2015 Hyundai Sonata light

5-62
Driving your vehicle
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or
on slick pavement:
• Slow down and allow extra follow-
ing distance. A heavy rainfall
makes it harder to see and increas-
es the distance needed to stop
your vehicle.
• Turn OFF your Cruise Control. (if
equipped)
• Replace your windscreen wiper
blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windscreen.
• Ensure your tyres have enough
tread. If your tyres do not have
enough tread, making a quick stop
on wet pavement can cause a skid
and possibly lead to an accident.
See “Tyre Tread” in chapter 7.
• Turn on your headlamps 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 your brakes may be
wet, apply them lightly whilst driv-
ing until normal braking operation
returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the
water. The best advice is SLOW
DOWN when the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increas-
es as the depth of tyre tread
decreases, refer to “Tyre Tread” in
chapter 7.
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
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times whilst the vehicle is mov-
ing slowly.

5-63
Driving your vehicle
5
Snow or icy conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. 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.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tyres
or to install tyre chains on your tyres.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tyre chains, tow straps
or chains, a flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables,
a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tyresIf you mount snow tyres on your vehi-
cle, make sure to use radial tyres of
the same size and load range as the
original tyres. Mount snow tyres on
all four wheels to balance your vehi-
cle’s handling in all weather condi-
tions. The traction provided by snow
tyres on dry roads may not be as
high as your vehicle's original equip-
ment tyres. Check with the tyre deal-
er for maximum speed recommenda-
tions.
Information
Do not install studded tyres without
first checking local and municipal reg-
ulations for possible restrictions
against their use.
i
WINTER DRIVING
Snow tyres should be equiva-
lent in size and type to the vehi-
cle's standard tyres. Otherwise,
the safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
WARNING

5-67
Driving your vehicle
5
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
whilst you put the shift lever in P
(automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.Don't let ice and snow accumulate
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 tyre chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, shovel, jumper cables, window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.Don't place foreign objects or
materials in the engine compart-
ment
Placement of foreign object or mate-
rials which prevent cooling of the
engine, in the engine compartment,
may cause a failure or combustion.
The manufacturer is not responsible
for the damage caused by such
placement.

5-73
Driving your vehicle
5
Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trail-
er. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that the
tongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the towbar.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the towbar manufac-
turer or trailer manufacturer. Follow
the manufacturer's recommendation
for attaching safety chains. Always
leave just enough slack so you can
turn with your trailer. And, never
allow safety chains to drag on the
ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak-
ing system, make sure it conforms to
your country's regulations and that it
is properly installed and operating
correctly.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes loaded, then it needs its
own brakes and they must be ade-
quate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
you'll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. Be sure not
to tap into your vehicle's brake sys-
tem.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now
longer and not nearly as responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
towbar and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tyres
and brakes.
During your trip, occasionally check
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and trailer brakes
are still working.
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have proper-
ly set up the brake system. This
is not a task for amateurs. Use
an experienced, competent
trailer shop for this work.
WARNING

5-74
Driving your vehicle
Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You will need more passing distance
up ahead when you're towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you'll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane.
Reversing
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, move your hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always reverse slowly and, if possi-
ble, have someone guide you.
Making turns
When you are turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won't strike soft
shoulders, kerbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or sud-
den manoeuvres. Signal well in
advance.
Turn signals
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument cluster will
flash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly connected,
the trailer lights will also flash to alert
other drivers you're about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green
arrows on your instrument cluster will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are
seeing your signals when, in fact,
they are not. It's important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you dis-
connect and then reconnect the
wires.

5-75
Driving your vehicle
5
Driving on hills
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
overheated and may not operate effi-
ciently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 70
km/h to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transaxle, you should drive in D
(Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimise
heat build-up and extend the life of
your transaxle.To prevent engine and/or
transaxle overheating:
• When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine
coolant temperature gauge to
ensure the engine does not
overheat. If the needle of the
coolant temperature gauge
moves towards "H" (HOT), pull
over and stop as soon as it is
safe to do so, and allow the
engine to idle until it cools
down. You may proceed once the
engine has cooled sufficiently.
• You must decide your vehicle
speed according to the trailer
weight and uphill grade.
NOTICE
Do not connect a trailer lighting
system directly to your vehi-
cle's lighting system. Use an
approved trailer wiring harness.
Failure to do so could result in
damage to the vehicle electrical
system and/or personal injury.
Consult an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
WARNING

6-2
The hazard warning flasher serves as
a warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle.
It should be used whenever emer-
gency repairs are being made or
when the vehicle is stopped near the
edge of a roadway.To turn the hazard warning flasher
on or off, press the hazard warning
flasher button with the Engine
Start/Stop button in any position. The
button is located in the centre fascia
panel. All turn signal lights will flash
simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher oper-
ates whether your vehicle is run-
ning or not.
• The turn signals do not work when
the hazard flasher is on.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
What to do in an emergency
OLF064001R

6-4
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
What to do in an emergency
If the engine doesn't turn over
or turns over slowly
• Ensure the shift lever is in N
(Neutral) or P (Park) if it is an auto-
matic transaxle vehicle. The engine
starts only when the shift lever is in
N (Neutral) or P (Park).
• Check the battery connections to
be sure they are clean and tight.
• Turn on the interior light. If the light
dims or goes out when you operate
the starter, the battery is drained.
Do not push or pull the vehicle to
start it. This could cause damage to
your vehicle. See instructions for
"Jump Starting" provided in this
chapter.
If the engine turns over nor-
mally but doesn’t start
• Check the fuel level and add fuel if
necessary.
If the engine still does not start, we
recommend that you call an autho-
rised HYUNDAI dealer for assis-
tance.
Push or pull starting the vehicle
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload which can
lead to damage to the emission
control system.
CAUTION