2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid warning light

Driving your vehicle
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5
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving condi-
tions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and does
not indicate a problem with your brakes.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then depress the park-
ing brake pedal down as far as possible.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, depress
the parking brake pedal a second time
while applying the foot brake. The pedal
will automatically extend to the fully
released position.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
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CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessivebrake pad and brake rotor wear.
Do not operate the parking brake while the vehicle is moving exceptin an emergency situation. It coulddamage the vehicle system andmake endanger driving safety.

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Driving your vehicle
If the parking brake does not release or
does not release all the way, have the
system checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.Check the brake warning light by turning
the engine start/stop button ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be illumi-
nated when the parking brake is applied
with the engine start/stop button in the
START or ON position.
Also, the brake warning light may illumi-
nate for a second even though the park-
ing brake is released at the moment the
engine start/stop button is turned to the
ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on after
the parking brake is released while the
hybrid system is in READY state, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.If at all possible, cease driving the vehicle
immediately. If that is not possible, use
extreme caution while operating the vehi-
cle and only continue to drive the vehicle
until you can reach a safe location or
repair shop.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.
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WARNING
It is normal for the brake warninglight to illuminate temporarily
when the brake is depressed
repeatedly and go out after a few
seconds when the brake is not
depressed. But the braking dis-
tance might be longer when the
brake pedal is depressed while
the brake warning light is on.
Have your system checked if the brake warning light is on. It may
lead to an accident.

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Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
When 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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CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problemwith the ABS. In this case, howev-er, your regular brakes will worknormally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds afterthe engine start/stop button is ON.During that time, the ABS will gothrough self-diagnosis and thelight will go off if everything is nor-mal. If the light stays on, you mayhave a problem with your ABS.Contact an authorized HYUNDAIdealer as soon as possible.
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 theengine.
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 anauthorized HYUNDAI dealer assoon as possible.
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Driving your vehicle
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The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Control System is functioning properly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.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.
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Driving your vehicle
When operatingWhen the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.
Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
or driving on a slippery road,
pressing the accelerator
pedal may not cause the
engine rpm (revolutions per
minute) to increase.
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).
is turned to LOCK position
when ESC is off, ESC
remains off. Upon restarting
the engine, the ESC will auto-
matically turn on again.
Indicator light
When engine start/stop button is turned
to ON, the indicator light illuminates, then
goes off if the ESC system is operating
normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating or illuminates when
ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheelsizes may cause the ESC system tomalfunction. When replacing tires, make sure they are the same size asyour original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESC indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light

Driving your vehicle
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ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for daily driv-
ing whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press the ESC OFF button while
ESC is operating (ESC indicator light
blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminated).
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
(if equipped)
A vehicle has the tendency to slip back
on a steep hill when it starts to go after
stopping. The Hill-start Assist Control
(HAC) prevents the vehicle from slipping
back by operating the brakes automati-
cally for about 2 seconds. The brakes are
released when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• The HAC does not operate when the
transaxle shift lever is in the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position.
• The HAC activates even though the ESC is off but it does not activate
when the ESC has malfunctioned.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating.
If the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may go out of
control.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
WARNING
The HAC is activated only for about
2 seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the
accelerator pedal.

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Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake isnot engaged and that the parking brake
indicator light is out before driving away. Driving through water may get the
brakes wet. They can also get wet when
the car is washed. Wet brakes can be
dangerous! Your car will not stop as
quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet brakes
may cause the car to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes light-
ly until the braking action returns to nor-
mal, taking care to keep the car under
control at all times. If the braking action
does not return to normal, stop as soon
as it is safe to do so and call an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the car out of gear. This is extremely hazardous. Keep
the car in gear at all times, use the
brakes to slow down, then shift to a
lower gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driv-
ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and los-
ing their effectiveness. It also increases
the wear of the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the car
pointed straight ahead while you slow
down. When you are moving slowly
enough for it to be safe to do so, pull off
the road and stop in a safe place. If your vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic transaxle, don't let your vehicle
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped.
Use caution when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P position. If your
vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep the
vehicle from rolling. If your vehicle is fac-
ing uphill, turn the front wheels away
from the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep the
vehicle from rolling, block the wheels.
Under some conditions your parking brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. 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 that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the gear
selector lever in P positionand block
the rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat. Always
use the brake pedal or parking brake.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or park yourvehicle, always firmly set the
parking brake as far as possible
and fully engage the vehicle's
transaxle into the P (Park) posi-
tion. If the parking brake is not
fully engaged, the vehicle may
move inadvertently and injure
yourself and others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.
CAUTION
Do not depress the brake pedal con-tinuously without READY status. Thebattery may be discharged.

Driving your vehicle
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➀CRUISE indicator
➁SET indicator
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
✽ ✽ NOTICE
During normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated)
the cruise control can be activat-
ed unintentionally. Keep the
cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-
ting a speed.
Use the cruise control system only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when it may not be safe to keep
the car at a constant speed, for
instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
Pay particular attention to the driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
Be careful when driving downhill using the cruise control system,
which may increase the vehicle
speed.
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