2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE transmission

Driving your vehicle6-34
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 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.

[ 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 t ravel lanes.

[ HYUNDAI recommends you follow all
posted speed limits.

06
6-47
Indicator lights

v ESC indicator light (blinks)

v 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 have 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
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.

06
6-57
For safe 4WD operation
Before driving

[Mak
e sure all passengers are wearing
seat belts.

[ Sit upright and closer to the steering
wheel than usual. Adjust the steering
wheel to a position comfortable for
you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy roads

[ S
tart off slowly by applying the
accelerator pedal gently.

[ Use snow tires or tire chains.

[ Keep sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

[ Apply engine braking during
deceleration by using the paddle
shifter (manual shift mode) and
manually selecting a lower gear.

[ Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and sharp
turns to prevent skids.
Information
When using Snow Tires, mount them on
all four wheels.
If a full set of chains is not available for
an 4WD vehicle when using tire chains,
chains may be installed on the front wheels
only.
For more details on Snow Tires and Tire
Chains, refer to "Winter Driving" section
later in this chapter.
CAUTION
Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc., the
vehicle can sometimes be driven out by
engaging the accelerator pedal further;
however avoid running the engine
continuously at high rpm because doing
so could damage the AWD system.
Driving in sand or mud

[Maintain slo
w and constant speed.
Operate the accelerator pedal slowly
to ensure safe driving (wheel-slip
prevention).

[ Keep sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

[ Reduce vehicle speed and always
check the road condition.

[ Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and sharp
turns to prevent getting stuck.

[ When the vehicle is stuck in snow,
sand or mud, the tires may not
operate.

[ This is to protect the transmission and
not a malfunction.
NOTICE
Moving the vehicle forcibly to get out
of mud or sand can cause damage/
overheat of the engine or damage/
breakdown of the transmission,
differential or 4WD system as well as
damage to tires. If excessive wheel slip
occurs after entering a sandy/muddy
road, the vehicle may fall into the sand/
mud. When it happens, put a stone or
a tree branch under the tire, and then
try to pull out the vehicle, or try to get it
unstuck by repeatedly moving forwards
and backwards.

Driving your vehicle6-58
OTMA060009
OTMA060010
Transmission overheated

[ When driving on muddy and sandy
r

oads under the severe condition, the
transmission could be overheated.

[ When the transmission is overheated,
the safe protection mode engages
and the “Transmission Hot! Park with
engine on: warning message will
appear on the LCD display with a
chime.

[ If this occurs, pull over to a safe
location, stop the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the brakes and
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and allow
the transmission to cool.

[ If you ignore this warning, the driving
condition may become worse.
You may experience abrupt shifts,
frequent shifts, or jerkiness. To return
to the normal driving condition, stop
the vehicle and apply the foot brake
or shift into P (Park). Then allow the
transmission to cool for a few minutes
with engine on, before driving off.
[
When the message “Trans cooled.
Resume driving” appears you can
continue to drive your vehicle.

[ If the warning messages in the LCD
display continue to blink, for your
safety, have the system checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Driving up or down hills

[ Driving uphill
-
Before starting off, check if it is
possible to drive uphill.

- Drive as straight as possible.

[ Driving downhill
- Do not change gear while driving downhill. Select gear before driving
downhill.
- Drive slowly using engine braking while driving downhill.
- Drive straight as possible.
WARNING
Exercise extreme caution driving up or
down steep hills. The vehicle may flip
over depending on the grade, terrain,
water and mud conditions.
WARNING
Do not drive across the contour of steep
hills. A slight change in the wheel angle
can destabilize the vehicle, or a stable
vehicle may lose stability if the vehicle
stops its forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over and lead to a serious injury
or death.

06
6-69

[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
f
ollowing situations. (The OFF indicator
illuminates in those situations.)

[ The driver manually moves the shift
button : It deactivates SMART mode.
The vehicle drives, as the driver
manually moves the shift button.

[ The cruise control is activated : The
cruise system may deactivate the
SMART mode. When a higher system
is set by the cruise system, it starts to
control vehicle speed and deactivates
SMART mode. (SMART mode is not
deactivated just by activing the cruise
system.)

[ 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 vehicle6-72
Limitation of SMART mode
The SMART mode may be limited in
f
ollowing situations. (The OFF indicator
illuminates in those situations.)

[ The driver manually moves the shift
button : It deactivates SMART mode.
The vehicle drives, as the driver
manually moves the shift button.

[ The cruise control is activated : The
cruise system may deactivate the
SMART mode. When a higher system
is set by the cruise system, it starts to
control vehicle speed and deactivates
SMART mode. (SMART mode is not
deactivated just by activing the cruise
system.)

[ 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.

06
6-73
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 vehicle6-74
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’ headlights.

[ Keep your headlights clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlights will make it much
more difficult to see at night.

[ Avoid staring directly at the headlights
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 headlights 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.