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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
unnecessary 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 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

5-126
Driving your vehicle
Information
The ESC system must be turned OFF
before rocking the vehicle.
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 improper-
ly 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
increases the distance needed to
stop your vehicle.
Turn OFF your Cruise Control.
Replace your windshield wiper blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windshield.
Tires should be properly main- tained with at least 2/32nds of an
inch of tread depth. 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 replace-
ment" in chapter 7 .
Turn on your headlamps to make it easier for others to see you.
NOTICE
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Driving your vehicle
5
Driving too fast through large pud-dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe your brakes may be wet, apply them lightly while driv-
ing until normal braking operation
returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the
water. The best advice is SLOW
DOWN when the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increas-
es as the depth of tire tread
decreases, refer to "Tire replace-
ment " in chapter 7.
Driving in Flooded Areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Highway Driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation, as specified.
Under-inflation may overheat or
damage the tires.
Do not install worn-out or damaged
tires, which may reduce traction or
adversely affect vehicle handling.
This could lead to sudden tire failure
that may cause loss of vehicle con-
trol resulting in an accident.
Information
Never over-inflate your tires above the
maximum inflation pressure, as speci-
fied on your tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engineoil
Driving at higher speeds on the high-
way consumes more fuel and is less
efficient than driving at a slower,
more moderate speed. Maintain a
moderate speed in order to conserve
fuel when driving on the highway.
Be sure to check both the engine
coolant level and the engine oil
before driving.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
overheat the engine.
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Driving your vehicle
Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper tire chain use is not cov-
ered by your vehicle manufacturer’s
warranty.
When using tire chains, attach them
to the drive wheels as follows.
2WD : Front wheels
AWD : All four wheels
If a full set of chains are not available
for an AWD vehicle, chains may be
installed on the front wheels only.
Information
• Install tire chains on both left and right front tires. It should be noted
that installing tire chains on the
tires will provide a greater driving
force, but will not prevent side
skids.
• Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and
municipal regulations for possible
restrictions against their use.
Chain installation
When installing tire chains, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions and
mount them as tightly possible. Drive
slowly (less than 20 mph (30 km/h))
with chains installed. If you hear the
chains contacting the body or chas-
sis, stop and tighten them. If they still
make contact, slow down until the
noise stops. Remove the tire chains
as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning Flasher and place a
triangular emergency warning device
behind the vehicle (if available).
Always place the vehicle in P (Park),
apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine before installing snow
chains.i
The use of tire chains may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling:
Drive less than 20 mph
(30 km/h) or the chain manu-
facturer's recommended speed
limit, whichever is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid
bumps, holes, sharp turns,
and other road hazards, which
may cause the vehicle to
bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked
wheel braking.
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
5
Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You will need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane.
Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, move your hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and, if possi-
ble, have someone guide you.
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 sudden
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 occasion-
ally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working. You must also check the
lights every time you disconnect and
then reconnect the wires.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

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Driving your vehicle
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 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transmission
overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer
brakes, 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.To prevent engine and/or trans-
mission 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 "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.
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer attached
to your vehicle, you should not park
your vehicle on a hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking area.
Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the curb (right if head-
ed down hill, left if headed up hill).
2. Shift the vehicle to P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place wheel chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side
of the wheels.
NOTICE

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Driving your vehicle
5
5. Start the vehicle, apply the brakes,shift to neutral, release the park-
ing brake and slowly release the
brakes until the trailer chocks
absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes and parking brakes.
7. Move the shift lever to P (Park).
8. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the
parking brake set.Driving the vehicle after it hasbeen parked on a hill
1. With the gear shift lever in P
(Park), apply the brakes and hold
the brake pedal down while per-
forming the following:
and
2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when trailer tow-
ing
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.
Do not get out of the vehicle
without the parking brake
firmly set. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You and
others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
Do not apply the accelerator
pedal to hold the vehicle on
an uphill.
WARNING

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Driving your vehicle
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.
NOTICE