2015 Hyundai Sonata transmission

5-22
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart
a stalled engine, or if it is necessary
to stop with the engine ON. Shift into
P (Park) if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason.
Always depress the brake pedal
when you are shifting from N
(Neutral) to another gear.
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a seven-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill depress
the accelerator pedal further until
you feel the transmission downshift
to a lower gear.
The DRIVE MODE switch, located
on the shift lever console, allows the
driver to switch from NORMAL mode
to SPORT or ECO mode.
For more information, refer to
"Drive Mode Integrated Control
System" later in this chapter.
Driving your vehicleAlways come to a complete
stop before shifting into or out
of R (Reverse); you may dam-
age the transmission if you shift
into R (Reverse) while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
CAUTION
Do not shift into gear unless
your foot is firmly on the brake
pedal. Shifting into gear when
the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to
move very rapidly. You could
lose control of the vehicle and
hit people or objects.
WARNING

5-23
Driving your vehicle
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.In Sports Mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to select the desired range
of gears for the current driving condi-
tions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
Information
• Only the seven forward gears can beselected. To reverse or park the
vehicle, move the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) or P (Park) position as
required.
• Downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows down. When
the vehicle stops, 1st gear is auto-
matically selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches the red zone the transmission will
upshift automatically.
(Continued)(Continued)
• If the driver presses the lever to
+ (Up) or - (Down) position, the
transmission may not make the
requested gear change if the next
gear is outside of the allowable
engine rpm range. The driver must
execute upshifts in accordance with
road conditions, taking care to keep
the engine rpms below the red zone.
• When accelerating from a stop on a slippery road, push the shift lever
forward into the + (Up) position.
This allows the transmission to shift
into the 2nd gear which is better for
smooth driving on a slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the - (Down)
side to shift back to the 1st gear.
i
5
OLF054013
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)

5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Shift-Lock System
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the igni-tion switch in the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
Shift-Lock Override
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position into R (Reverse)
position with the brake pedal
depressed, continue depressing the
brake, and then do the following:
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 override
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.
6. Remove the tool from the shift-
lock override access hole then
install the cap.
If you need to use the shift-lock over-
ride, have your vehicle inspected by
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
immediately.
OLF054015N

5-26
Driving your vehicle
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.
Be sure 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
transmission 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.
Depressing both accelerator and brake pedals at the same time can
trigger logic for engine power
reduction to assure vehicle decel-
eration. Vehicle acceleration will
resume after the brake pedal is
released. 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 transmis-
sion 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

5-27
Driving your vehicle
5
Information - Kickdown
Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point. The automatic transmission will
shift to a lower gear depending on the
engine speed. i
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.
In a collision, an unbelted
occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belt-
ed occupant.
Avoid high speeds when cor-
nering or turning.
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 highway
speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over steers to reenter the
roadway. (Continued)
(Continued)
In the event your vehicle
leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
HYUNDAI recommends you
follow all posted speed limits.
WARNING

5-48
Driving your vehicle
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The drive mode may be selected
according to the driver’s preference
or road condition.
The system initializes to the NOR-
MAL mode (except for ECO mode)
after the engine has been turned off
and on.
Information
If there is a problem with the
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system, the drive mode will be in
NORMAL mode and may not change
to ECO mode or SPORT mode. The mode changes whenever the
DRIVE MODE switch is pressed.
When NORMAL mode is selected, it
is not displayed on the instrument
cluster.
The selected mode is displayed on
the instrument cluster.
ECO mode (Active ECO)
Active ECO helps improve
fuel efficiency by control-
ling certain engine and
transmission system
operating parameters.
Fuel efficiency depends on the dri-
ver's driving habit and road condi-
tion.
When the DRIVE MODE switch is pressed and the ECO mode is
selected, the ECO indicator
(green) will illuminate to show that
the Active ECO is operating.
When the Active ECO is activated, and the engine is turned off and on
it will maintain ECO mode.
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OLF054021N
NORMAL ECO SPORTECO

5-49
Driving your vehicle
5
When Active ECO is activated:
The acceleration response may beslightly reduced as the accelerator
pedal is depressed moderately.
The air conditioner performance may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic transmission may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal
conditions when the Active ECO sys-
tem is activated to improve fuel effi-
ciency. Limitation of Active ECO opera-
tion:
If the following conditions occur while
Active ECO is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in the ECO indi-
cator.
When the coolant temperature is
low:
The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain
power when driving uphill because
engine torque is restricted.
When using the automatic trans- mission Sports mode:
The system will be limited accord-
ing to the shift location.SPORT mode
SPORT mode focuses ondynamic driving by auto-
matically controlling the
steering wheel, engine
and transmission system.
When the DRIVE MODE switch is pressed and the SPORT mode is
selected, the SPORT indicator
(yellow) will illuminate.
When the SPORT mode is activat- ed, and the engine is turned off
and on it will change to NORMAL
mode. To turn on the SPORT
mode, press the DRIVE MODE
switch again.
If the system is activated: - After accelerating and releasingthe accelerator pedal, the gear
and engine speed RPM may not
drop as soon as in NORMAL
mode.
- Up-shifting is delayed.
Information
In SPORT mode, the fuel efficiency
may decrease.
i
SPORT

5-84
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous Driving Conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud or sand:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking
or steering.
If stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-slip
material under the drive wheels to
provide traction when stuck in ice,
snow, or mud.
Rocking the Vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and a for-
ward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and
do not race the engine.
To prevent transmission wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal while
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.If the tires spin at high speed the
tires can explode, and you or oth-
ers may be injured. Do not attempt
this procedure if people or objects
are anywhere near the vehicle.
The vehicle can overheat causing
an engine compartment fire or
other damage. Spin the wheels as
little as possible and avoid spin-
ning the wheels at speeds over 35
mph (56 km/h) as indicated on the
speedometer.
NOTICE
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Downshifting with an automatic
transmission while driving on
slippery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING