2012 Hyundai Sonata warning light

Driving your vehicle45
Illuminated ignition switch Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will be illuminated for your
convenience, provided the ignition switch
is not in the ON position. The light will go
off immediately when the ignition switch
is turned on or go off after about 30 sec-
onds when the door is closed.
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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 under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment. Driving
while under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerous
than driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
KEY
WARNING
 When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of
time. It may overheat the engine
or exhaust system and cause fire.
 When you make a sudden stop or turn the steering wheel rapidly,
loose objects may drop on the
floor and it could interfere with
the operation of the foot pedals,
possibly causing an accident.
Keep all things in the vehicle
safely stored.
 If you do not focus on driving, it may cause an accident. Be care-
ful when operating what may dis-
turb driving such as audio or
heater. It is the responsibility of
the driver to always drive safely.

55
Driving your vehicle
Ignition switch positionLOCKWithout the immobilizer
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at
the ACC position and turn the key toward
the LOCK position.
With the immobilizer
The ignition key can be removed only in
the LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)Without the immobilizer
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.✽ ✽NOTICEIf difficulty is experienced in turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn
the key while turning the steering wheel
right and left to release the tension.With the immobilizerThe electrical accessories are opera-
tive.ONThe warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is the
normal running position after the engine
is started.Do not leave the ignition switch ON if the
engine is not running to prevent battery discharge. START
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The engine
will crank until you release the key; then
it returns to the ON position. The brake
warning lamp can be checked in this
position.
WARNING -
Ignition
switch
 Never turn the ignition switch to
LOCK or ACC while the vehicle is
moving. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause an
accident.
 The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the parking
brake. Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occur
if these precautions are not taken.
(Continued)
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57
Driving your vehicle
Illuminated engine start/stop but-
tonWhenever the front door is opened, the
engine start/stop button will illuminate for
your convenience. The light will go off
after about 30 seconds when the door is
closed.
Engine start/stop button positionOFFTo turn off the engine, press the engine
start/stop button with the engine
start/stop button in the ON position and
the shift lever in P(Park). When you press
the engine start/stop button without the
shift lever in P(Park), the engine
start/stop button does not turn to the
OFF position, but turns to the ACC posi-
tion.
✽ ✽NOTICEWhen you turn off the engine, the vehi-
cle should be stopped.
ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON (IF EQUIPPED)
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WARNING
In an emergency situation while the
vehicle is moving, you can turn off
the engine and turn the engine
start/stop button to the ACC posi-
tion by pressing the engine
start/stop button for more than 2
seconds or 3 times successively
within 3 seconds. If the vehicle is
moving, you can restart the engine
without pressing the brake pedal
by pressing the engine start/stop
button with the shift lever in the
N(Neutral).

Driving your vehicle85ACC(Accessory)Press the engine start/stop button while it
is in the OFF position without depressing
the brake pedal.
The electrical accessories are operative.
If you leave the engine start/stop button
in the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the battery power will turn off automati-
cally to prevent the battery from dis-
charging.ONPress the engine start/stop button while it
button is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the ON position if the engine is not run-
ning to prevent battery discharge.STARTTo start the engine, press the brake
pedal and press the engine start/stop
button with the shift lever in the P(Park)
or the N(Neutral) position.
For your safety, start the engine with the
shift lever in the P(Park) position.
✽ ✽NOTICE• If you press the engine start/stop but-
ton without depressing the brake
pedal, the engine does not start and
the engine start/stop button changes
as follows :
OFF → →
ACC →
→
ON →
→
OFF
• If you leave the engine start/stop but- ton in the ACC or the ON position for
a long time, the battery will be dis-
charged.
WARNING
 Never press the engine start/stop
button while the vehicle is in
motion. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause an
accident.
 Before leaving the driver’s seat, always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park), set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occur
if these precautions are not
taken.
 Never reach for the engine start/stop button, or any other
controls through the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of your
hand or arm in this area could
cause a loss of vehicle control,
an accident and serious bodily
injury or death.
 Do not place any movable objects around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interfere
with the driver and lead to an
accident.

Driving your vehicle12
5 During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
 If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R (Reverse),
leave the shift lever in the neutral posi-
tion and release the clutch. Depress
the clutch pedal back down, and then
shift into 1st or R (Reverse) gear posi-
tion.
Using the clutchThe clutch should be depressed all the
way to the floor before shifting, then
released slowly. The clutch pedal should
always be fully released while driving. Do
not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This can cause unneces-
sary wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an incline.
This causes unnecessary wear. Use the
foot brake or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an incline. Do not operate the
clutch pedal rapidly and repeatedly.DownshiftingIt is important to downshift when you
must slow down in heavy traffic or while
driving up or down steep hills.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration.
When the vehicle is traveling down steep
hills, downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
WARNING
 Before leaving the driver’s seat,always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then
make sure the transaxle is shifted
into 1st gear when the vehicle is
parked on a level or uphill grade,
and shifted into R (Reverse) on a
downhill grade. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are not
followed in the order identified.
CAUTION
 To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on anuphill grade, while waiting for a traffic light, etc.
 Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe transaxle shift forks.
 When operating the clutch pedal, press the clutch pedal down fully.
If you don't press the clutch pedalfully, the clutch may be damagedor noise may occur.

521
Driving your vehicle
Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Brakes
 Do not drive with your foot rest-ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
(Continued)
(Continued)
 When descending a long or steephill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
 Wet brakes may impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
 Always, confirm the position of the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't check
the position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It may
cause a serious accident.
WARNING
- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.

Driving your vehicle22
5Disc 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
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions 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■ ■Foot type
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then depress the park-
ing brake pedal down as far as possible.
■ ■Hand type
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then pull up the park-
ing brake lever as far as possible.
In addition it is recommended that when
parking the vehicle on an incline, the shift
lever should be in the appropriate low
gear on manual transaxle vehicles or in
the P (Park) position on automatic
transaxle vehicles.
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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Driving your vehicle24
5
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 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle
equipped vehicles and 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.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 ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated when
the parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or 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
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function in the brake system. Immediate
attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
W-75
WARNING
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving maneuvers. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Control system) may be longer than
for those without it in the following
road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle
should be driven at reduced
speeds:
 Rough, gravel or snow-coveredroads.
 With tire chains installed. (Continued)