2012 Hyundai Sonata brake light

537
Driving your vehicle
 Remember, your vehicle does notrequire extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
 Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in too high
a gear resulting in the engine bucking.
If this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds.  Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
 Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
 Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer perform scheduled
inspections and maintenance.
WARNING
- Engine off dur- ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.

Driving your vehicle40
5 Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
 Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
 Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
 A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
 Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield.
 If your tires are not in good condition, making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
 Turn on your headlights to make it eas- ier for others to see you.
 Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
 If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking oper-
ation returns.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.

545
Driving your vehicle
To keep locks from freezingTo 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.Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in systemTo 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.
Don't let your parking brake
freezeUnder 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 shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.Don't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneathUnder 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.
Carry emergency equipmentDepending 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.

What to do in an emergency26ROAD WARNING Hazard warning flasher The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle.It should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.
Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
 The turn signals do not work when the hazard flasher is on.
 Care must be taken when using the hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.
If the engine stalls at a crossroad
or crossingIf the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehi-
cle to a safe place.If you have a flat tire while drivingIf a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedaland let the car slow down while driving
straight ahead. Do not apply the brakes
immediately or attempt to pull off the
road as this may cause a loss of con-
trol. When the car has slowed to such
a speed that it is safe to do so, brake
carefully and pull off the road. Drive off
the road as far as possible and park on
firm, level ground. If you are on a divid-
ed highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes.IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
WHILE DRIVING
OYF049084N

63
What to do in an emergency
2. When the vehicle is stopped, turn onyour emergency hazard flashers, set
the parking brake and put the transaxle
in P (automatic transaxle) or reverse
(manual transaxle).
3. Have all passengers get out of the car. Be sure they all get out on the side of
the car that is away from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.If engine stalls while driving1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
If engine doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly1. If your vehicle has an automatictransaxle, be sure the shift lever is in N
(Neutral) or P (Park) and the emer-
gency brake is set.
2. Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3. Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you operate the
starter, the battery is discharged.
4. Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump starting".
If engine turns over normally but
does not start1. Check fuel level.
2. With the ignition switch in the LOCKposition, check all connectors at igni-
tion coils and spark plugs. Reconnect
any that may be disconnected or
loose.
3. If the engine still does not start, call an authorized HYUNDAI dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
WARNING
If the engine will not start, do not
push or pull the vehicle to start it.
This could result in a collision or
cause other damage. In addition,
push or pull starting may cause the
catalytic converter to be over-
loaded and create a fire hazard.

611
What to do in an emergency
You may not be able identify a low
tire by simply looking at it. Always
use a good quality tire pressure
gauge to measure the tire's inflation
pressure. Please note that a tire that
is hot (from being driven) will have a
higher pressure measurement than a
tire that is cold.
A cold tire means the vehicle has
been sitting for 3 hours and driven for
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) in that 3
hour period.
Allow the tire to cool before measur-
ing the inflation pressure. Always be
sure the tire is cold before inflating to
the recommended pressure.This device complies with Part 15
of the FCC rules.
Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1.This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2.This device must accept any inter- ference received, including inter-
ference that may cause undesired
operation.
CAUTION
Do not use any tire sealant ifyour vehicle is equipped with aTire Pressure MonitoringSystem. The liquid sealant candamage the tire pressure sen-sors.
WARNING
- Protecting TPMS
Tampering with, modifying, or
disabling the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) com-
ponents may interfere with the
system's ability to warn the driv-
er of low tire pressure condi-
tions and/or TPMS malfunctions.
Tampering with, modifying, or
disabling the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) com-
ponents may void the warranty
for that portion of the vehicle.
WARNING
- TPMS
 The TPMS cannot alert you to severe and sudden tire dam-
age caused by external fac-
tors such as nails or road
debris.
 If you feel any vehicle instabil- ity, immediately take your foot
off the accelerator, apply the
brakes gradually and with
light force, and slowly move to
a safe position off the road.
WARNING
Changes or modifications not
expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance
could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.

7
Engine compartment / 7-2
Maintenance services / 7-4
Owner maintenance / 7-5
Scheduled maintenance service / 7-7
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-19
Engine oil / 7-22
Engine coolant / 7-24
Brake fluid / 7-26
Washer fluid / 7-27
Parking brake / 7-28
Air cleaner / 7-29
Climate control air filter / 7-30
Wiper blades / 7-32
Battery / 7-34
Tires and wheels / 7-37
Fuses / 7-50
Light bulbs / 7-59
Appearance care / 7-67
Emission control system / 7-73
California perchlorate notice / 7-76
Maintenance

Maintenance67While 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-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 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 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, andhood 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.