
5-24
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has six for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.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).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot shift the lever out of P
(Park), see “Shift-Lock Release” on
page 5-27.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
ALWAYS check the surround-
ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle 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, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
Do not use engine braking
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.
WARNING

5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle 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.
NOTICE
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
After the vehicle has stopped,
always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake.
WARNING
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

5-26
Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence, provid-
ing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill, depress
the accelerator further until you feel
the transaxle downshift to a lower
gear.
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 six 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.
• 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 transaxle will
upshift automatically.
(Continued)
i
OGC054003

5-27
Driving your vehicle
5
(Continued)
• If the driver presses the lever to
+ (Up) or - (Down) position, the
transaxle may not make the request-
ed 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 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) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle 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 release
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, and then do the follow-
ing:1. Press the shift-lock release but-
ton.
2. Press and hold the lock release
button on the shift lever.
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer
immediately
OGC054004

5-28
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
transaxle 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 you stay in the vehicle
with the engine running, be
careful not to depress the
accelerator 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.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
Be cautious when parking on
a hill. Firmly engage the park-
ing brake and place the shift
lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse
gear (manual transaxle). If
your vehicle is facing down-
hill, turn the front wheels into
the curb to help keep the vehi-
cle from rolling. If your vehicle
is facing uphill, turn the front
wheels away from the curb to
help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if
it is required by other condi-
tions to keep the vehicle from
rolling, block the wheels.

5-48
Driving your vehicle
S SP
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud or sand:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking
or steering.
If stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-slip
material under the drive wheels to
provide traction when stalled 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 1st and R (Reverse,
for manual transaxle vehicle) or R
(Reverse) and a forward gear (for
automatic transaxle vehicle). Try to
avoid spinning the wheels, and do
not race the engine.
To prevent transaxle 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 transaxle is in gear. Slowly spin-
ning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle. Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery 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 vehicle,
the vehicle can overheat quickly,
possibly causing an engine
compartment fire or other dam-
age. Try to avoid spinning 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 35 mph (56 km/h).
WARNING

To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer and
most auto parts outlets. Do not use
engine coolant or other types of anti-
freeze as these may damage the
paint finish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
If there is a risk the parking brake
may freeze, apply it only temporarily
while you put the shift lever in P
(automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
Don't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
car to be sure the movement of the
front wheels and the steering com-
ponents is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, shovel, jumper cables, window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.
Don't place foreign objects or
materials in the engine com-
partment
Placement of foreign objects or
materials which prevent cooling of
the engine, in the engine compart-
ment, may cause a failure or com-
bustion. The manufacturer is not
responsible for the damage caused
by such placement.
5
Driving your vehicle
5-55
5

4. Connect the jumper cables in the
exact sequence shown in the illus-
tration. First connect one jumper
cable to the red, positive (+)
jumper terminal of your vehicle
(1).
5. Connect the other end of the
jumper cable to the red, positive
(+) battery/jumper terminal of the
assisting vehicle (2).
6. Connect the second jumper cable
to the black, negative (-)
battery/chassis ground of the
assisting vehicle (3).7. Connect the other end of the sec-
ond jumper cable to the black,
negative (-) chassis ground of
your vehicle (4).
Do not allow the jumper cables to
contact anything except the cor-
rect battery or jumper terminals or
the correct ground. Do not lean
over the battery when making
connections.
8. Start the engine of the assisting
vehicle and let it run at approxi-
mately 2,000 rpm for a few min-
utes. Then start your vehicle.
If your vehicle will not start after a
few attempts, it probably requires
servicing. In this event please seek
qualified assistance. If the cause of
your battery discharging is not
apparent, we recommend that your
vehicle be checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.Disconnect the jumper cables in the
exact reverse order you connected
them:
1. Disconnect the jumper cable from
the black, negative (-) chassis
ground of your vehicle (4).
2. Disconnect the other end of the
jumper cable from the black, neg-
ative (-) battery/chassis ground of
the assisting vehicle (3).
3. Disconnect the second jumper
cable from the red, positive (+)
battery/jumper terminal of the
assisting vehicle (2).
4. Disconnect the other end of the
jumper cable from the red, positive
(+) jumper terminal of your vehicle
(1).
6-7
What to do in an emergency
6
OLMB063002/Q
Jumper Terminal Jumper Cables
Booster Battery(-)
(+)(+) (-)
Never connect Jumper Cable
directly to the negative (-) termi-
nal of discharged Battery (Your
Vehicle Battery) or an Explosion
may occur.
WARNING