
5-21
Driving your vehicle
5
Disc Brakes Wear Indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high pitched warning sound from
your front or rear brakes. You may
hear this sound come and go or it
may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Note that some driving conditions or
climates may cause a brake squeal
when you first apply (or lightly apply)
the brakes. This is normal and does
not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with worn
brake pads.
Information
Always replace brake pads as com-
plete front or rear axle sets.
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB)
Applying the parking brake
To apply the EPB
(Electronic Parking Brake):
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Pull up the EPB switch.
Make sure the Parking Brake
Warning Light comes on.
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OTM058016
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, do not oper-
ate the EPB while the vehicle is
moving except in an emergency
situation. It could damage the
brake system and lead to an
accident.
WARNING

5-34
Driving your vehicle
Indicator lights
When the ignition switch is placed to
the ON position, the ESC indicator
light illuminates, then goes off if the
ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever the ESC is operating.
If ESC indicator light stays on, your
vehicle may have a malfunction with
the ESC system. When this warning
light illuminates have your vehicle
checked by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer as soon as possible.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off.Driving with wheels and tires with
different sizes may cause the ESC
system to malfunction. Before
replacing tires, make sure all four
tires and wheels are the same
size. Never drive the vehicle with
different sized wheels and tires
installed.
ESC OFF usage
When Driving
The ESC OFF mode should only be
used briefly to help free the vehicle if
stuck in snow or mud by temporarily
stopping operation of the ESC to
maintain wheel torque.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving on
a flat road surface.
To prevent damage to the trans-
mission:
Do not allow wheel(s) of one
axle to spin excessively while
the ESC, ABS, and parking brake
warning lights are displayed.
The repairs would not be cov-
ered by the vehicle warranty.
Reduce engine power and do
not spin the wheel(s) excessive-
ly while these lights are dis-
played.
When operating the vehicle on a dynamometer, make sure the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated).
NOTICENOTICE
■ ESC indicator light (blinks)
■ ESC OFF indicator light (comes on)When the ESC is blinking, this
indicates the ESC is active:
Drive slowly and NEVER attempt
to accelerate. NEVER turn the
ESC off while the ESC indicator
light is blinking or you may lose
control of the vehicle resulting in
an accident.
WARNING

5-133
Driving your vehicle
5
If you are considering to tow with your
vehicle, you should first check with
your state's Department of Motor
Vehicles to determine legal require-
ments. Since laws vary from state to
state the requirements for towing
trailers, vehicles, or other types of
vehicles or apparatus may differ. Ask
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer for
further details before towing.
Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requires
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly. Damage to your vehi-
cle caused by improper trailer towing
is not covered by your vehicle manu-
facturer’s warranty.
This section contains many time-
tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Please read this
section carefully before you pull a
trailer.If you decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
Consider using a sway control. Youcan ask a trailer hitch dealer about
sway control.
Do not do any towing with your vehicle during its first 1,200 miles
(2,000 km) in order to allow the
engine to properly break in. Failure
to heed this caution may result in
serious engine or transmission
damage.
When towing a trailer, be sure to consult an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer for further information on
additional requirements such as a
towing kit, etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a mod- erate speed (less than 60 mph
(100 km/h)) or posted towing
speed limit.
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 45 mph (70 km/h) or the
posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower.
Carefully observe the weight and load limits provided in the following
pages.
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Take the following precautions:
If you don't use the correct
towing equipment, or if you
drive improperly while towing,
you can lose control of the
vehicle when pulling a trailer.
For example, if the trailer is
too heavy, the braking per-
formance may be reduced.
You and your passengers
could be seriously or fatally
injured. Pull a trailer only if
you have followed all the
steps in this section.
Before towing, make sure the
total trailer weight, GCW
(Gross Combination Weight),
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight),
GAW (Gross Axle Weight ) and
trailer tongue load are all with-
in the limits.
When you tow a trailer, make
sure to turn off the ISG sys-
tem.
WARNING

