2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid automatic transmission

5-15
Driving your vehicle
5
Manual shift mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, manual shift mode is
selected by pushing the shift lever
from the D (Drive) position into the
manual gate. To return to D (Drive)
range operation, push the shift lever
back into the main gate.In Manual Shift Mode, moving the
shift lever backwards and forwards
will allow you to select the desired
range of gears for the current driving
conditions.
+ (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 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.
• In manual shift mode, the driver must execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions.
(Continued)(Continued)
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain
gearshifts when the shift lever is
operated.
• When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into the
+ (Up) position. This causes the
transmission to shift into the 2nd
gear which is better for smooth driv-
ing on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the - (Down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.
• When accelerating from a stop on a slippery road, push the shift lever
forward into the + (Up) position.
This causes 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.
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+ (UP)
- (DOWN)

5-16
Driving your vehicle
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 hybrid system or placethe Engine Start/Stop button 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. Place the Engine Start/Stop but-
ton in the OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov- ering the shift-lock 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 while holding down the screwdriver.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock override access hole then install
the cap. If you need to use the shift-lock
release, have the system inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
immediately.
OLF057015N

5-18
Driving your vehicle
Information - KickdownMechanism
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(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.
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)
WARNING

5-42
Driving your vehicle
When ECO mode is activated:
The acceleration response may be slightly reduced as the accelerator
pedal is depressed moderately.
The air conditioner performance may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic transmission may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal
conditions when ECO mode is acti-
vated to improve fuel efficiency. Limitation of ECO mode operation:
If the following conditions occur while
ECO mode is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in ECO indicator.
When the coolant temperature is
low:
The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain
power when driving uphill because
engine torque is restricted.
When driving the vehicle with the automatic transmission gear shift
lever in manual shift mode:
The system will be limited accord-
ing to the shift location.
When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed for a few seconds:
The system will be limited, judging
that the driver wants to speed up.
SPORT mode
SPORT mode managesthe driving dynamics by
automatically adjusting the
steering effort, the engine
and transmission control
logic for enhanced driver
performance.
When SPORT mode is selected by pressing the DRIVE MODE button,
the SPORT indicator will illuminate.
Whenever the engine is restarted, the Drive Mode will revert back to
ECO mode. If SPORT mode is
desired, re-select SPORT mode
from the DRIVE MODE button.
When SPORT mode is activated: - The engine rpm will tend to remainraised over a certain length of time
even after releasing the accelerator
- Upshifts are delayed when accel- erating
Information
In SPORT mode, the fuel efficiency
may decrease.
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5-44
When ECO mode is activated:
The acceleration response may beslightly reduced as the accelerator
pedal is depressed moderately.
The air conditioner performance may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic transmission may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal
conditions when ECO mode is acti-
vated to improve fuel efficiency. Limitation of ECO mode operation:
If the following conditions occur while
ECO mode is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in ECO indicator.
When the coolant temperature is
low:
The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain
power when driving uphill because
engine torque is restricted.
When driving the vehicle with the automatic transmission gear shift
lever in manual shift mode:
The system will be limited accord-
ing to the shift location.
When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed for a few seconds:
The system will be limited, judging
that the driver wants to speed up.
Driving your vehicle

5-101
Driving your vehicle
5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud and sand, take the
below suggestions:
Drive cautiously and keep a longerbraking 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.
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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 35 mph
(56 km/h).
WARNING

6-33
What to do in an emergency
Use a towing cable or chain lessthan 16 feet (5 m) long. Attach a
white or red cloth (about 12 inches
(30 cm) wide) in the middle of the
cable or chain for easy visibility.
Drive carefully so the towing cable or chain remains tight during tow-
ing.
Before towing, check the automat- ic transmission for fluid leaks under
your vehicle. If the automatic trans-
mission fluid is leaking, flatbed
equipment or a towing dolly must
be used.
6
ODH063025
To avoid damage to your vehicle
and vehicle components when
towing:
Always pull straight ahead
when using the towing hooks.
Do not pull from the side or at
a vertical angle.
Do not use the towing hooks
to pull a vehicle out of mud,
sand or other conditions from
which the vehicle cannot be
driven out under its own
power.
Limit the vehicle speed to 10
mph (15 km/h) and drive less
than 1 mile (1.5 km) when tow-
ing to avoid serious damage
to the automatic transmis-
sion.
CAUTION

7-5
7
Maintenance
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The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer at the frequen-
cies indicated to help ensure safe,
dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance vehicle
checks are generally not covered by
warranties and you may be charged
for labor, parts and lubricants used.
Performing maintenance work
on a vehicle can be dangerous.
If you lack sufficient knowledge
and experience or the proper
tools and equipment to do the
work, have it done by an author-
ized HYUNDAI dealer. ALWAYS
follow these precautions for
performing maintenance work:
Park your vehicle on level
ground, move the shift lever
into the P (Park, for automatic
transmission vehicle) posi-
tion, apply the parking brake,
place the Engine Start/Stop
button in the OFF position.
Block the tires (front and back)
to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
Remove loose clothing or jew-
elry that can become entan-
gled in moving parts.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If you must run the engine
during maintenance, do so
out doors or in an area with
plenty of ventilation.
Keep flames, sparks, or smok-
ing materials away from the
battery and fuel-related parts.
When you open the engine
hood, turn the hybrid system
off. If not, It may result in death
or serious injury because of
the high voltage flow.