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Driving your vehicle
5
If you are considering to tow with
your vehicle, you should first check
with your state's Department of
Motor Vehicles to determine legal
requirements. Since laws vary from
state to state the requirements for
towing trailers, vehicles, or other
types of vehicles or apparatus may
differ. Ask an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer for further details before tow-ing.Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requirescorrect equipment, and it has to be
used properly. Damage to your vehi-
cle caused by improper trailer towing
is not covered by your vehicle manu-
facturer’s warranty.
This section contains many time-
tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Please read this
section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
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Take the following precautions:
If you don't use the correct
towing equipment, or if you
drive improperly while towing,
you can lose control of the
vehicle when pulling a trailer.
For example, if the trailer is
too heavy, the braking per-
formance may be reduced.
You and your passengers
could be seriously or fatally
injured. Pull a trailer only if
you have followed all thesteps in this section.
Before towing, make sure the
total trailer weight, GCW
(Gross Combination Weight),
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight),
GAW (Gross Axle Weight ) andtrailer tongue load are all with-in the limits.
WARNING
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Driving your vehicle
If you decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
Consider using a sway control. Youcan ask a trailer hitch dealer about
sway control.
Do not do any towing with your vehicle during its first 1,200 miles
(2,000 km) in order to allow the
engine to properly break in. Failure
to heed this caution may result in
serious engine or transmission
damage.
When towing a trailer, be sure to consult an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer for further information onadditional requirements such as a
towing kit, etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a mod- erate speed (less than 60 mph
(100 km/h)) or posted towingspeed limit.
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 45 mph (70 km/h) or the
posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower.
Carefully observe the weight and load limits provided in the following
pages.
Total trailer weight
What is the maximum safe weight of
a trailer? It should never weigh more
than the maximum trailer weight with
trailer brakes. But even that can be
too heavy. It depends on how you
plan to use your trailer. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how often your vehi-
cle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. The ideal trailer weight can
also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.
Tongue load
The tongue load is an important
weight to measure because it affects
the total Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) of your vehicle. The trailer
tongue should weigh a maximum of
10% of the total loaded trailer weight,
within the limits of the maximum trail-
er tongue load permissible.
After you've loaded your trailer,
weigh the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be
able to correct them simply by mov-
ing some items around in the trailer.
OLMB053047
Tongue Load Total Trailer Weight
OLMB053048
Gross Axle WeightGross Vehicle Weight
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Driving your vehicle
5
Reference weight when towing a trailer
ItemGasoline Engine
1.6 T-GDI 2.0 GDI
2WD 4WD 2WD 4WD
DCT A/T
Maximum trailer weight kg (lbs)
Without brake
system 454 (1000)
With brake system 680 (1500)
Maximum permissible static vertical
load on the coupling device kg (lbs)68 (150)
Take the following precautions:
Never load a trailer with more weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be
loaded with approximately60% of the total trailer load;the rear should be loaded with
approximately 40% of the totaltrailer load.
Never exceed the maximum weight limits of the trailer or
trailer towing equipment.
Improper loading can result in
damage to your vehicle and/or
personal injury. Check weights
and loading at a commercial
scale or highway patrol officeequipped with scales.
WARNING
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Driving your vehicle
Trailer towing equipment
Hitches
It's important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by, and rough roads are
a few reasons why you’ll need the
right hitch. Here are some rules to
follow:
Do you have to make any holes inthe body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, thenbe sure to seal the holes later
when you remove the hitch. If you
don’t seal them, carbon monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get
into your vehicle, as well as dirt
and water.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do notattach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
A HYUNDAI trailer hitch accessory is available at an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
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 thetongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufactur-
er 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
federal and/or local regulations and
that it is properly installed and oper-
ating 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. Do not tap
into your vehicle's brake system.
Trailer brakes must be applied sepa-
rately from your vehicle's brake sys-tem.
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have properly
set up the brake system. Use an
experienced, competent trailer
shop for this work.
WARNING
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Driving your vehicle
5
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
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
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.
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.
Backing up
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 back up slowly and, if possi-
ble, have someone guide you.
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won't strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
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Driving your vehicle
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 panel 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 panel 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 occasion-
ally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working. You must also check the
lights every time you disconnect and
then reconnect the wires.
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 45mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transmission
overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer
brakes, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer. Operating your
vehicle in D (Drive) when towing a
trailer will minimize heat build-up and
extend the life of your transmission.
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 authorized HYUNDAI
dealer for assistance.WARNING
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Driving your vehicle
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To prevent engine and/or trans-
mission overheating:
When towing a trailer on steepgrades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine
coolant temperature gauge toensure 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 theengine to idle until it cools
down. You may proceed once the
engine has cooled sufficiently.
When towing a trailer, your vehi- cle speed may be much slower
than the general flow of traffic,
especially when climbing an
uphill grade. Use the right hand
lane when towing a trailer on an
uphill grade. Choose your vehi-
cle speed according to the max-
imum posted speed limit for
vehicles with trailers, the steep-
ness of the grade, and your trail-er weight.
(Continued)(Continued)
For vehicles equipped with the
Ecoshift dual clutch transmis-
sion, some extra precaution
should be taken when towing a
trailer. Due to the added load on
the transmission when towing a
trailer, the clutches may get hot
if the vehicle experiences exces-
sive upshifting and downshift-ing.
Under certain conditions, such
as repeated stop-and-go launch-
es on steep grades, the trans-
mission clutches may become
overheated. When the clutches
start to become overheated, the
transmission safe protection
mode logic is enabled. If the safe
protection mode logic is
enabled, the gear position indi-
cator on the cluster LCD display
blinks, a chime sounds, and a
warning message will appear.
(Continued)(Continued)
If the Ecoshift dual clutch trans-
mission starts to become over-
heated, the gear shift character-
istics may change. Gear shifts
may become more abrupt. If
continued operation while tow-
ing a trailer includes frequent
and continuous upshifts and
downshifts, the overheat warn-
ing message on the cluster LCD
display may illuminate. If this
occurs, stop the vehicle, apply
the brakes or shift the vehicle to
(P) Park, and allow the transmis-sion to cool.
NOTICE
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Driving your vehicle
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Maintenance when trailer tow- ing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particularattention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition is another important item to
frequently check. If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review these items
before you start your trip. Don't forget
to also maintain your trailer and
hitch. Follow the maintenance sched-
ule that accompanied your trailer and
check it periodically. Preferably,
inspect the vehicle and trailer at the
start of each day's driving. Inspect
the hitch mounting to make sure the
hitch is properly secured to the vehi-
cle. Inspect the trailer electrical
wiring to make sure brake lights, turn
signal lights, running lights, and haz-
ard lights are working properly.To prevent vehicle damage:
Due to higher load during
trailer usage, overheating
might occur on hot days or
during uphill driving. If the
coolant gauge indicates over-
heating, switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle
in a safe area to cool down the
engine.
When towing check the auto- matic transmission fluid more
frequently.
(Note: This is not applicable
for vehicles equipped with the
Ecoshift dual clutch transmis-sion.)
CAUTION