2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring brake fluid

Introduction
61
INDICATOR SYMBOLS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
A050000AFD-EU
Door and tailgate ajar warning light
Seat belt warning light
High beam indicator
Turn signal indicator
Front fog light indicator (if equipped)
ABS warning light (if equipped)
Parking brake & Brake fluid warning light
Engine oil pressure warning light
Charging system warning light
Malfunction indicator lamp (Check engine light)
(if equipped)
Air bag warning light
Cruise indicator (if equipped)
Cruise SET indicator (if equipped)
Low fuel level warning light
Electric power steering (EPS) system warning light
Low windshield washer fluid level warning light
(if equipped)
* For more detailed explanations, refer to section 4, “Instrument cluster”.
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) malfunction
indicator (if equipped)
Low tire pressure telltale (if equipped)
Shift pattern indicator (if equipped)
ESC
ESCOFF
ESC indicator
(if equipped)
ESC OFF indicator
(if equipped)
or
or

Your vehicle at a glance
42
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OFD077003
1. Engine coolant reservoir ...................7-16
2. Engine oil filler cap............................7-15
3. Brake fluid reservoir ..........................7-19
4. Air cleaner .........................................7-23
5. Fuse box ...........................................7-46
6. Negative battery terminal..................7-29
7. Positive battery terminal ...................7-29
8. Auto transaxle oil dipstick* ................7-20
9. Radiator cap......................................7-16
10. Engine oil dipstick ...........................7-15
11. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ...7-22
* : if equipped
B030000AFD

Features of your vehicle
46
4
D150308AFD
Parking brake & brake fluid
warning
Parking brake warning
This light is illuminated when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch in
the START or ON position. The warning
light should go off when the parking
brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required. Then check all brake
components for fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are found, the warning light remains on or
the brakes do not operate properly.
Have it towed to any authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for a brake system
inspection and necessary repairs. Your vehicle is equipped with dual-diago-
nal braking systems. This means you still
have braking on two wheels even if one
of the dual systems should fail. With only
one of the dual systems working, more
than normal pedal travel and greater
pedal pressure are required to stop the
car. Also, the car will not stop in as short
a distance with only a portion of the
brake system working. If the brakes fail
while you are driving, shift to a lower gear
for additional engine braking and stop the
car as soon as it is safe to do so.
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light on is dangerous. If the brake
warning light remains on, have the
brakes checked and repaired imme-
diately by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer.
CAUTION
If the oil pressure warning light
stays on while the engine is run-ning, serious engine damage mayresult. The oil pressure warninglight comes on whenever there is insufficient oil pressure. In normaloperation, it should come on whenthe ignition switch is turned on,then go out when the engine isstarted. If the oil pressure warninglight stays on while the engine isrunning, there is a serious malfunc-tion.
If this happens, stop the car assoon as it is safe to do so, turn off the engine and check the oil level. Ifthe oil level is low, fill the engine oilto the proper level and start theengine again. If the light stays onwith the engine running, turn theengine off immediately. In anyinstance where the oil light stays onwhen the engine is running, theengine should be checked by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer beforethe car is driven again.

53
Driving your vehicle
E020100AUN
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.
E020200AUN
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
Section 7, “Maintenance”.
BEFORE DRIVING
CALIFORNIA PROPOSI-
TION 65 WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide variety
of automobile components and
parts, including components found
in 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.
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result
in a loss of vehicle control, that
may lead to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The dri-
ver’s primary responsibility is in
the safe and legal operation of a
vehicle, and use of any handheld
devices, other equipment, or vehi-
cle systems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehicle
or which are not permissible by law
should never be used during oper-
ation of the vehicle.

513
Driving your vehicle
3 (Third gear)
Use for towing a trailer during hill climb-
ing or to use engine braking downhill.
"3" automatically shifts between 1st, 2nd
and 3rd gears. This means that no shift-
up to 4th gear is performed. However, the
shift-up to 4th gear is done when the car
speed exceeds a certain value to prevent
the engine from over-revving. Manually
move the selector to "D" when returning
to normal driving condition.
2 (Second gear)
Use for driving on a slippery road, hill
climbing or engine braking downhill. "2"
automatically shifts between first and
second gears.
This means that no shift-up to 3rd gear is
performed. However, the shift-up to third
gear is done when the car speed
exceeds a certain value to prevent the
engine from over-revving. Manually move
the selector to "D" returning to normal
driving condition.1 (First gear)
Use for driving up a very steep grade or
for engine braking when descending
steep hills. When downshifting to "1", the
transaxle will temporarily remain in sec-
ond gear until the vehicle has slowed
enough for low gear to engage. Do not
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h) in low gear.
"1" shifts to 1st gear only. However, shift
up to 2nd is performed when the car
exceeds a certain speed and, as speed
increases, the transaxle will shift up to
3rd gear to prevent over-revving the
engine.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• For smooth and safe operation,
depress the brake pedal when shifting
from "N" (Neutral) position or "P"
(Park) position to a forward or "R"
(Reverse) gear.
• Fully depress the brake pedal in order to move the shift lever from the "P"
(Park) position to any of the other
positions.
• It is always possible to shift from "R", "N", "D", "3", "2", "1" position to
"P" position. The vehicle must be
fully stopped to avoid transaxle dam-
age.
CAUTION
Shift into "R", “D” and "P" posi-
tion only when the vehicle hascompletely stopped.
Do not accelerate the engine in reverse or any of the forwardpositions with the brakes applied.
Always apply the footbrake when shifting from "P" or "N", to "R","D","3", "2" or "1" position.
Check the automatic transaxle fluid level regularly, and add fluidas necessary.
See the maintenance schedule forthe proper fluid recommendation.

539
Driving your vehicle
E120600AUN
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.
E120700AFD
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.
E120800AUN
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.
E120900AUN
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.
E121000AUN
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
44
5
5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift
to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle or P
(Park) for automatic transaxle.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
When you are ready to leave after park-
ing on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in Neutral or automatic transaxle in P (Park),
apply your brakes and hold the brake
pedal down while you:

and
2. Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
E140500AUN
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer usage, overheating might occurin hot days or during uphill driv- ing. If the coolant gauge indicatesover-heating, switch off the A/Cand stop the vehicle in a safe area to cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fan toimprove engine performancewhen towing a trailer.

What to do in an emergency
66
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
F050000AFD
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 itis safe to do so.
2. Place the gear selector lever in P (automatic transaxle) or neutral (man-
ual transaxle) and set the parking
brake. If the air conditioning is on, turn
it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out from
underneath 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 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.
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
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.
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.