Page 327 of 504
5-14
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has six for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
OLF054012R
Move shift lever. Depress the brake pedal, press the shift button, and then move shift lever.
Press the shift button, then move shift lever.
Sports mode
+ +
( (
U U
P P
) )
- -
( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
•ALWAYS check the surround-
ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle into
D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
•Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (Park)
position, then set the parking
brake, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
(Continued)
WARNING
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5-15
Driving your vehicle
5
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above
and still cannot shift the lever out
of P (Park), see “Shift-Lock
Release” in this chapter.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
rearward.
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) whilst the vehicle is in
motion.
NOTICE
(Continued)
•Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.
•Shifting into P (Park) whilst
the vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
•After the vehicle has stopped,
always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
•Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake.
WARNING
Page 331 of 504
5-18
Driving your vehicle
1. Place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov-
ering the shift-lock access hole.
4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw-
driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool.
5. Move the shift lever whilst holding
down the screwdriver.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock
override access hole then install
the cap.
7. Depress the brake pedal, and then
restart the engine.If you need to use the shift-lock
release, we recommend that the sys-
tem be inspected by an authorised
HYUNDAI dealer immediately.
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
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5-19
Driving your vehicle
5
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, apply the parking brake,
and place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position. Take the key
with you when exiting the vehicle.
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Ensure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
• Do not move the shift lever to N
(Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transaxle could be damaged.
• Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
consistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure.
• When driving in sports mode, slow
down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.• Always apply the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in
P (Park) to keep the vehicle from
moving.
• Exercise extreme caution when
driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
may cause loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident
• Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator. When you stay in the vehicle
with the engine running, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of
time. The engine or exhaust
system may overheat and start
a fire.
The exhaust gas and the
exhaust system are very hot.
Keep away from the exhaust
system components.
Do not stop or park over flam-
mable materials, such as dry
grass, paper or leaves. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
WARNING
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5-22
Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high pitched warning sound from
your front or rear brakes. You may
hear this sound come and go or it
may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with worn
brake pads.
Information
Always replace brake pads as com-
plete front or rear axle sets.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
Foot type
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then
depress the parking brake pedal
down as far as possible.
i
NOTICE
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, do not oper-
ate the parking brake whilst the
vehicle is moving except in an
emergency situation. It could
damage the brake system and
lead to an accident.
WARNING
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5-23
Driving your vehicle
5
Releasing the parking brake
Foot type
To release:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Depress the parking brake pedal and
it will release automatically.
If the parking brake does not release
or does not release all the way, we
recommend that the system be
checked by an authorised HYUNDAI
dealer.• Do not apply the accelerator
pedal whilst the parking brake is
engaged. If you depress the
accelerator pedal with the park-
ing brake engaged, a warning
will sound. Damage to the park-
ing brake may occur.
• Driving with the parking brake
on can overheat the braking sys-
tem and cause premature wear
or damage to brake parts. Make
sure the parking brake is
released and the Brake Warning
Light is off before driving.
NOTICE
ODH054143R
•Whenever leaving the vehicle
or parking, always come to a
complete stop and continue
to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the
1st gear (for manual transaxle
vehicle) or P (Park, for auto-
matic transaxle vehicle) posi-
tion, then apply the parking
brake, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion.
Vehicles with the parking
brake not fully engaged are at
risk of moving inadvertently
and causing injury to yourself
or others.
•NEVER allow anyone who is
unfamiliar with the vehicle to
touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.
•Only release the parking
brake when you are seated
inside the vehicle with your
foot firmly on the brake pedal.
WARNING
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5-24
Driving your vehicle
Check the Parking
Brake Warning Light
by placing the ignition
switch to the ON posi-
tion (do not start the
engine).
This light will be illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is released and the Brake
Warning Light is OFF.If the Parking Brake Warning Light
remains on after the parking brake is
released whilst the engine is run-
ning, there may be a malfunction in
the brake system. Immediate atten-
tion is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution whilst
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location.
Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
(if equipped)
Applying the parking brake
To apply the EPB (Electric Parking
Brake):
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Pull up the EPB switch.
Make sure the Parking Brake
Warning Light comes on.
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Page 338 of 504
![Hyundai Sonata 2015 Owners Manual - RHD (UK, Australia) 5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Also, the EPB is applied automatical-
ly if the [AUTO HOLD] switch is on
when the engine is turned off.
However, if you press the EPB switch
within 1 second after the engin Hyundai Sonata 2015 Owners Manual - RHD (UK, Australia) 5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Also, the EPB is applied automatical-
ly if the [AUTO HOLD] switch is on
when the engine is turned off.
However, if you press the EPB switch
within 1 second after the engin](/manual-img/35/16797/w960_16797-337.png)
5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Also, the EPB is applied automatical-
ly if the [AUTO HOLD] switch is on
when the engine is turned off.
However, if you press the EPB switch
within 1 second after the engine is
turned off, the EPB will not be
applied.Releasing the parking brake
To release the EPB (Electric
Parking Brake), press the EPB
switch whilst you:
• Place the Engine Start/Stop button
in the ON position.
• Depress the brake pedal.
Make sure the Parking Brake
Warning Light goes off.
To release EPB (Electric Parking
Brake) automatically:
• Shift lever in P (Park)
With the engine running depress
the brake pedal and shift out of P
(Park) to R (Rear) or D (Drive).
• Shift lever in N (Neutral)
With the engine running depress
the brake pedal and shift out of N
(Neutral) to R (Rear) or D (Drive).
• Automatic transaxle vehicle
1. Start the engine.
2. Fasten the driver's seat belt.
3. Close the driver's door, engine
bonnet and boot.
4. Depress the accelerator pedal
whilst the shift lever is in R
(Rear), D (Drive) or Sports
mode.
Make sure the Parking Brake
Warning light goes off.
OLF054017R
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, do not oper-
ate the EPB whilst the vehicle is
moving except in an emergency
situation. It could damage the
brake system and lead to an
accident.
WARNING