2022 HYUNDAI TUCSON transmission

Driving your vehicle
6-18
OCN7060007
DS mode (Drive Sporty)
To shift into Ds mode, move the shift
lever from D (Drive) to the left, without
upshifting to the (+) or downshifting
to the (-). The engine and transmission
control logic is automatically optimized
for sporty driving.
In Ds mode, if you move the shift lever
to + (up) or (down), the gear will change
to manual shift mode. If the shift lever is
moved back into D (Drive), it will change
to D (Drive). The vehicle will perform
according to the mode selected from
drive mode (NORMAL, SPORT).
Manual shift mode (lever type)
ONX4E060040
[A] : + (Up), [B] : - (Down)
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.

06
6-19
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.
Shift-lock release (lever type)
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:
ONX4E060037
1. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK/
OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the shift lever boots.
4. Move the Shift lever while holding
the release button (1) with a tool (e.g.
flathead screw-driver).
If you need to use the shift-lock release,
we recommend that the system be
inspected by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer immediately.

Driving your vehicle
6-20
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transmission 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. Depress the brake pedal and push the
R (Reverse) button. (button type)
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position.
When the battery is discharged
(button type) :
You cannot shift gears, when the battery
is discharged.
In emergencies, do the following to shift
the gear 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 details,
refer to “Jump Starting” in chapter 8.
2. Release the parking brake with the
ignition switch in the ON position.
3. Shift the gear to the N(Neutral)
position refer to the “To stay in N
(Neutral) when the engine is OFF (button
type)” in this chapter.
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever/button 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.

Driving your vehicle
6-22
Shift button held down / Shift
button is stuck
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, we
recommend you to have the vehicle
inspected by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer.
Shifter system malfunction! Service
immediately
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, we recommend you to
immediately 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, we recommend you to
immediately have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Paddle shifter (Manual shift
mode)
ONX4060005
The paddle shifter is available when
the shift lever/button is in the D (Drive)
position or the manual shift mode.
With the shift lever/button in the D
position
The paddle shifter will operate when the
vehicle speed is more than 6mph.
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic mode to
manual shift mode.
To change back to automatic shift mode
from manual shift mode, do one of the
followings :
-Pull the [+] paddle shifter for more
than one second
-Move the shift lever from D(Drive)
to manual gate and return it to D
position again in the shift lever type.
In the shift button type, press the D
button.

06
6-23
The manual shift mode also changes
back to automatic shift mode in one of
following situations
-When the accelerator pedal is gently
depressed for more than 6 seconds
while driving
-When the vehicle stops
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are pulled
at the same time, gear shift may not occur.
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift button from
P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the shift lever/button 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 button 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, shift to D
(Drive) to drive forward or R (Reverse)
to drive backwards, and check
the gear position indicated on the
cluster before driving. If the vehicle
is moving in the opposite direction
of the selected gear, the engine may
stop and a serious accident may
occur. Never attempt to select a gear
that is opposite to the direction of
the vehicle motion. Stop the vehicle
before changing to the desired gear.
• 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 with shifter paddles,
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.

06
6-37
Indicator lights
■ ESC indicator light (blinks)
■ ESC OFF indicator light (comes on)
When the Engine Start/Stop button is
pressed to the ON position, the ESC
indicator light illuminates, then goes off
if the ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating.
If the ESC indicator light stays on, your
vehicle may have a malfunction with
the ESC system. When this warning light
illuminates we recommend that the
vehicle be checked by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when ESC is turned off.
WARNING
When ESC is blinking, this indicates ESC
is active:
Drive slowly and NEVER attempt to
accelerate. NEVER turn ESC off while
the ESC indicator light is blinking or you
may lose control of the vehicle resulting
in an accident.
NOTICE
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 ESC, to maintain wheel
torque.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the transmission:
• 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 covered by the vehicle warranty.
Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights are displayed.
• When operating the vehicle
on a dynamometer, make sure
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated).
Information
Turning ESC off does not affect ABS or
standard brake system operation.

06
6-51
Various driving situations, which you may
encounter in SMART mode
• The driving mode automatically
changes to ECO mode after a certain
period of time, when you gently
depress the accelerator pedal (Your
driving is categorized to be mild.).
• The driving mode automatically
changes from SMART ECO mode
to SMART COMFORT mode after a
certain period of time, when you
sharply or repetitively depress the
accelerator pedal.
• The driving mode automatically
changes to SMART COMFORT mode
with the same driving patterns, when
the vehicle starts to drive on an
upward slope of a certain angle. The
driving mode automatically returns to
SMART ECO mode, when the vehicle
enters a leveled road.
• The driving mode automatically
changes to SMART SPORT, when
you abruptly accelerate the vehicle
or repetitively operate the steering
wheel (Your driving is categorized
to be sporty.). In this mode, your
vehicle drives in a lower gear for
abrupt accelerating/decelerating
and increases the engine brake
performance.
• You may still sense the engine brake
performance, even when you release
the accelerator pedal in SMART
SPORT mode. It is because your
vehicle remains to be in a lower gear
over a certain period of time for next
acceleration. Thus, it is a normal
driving situation, not indicating any
malfunction. •
The driving mode automatically
changes to SMART SPORT mode
only in harsh driving situations. In
most of the normal driving situations,
the driving mode sets to be either
in SMART ECO mode or in SMART
COMFORT mode.
Limitation of SMART mode
The SMART mode may be limited in
following situations. (The OFF indicator
illuminates in those situations.)
• The driver manually moves the shift
lever : It deactivates SMART mode.
The vehicle drives, as the driver
manually moves the shift lever.
• Cruise Control is activated : Cruise
Control may deactivate the SMART
mode. When a higher system is set
by Cruise Control, it starts to control
vehicle speed and deactivates
SMART mode. (SMART mode is not
deactivated just by activing Cruise
Control.)
• The transmission oil temperature is either
extremely low or extremely high : The
SMART mode can be active in most of
the normal driving situations. However,
an extremely high/ low transmission oil
temperature may temporarily deactivate
the SMART mode, because the
transmission condition is out of normal
operation condition.

Driving your vehicle
6-58
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water, snow,
ice, mud and sand, take the following
precautions:
• Drive cautiously and maintain a longer
braking 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 traction while the
vehicle becomes stuck in ice, snow,
or mud.
WARNING
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
downshifting on slippery surfaces.
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 forward 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 accelerator 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.
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 damage. 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).
Information
The ESC system must be turned OFF
before rocking the vehicle.