2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport four wheel drive

Driving your vehicle
20 5
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. AWD is useful when extra
traction is required, 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 impor-
tant when traveling off-highway that
the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed
the safe operating speed for those
conditions. In general, off-road con-
ditions provide less traction and
braking effectiveness 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 con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of all-wheel drive vehi-
cles caused by the difference in tire
rotation at the four wheels.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING - Off road
driving
This vehicle is designed prima-
rily for on road use although it
can operate effectively off road.
However, it was not designed to
drive in challenging off-road
conditions. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle'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 all wheel drive, steering con-
trol will be difficult.

521
Driving your vehicle
✽NOTICE
• When driving on normal roads, deactivate the AWD LOCK mode by pushing the AWD LOCK button (the indi-
cator light goes off). Driving on normal roads with AWD LOCK mode(especially, when cornering) may cause
mechanical noise or vibration. The noise and vibration will disappear when the AWD LOCK mode is deactivat-
ed. Some parts of the power train may be damaged by prolonged driving with the noise and vibration.
• When the AWD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power is delivered entirely to the
front wheels. This shock is not a mechanical failure.
ALL Wheel Drive (AWD) transfer mode selection
• This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp
grades, off-road driving, driving on sandy and muddy
roads, etc., to maximize traction.
• This mode automatically begins to deactivate at
speeds above 30 km/h (19 mph) and is shifted to AWD
AUTO mode at speed above 40 km/h (25 mph). If the
vehicle decelerates to speeds below 30 km/h (19 mph),
however, the transfer mode is shifted into AWD LOCK
mode again. AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is
deactivated)
(Indicator light is
not illuminated)
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
• When driving in AWD AUTO mode, the vehicle oper-
ates similar to conventional 2WD vehicles under nor-
mal operating conditions. However, if the system deter-
mines that there is a need for the AWD mode, the
engine’s driving power is distributed to all four wheels
automatically without driver intervention.
• When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehi-
cle moves similar to conventional 2WD vehicles.
AWD LOCK
(Indicator light is
illuminated)

Driving your vehicle
22 5
For safe all wheel drive opera-
tion
• Do not try to drive in deep standing
water or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehi-
cle.• When you are driving up or down
hills drive as straight as possible.
Use extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.
WARNING - All wheel
driving
When conditions demand the
use of four-wheel drive, all func-
tions of your vehicle are
exposed to extreme stress.
Slow down and be ready for
changes in the composition and
traction of the surface under
your tires. If you have any
doubt about the safety of the
conditions you are facing, stop
and consider the best way to
proceed. Do not exceed the abil-
ity of yourself or your vehicle to
operate safely.
WARNING - Hills
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
HILL1HILL2

Driving your vehicle
24 5
✽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 nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte-
nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance under
severe usage conditions” in section
7). Always wash your vehicle thor-
oughly after off road use, especially
cleaning the bottom of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the AWD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip the vehi-
cle with four tires of the same size
and type.
• A full time all 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.
CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow,
etc. the vehicle can sometimes
be driven out by depressing the
accelerator pedal further; how-
ever avoid running the engine
continuously at high rpm
because doing so could dam-
age 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 per-
son is significantly more like-
ly 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.

525
Driving your vehicle
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 characteristics 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
vehicles, any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily in off-road conditions.
Due to this risk, driver and passengers
are strongly recommended 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.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
nevertheless decide to equip
your vehicle with any tire/wheel
combination not recommended
by HYUNDAI for off road driv-
ing, you should not use these
tires for highway driving.
WARNING - Rollover
As with other Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV), failure to operate
this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control, an accident or
vehicle rollover.
• Utility vehicles have a signifi-
cantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles.
• Specific design characteris-
tics (higher ground clearance,
narrower track, etc.) give this
vehicle a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles.
• A SUV is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional vehicles.
• Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
• In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed person is significantly
more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt. Make
sure everyone in the vehicle is
properly buckled up.

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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.
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.
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.
1VQA3005

What to do in an emergency
22 6
Emergency towing precautions
• Turn the ignition switch to ACC so
the steering wheel isn’t locked.
• Place the transaxle shift lever in N
(Neutral).
• Release the parking bake.
• Press the brake pedal with more
force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
• More steering effort will be
required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
• If you are driving down a long hill,
the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off.CAUTION - Automatic
transaxle
• If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it
can be towed only from the
front. Be sure that the transaxle
is in neutral. Be sure the steer-
ing is unlocked by placing the
ignition switch in the ACC posi-
tion. A driver must be in the
towed vehicle to operate the
steering and brakes.
• To avoid serious damage to
the automatic transaxle, limit
the vehicle speed to 15 km/h
(10 mph) and drive less than
1.5 km (1 mile) when towing.
• Before towing, check under
your vehicle for leaking auto-
matic transaxle fluid. If the
automatic transaxle fluid is
leaking, a flatbed equipment
or towing dolly must be used.

Maintenance
66 7
All season tires
HYUNDAI specifies all season tires
on some models to provide good
performance for use all year round,
including snowy and icy road condi-
tions. All season tires are identified
by ALL SEASON and/or M+S (Mud
and Snow) on the tire sidewall. Snow
tires have better snow traction than
all season tires and may be more
appropriate in some areas.
Summer tires
HYUNDAI specifies summer tires on
some models to provide superior
performance on dry roads. Summer
tire performance is substantially
reduced in snow and ice. Summer
tires do not have the tire traction rat-
ing M+S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
side wall. if you plan to operate your
vehicle in snowy or icy conditions.
HYUNDAI recommends the use of
snow tires or all season tires on all
four wheels.
Snow tires
If you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and
have the same load capacity as the
original tires. Snow tires should be
installed on all four wheels; other-
wise, poor handling may result.
Snow tires should carry 28 kPa (4
psi) more air pressure than the pres-
sure recommended for the standard
tires on the tire label on the driver's
side of the center pillar, or up to the
maximum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less.
Do not drive faster than 120 km/h (75
mph) when your car is equipped with
snow tires.
Radial-ply tires
Radial-ply tires provide improved
tread life, road hazard resistance and
smoother high speed ride. The radi-
al-ply tires used on this vehicle are of
belted construction, and are selected
to complement the ride and handling
characteristics of your vehicle.
Radial-ply tires have the same load
carrying capacity, as bias-ply or bias
belted tires of the same size, and use
the same recommended inflation
pressure. Mixing of radial-ply tires
with bias-ply or bias belted tires is
not recommended. Any combina-
tions of radial-ply and bias-ply or bias
belted tires when used on the same
vehicle will seriously deteriorate
vehicle handling. The best rule to fol-
low is: Identical radial-ply tires should
always be used as a set of four.