives are available from your authorized HYUNDAI dealer
along with information on how to use them. Do not mix other additives.

Maintenance
8 7
NORMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (CONT.)
37,500 miles (60,000 km) or 30 months
❑Rotate tire
❑Inspect battery condition
❑Inspect air cleaner filter
❑Inspect vacuum hose
❑Inspect manual transaxle fluid (if equipped)
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(37,500 miles (60,000 km) or 60 months)
❑Add fuel additive *3 (37,500 miles (60,000 km) or 60 months)
*1: Fuel filter & Fuel tank air filter are considered to be maintenance free but peri-
odic inspection is recommended for this maintenance schedule depends on
fuel quality. If there are some important safety matters like fuel flow restric-
tion, surging, loss of power, hard starting problem etc, replace the fuel filter
immediately regardless of maintenance schedule and consult an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for details.
*
3: If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is not available, one bottle of additive is rec-
ommended. Additives are available from your authorized HYUNDAI dealer
along with information on how to use them. Do not mix other additives.
30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 24 months
❑Rotate tire
❑Inspect battery condition
❑Inspect vacuum hose
❑Inspect air conditioning refrigerant
❑Inspect brake hoses and lines
❑Inspect exhaust pipe and muffler
❑Inspect front brake disc/pads, calipers
❑Inspect rear brake disc/pads (if equipped)
❑Inspect rear brake drums/linings (if equipped)
❑Inspect steering gear box, linkage & boots/lower arm ball joint,
upper arm ball joint
❑Inspect suspension mounting bolts
❑Inspect brake/clutch (if equipped) fluid
❑Inspect fuel filter *1
❑Inspect fuel lines, fuel hoses and connections
❑Inspect fuel tank air filter (if equipped) *1
❑Inspect parking brake
❑Inspect vapor hose and fuel filler cap
❑Replace climate control air filter (for evaporator and blower unit)
❑Replace air cleaner filter
❑Replace engine oil and filter
(30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 48 months)
❑Add fuel additive *3 (30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 48 months)