2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring steering

Driving your vehicle
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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 movements in braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped.
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.
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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 1 (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 damage to the transaxle.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
The ESC system (if equipped) should be
turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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.
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine over-heating, transaxle dam- age or failure, and tire damage.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially
at speeds more than 35 mph (56
km/h). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat
which could result in tire damage
that may injure bystanders.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle free
by moving it forward and backward.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.

539
Driving your vehicle
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To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an
approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into
the key opening. If a lock is covered with
ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing
fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is
frozen internally, you may be able to thaw
it out by using a heated key. Handle the
heated key with care to avoid injury.
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Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is
available from an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer and most auto parts outlets. Do
not use engine coolant or other types of
anti-freeze as these may damage the
paint finish.
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Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
This is most likely to happen when there
is an accumulation of snow or ice around
or near the rear brakes or if the brakes
are wet. If there is a risk the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily while you put the gear selector lever in
P (automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the car cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
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Don't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the car to be sure the move-
ment of the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
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Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er where you drive your car, you should
carry appropriate emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or chains,
flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a
shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket,
etc.

Driving your vehicle
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Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you must get to know
your trailer. Acquaint yourself with the
feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not
nearly so responsive as your vehicle is
by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector(s), lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake con-
troller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electri-
cal connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still work-
ing.
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Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-
cle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
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Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because of the increased vehicle length,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.
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Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move your hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly
and, if possible, have someone guide
you.
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Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
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Turn signals when towing a trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
connected, the trailer lights will also flash
to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signals
when, in fact, they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trail-
er bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you discon-
nect and then reconnect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring har-
ness.
An authorized HYUNDAI dealer can
assist you in installing the wiring harness.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer
wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.

543
Driving your vehicle
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Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 45 mph (70
km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transaxle,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transaxle.
✽ ✽NOTICE- For gasoline engine
(2.0l) with Automatic Transaxle
If you tow a trailer on steep grades(in
excess of 12%) at a speed over 18.7 mph
(30 km/h) with the maximum gross vehi-
cle weight and the maximum trailer
weight, it can cause the engine or
transaxle to overheat. When driving in
such conditions, allow the engine to idle
until it cools down. You may proceed
once when the engine or transaxle has
cooled sufficiently.
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Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.
Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the curb (right if headed down hill,
left if headed up hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual transaxle, place the car in neutral. If the vehicle
has an automatic transaxle, place the
car in P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not over-heat.
(Continued)
(Continued)If the needle of the coolant tem-perature gauge moves across thedial towards “H” (HOT), pull overand stop as soon as it is safe todo so, and allow the engine to idleuntil it cools down. You may pro- ceed once the engine has cooledsufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi- bility of engine and transaxleoverheating.
WARNING- Parking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause seri-
ous injury or death, should the trail-
er break lose.

What to do in an emergency
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Emergency towing
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer or a commercial tow
truck service.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing hook
under the front (or rear) of the vehicle. Use extreme caution when towing the
vehicle. A driver must be in the vehicle to
steer it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
Do not use the towing hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other con-
ditions from which the vehicle cannot
be driven out under its own power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other frequent-
ly. Before emergency towing, check that
the hook is not broken or damaged.
Fasten the towing cable or chain securely to the hook.
Do not jerk the hook. Apply steady and even force.
To avoid damaging the hook, do not pull from the side or at a vertical angle.
Always pull straight ahead.
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Front
Rear
CAUTION
Attach a towing strap to the tow hook.
Using a portion of the vehicle other than the tow hooks for tow-ing may damage the body of yourvehicle.
Use only a cable or chain specifi- cally intended for use in towingvehicles. Securely fasten thecable or chain to the towing hookprovided.

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What to do in an emergency
Use a towing strap less than 16 feet (5m) long. Attach a white or red cloth
(about 12 inches (30 cm) wide) in the
middle of the strap for easy visibility.
Drive carefully so that the towing strap is not loosened during towing.
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Emergency towing precautions
Place the ignition switch in ACC so thesteering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking brake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than normal since you will have
reduced brake performance.
More steering effort will be required because the power steering system
will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake per-
formance will be reduced. Stop often
and let the brakes cool off.
WARNING
Use extreme caution when towing
the vehicle.
driving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and tow-
ing cable or chain. The hook and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
If the disabled vehicle cannot be moved, do not forcibly continue
the towing. Contact an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer or a commercial
tow truck service for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle dur- ing towing.
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What to do in an emergency
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Tie-down hook
(for flatbed towing)
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WARNING
Do not use the hooks under the
front of the vehicle for towing pur-
poses. These hooks are designed
ONLY for transport tie-down. If the
tie-down hooks are used for tow-
ing, the tie-down hooks or front
bumper will be damaged and this
could lead to serious injury.
CAUTION - Automatic
transaxle
If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it canbe towed only from the front. Besure that the transaxle is in neu-tral. Be sure the steering is unlocked by placing the ignitionswitch in the ACC position. Adriver must be in the towed vehi-cle to operate the steering andbrakes.
To avoid serious damage to the automatic transaxle, limit thevehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph)and drive less than 1.5 km (1mile) when towing.
Before towing, check the level of the automatic transaxle fluid. If itis below the "HOT" range on the dipstick, add fluid. If you cannotadd fluid, a towing dolly must beused.

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Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
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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
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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.
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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).
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.