2023 HYUNDAI KONA warning light

Driving your vehicle6-26
OCN7N061247N
ESC SPORT
To activate ESC SPORT mode

[ Pr

ess the ESC OFF button briefly. The
ESC SPORT indicator light illuminates
on the cluster LCD display. In this
state, ESC only stabilizes the vehicle
to a limited degree.
When ESC SPORT mode is activated:

[ ESC only improves driving stability to
a limited degree.

[ Traction control is still activated, but
with less wheel control (more slip).

[ Engine torque can partially be limited
for the vehicle's stability and the
driving wheel spin may be restricted
for better traction.
To deactivate ESC SPORT mode

[ Press the ESC OFF button briefly. The
ESC SPORT indicator light will go off
on the cluster LCD display.
To deactivate ESC (ESC OFF)
Press and hold the ESC OFF
button continuously for more
than 3 seconds. The ESC OFF
indicator light and message
"Traction & Stability Control
disabled" illuminates and a
warning chime sounds. In
this state, both the traction
control function of ESC (engine
management) and the brake
control function of ESC (braking
management) are disabled. To
activate the ESC again, briefly
press the ESC OFF button. The
ESC OFF indicator light will go
off.
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.
WARNING
Don't use ESC SPORT mode or ESC OFF
while using a mini spare tire or a tire
repair kit is in use!

06
6-27
ESC OFF usage
When Driving
The ESC OFF mode should only be used
brie
fly 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.
Drive mode selection
When the ESC is on, the characteristic
of ESC varies according to which drive
mode is selected by pressing the DRIVE
MODE or N1 or N2 button on the steering
wheel.
Mode
button Selected
mode Characteristic
of ESC
DRIVE
MODE
butt

on ECO mode NORMAL
NORMAL mode NORMAL
SPORT mode NORMAL
N button N mode SPORT
N CUSTOM mode NORMAL/
SPORT/OFF
For more details, refer to "Drive Mode
Integrated Control System" in this
chapter.

06
6-29
VSM operation
When operating
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which ma
y activate ESC, you
may hear sounds from the brakes, or feel
a corresponding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means your
VSM is active.
Information
VSM does not operate when:

[ Driving through banked corners might
result in a ESC system shut down,
due to system self-diagnostics and an
assumption of a sensor failure. In the
next ignition cycle, the ESC system is
available again.

[ Driving in reverse.

[ The ESC OFF indicator light is on.

[ The EPS (Electric power steering)
warning light (
) is on or blinks.
VSM OFF condition
To cancel VSM operation, press the ESC
OFF butt

on. ESC OFF () indicator light
will illuminate.
To turn on VSM, press the ESC OFF
button again. The ESC OFF indicator light
will go out.
WARNING
If the ESC () indicator light or EPS
() warning light stays illuminated
or blinks, your vehicle may have a
malfunction with the VSM system.
When the warning light illuminates
have the vehicle be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon as
possible.
NOTICE
Driving with wheels and tires with
different sizes may cause the VSM
system to malfunction. Before replacing
tires, make sure all four tires and wheels
are the same size. Never drive the
vehicle with different sized tires and
wheels installed.

Driving your vehicle6-30
Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC)
Hill-Start Assist Control helps prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards
when starting a vehicle from a stop on
a hill. The system operates the brakes
automatically for approximately 2
seconds and releases the brake after 2
seconds or when the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
WARNING
Always be ready to depress the
accelerator pedal when starting off
an incline. The HAC activates only for
approximately 2 seconds.
Information

[ The HAC does not operate when
the gear is shifted to P (Park) or N
(Neutral).

[ The HAC activates even when the ESC
(Electronic Stability Control) is off.
However, it does not activate, when
ESC does not operate normally.
Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
OOSN061006L
The Downhill Brake Control (DBC) feature
assists the driver to descend down a
steep hill without having to depress the
brake pedal. The system automatically
applies the brakes to maintain the
vehicle speed below 5 mph (8 km/h)
and allows the driver to concentrate on
steering the vehicle down hill.
WARNING
Always turn off the DBC on normal
roads. The DBC might activate
inadvertently from the standby mode
when driving through speed bumps or
making sharp curves.
NOTICE

[The DBC defaults to the OFF position
whenever the Engine Start/Stop
button is placed in the ON position.

[ Noise or vibration may occur
from the brakes when the DBC is
activated.

[ The rear stop light comes on when
DBC is activated.

Driving your vehicle6-32
OJX1069039L
Downhill Brake Control disabled. Control
vehicle speed
When Downhill Brake Control is not
w
orking properly this warning message
will appear on the cluster LCD display
and you will hear a warning sound. If
this occurs, control vehicle speed by
depressing the brake pedal.
WARNING
Always turn off Downhill Brake Control
on normal roads. The system might
activate inadvertently from the standby
mode when driving through speed
bumps or making sharp curves.
WARNING
If the DBC red indicator light
illuminates, the system may have
overheated or have malfunctioned.
When the warning light illuminates
even though the DBC system has cooled
off, have your vehicle checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon as
possible.
Information

[ Downhill Brake Control may not
deactivate on steep inclines even though
the brake pedal or accelerator pedal is
depressed.

[ Downhill Brake Control may not
always maintain vehicle speed at a
certain speed.

[ Downhill Brake Control does not
operate when:
- The gear is in P (Park).
- ESC is activated.

[ Noise or vibration may occur from the
brakes when Downhill Brake Control is
activated.

[ The rear stop light comes on when
Downhill Brake Control is activated.

06
6-33
Good Braking Practices
WARNING
Whenever leaving the vehicle or
parking, always come to a complete
stop and continue to depress the brake
pedal. Shift the gear to the P (Park)
position, then apply the parking brake,
and press the Engine Start/Stop button
to the OFF position.
Vehicles parked with the parking brake
not applied or not fully engaged may
roll inadvertently and may cause injury
to the driver and others. ALWAYS apply
the parking brake before exiting the
vehicle.Wet brakes can be dangerous! The
brakes may get wet if the vehicle is
driven through standing water or if it
is washed. Your vehicle will not stop as
quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet brakes
may cause the vehicle to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal. If the braking action does not
return to normal, stop as soon as it is safe
to do so and call an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer for assistance.
DO NOT drive with your foot resting on
the brake pedal. Even light, but constant
pedal pressure can result in the brakes
overheating, brake wear, and possibly
even brake failure.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving,
apply the brakes gently and keep the
vehicle pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving slowly
enough for it to be safe to do so, pull off
the road and stop in a safe location.
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal
when the vehicle is stopped to prevent
the vehicle from rolling forward.
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 P
(Park) position, then apply the parking
brake, and set the Engine Start/Stop
button in the OFF position.
Vehicles parked with the parking brake
not applied or not fully engaged may
roll inadvertently and may cause injury
to the driver and others. ALWAYS apply
the parking brake before exiting the
vehicle.

Driving your vehicle6-52
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.

06
6-55
WINTER DRIVING
The severe weather conditions of winter
quickly wear out tires and cause other
problems. To minimize winter driving
problems, you should take the following
suggestions:
Snow or Icy Conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding, rapid
acceleration, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices. During
deceleration, use engine braking to the
fullest extent. Sudden brake applications
on snowy or icy roads may cause the
vehicle to skid.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or chains,
a flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a
shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket,
etc.
Snow tires
WARNING
Snow tires should be equivalent in size
and type to the vehicle’s standard tires.
Otherwise, the safety and handling of
your vehicle may be adversely affected.
We recommend you use snow tires when
road temperature is below 7°C (45°F).
Refer to the below chart, and mount the
recommended snow tire for your vehicle.
Standard tire
Tire size wheel size / offset
235/40R19 8.0Jx19/55
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure to use the same Inflation
pressure as the original tires. Mount
snow tires on all four wheels to balance
your vehicle’s handling in all weather
conditions. The traction provided by
snow tires on dry roads may not be as
high as your vehicle’s original equipment
tires. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Information
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and municipal
regulations for possible restrictions against
their use.