2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
62
5
Keep your headlights clean and
properly aimed on vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or improp-
erly 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 harderto 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. 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.
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Driving your vehicle
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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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 the tires
for proper inflation before
driving. For proper tire pres-
sures, refer to section 8,
“Tires and wheels”.
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 vehi-
cle. For further information
and tread limits, refer to sec-
tion 7, “Tires and wheels”.

Driving your vehicle
64
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.

565
Driving your vehicle
WINTER DRIVING
Severe weather conditions in the
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize the
problems of winter driving, 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
vehicle. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake
applications, 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 states.
Check the state 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.
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 vehi-
cle may be adversely affected.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
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
0.59 in (15 mm). Damage to your
vehicle caused by improper snow
chain use is not covered by your
vehicle manufacturers warranty. When using tire chains, attach them
to the drive wheels as follows.
2WD : Front wheels
AWD : All four wheels
If a full set of chains is not
available for an AWD vehicle,
chains may be installed on
the front wheels only.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains arethe correct size and type foryour tires. Incorrect snowchains can cause damage tothe vehicle body and suspen-sion and may not be coveredby your vehicle manufacturerwarranty. Also, the snow chainconnecting hooks may be dam-aged from contacting vehiclecomponents causing the snowchains to come loose from thetire. Make sure the snow chainsare SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installa- tion for proper mounting afterdriving approximately 0.3 to0.6 miles (0.5 to 1 km) toensure safe mounting.Retighten or remount thechains if they are loose.
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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 in section 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
CAUTION
Chains that are the wrong sizeor improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.
WARNING- Tire 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.

Driving your vehicle
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5
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.
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.

569
Driving your vehicle
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to happen
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 shift lever in P (automat-
ic transaxle) 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
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, a shovel, jumper cables, a win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth,
coveralls or a blanket, etc.
Don't place foreign objects or
materials in the engine com-
partment
Placement of foreign objects or
materials which prevent cooling of
the engine, in the engine compart-
ment, may cause a failure or com-
bustion. The manufacturer is not
responsible for the damage caused
by such placement.