2012 HYUNDAI TUCSON steering

59
Driving your vehicle
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
This vehicle is geared for improved fuel
economy and may need to be driven in a
lower gear when driving up hills or into
high winds. Using top gear is best for fuel
economy, but you should use the best
gear for the road conditions.
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
Instead, when you are driving down a
long hill, slow down and shift to a lower
gear. When you do this, engine braking
will help slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your vehicle.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
reverse. The transaxle can be dam-
aged if you do not. To shift into reverse,
depress the clutch, move the shift lever
to neutral, then shift to the reverseposition.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim- its.

515
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, slow down and shift to
a lower gear. When you do this, engine
braking will help slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may not be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in P
(Park) to keep the vehicle from moving.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-tor pedal.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim- its.

517
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all front
and rear wheels for maximum traction.
AWD is useful when extra traction is
required on road, such as, when driving
on slippery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. These vehicles are not designed
for challenging off-road use. Occasional
off-road use such as established
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-high-
way that the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed the
safe operating speed for those condi-
tions. In general, off-road conditions pro-
vide less traction and braking effective-
ness than normal road conditions. The
driver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehicle to
either side.
These factors must be carefully consid-
ered when driving off-road. Keeping the
vehicle in contact with the driving surfaceand under control in these conditions is
always the driver's responsibility for the
safety of him/herself and his or her pas-
sengers.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of all-wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation at
the all wheels and the zero-degree align- ment of the front wheels and suspension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be car-
ried out with caution.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Off road driving
This vehicle is designed primarily
for on road use although it can oper-
ate effectively off road. However, it
was not designed to drive in chal-
lenging off-road conditions. Driving
in conditions that exceed the vehi-
cle's intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.CAUTION - AW D
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in four-wheel drive, steering control will be difficult.
WARNING
When AWD system warning light
illuminates, AWD system does not
operate.
Contact an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer as soon as possible.

Driving your vehicle
20
5
You must consciously take the effort to
learn how to corner in a AWD vehicle.
Do not rely on your experience in con-
ventional 2WD vehicles in choosing
safe cornering speed in AWD mode.
For starters, you must drive more slow-
ly in AWD.
Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are
going to drive before you begin driving.
Always hold the steering wheel firmlywhen you are driving off-road.
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts. If you need to drive in the water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to the
AWD LOCK mode and drive at lessthan 5 mph (8 km/h).
WARNING - Steering wheel
Do not grab the inside of the steer-
ing wheel when you are driving off-
road. You may hurt your arm by a
sudden steering maneuver or fromsteering wheel rebound due to
impact with objects on the ground.
You could lose control of the steer-ing wheel.
WARNING- Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind, the
vehicle's higher center of gravity
decreases your steering control
capacity and requires you to drive
more slowly.
WARNING- Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving too
fast in water, the water can get into
the engine compartment and wet
the ignition system, causing your
vehicle to suddenly stop. If this
happens and your vehicle is in a
tilted position, your vehicle may roll
over. Excessive water in the engine can
cause irreversible engine damage,
which is not covered under warran-
ty.
OLM059022L
WARNING - AW D
Reduce speed when you turn cor-
ners. The center of gravity of AWD
vehicles is higher than that of con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you turn corners too fast.

521
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
 Do not drive in water if the level is higher than the bottom of the vehicle.
 Check your brake condition once you
are out of mud or water. Press the
brake pedal several times as you move
slowly until you feel normal braking
forces return.
 Shorten your scheduled maintenance interval if you drive in off-road condi-
tions such as sand, mud or water (see
“Maintenance under severe usage
conditions” in section 7). Always wash
your vehicle thoroughly after off road
use, especially cleaning the bottom of
the vehicle.
 Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the perform-
ance of the AWD vehicle is greatly
affected by the condition of the tires.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
 A full time four wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary tow
truck. Make sure that the vehicle is
placed on a flat bed truck for moving.Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
SUV’s have higher ground clearance and
a narrower track to make them capable
of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteris-
tics give them a higher center of gravity
than ordinary vehicles. An advantage of
the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, which allows you to
anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger vehi-
cles, any more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactori-
ly in off-road conditions. Due to this risk,
driver and passengers are strongly rec-
ommended to buckle their seat belts. In
a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. There are steps that a driver
can make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never modify
your vehicle in any way.
CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc.the vehicle can sometimes be driv-
en out by depressing the accelera-tor pedal further; however avoid
running the engine continuously athigh rpm because doing so could
damage the AWD system.
WARNING - AWD driving
Avoid high cornering speed.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at high speed.
In a collision, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die
compared to a person wearing a seat belt.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over
steers to re-enter the roadway. In
the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.

Driving your vehicle
22
5
WARNING - Jacked vehicle
While a full-time AWD vehicle is
raised on a jack, never start the
engine or cause the tires to rotate.
There is a danger that rotating tires
touching the ground could cause
the vehicle to fall off the jack and to
jump forward or rearward.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with tires
designed to provide safe ride and
handling capability. Do not use a
size and type of tire and wheel that
is different from the one that is
originally installed on your vehicle.
It can affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle, which could
lead to steering failure or rollover
and serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all four tires with the tire and wheel of the
same size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you never-
theless decide to equip your vehi-
cle with any tire/wheel combination
not recommended by HYUNDAI for
off road driving, you should not use
these tires for highway driving.WARNING - Rollover
As with other Sports Utility Vehicle
(SUV), failure to operate this vehi-
cle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.
Utility vehicles have a significant- ly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, nar-
rower track, etc.) give this vehicle
a higher center of gravity than
ordinary vehicles.
A SUV is not designed for corner- ing at the same speeds as con-
ventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more like-
ly to die than a person wearing a
seat belt. Make sure everyone in
the vehicle is properly buckledup.

Driving your vehicle
24
5
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. 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 increasedstopping distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Always, confirm the position ofthe brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't checkthe position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It maycause a serious accident.

529
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.
W-78
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 after
the ignition switch is ON. Duringthat time, the ABS will go throughself-diagnosis and the light will gooff if everything is normal. If the light stays on, you may have aproblem with your ABS. Contactan authorized HYUNDAI dealer assoon as possible.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having poor traction, such as an icy road,and have operated your brakes
continuously, the ABS will beactive continuously and the ABSwarning light may illuminate. Pullyour vehicle over to a safe place
and stop the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your
ABS system is normal. Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact anauthorized HYUNDAI dealer as
soon as possible.
OLM059020L