2020 Hyundai Sonata Owner's Manual

6-13
06
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Automatic Transmission Operation
The automatic transmission has eight forward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected automatically in the D (Drive) position.
WARNING
The automatic transmission shift button or interior parts might get hot when a
vehicle is parked outside during hot weather. Always be careful when the vehicle is
hot.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

While Driving6-14
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the gear position when the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or
death:
• ALWAYS check the surrounding
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 gear is in
the P (Park) position, then set
the parking brake, and place the
ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF
position. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed.
• If equipped, do not use the engine
brake (shifting from a high gear to
lower gear using the paddle shifters)
rapidly on slippery roads.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting in
to 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.
The gear must be in P (Park) before
turning the engine off.
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 gear is in P (Park),
apply the parking brake, and turn
the engine off.
• Do not use the P (Park) position in
place of the parking brake.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backw

ard.
NOTICE
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.
When the vehicle is stopped in
R (Reverse) position, if you open
the driver's door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear is shifted to P (Park)
position automatically.
However when the vehicle moves
in R (Reverse) position, if you open
the driver's door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear may be not shifted
to P (Park) position automatically for
protecting the automatic transmission.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.
U

se 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.
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.

06
6-15
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position. The
tr
ansmission will automatically shift
through a 8-gear sequence, providing
the best fuel economy and power.
To start the vehicle forward, push the D
(Drive) button by depressing the brake
pedal with the engine ON. Then depress
the accelerator pedal smoothly.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or driving uphill, depress the
accelerator fully. The transmission will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear (or gears, as appropriate).
When the vehicle is stopped in D (Drive)
position, if you open the driver's door
with the seat belt unfastened, the gear is
shifted to P (Park) position automatically.
However when the vehicle moves in D
(Drive) position, if you open the driver's
door with the seat belt unfastened, the
gear may not shift to P (Park) position
automatically to protect the automatic
transmission.
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transmission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the gear from
P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse)
or D (Drive) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the gear from P (Park) or N
(Neutral) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the ignition switch in the ON position.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the R (Reverse) or D (Drive) button.
Stay in N (Neutral) position when
engine is Off
ODN8069006ODN8069006
ODN8069008ODN8069008If you want to keep the N (Neutral)
position after the engine is OFF, do the
following.
1. Deactivate the AUTO HOLD and release the parking brake when the
ignition switch is ON.
2. Start the engine. Push the N (neutral) button while depressing the brake
pedal. If the message ("Press and
hold OK button to stay in Neutral
when vehicle is OFF") appears on the
cluster LCD display, press and hold
the OK button on the steering wheel
for more than 1 second.
3. When the message ("Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear to cancel")
appears on the cluster LCD display,
turn off the engine.
In this situation, if you unfasten the
driver's seat belt and open the driver's
door within 3 minutes, the gear stays in
the N (Neutral) position and the ignition
switch is turned off.

While Driving6-16
When the battery is discharged:
You cannot shift the gear when the
battery is discharged.
In emergencies, do the following to
move the shift button to N (Neutral) on a
level ground.
1. Connect the battery cables from another vehicle or from a another
battery to the jump-starting terminals
inside the engine compartment.
For more information refer to "Jump Starting" in chapter 7.
2. Release the parking brake with the Engine Start/Stop button in the ON
position.
3. Shift the gear to the N(Neutral) position. Refer to the "Stay in Neutral
when vehicle is Off" in this chapter.
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Press the P button, apply the parking
brake, and place the ignition switch in
the LOCK/OFF position. Take the Key
with you when exiting the vehicle.
• The gear is shifted to P (Park) position automatically for safety under the
following conditions.
- When the driver unfastens the seat belt and opens the driver’s door.
- When the engine is turned off with the gear shifted to R (Reverse), D
(Drive) or N (Neutral).
WARNING
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 flammable
materials, such as dry grass, paper or
leaves. They may ignite and cause a fire.

06
6-17
LCD Display Message
Shifting conditions not met
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when engine RPM is too
high, or when driving speed is too fast to
shift the gear.
We recommend you decrease the engine
speed or slow down before shifting the
gear.
Press brake pedal to change gear
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the brake pedal is not
depressed while shifting the gear.
We recommend you to depress the brake
pedal and then shift the gear.
Shift to P after stopping
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the gear is shifted to P
(Park) while the vehicle is moving.
Stop the vehicle before shifting to P
(Park).
PARK engaged
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the gear is shifted to P
(Park) while the vehicle is moving.
Stop the vehicle before shifting to P
(Park).
Press and hold OK button to stay in
Neutral when vehicle is Off
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when pushing the N
(Neutral) button. If you want to stay N
(Neutral) after turning off the engine,
press and hold the “OK” button on the
steering wheel more than 1 second.
Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear
to cancel
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when depressing the "OK"
button on the steering wheel after the
message ("Press and hold OK button
to stay in Neutral when vehicle is Off")
appears on the cluster LCD display. The
gear stays in N(Neutral) position after
turning off the engine.
NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) position is
engaged.
Gear already selected
The message appears on the LCD
display, when pushing the current shift
button again.
Shift button held down
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the shift button is
pressed continuously or the shift button
does not properly operate. Clean the
surroundings of gear shift button.
If this message appears again, have
the vehicle inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Shifter system malfunction
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the transmission
or the shift button does not properly
operate in the P (Park) position.
In this case, have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Check shift controls
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when there is a malfunction
with transmission shift button.
In this case, have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

While Driving6-18
Good Driving Practices
• Never shift the gear from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other position with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
• Never shift the gear 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 shift the gear 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.
• When driving in the manual shift mode, slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.
• Always apply the parking brake when leaving the vehicle. Do not depend on
placing the transmission 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. WARNING
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 belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering 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.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the t ravel lanes.
• HYUNDAI recommends you follow all
posted speed limits.

06
6-19
Paddle Shifter
(Manual Shift Mode)
(if equipped)
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The paddle shifter is available when the
gear is in the D (Drive) position.
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once to
shift up or down one gear and the system
changes from automatic shift mode to
manual shift mode.
To change back to the automatic shift
mode from manual shift mode, do one of
the following:
• Gently depress the accelerator pedal for more than 5 seconds.
• Drive the vehicle under 6 mph (10 km/h).
• Pull and hold the right side paddle shifter.
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are pulled
at the same time, gear shift may not occur.

While Driving6-20
BRAKE SYSTEM
Power Brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the brakes will not work. You can still
stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than typical.
The stopping distance, however, will be
longer than with power brakes.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied.
Do not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Only pump the brakes on slippery
surfaces if the power assist has been
interrupted to maintain steering control.
Do not pump the brakes on slippery
surfaces if the brakes are operating
normally.
WARNING
Take the following precautions:
• Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. This will create
abnormal high brake temperatures,
excessive brake lining and pad wear,
and increased stopping distances.
• When descending down a long or
steep hill, move the gear shift button
to Manual Shift Mode and manually
downshift to a lower gear in order
to control your speed without using
the brake pedal excessively. Applying
the brakes continuously will cause
the brakes to overheat and could
result in a temporary loss of braking
performance.
• Wet brakes may impair the vehicle's
ability to safely slow down; the
vehicle may also pull to one side
when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test your
brakes in this fashion after driving
through deep water. To dry the
brakes, lightly tap the brake pedal to
heat up the brakes while maintaining
a safe forward speed until brake
performance returns to normal.
Avoid driving at high speeds until the
brakes function correctly.
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.
NOTICE
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not
continue to drive with worn brake pads.
Information
Always replace brake pads as complete
front or rear axle sets.