2012 Hyundai Sonata coolant level

Features of your vehicle
46
4
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approxi- mate amount of fuel remaining in the fueltank.
The fuel tank capacity is given in sec-
tion 8.The fuel gauge is supplemented by
a low fuel warning light, which will illumi-
nate when the fuel tank is near empty.
On inclines or curves, the fuel gauge
pointer may fluctuate or the low fuel
warning light may come on earlier than
usual due to the movement of fuel in thetank.
WARNING
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The enginecoolant is under pressure and
could cause severe burns. Wait
until the engine is cool before
adding coolant to the reservoir.
OYF049048
WARNING - Fuel gauge
Running out of fuel can expose
vehicle occupants to danger.
You must stop and obtain addition-
al fuel as soon as possible after thewarning light comes on or when the
gauge indicator comes close to the
E level.
CAUTION
Avoid driving with a extremely low fuel level. Running out of fuel could cause the engine to misfire, damag-ing the catalytic converter.

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 tyres.
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
car into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING
Driving whilst 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.

Driving your vehicle
48
5
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling
system. It is the only type of coolant that
should be used because it helps prevent
corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with themaintenance schedule in section 7.
Before winter, have your coolant tested toassure that its freezing point is sufficient
for the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
7. The level of charge in your battery can
be checked by an authorised HYUNDAI
dealer or a service station. Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary In some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See section 8
for recommendations. If you aren't sure
what weight oil you should use, consult
an authorised HYUNDAI dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in
section 7 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
WARNING
- Tyre chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 30 km/h (20 mph) or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other
road hazards, which may cause
the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
CAUTION
Chains that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-pension, body and wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

67
What to do in an emergency
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 conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out from
the bonnet, stop the engine. Do notopen the bonnet 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 authorised 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 autho-
rised HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
WARNING
Whilst 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 can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates there is a leak in the cooling systemand this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorised HYUNDAI dealer.

Maintenance
4
7
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorised HYUNDAIdealer 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 labour, 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 windscreen washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tyres.
WARNING - Maintenance
work
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can be dangerous. You
can be seriously injured whilst
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
authorised HYUNDAI dealer.
Working under the bonnet 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 whilst work-
ing under the bonnet, make cer-
tain that you remove all jewelry
(especially rings, bracelets,
watches, and necklaces) and all
neckties, scarves, and similar
loose clothing before gettingnear the engine or cooling fans.
Do not leave gloves, rags or any other combustible material in the
engine compartment. Doing so
may cause a heat-induced fire.
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
Whilst operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of theexhaust 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-aheadposition.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
elling 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 enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tyres 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 windscreen 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 tyres and loose wheel nuts.

Maintenance
8
7
NORMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (CONT.)
I : Inspect and if necessary, adjust, correct, clean or replace.
R : Replace or change.* 4
: Inspect for excessive valve noise and/or engine vibration and adjust if necessary. An authorised HYUNDAI dealer should per-
form the operation.
* 5
: The fuel filter is considered to be maintenance free but periodic inspection is recommended for this maintenance schedule
depends on fuel quality. If there are some important matters like fuel flow restriction, surging, loss of power, hard starting p rob-
lem etc, replace the fuel filter immediately regardless of maintenance schedule and consult an authorised HYUNDAI dealer for
details.
Number of months or driving distance, whichever comes first
Months1224364860728496
Km×1,000153045607590105120
Valve clearance * 4I
Vapour hose and fuel filler capII
Fuel tank air filter (if equipped)IRIR
Vacuum hoseIIIIIIII
Fuel filter *5IRIR
Fuel lines, hoses and connectionsII
Cooling system
Inspect “Coolant level adjustment and leak” every day
At first, inspect 60,000 km or 48 months
after that, inspect every 30,000 km or 24 months
MAINTENANCE INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE ITEM

Maintenance
18
7
ENGINE COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year-round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at thebeginning of the winter season, and
before travelling to a colder climate. Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiatorcap
Never attempt to remove the radi- ator cap whilst the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so mightlead to cooling system and
engine damage and could result
in serious personal injury fromescaping hot coolant or steam.
Turn the engine off and wait until it cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back whilst
the pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you aresure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
(Continued)
WARNING The electric motor (cool-
ing fan) is controlled byengine coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed.
It may sometimes operate evenwhen the engine is not running.
Use extreme caution when working
near the blades of the cooling fan
so that you are not injured by a
rotating fan blades. As the engine
coolant temperature decreases, the
electric motor will automatically
shut off. This is a normal condition.
(Continued)
Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiator cap or the drain plug whilst the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.