5-134
Driving your vehicle
Total trailer weight
What is the maximum safe weight of
a trailer? It should never weigh more
than the maximum trailer weight with
trailer brakes. But even that can be
too heavy. It depends on how you
plan to use your trailer. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how often your vehi-
cle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. The ideal trailer weight can
also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.
Tongue load
The tongue load is an important
weight to measure because it affects
the total Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) of your vehicle. The trailer
tongue should weigh a maximum of
10% of the total loaded trailer weight,
within the limits of the maximum trail-
er tongue load permissible.
After you've loaded your trailer,
weigh the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be
able to correct them simply by mov-
ing some items around in the trailer.
OLMB053047
Tongue LoadTotal Trailer Weight
OLMB053048
Gross Axle WeightGross Vehicle Weight
Take the following precautions:
Never load a trailer with more
weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be
loaded with approximately
60% of the total trailer load;
the rear should be loaded with
approximately 40% of the total
trailer load.
Never exceed the maximum
weight limits of the trailer or
trailer towing equipment.
Improper loading can result in
damage to your vehicle and/or
personal injury. Check weights
and loading at a commercial
scale or highway patrol office
equipped with scales.
WARNING

5-139
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

5-141
Driving your vehicle
5
Two labels on your driver's door sill
show how much weight your vehicle
was designed to carry: the Tire and
Loading Information Label and the
Certification Label.
Before loading your vehicle, familiar-
ize yourself with the following terms
for determining your vehicle’s weight
ratings, from the vehicle's specifica-
tions and the Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight
This is the weight of the vehicle
including a full tank of fuel and all
standard equipment. It does not
include passengers, cargo, or option-
al equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight
This is the weight of your new vehicle
when you picked it up from your deal-
er plus any aftermarket equipment.Cargo Weight
This figure includes all weight added
to the Base Curb Weight, including
cargo and optional equipment.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)
This is the total weight placed on
each axle (front and rear) - including
vehicle curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single
axle (front or rear). These numbers
are shown on the Certification Label.
The total load on each axle must
never exceed its GAWR.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
This is the Base Curb Weight plus
actual Cargo Weight plus passen-
gers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle
(including all options, equipment,
passengers and cargo). The GVWR
is shown on the Certification Label
located on the driver’s door sill.
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Driving your vehicle
5
Certification label
The certification label is located on
the driver’s door sill at the center pil-
lar and shows the maximum allow-
able weight of the fully loaded vehi-
cle. This is called the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel and cargo.
This label also tells you the maxi-
mum weight that can be supported
by the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).The total weight of the vehicle,
including all occupants, accessories,
cargo, and trailer tongue load must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out
the actual loads on your front and
rear axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Be
sure to spread out your load equally
on both sides of the centerline.
OBH059070
Overloading
Never exceed the GVWR for
your vehicle, the GAWR for
either the front or rear axle
and vehicle capacity weight.
Exceeding these ratings can
affect your vehicle’s handling
and braking ability, and cause
an accident.
Do not overload your vehicle.
Overloading your vehicle can
cause heat buildup in your
vehicle’s tires and possible
tire failure, increased stop-
ping distances and poor vehi-
cle handling-all of which may
result in a crash.
WARNING
![Hyundai Santa Fe 2020 Owners Manual 6-21
What to do in an emergency
6
Towing Service
[A] : Dollies
If emergency towing is necessary,
we recommend having it done by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper l Hyundai Santa Fe 2020 Owners Manual 6-21
What to do in an emergency
6
Towing Service
[A] : Dollies
If emergency towing is necessary,
we recommend having it done by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper l](/manual-img/35/16315/w960_16315-440.png)
6-21
What to do in an emergency
6
Towing Service
[A] : Dollies
If emergency towing is necessary,
we recommend having it done by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing procedures
are necessary to prevent damage to
the vehicle. The use of wheel dollies
or flatbed is recommended.On 2WD vehicles, it is acceptable to
tow the vehicle with the rear wheels
on the ground (without dollies) and
the front wheels off the ground. If any
of the loaded wheels or suspension
components are damaged or the
vehicle is being towed with the front
wheels on the ground, use a towing
dolly under the front wheels.
When being towed by a commercial
tow truck and wheel dollies are not
used, the front of the vehicle should
always be lifted, not the rear.
If your vehicle is an AWD vehicle, it
must be towed with a wheel lift and
dollies or flatbed equipment with all
the wheels off the ground.
An AWD vehicle should never be
towed with the wheels on the
ground. This can cause serious
damage to the transaxle or the
AWD system.
Do not tow the vehicle with the
front wheels on the ground as
this may cause damage to the
vehicle.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Use a wheel lift or
flatbed equipment.
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