2016 Hyundai Sonata trailer

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

5-76
Driving your vehicle
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer
attached to your vehicle, you should
not park your vehicle on a hill.However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here's how to do
it:
1.Pull the vehicle into the parking
space.
Turn the steering wheel in the
direction of the kerb.
2.Shift the vehicle to P (Park, for
automatic transaxle vehicle) or
neutral (for manual transaxle vehi-
cle).
3.Set the parking brake and turn off
the vehicle.
4.Place wheel chocks under the trail-
er wheels on the down hill side of
the wheels.
5.Start the vehicle, hold the brakes,
shift to neutral, release the parking
brake and slowly release the
brakes until the trailer chocks
absorb the load.
6.Reapply the brakes and parking
brakes.7.Move the shift lever to P (Park, for
automatic transaxle vehicle) or 1st
gear when the vehicle is parked on
a uphill grade and in R (Reverse)
on a downhill (for manual transaxle
vehicle).
8.Turn off the vehicle and release the
vehicle brakes but leave the park-
ing brake set.
To prevent serious or fatal
injury:
Do not get out of the vehicle
without the parking brake firmly
set. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You and others could
be seriously or fatally injured.
WARNING

5-77
Driving your vehicle
5
Ready to leave after parking on
a hill
1.With the shift lever to P (Park, for
automatic transaxle vehicle) or
neutral (for manual transaxle vehi-
cle), apply your brakes and hold
the brake pedal down whilst you:
• Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
2.Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3.Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4.Stop and have someone pick up
and store the chocks.
Maintenance when towing a
trailer
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant
and cooling system fluid. Brake con-
dition is another important item to
frequently check. If you are planning
a trip with a trailer, it's a good idea to
review these items before you start
your trip. Don't forget to also maintain
your trailer and towbar. Follow the
maintenance schedule that accom-
panied your trailer and check it peri-
odically. Preferably, conduct the
check at the start of each day's driv-
ing. Most importantly, all towbar nuts
and bolts should be tight.To prevent vehicle damage:
• Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
on hot days or during uphill driv-
ing. If the coolant gauge indi-
cates over-heating, switch off
the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.
• When towing check automatic
transaxle fluid more frequently.
NOTICE

6-16
What to do in an emergency
When driving with the compact spare
tyre mounted to your vehicle:
• Check the tyre pressure after
installing the compact spare tyre.
The compact spare tyre should be
inflated to 420 kPa (60 psi).
• Do not take this vehicle through an
automatic car wash whilst the com-
pact spare tyre is installed.
• Do not use the compact spare tyre
on any other vehicle because this
tyre has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
• The compact spare tyre’s tread life
is shorter than a regular tyre.
Inspect your compact spare tyre
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tyres with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
• Do not use more than one compact
spare tyre at a time.
• Do not tow a trailer whilst the com-
pact spare tyre is installed.When the original tyre and wheel
are repaired and reinstalled on the
vehicle, the nut torque must be set
correctly. The correct nut tighten-
ing torque is 9-11 kg.m (65-79
lb.ft).
NOTICE
To prevent damaging the com-
pact spare tyre and your vehi-
cle:
•Drive slowly enough for the
road conditions to avoid all
hazards, such as a potholes
or debris.
•Avoid driving over obstacles.
The compact spare tyre diam-
eter is smaller than the diame-
ter of a conventional tyre and
reduces the ground clearance
approximately 25 mm (1 inch).
•Do not use tyre chains on the
compact spare tyre. Because
of the smaller size, a tyre
chain will not fit properly.
•Do not use the compact spare
tyre on any other wheels, nor
should standard tyres, snow
tyres, wheel covers or trim
rings be used with the com-
pact spare wheel.
CAUTION

7-15
7
MaintenanceSevere driving conditions
A : Repeatedly driving short distances of less than 8 km in nor-
mal temperatures or less than 16 km in freezing tempera-
tures
B : Extensive engine idling or low speed driving for long dis-
tances
C : Driving on rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved, gravelled or salt
spread roads
D : Driving in areas using salt or other corrosive materials or in
very cold weather
E : Driving in sandy areasF : Driving in heavy traffic area over 32°C (90°F)
G : Driving on uphill, downhill, or mountain roads repeatedly
H : Towing a trailer, or using a camper or roof rack
I : Driving for patrol vehicle, taxi, commercial vehicle or vehicle
towing
J : Driving over 140 km/h
K : Driving over 170 km/h
L : Frequently driving in stop-and-go conditions
Maintenance itemMaintenance
operationMaintenance intervalsDriving condition
Disc brakes and pads, calipers and rotorsIInspect more frequently
depending on the conditionC, D, E, G, H
Parking brakeIInspect more frequently
depending on the conditionC, D, G, H
Driveshaft and bootsIInspect more frequently
depending on the conditionC, D, E, F, G, H, I
Automatic transaxle fluidREvery 100,000 kmA, C, F, G, I
Climate control air filter (if equipped)RReplace more frequently
depending on the conditionC, E