2015 Hyundai Equus Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
84 5
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
• Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
that of the other traffic so you don't
have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe
distance from other vehicles so
you can avoid unnecessary brak-
ing. This also reduces brake wear.
• Drive at a moderate speed. The
faster you drive, the more fuel your
car uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption.• Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
• Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
• Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.• Keep your car in good condition.
For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your car in accordance with
the maintenance schedule in sec-
tion 7. If you drive your car in
severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see sec-
tion 7 for details).
• Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your vehicle should be
kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
• Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces-
sary weight in your car. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
• Don't let the engine idle longer
than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

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Driving your vehicle
• Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing 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 avoided by shifting at
the recommended speeds.
• Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy 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
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, we rec-
ommend that the system be serviced
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
WARNING - Engine off
during
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 running. Instead,
keep the engine on and down-
shift to an appropriate gear for
engine braking effect. In addi-
tion, 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 vehicle
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
• Avoid sudden movements in brak-
ing or steering.• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
• Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or
other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
drive wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transmission. Do
not race the engine, and spin the
wheels as little as possible. If you are
still stuck after a few tries, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transmission.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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WARNING- ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on
a vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transmission, while driving on
slippery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine over-heating, transmis-
sion damage or failure, and tire
damage.

587
Driving your vehicle
✽NOTICE
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.
WARNING- Spinning
tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56
km/h (35 mph). Spinning the
wheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat which
could result in tire damage that
may injure bystanders.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and
backward. Do not attempt this
procedure if people or objects
are anywhere near the vehicle.
During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move
forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby peo-
ple or objects.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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