2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Owner's Manual

5-11
Driving your vehicle
5
Information
If the smart key battery is weak or the
smart key does not work correctly,
you can start the hybrid system by
pressing the Engine Start/Stop button
with the smart key in the direction of
the picture above.
i
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5-12
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transmission opera-
tion
The automatic transmission has 6
forward speeds and one reverse
speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.
A AU
U T
TO
O M
M A
AT
TI
IC
C
T
T R
R A
A N
N S
SM
M I
IS
S S
SI
IO
O N
N
The shift lever can freely operate. Depress the brake pedal and press the shift button while moving the shift lever.
Press the shift button while moving the shift lever.
Manual shift mode
+
+
+
+




(
(
(
(
U
U
U
U
P
P
P
P
)
)
)
)
-
-
-
-




(
(
(
(
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
W
W
W
W
N
N
N
N
)
)
)
)
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5-13
Driving your vehicle
5
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the Engine Start/Stop button 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"
in this chapter.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the hybrid system 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 Engine
Start/Stop button in the OFF
position. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed.
Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.
When using Manual Shift
Mode: Do not shift from a high
gear to lower gear rapidly on
slippery roads. The vehicle
may slip causing an accident.
WARNING
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
hybrid system off.
Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake.
WARNING

5-14
Driving your vehicle
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
transmission if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission 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 driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a 6-gear sequence, pro-
viding the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill, depress
the accelerator fully. The transmis-
sion will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear (or gears, as
appropriate).
The DRIVE MODE switch, located on
the shift lever console, allows the driv-
er to switch from NORMAL mode to
SPORT or ECO mode.
For more information, refer to
"Drive Mode Integrated Control
System" later in this chapter.
NOTICE
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work
and lead to an accident.
WARNING

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.
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5-17
Driving your vehicle
5
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 Engine Start/Stop but-
ton in the 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
transmission 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.
Always apply the parking brake when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transmis-
sion in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
from moving. 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
may cause loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator.
When you stay in the vehicle
with the engine running, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator 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.
WARNING

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