2014 Hyundai Equus Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
88 5
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
• Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lights.
• Keep your headlights clean and
properly aimed on vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the head-
lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
• A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
• Keep your windshield wiping
equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
OVI053046NOVI059045

589
Driving your vehicle
• If your tires are not in good condi-
tion, 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
easier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large pud-
dles 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
operation returns.Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher 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 sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
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.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the
tires.
OVI023001

Driving your vehicle
90 5
Fuel, engine coolant and engine
oil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both engine coolant and
engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
• Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and
sudden tire failure leading to
accidents, injuries, and even
death. Always check tires for
proper inflation before driv-
ing. For proper tire pressures,
refer to “Tires and wheels” in
section 8.
• Driving on tires with no or
insufficient tread is danger-
ous. Worn-out tires can result
in loss of vehicle control, col-
lisions, injury, and even death.
Worn-out tires should be
replaced as soon as possible
and should never be used for
driving. Always check the tire
tread before driving your car.
For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.

591
Driving your vehicle
More severe weather conditions of
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize winter
driving problem, you should follow
these suggestions:
Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
If snow tires are needed, it is neces-
sary to select tires equivalent in size
and type of the original equipment
tires. Failure to do so may adversely
affect the safety and handling of your
car. Furthermore, speeding, rapid
acceleration, sudden brake applica-
tions, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids to occur. You
need to keep sufficient distance
between the vehicle in operation in
front and your vehicle. Also, apply
the brake gently. It should be noted
that installing tire chains on the tire
will provide a greater driving force,
but will not prevent side skids.
✽NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all coun-
tries. Check the country laws before
fitting tire chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure they are radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-
ipal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING- Snow tire
size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
OVI053049N

Driving your vehicle
92 5
245/50R18 Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by
mounting some types of snow chains
on them. Therefore, the use of snow
tires is recommended instead of
snow chains. Do not mount tire
chains on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels; snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use wire-type
chains with a thickness of less than
12 mm (0.47 in). Damage to your
vehicle caused by improper snow
chain use is not covered by your
vehicle manufacturers warranty.
Install tire chains only on the rear
tires.Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and tighten
them. If they still make contact, slow
down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
CAUTION
• Make sure the snow chains
are the correct size and type
for your tires. Incorrect snow
chains can cause damage to
the vehicle body and suspen-
sion and may not be covered
by your vehicle manufacturer
warranty. Also, the snow chain
connecting hooks may be
damaged from contacting
vehicle components causing
the snow chains to come
loose from the tire. Make sure
the snow chains are SAE
class “S” certified.
• Always check chain installa-
tion for proper mounting after
driving approximately 0.5 to 1
km (0.3 to 0.6 miles) to ensure
safe mounting. Retighten or
remount the chains if they are
loose.
WARNING
- Mounting chains
When mounting snow chains,
park the vehicle on level ground
away from traffic. Turn on the
vehicle Hazard Warning flashers
and place a triangular emer-
gency warning device behind
the vehicle if available. Always
place the vehicle in P (Park),
apply the parking brake and
turn off the engine before
installing snow chains.
OVI059051

593
Driving your vehicle
245/45R19 Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by
mounting some types of snow chains
on them. Therefore, the use of snow
tires is recommended instead of
snow chains. Do not mount tire
chains on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels; snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use the
AutoSock (fabric snow chain).
Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper snow chain use is not cov-
ered by your vehicle manufacturers
warranty.
Install the AutoSock (fabric snow
chain) only on the rear tires.
WARNING - Tire chains
• The use of chains may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling.
• Do not exceed 30 km/h (20
mph) or the chain manufactur-
er’s recommended speed
limit, whichever 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, suspension, body and
wheels.
• Stop driving and retighten the
chains any time you hear them
hitting the vehicle.
CAUTION
• Make sure the AutoSock (fab-
ric snow chain) are the correct
size and type for your tires.
Incorrect snow chains can
cause damage to the vehicle
body and suspension and may
not be covered by your vehicle
manufacturer warranty.
• Always check the AutoSock
(fabric snow chain) installa-
tion for proper mounting after
driving approximately 0.5 to 1
km (0.3 to 0.6 miles) to ensure
safe mounting. Retighten or
remount the AutoSock (fabric
snow chain) if they are loose.
OVI053136

Driving your vehicle
94 5
Chain installation
When installing the AutoSock (fabric
snow chain), follow the manufactur-
er's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
the AutoSock (fabric snow chain)
installed. If you hear the AutoSock
(fabric snow chain) contacting the
body or chassis, stop and tighten
them. If they still make contact, slow
down until it stops. Remove the
AutoSock (fabric snow chain) as
soon as you begin driving on cleared
roads.Use high quality ethylene gly-
col 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 cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
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 battery and cables as described
in section 7. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or a
service station.CAUTION
• The AutoSock (fabric snow
chain) that are the wrong size
or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle's brake
lines, suspension, body and
wheels.
• Stop driving and retighten the
AutoSock (fabric snow chain)
any time you hear them hitting
the vehicle.
WARNING - Tire chains
• The use of the AutoSock (fab-
ric snow chain) may adversely
affect vehicle handling.
• Do not exceed 30 km/h (20
mph) or the AutoSock (fabric
snow chain) manufacturer’s
recommended speed limit,
whichever 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.
WARNING
- Mounting chains
When mounting the AutoSock
(fabric snow chain), park the
vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and
place a triangular emergency
warning device behind the vehi-
cle if available. Always place the
vehicle in P (Park), apply the
parking brake and turn off the
engine before installing the
AutoSock (fabric snow chain).

595
Driving your vehicle
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 authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni-
tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in section 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To 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 heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er 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
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen 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 temporarily
while you put the gear shift lever in P
and block the rear wheels so the
vehicle cannot roll. Then release the
parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
car to be sure the movement of the
front wheels and the steering com-
ponents is not obstructed.