2015 Hyundai Santa Fe coolant level

Driving your vehicle
4 5
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside
mirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
• Check the condition of the tyres.
• Check under the vehicle for any
sign of leaks.
• Be sure there are no obstacles
behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in section 7,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
• Close and lock all doors.
• Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
• Adjust the inside and outside
rearview mirrors.
• Be sure that all lights work.
• Check all gauges.
• Check the operation of warning
lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
• Release the parking brake and
make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be proper-
ly belted whenever the vehicle
is moving. Refer to “Seat belts”
in section 3 for more informa-
tion on their proper use.
WARNING
Driving whilst distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol, that may lead to an acci-
dent, severe personal injury,
and death. The driver’s primary
responsibility is in the safe and
legal operation of a vehicle, and
use of any handheld devices,
other equipment, or vehicle sys-
tems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a
vehicle or which are not permis-
sible by law should never be
used during operation of the
vehicle.

585
Driving your vehicle
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.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. 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. We recommend that the
level of charge in your battery be
checked by a HYUNDAI authorised
repairer.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 should you hear the
chains contacting the vehicle.
WARNING - Tyre chains
• The use of chains may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling.
• Do not exceed 20 mph (30
km/h) or the chain manufac-
turer’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 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.

67
What to do in an emergency
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you will experience a
loss of power, or hear loud pinging or
knocking, the engine is probably too
hot. If this happens, you should:
1.Pull off the road and stop as soon
as it is safe to do so.
2.Place the shift lever in P (automat-
ic transaxle) or neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking
brake. If the air conditioning is on,
turn it off.
3.If engine coolant is running out
under the vehicle or steam is com-
ing out from the bonnet, stop the
engine. Do not open the bonnet
until the coolant has stopped run-
ning or the steaming has stopped.
If there is no visible loss of engine
coolant and no steam, leave the
engine running and check to be
sure the engine cooling fan is oper-
ating. If the fan is not running, turn
the engine off.4. Check to see if the water pump
drive belt is missing. If it is not
missing, check to see that it is
tight. If the drive belt seems to be
satisfactory, check for coolant
leaking from the radiator, hoses or
under the vehicle. (If the air condi-
tioning had been in use, it is nor-
mal for cold water to be draining
from it when you stop).
5. If the water pump drive belt is bro-
ken or engine coolant is leaking
out, stop the engine immediately
and we recommend that you call a
HYUNDAI authorised repairer.6.If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to nor-
mal. Then, if coolant has been lost,
carefully add coolant to the reser-
voir to bring the fluid level in the
reservoir up to the halfway mark.
7.Proceed with caution, keeping
alert for further signs of overheat-
ing. If overheating happens again,
we recommend that you call a
HYUNDAI authorised repairer.
CAUTION
• Serious loss of coolant indi-
cates there is a leak in the
cooling system and we recom-
mend that the system be
checked by a HYUNDAI autho-
rised repairer.
• When the engine overheats
from low engine coolant, sud-
denly adding engine coolant
may cause cracks in the
engine. To prevent damage,
add engine coolant slowly in
small quantities.
WARNING
Whilst the engine is running,
keep hair, hands and clothing
away from moving parts such
as the fan and drive belts to pre-
vent injury.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to blow out of the
opening and cause serious burns.

Maintenance
7
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
• Engine compartment precautions (Diesel engine) . . . 7-7
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
• Owner maintenance schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-11
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Brake/clutch fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
• Checking the brake/clutch fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Power steering fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
• Checking the power steering fluid level . . . . . . . . . 7-21
• Checking the power steering hose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
• Checking the parking brake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Fuel filter (for Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
• Draining water from fuel filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
• Battery capacity label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
• Battery recharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Tyres and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• Tyre care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• Recommended cold tyre inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-35
• Checking tyre inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
• Tyre rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• Wheel alignment and tyre balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
• Tyre replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
• Tyre traction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
• Tyre maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41

