2017 Hyundai Elantra overheating

5-78
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud and sand, take the
bellow suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and keep a longer
braking distance.
• Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
• When your vehicle is stuck in snow,
mud, or sand, use second gear.
Accelerate slowly to avoid unnec-
essary wheel spin.
• Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or
other non-slip materials under the
wheels to provide additional trac-
tion while the vehicle becomes
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.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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
If the vehicle is stuck and
excessive wheel spin occurs,
the temperature in the tires can
increase very quickly. If the tires
become damaged, a tire blow
out or tire explosion can occur.
This condition is dangerous -
you and others may be injured.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehi-
cle, the vehicle can overheat
quickly, possibly causing an
engine compartment fire or
other damage. Try to avoid spin-
ning the wheels as much as
possible to prevent overheating
of either the tires or the engine.
DO NOT allow the vehicle to
spin the wheels above 56 km/h
(35 mph).
WARNING

5-79
Driving your vehicle
5
Information
The ESC system (if equipped) must be
turned OFF before rocking the vehi-
cle.
If you are still stuck after rocking
the vehicle a few times, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle
to avoid engine overheating, pos-
sible damage to the transmission,
and tire damage. See "Towing" in
chapter 6.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration.
Driving at night
Night driving presents more hazards
than driving in the daylight. Here are
some important tips to remember:
• Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lamps.
• Keep your headlamps clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlamps will make it
much more difficult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the head-
lamps of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or
on slick pavement:
• Slow down and allow extra follow-
ing distance. A heavy rainfall
makes it harder to see and increas-
es the distance needed to stop
your vehicle.
• Turn OFF your Cruise Control. (if
equipped)
• Replace your windshield wiper
blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windshield.
• Be sure your tires have enough
tread. If your tires do not have
enough tread, making a quick stop
on wet pavement can cause a skid
and possibly lead to an accident.
See "Tire Tread" in chapter 7.
• Turn on your headlamps to make it
easier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
NOTICE
i

5-93
Driving your vehicle
5
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 sud-
den maneuvers. 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 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
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.
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 (45 mph) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transmission
overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transmission, 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

5-94
Driving your vehicle
To prevent engine and/or transmis-
sion (transmission) 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 “130 or 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.
• 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
dual clutch transmission, some
extra precaution should be
taken when towing a trailer. Due
to the added load on the trans-
mission when towing a trailer,
the clutches may get hot if the
vehicle experiences excessive
upshifting and downshifting.
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 dual clutch transmission
starts to become overheated,
the gear shift characteristics
may change. Gear shifts may
become more abrupt. If contin-
ued operation while towing a
trailer includes frequent and
continuous upshifts and down-
shifts, the overheat warning
message on the cluster LCD dis-
play 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

5-96
Driving your vehicle
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 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 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 the automat-
ic transmission fluid more fre-
quently. (Note: This is not appli-
cable for vehicles equipped with
the dual clutch transmission.)
• If your vehicle is not equipped
with an air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan
to improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.
NOTICE

6-8
What to do in an emergency
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you experience a loss
of power, or hear loud pinging or
knocking, the engine may be over-
heating. If this happens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon
as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (Park, for
automatic transmission vehicle) or
neutral (for manual transmission
vehicle) and set the parking brake.
If the air conditioning is ON, turn it
OFF.
3. If engine coolant is running out
under the vehicle or steam is com-
ing out from the hood, stop the
engine. Do not open the hood until
the coolant has stopped running
or the steaming has stopped. If
there is no visible loss of engine
coolant and no steam, leave the
engine running and check to be
sure the engine cooling fan is
operating. If the fan is not running,
turn the engine off.4. Check for coolant leaking from the
radiator, hoses or under the vehi-
cle. (If the air conditioning had been
in use, it is normal for cold water to
be draining from it when you stop.)
5. If engine coolant is leaking out, stop
the engine immediately and we rec-
ommend that you call an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer for assistance.
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
While the engine is
running, keep hands,
clothing and tools
away from the mov-
ing parts such as the
cooling fan and drive
belt to prevent seri-
ous injury.
WARNING
NEVER remove the
radiator cap or the
drain plug while the
engine and radiator
are hot. Hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure, causing serious injury.
Turn the engine off and wait
until the engine cools down.
Use extreme care when remov-
ing the radiator cap. Wrap a
thick towel around it, and turn it
counterclockwise slowly to the
first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you are
sure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the
cap, using a thick towel, and
continue turning counterclock-
wise to remove it.
WARNING

6-9
What to do in an emergency
6
6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to nor-
mal. Then, if coolant has been
lost, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir to bring the fluid level in
the reservoir up to the halfway
mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping
alert for further signs of overheat-
ing. If overheating happens again,
we recommend that you call an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer for
assistance.
•Serious loss of coolant indi-
cates a leak in the cooling
system and we recommend
the system be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
•When the engine overheats
from low engine coolant, sud-
denly adding engine coolant
may cause cracks in the
engine. To prevent damage,
add engine coolant slowly in
small quantities.
CAUTION