2016 Hyundai Sonata Drive

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)

5-24
Driving your vehicle
Paddle Shifter (if equipped)
The paddle shifter is available when
the shift lever is in the D (Drive) posi-
tion or Sports Mode.
With the shift lever in the D posi-
tion
The paddle shifter will operate when
the vehicle speed is more than
6 mph (10 km/h).
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic
mode to manual mode.
The system changes from manual
mode to automatic mode:
When the vehicle speed is lowerthan 6 mph (10 km/h)
If you depress the accelerator pedal for more than 5 seconds
If you move the shift lever from Sports Mode to D (Drive)
With the shift lever in the sports
mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are
pulled at the same time, gear change
may not occur.
i
OLF054014N

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

5-28
Driving your vehicle
Power Brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
You can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than typical. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be longer than
with power brakes.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
B BR
RA
A K
KI
IN
N G
G
S
S Y
Y S
ST
T E
EM
M

Take the following precautions:
Do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
When descending a long or
steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Applying
the brakes continuously will
cause the brakes to overheat
and could result in a tempo-
rary loss of braking perform-
ance.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Wet brakes may impair the
vehicle’s ability to safely slow
down; the vehicle may also
pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Applying
the brakes lightly will indicate
whether they have been
affected in this way. Always
test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep
water. To dry the brakes, light-
ly tap the brake pedal to heat
up the brakes while maintain-
ing a safe forward speed until
brake performance returns to
normal. Avoid driving at high
speeds until the brakes func-
tion correctly.
WARNING

5-29
Driving your vehicle
5
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.
Foot Parking Brake
(if equipped)
Always set the parking brake before
leaving the vehicle, to apply:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Depress the parking brake pedal
down as far as possible.
i
NOTICE
ODH053142
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, do not oper-
ate the parking brake while the
vehicle is moving except in an
emergency situation. It could
damage the brake system and
lead to an accident.
WARNING