2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Owners Manual

06
6-51
OJX1069039L
Downhill Brake Control disabled. Control
vehicle speed (manually)
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.
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.

Driving your vehicle6-52
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.

06
6-53
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) delivers engine
power to front and rear wheels for
maximum traction. 4WD is useful when
extra traction is required, such as when
driving on, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH:

[Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicles intended
design such as challenging off-road
conditions.

[ 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 a 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.
NOTICE

[Do not drive in water if the level
is higher than the bottom of the
vehicle.

[ Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Depress
the brake pedal several times as you
move slowly until you feel normal
braking return.

[ Shorten your scheduled
maintenance interval if you drive in
off-road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see "Maintenance
Under Severe Usage Conditions"
section in chapter 9).

[ Always wash your vehicle thoroughly
after off road use, especially the
bottom of the vehicle.

[ Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.

[ Make sure that a full time 4WD
vehicle is towed by a flat bed tow
truck.
)285:+((/'5,9(

Driving your vehicle6-54
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) operation
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) mode selection
Transfer mode Selection
button Indicator
light Description
4WD AUTO
(

4WD LOCK is
deactivated)
(not
illuminated)
In the 4WD AUTO mode, under normal
operating conditions, onventional 2WD
vehicles. If the system determines
there is a need for four wheel drive, the
engine’s driving power is distributed to
all four wheels automatically.
Use this mode when driving on normal
roads.
If you select the "Driving force
distribution" in the cluster, Driving force
distribution (4WD) state is displayed.
4WD LOCK
(illuminated) In the 4WD LOCK mode, the system is
deactivated when vehicle speed is over
37 mph (60 km/h) and the mode is shifted
to 4WD AUTO mode. If the vehicle speed
slows down to 37 mph (60 km/h), the
mode shifts back to the 4WD LOCK mode.
If 4WD Lock is activated, the driving force
distribution in the cluster is not displayed.
Use this mode when driving up or down
steep inclines, driving off-road, driving on
sandy and muddy roads, etc., to maximize
traction
WARNING
If 4WD warning light () stays on the instrument cluster, your vehicle may have a
malfunction with the 4WD system. When the 4WD warning light () illuminates have
the vehicle be checked by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.

06
6-55
CAUTION
When driving on normal roads,
deactivate the 4WD LOCK mode by
pushing the 4WD LOCK button (4WD
LOCK indicator light goes off). Driving
on normal roads with the 4WD LOCK
mode, especially, when cornering
may cause mechanical noise or
vibration. The noise and vibration will
disappear when the 4WD LOCK mode is
deactivated. Prolonged driving with the
noise and vibration may damage some
parts of the power train.
NOTICE

[When the 4WD LOCK mode is
deactivated, a sensation may be felt
as the driving power is delivered
entirely to the front wheels.
Auto Four Wheel Drive mode (normal
driving) (if equipped)
If the 4WD system determines there is a
need for four wheel drive, the engine's
driving power is distributed to all four
wheels automatically.

Driving your vehicle6-56
Selected mode Description
Auto 4WD
(N

ormal driving) -
[
Use this mode when driving on normal roads.

[ Under normal operating conditions, the vehicle
operates similar to conventional 2WD vehicles. If the
system determines there is a need for four wheel
drive, the engine's driving power is distributed to all
four wheels automatically.
SNOW

[ Use this mode when driving on slippery roads.

[ The engine’s driving power is properly distributed to
the wheels, to help start the vehicle stably on slippery
roads or keep tires from slipping.
Be sure to maintain Auto 4WD mode when driving on normal roads. If you drive with
the 4WD Lock mode on normal roads or curved roads, it may damage 4WD parts and
cause vibration and noise. However, vibration and noise are normal conditions that will
disappear when Auto 4WD mode is selected. Also, when the vehicle is changed from
4WD Lock to Auto 4WD, a sensation may be felt as driving power is delivered to the
rear wheels.
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) selection
(if equipped)
OTMA060012

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.