Maintenance
8 7
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed at the frequencies indicated
to help ensure safe, dependable
operation of your vehicle.
If you have any question, we recom-
mend that you consult a HYUNDAI
authorised repairer.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labour, parts and lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
• Check the engine oil level.
• Check coolant level in coolant
reservoir.
• Check the windscreen washer fluid
level.
• Look for low or under-inflated tyres.
Whilst operating your vehicle:
• Note any changes in the sound of
the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
• Check for vibrations in the steering
wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
• Notice if your vehicle constantly
turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when travelling 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
operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
• Check manual transaxle operation,
including clutch operation.
• Check automatic transaxle P
(Park) function.
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure. This could
cause burns or other serious
injury.

79
Maintenance
• Check parking brake.
• Check for fluid leaks under your
vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
At least monthly:
• Check coolant level in the engine
coolant reservoir.
• Check the operation of all exterior
lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
• Check the inflation pressures of all
tyres including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall) :
• Check radiator, heater and air con-
ditioning hoses for leaks or dam-
age.
• Check windscreen washer spray
and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened
with washer fluid.
• Check headlight alignment.
• Check muffler, exhaust pipes,
shields and clamps.
• Check the lap/shoulder belts for
wear and function.
• Check for worn tyres and loose
wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year :
• Clean body and door drain holes.
• Lubricate door hinges and checks,
and bonnet hinges.
• Lubricate door and bonnet locks
and latches.
• Lubricate door rubber weather-
strips.
• Check the air conditioning system.
• Check the power steering fluid
level.
• Inspect and lubricate automatic
transaxle linkage and controls.
• Clean battery and terminals.
• Check the brake (and clutch) fluid
level.

713
Maintenance
Cooling system
Check the cooling system parts,
such as radiator, coolant reservoir,
hoses and connections for leakage
and damage. Replace any damaged
parts.
Coolant
The coolant should be changed at
the intervals specified in the mainte-
nance schedule.
Manual transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance sched-
ule.
Automatic transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Automatic transaxle fluid should not
be checked under normal usage
conditions. We recommend that the
automatic transaxle fluid changed by
a HYUNDAI authorised repairer
according to the maintenance sched-
ule.
✽NOTICE
Automatic transaxle fluid colour is
basically red.
As the vehicle is driven, the auto-
matic transaxle fluid will begin to
look darker.
It is normal condition and you
should not judge the need to replace
the fluid based upon the changed
colour.
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and
any leakage. Replace any deteriorat-
ed or damaged parts immediately.
Brake fluid
Check brake fluid level in the brake
fluid reservoir. The level should be
between “MIN” and “MAX” marks on
the side of the reservoir. Use only
hydraulic brake fluid conforming to
DOT 3 or DOT 4 specification.
Parking brake
Inspect the parking brake system
including the parking brake lever (or
pedal) and cables.
CAUTION
The use of a non-specified fluid
could result in transaxle mal-
function and failure.
Use only specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to
“Recommended lubricants and
capacities” in section 8.)

717
Maintenance
ENGINE COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year-round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant concentration level at least
once a year, at the beginning of the
winter season, and before travelling
to a colder climate.Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
• Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap whilst the engine
is operating or hot. Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal
injury from escaping hot
coolant or steam.
• Turn the engine off and wait
until it cools down. Use
extreme care when removing
the radiator cap. Wrap a thick
towel around it, and turn it
counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back whilst
the pressure is released from
the cooling system.
(Continued)
(Continued)
When you are sure all the
pressure has been released,
press down on the cap, using
a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
• Even if the engine is not oper-
ating, do not remove the radi-
ator cap or the drain plug
whilst the engine and radiator
are hot. Hot coolant and
steam may still blow out
under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.
CAUTION
• Do not drive with no engine
coolant. It may cause water
pump failure and engine
seizure, etc.
• When the engine overheats
from low engine coolant, sud-
denly adding engine coolant
may cause cracks in the
engine. To prevent damage,
add engine coolant slowly in
small quantities.