2017 Hyundai Elantra GT Owner's Manual

513
Driving your vehicle
CAUTION
Do not press the enginestart/stop button for more than5 seconds except when the stoplamp fuse is disconnected.

Driving your vehicle
14
5
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 6 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the
shift knob. The transaxle is fully syn-
chronized in all forward gears so
shifting to either a higher or a lower
gear at the appropriate engine RPM,
is easily accomplished.
To shift gears, press the clutch pedal
down fully, select the desired gear
with the gearshift lever, and release
the clutch pedal slowly.
The engine will not start without
depressing the clutch pedal.
The shift lever must be returned to
the neutral position before shifting
into R (Reverse). The button (1)
located at the bottom front of the shift
knob must be pressed and held in
while moving the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) position.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OMD050009
The shift lever can be moved into any of
the forward gears without pressing the
button (1).
The button (1) must be pressed and held
in to move the shift lever into reverse.
CAUTION
When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear, cautionshould be taken not to inadver-tently press the shift lever side-ways in such a manner that thesecond gear is engaged. Sucha drastic downshift may causethe engine speed to increase tothe point that the tachometerwill enter the red-zone. Suchover-revving may damage theengine and transaxle.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gearwhen the engine is running athigh speed (5,000 RPM or high-er). Such downshifting maydamage the engine, clutch andthe transaxle.
When shifting from 5
thgear to
6th gear or from 6thgear to 5th
gear, push the shift lever to the right while shifti ng, otherwise
the shift lever might move to 3
th
gear or 4thgear and it may dam-
age the engine and transaxle.

515
Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting maybe difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant is warmed up. This is normal
and not harmful to the transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop and it is difficult to shift into 1st or
R (Reverse), leave the shift lever in
the neutral position and release the
clutch. Depress the clutch pedal
and then shift into 1st or R
(Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be depressed all
the way to the floor before shifting,
then released slowly. The clutch
pedal should always be fully
released while driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal while
driving. This can cause unnecessary
wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an
incline. This causes unnecessary
wear. Use the foot brake or parking
brake to hold the vehicle on an
incline. Do not operate the clutch
pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
Downshifting
It is important to downshift when you
must slow down in heavy traffic or
while driving up or down steep hills.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration.
When the vehicle is traveling down
steep hills, downshifting helps main-
tain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
Then make sure the transaxle is
shifted into 1st gear when the
vehicle is parked on a level or
uphill grade, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed in
the order identified.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do notdrive with your foot resting onthe clutch pedal. Also, do notuse the clutch to hold thevehicle stopped on an uphillgrade while waiting for a traf-fic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, asthis can result in prematurewear of the transaxle shiftforks.
(Continued)
(Continued) When operating the clutch pedal, press the clutch pedalfully.
If you don't press the clutchpedal fully, the clutch may bedamaged.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear
and coast down a hill. This is
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, shift to a
lower gear. When you do this,
engine braking will help slow down
the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid
over-revving the engine, which can
cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much
better control of your vehicle.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse). The transaxle can
be damaged if you do not. 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
the vehicle to go out of control.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a colli-sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than
a properly belted 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.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed limits.

517
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 6 for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically, depending on the
position of the shift lever.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be pressed.
✽ ✽NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transaxle Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
OGD051011
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button (1) when shifting, if your vehicle
is equipped shift lock system. The shift lever can be shifted without depressing the lock release button (1).
The lock release button (1) must be depressed while moving the shift lever.

Driving your vehicle
18
5
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear. Transaxle ranges
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). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the drive wheels from rotating.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a car 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 fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your transaxle, do not acceleratethe engine in R (Reverse) orany forward gear position withthe brakes on.
When stopped on an incline, do not hold the vehicle sta-tionary with engine power.Use the service brake or theparking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.

519
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except as explained in“Rocking the vehicle” in thissection.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
may cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position and set the
parking brake fully.
Never leave a child unattend- ed in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damagedif you shift into P (Park) whilethe vehicle is in motion.

Driving your vehicle
20
5
Manual shift 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 make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward
once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• In sports mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions.
• In sports mode, only the 6 forward gears can be selected. To reverse
or park the vehicle, move the shift
lever to the R (Reverse) or P
(Park) position as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone, the
transaxle will upshift automatically.
• To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
• When accelerating from a stop on a slippery road, push the shift lever
forward into the +(up) position.
This causes the transaxle 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.
Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the car.
OGD051013
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode