2023 HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ Owners Manual

06
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• Always hold the steering wheel firmly
when you are driving off-road.
WARNING
Do not grab the inside of the steering
wheel when you are driving off-road.
You may hurt your arm by a sudden
steering maneuver or from steering
wheel rebound due to an impact with
objects on the ground. You could lose
control of the steering wheel which may
lead to serious injury or death.
Emergency Precautions
Tires
Do not use tire and wheel with different
size and type from the one originally
installed on your vehicle. It can affect the
safety and performance of your vehicle,
which could lead to steering failure or
rollover causing serious injury.
When replacing the tires, be sure to
equip all four tires with the tire and wheel
of the same size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you equip your
vehicle with any tire/wheel combination
not recommended by HYUNDAI for off-
road driving, you should not use these
tires for highway driving.
WARNING
Never start or run the engine while a
full-time AWD vehicle is raised on a
jack. The vehicle can slip or roll off of a
jack causing serious injury or death to
you or those nearby.
Towing
AWD vehicles must be towed with
a wheel lift and dollies or flatbed
equipment with all the wheels off
the ground. For more details, refer to
"Towing" in chapter 8.
Dynamometer testing
A full-time AWD vehicle must be
tested on a special four wheel chassis
dynamometer.

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A full-time AWD vehicle should not be
tested on a 2WD roll tester. If a 2WD
roll tester must be used, perform the
following procedure:
1. Check the tire pressures
recommended for your vehicle.
2. Place the front wheels on the roll
tester for a speedometer test as
shown in the illustration.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Place the rear wheels on the
temporary free roller as shown in the
illustration.
CAUTION
• Never engage the parking brake
while performing the test.
• When the vehicle is lifted up, do not
operate the front and rear wheel
separately. All four wheels should be
operated.
WARNING
Keep away from the front of the vehicle
while the vehicle is in gear on the
dynamometer. The vehicle can jump
forward and cause serious injury or
death.

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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.

Driving Your Vehicle
6-58
NOTICE
If you are still stuck after rocking the
vehicle a few times, have the vehicle
pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid
engine overheating, possible damage to
the transmission, and tire damage. See
“Towing” section in chapter 8.
Smooth Cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration.
Driving at Night
Night driving presents more hazards than
driving in the daylight. Here are some
important tips to remember:
• Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other drivers’ headlamps.
• Keep your headlamps clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlamps will make it much
more difficult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the
headlamps of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your eyes
to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or on
slick pavement:
• Slow down and allow extra following
distance. A heavy rainfall makes
it harder to see and increases the
distance needed to stop your vehicle.
• Turn OFF your Cruise Control. (if
equipped)
• Replace your windshield wiper blades
when they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
• Be sure your tires have enough tread.
If your tires do not have enough tread,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. See “Tire Tread” section
in chapter 9.
• Turn on your headlamps to make it
easier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles
can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
• If you believe your brakes may be wet,
apply them lightly while driving until
normal braking operation returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the water.
The best advice is SLOW DOWN when
the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increases as
the depth of tire tread decreases, refer
to “Tire Tread” section in chapter 9.

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Driving in Flooded Areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
Highway Driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation, as specified.
Under-inflation may overheat or damage
the tires.
Do not install worn-out or damaged tires,
which may reduce traction or fail the
braking operation.
Information
Never over-inflate your tires above the
maximum inflation pressure, as specified
on your tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
Driving at higher speeds on the highway
consumes more fuel and is less efficient
than driving at a slower, more moderate
speed. Maintain a moderate speed in
order to conserve fuel when driving on
the highway.
Be sure to check both the engine coolant
level and the engine oil before driving.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
overheat the engine.
Reducing the Risk of a Rollover
Your multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
SUV’s have higher ground clearance
and a narrower track to make them
capable of performing in a wide variety
of off-road applications. The specific
design characteristics give them a higher
center of gravity than ordinary vehicles
making them more likely to roll over if
you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles
have a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. Due to this
risk, driver and passengers are strongly
recommended to buckle their seat belts.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt.
There are steps that a driver can make
to reduce the risk of a rollover. If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, do not load your vehicle
with heavy cargo on the roof, and never
modify your vehicle in any way.
WARNING
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles. To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:
• Take corners at slower speeds than
you would with a passenger vehicle.
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers.
• Do not modify your vehicle in any
way that you would raise the center
of gravity.
• Keep tires properly inflated.
• Do not carry heavy cargo on the roof.
WARNING
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt. Make sure
all passengers are wearing their seat
belts.

Driving Your Vehicle
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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.
Use snow tires when road temperature
is below 45°F (7°C). Refer to the below
chart, and mount the recommended
snow tire for your vehicle.
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.

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Tire chains
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Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner than other types of tires, they
may be damaged by mounting some
types of tire chains on them. Therefore,
the use of snow tires is recommended
instead of tire chains. If tire chains must
be used, use genuine HYUNDAI Parts
and install the tire chain after reviewing
the instructions provided with the tire
chains. Damage to your vehicle caused
by improper tire chain use is not covered
by your vehicle manufacturer’s warranty.
245/60R18
Fabric-type
245/50R20
When using tire chains, attach them to
the drive wheels as follows.
2WD : Front wheels
AWD : All four wheels
If a full set of chains is not
available for an AWD vehicle,
chains may be installed on the
front wheels only.
WARNING
The use of tire chains may adversely
affect vehicle handling:
• Drive less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
or the chain manufacturer’s
recommended speed limit,
whichever is lower.
• Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
• Avoid sharp turns or locked wheel
braking.
Information
• Install tire chains only in pairs and on
the front tires. It should be noted that
installing tire chains on the tires will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.
• Do not install studded tires without
first checking local and municipal
regulations for possible restrictions
against their use.

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Chain Installation
When installing tire chains, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions and mount
them as tightly possible. Drive slowly
(less than 20 mph (30 km/h)) with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until the noise stops. Remove
the tire chains as soon as you begin
driving on cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park the
vehicle on level ground away from traffic.
Turn on the vehicle Hazard Warning
Flasher and place a triangular emergency
warning device behind the vehicle (if
available). Always place the vehicle in P
(Park), apply the parking brake and turn
off the engine before installing snow
chains.
NOTICE
When using tire chains:
• Wrong size chains or improperly
installed chains can damage your
vehicle’s brake lines, suspension,
body and wheels.
• Use SAE “S” class or wire chains.
• If you hear noise caused by chains
contacting the body, retighten the
chain to prevent contact with the
vehicle body.
• To prevent body damage, retighten
the chains after driving 0.3~0.6 miles
(0.5~1.0 km).
• Do not use tire chains on vehicles
equipped with aluminum wheels. If
unavoidable, use a wire type chain.
• Use wire chains less than 0.47 in.
(12mm) thick to prevent damage to
the chain’s connection.
Winter Precautions
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because it
helps prevent corrosion in the cooling
system, lubricates the water pump and
prevents freezing. Be sure to replace or
replenish your coolant in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
chapter 9. Before winter, have your
coolant tested to assure that its freezing
point is sufficient for the temperatures
anticipated during the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter temperatures affect battery
performance. Inspect the battery and
cables, as specified in chapter 9. The
battery charging level can be checked
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer or in a
service station.
Change to “winter weight” oil if
necessary
In some regions during winter, it is
recommended to use the “winter
weight” oil with lower viscosity In
addition, replace the engine oil and filter
if it is close to the next maintenance
interval. Fresh engine oil ensures
optimum engine operation during the
winter months. For further information,
refer to chapter 2. When you are not sure
about a type of winter weight oil, consult
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.