2021 HYUNDAI I20 Owners Manual

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Driving your vehicle
i Information
• Only the eight forward gears can be
selected. 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 automatically
selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches the
red zone the transmission will upshift
automatically.
• If the driver presses the lever to + (Up)
or - (Down) position, the transmission
may not make the requested gear
change if the next gear is outside of the
allowable engine rpm range. The driver
must execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine rpms below the red
zone.
• 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 driving on a slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the - (Down) side
to shift back to the 1st gear.
• When driving in 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.
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the Intelligent Variable
Transmission (IVT) has a shift-lock
system which prevents shifting the
transmission 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 engine or place the ignition
switch in the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.

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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 depressing the brake, and then
do the following:
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1. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK/
OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Push the shift-lock release button.
4. Move the shift lever while pushing the
shift-lock release button.
5. Stop pushing the shift-lock release
button.
6. Depress the brake pedal, and then
restart the engine.
If you need to use the shift-lock release,
we recommend that the system be
inspected by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer immediately.
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 ignition switch in the LOCK/
OFF position. Take the Key with you
when exiting the vehicle.
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.

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Driving your 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.
• Driving uphill or downhill, always shift
to D (Drive) when driving forward or to
R (Reverse) when driving backwards,
and check the gear position indicated
on the cluster before driving. If you
drive in the opposite direction of the
selected gear, the engine will turn
off and a serious accident might be
occurred due to the degraded brake
performance.
• 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 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 travel lanes.
• HYUNDAI recommends you follow all
posted speed limits.

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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.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering control
on slippery surfaces.
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 a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
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.
Please remember 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.
i Information
Always replace brake pads as complete
front or rear axle sets.
BRAKING SYSTEM

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Driving your vehicle
Rear drum brakes
Your rear drum brakes do not have
wear indicators.Therefore, have the rear
brake linings inspected if you hear a rear
brake rubbing noise. Also have your rear
brakes inspected each time you change
or rotate your tires and when you have
the front brakes replaced.
Parking brake
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Always set the parking brake before
leaving the vehicle, to apply:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Pull up the parking brake lever as far as
possible.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH, do not operate the parking
brake while the vehicle is moving
except in an emergency situation. It
could damage the brake system and
lead to an accident.
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To release:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Slightly pull up the parking brake lever.
While pressing the release button (1),
lower the parking brake (2).
If the parking brake does not release
or does not release all the way, we
recommend that the system be checked
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
WARNING
• Whenever leaving the vehicle or
parking, always come to a complete
stop and continue to depress the
brake pedal. Move the shift lever into
the 1st gear (for manual transmission
vehicle) or N (Neutral) position (for
Automated Manual Transmission
vehicle), then apply the parking
brake, and place the ignition switch
in the LOCK/OFF position.
Vehicles with the parking brake not
fully engaged are at risk for moving
inadvertently and causing injury to
yourself or others.

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• NEVER allow anyone who is
unfamiliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
• Only release the parking brake when
you are seated inside the vehicle with
your foot firmly on the brake pedal.
NOTICE
• Do not apply the accelerator pedal
while the parking brake is engaged.
If you depress the accelerator pedal
with the parking brake engaged,
warning will sound. Damage to the
parking brake may occur.
• Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the braking system and
cause premature wear or damage to
brake parts. Make sure the parking
brake is released and the Brake
Warning Light is off before driving.
Parking brake warning light
Check the Parking Brake
Warning Light by placing the
ignition switch to the ON
position (do not start the
engine).
This light will be illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the ignition
switch in the START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is released and the Brake Warning Light
is OFF.
If the Parking Brake Warning Light
remains on after the parking brake is
released while the engine is running,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not
possible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only continue
to drive the vehicle until you can reach a
safe location.

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Driving your vehicle
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
WARNING
An Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) or
an Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system will not prevent accidents
due to improper or dangerous driving
maneuvers. Even though vehicle
control is improved during emergency
braking, always maintain a safe
distance between you and objects
ahead of you. Vehicle speeds should
always be reduced during extreme
road conditions. The braking distance
for vehicles equipped with ABS or ESC
may be longer than for those without
these systems in the following road
conditions.
Drive your vehicle at reduced speeds
during the following conditions:
• Rough, gravel or snow-covered
roads.
• On roads where the road surface is
pitted or has different surface height.
• Tire chains are installed on your
vehicle.
The safety features of an ABS or ESC
equipped vehicle should not be tested
by high speed driving or cornering. This
could endanger the safety of yourself
or others.
ABS is an electronic braking system that
helps prevent a braking skid. ABS allows
the driver to steer and brake at the same
time.
Using ABS
To obtain the maximum benefit from
your ABS in an emergency situation,
do not attempt to modulate your brake
pressure and do not try to pump your
brakes. Depress your brake pedal as
hard as possible.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear sounds from the brakes,
or feel a corresponding sensation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
ABS does not reduce the time or
distance it takes to stop the vehicle.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
ABS will not prevent a skid that results
from sudden changes in direction, such
as trying to take a corner too fast or
making a sudden lane change. Always
drive at a safe speed for the road and
weather conditions.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of stability.
Always steer moderately when braking
hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel
movement can still cause your vehicle
to veer into oncoming traffic or off the
road.
On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping distance
than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
The ABS warning light (
) will stay
on for several seconds after the ignition
switch is in the ON position. During
that time, the ABS will go through self-
diagnosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the light stays
on, you may have a problem with your
ABS. We recommend that you contact
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon
as possible.

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WARNING
If the ABS warning light () is on and
stays on, you may have a problem with
the ABS. Your power brakes will work
normally. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death, we recommend that
you contact your HYUNDAI dealer as
soon as possible.
NOTICE
When you drive on a road having poor
traction, such as an icy road, and apply
your brakes continuously, the ABS will
be active continuously and the ABS
warning light (
) may illuminate. Pull
your vehicle over to a safe place and
turn the engine off.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning
light is off, then your ABS system is
normal.
Otherwise, you may have a problem
with your ABS system. We recommend
that you contact an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.
i Information
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the ABS
warning light (
) may turn on at the
same time. This happens because of the
low battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning. Have the battery
recharged before driving the vehicle.
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) (if equipped)
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The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system helps to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering maneuvers.
ESC checks where you are steering and
where the vehicle is actually going.
ESC applies braking pressure to any one
of the vehicle’s brakes and intervenes in
the engine management system to assist
the driver with keeping the vehicle on
the intended path. It is not a substitute
for safe driving practices. Always adjust
your speed and driving to the road
conditions.
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when
cornering. The ESC system will not
prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers, and hydroplaning on wet
surfaces can result in severe accidents.