2023 HYUNDAI SONATA check engine

While Driving
6-10
Engine Stop/Start button positions
Button
Position Action Notice
OFFTo turn off the engine, press the
Engine Start/Stop button with shift
button in P (Park).
When you press the Engine Start/
Stop button without the shift
button in P (Park), the Engine Start/
Stop button does not turn to the
OFF position, but turns to the ACC position.
ACC Press the Engine Start/Stop button
when the button is in the OFF
position without depressing the
brake pedal.
Electrical accessories are usable. If you leave the Engine Start/Stop
button in the ACC position for more
than one hour, the battery power will
turn off automatically to prevent the
battery from discharging.
ON Press the Engine Start/Stop button
while it is in the ACC position
without depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave the Engine Start/Stop
button in the ON position when the
engine is not running to prevent the
battery from discharging.
START To start the engine, depress the
brake pedal and press the Engine
Start/Stop button with the shift
button in the P (Park) or in the N
(Neutral) position.
For your safety, start the engine
with the shift button in the P (Park) position. If you press the Engine Start/Stop
button without depressing the brake
pedal, the engine does not start
and the Engine Start/Stop button
changes as follows:
OFF → ACC → ON → OFF or ACC
However, the engine may start if you
depress the brake pedal within 0.5
second after pressing the Engine
Start/Stop button from the OFF position.

06
6-11
Starting the engine
WARNING
• Always wear appropriate shoes when
operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes, such as high heels,
ski boots, sandals, flip-flops, etc.,
may interfere with your ability to use
the brake and accelerator pedals.
• Do not start the vehicle with the
accelerator pedal depressed. The
vehicle can move and lead to an
accident.
• Wait until the engine rpm is normal.
The vehicle may suddenly move if
the brake pedal is released when the rpm is high.
Information
• The engine will start by pressing the Engine Start/Stop button, only when the smart key is in the vehicle.
• Even if the smart key is in the vehicle,
if it is far away from the driver, the engine may not start.
• When the Engine Start/Stop button
is in the ACC or ON position, if any
door is open, the system checks for the
smart key. If the smart key is not in the vehicle, the “
” indicator will blink
and the warning "Key not in vehicle"
will come on and if all doors are closed,
the chime will also sound for about 5 seconds. Keep the smart key in the
vehicle when using the ACC position or if the vehicle engine is ON.
1. Always carry the smart key with you.
2. Make sure the parking brake is applied.
3. Make sure the gear is in P (Park).
4. Depress the brake pedal.
5. Press the Engine Start/Stop button.
Information
• Do not wait for the engine to warm up
while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Aggressive accelerating and decelerating should be avoided.)
• Always start the vehicle with your foot
on the brake pedal. Do not depress the
accelerator while starting the vehicle.
Do not rev the engine while warming it up.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the vehicle: • If the engine stalls while you are in
motion, do not attempt to move the
shift button to the P (Park) position.
If traffic and road conditions permit,
you may put the shift button in the N
(Neutral) position while the vehicle
is still moving and press the Engine
Start/Stop button in an attempt to
restart the engine.
• Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.

While Driving
6-14
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the gear position when the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or
death: • ALWAYS check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before shifting a
vehicle into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the gear is in
the P (Park) position, then set
the parking brake, and place the
ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF
position. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed.
• If equipped, do not use the engine
brake (shifting from a high gear to
lower gear using the paddle shifters)
rapidly on slippery roads.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must depress
firmly on the brake pedal and make sure
your foot is off the accelerator pedal.
The gear must be in P (Park) before
turning the engine off.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may cause you to
lose control of the vehicle.
• After the vehicle has stopped, always
make sure the gear is in P (Park),
apply the parking brake, and turn
the engine off.
• Do not use the P (Park) position in
place of the parking brake.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you
may damage the transmission if you
shift into R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
in motion.
When the vehicle is stopped in
R (Reverse) position, if you open
the driver's door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear is shifted to P (Park)
position automatically.
However when the vehicle moves
in R (Reverse) position, if you open
the driver's door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear may be not shifted
to P (Park) position automatically for
protecting the automatic transmission.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart a
stalled engine, or if it is necessary to stop
with the engine ON. Shift into P (Park)
if you need to leave your vehicle for any
reason.
Always depress the brake pedal when
you are shifting from N (Neutral) to
another gear.
WARNING
Do not shift into gear unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal. Shifting into
gear when the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to move
very rapidly. You could lose control of
the vehicle and hit people or objects.

06
6-17
LCD Display Message
Shifting conditions not met
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when engine RPM is too
high, or when driving speed is too fast to
shift the gear.
We recommend you decrease the engine
speed or slow down before shifting the
gear.
Press brake pedal to change gear
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the brake pedal is not
depressed while shifting the gear.
We recommend you to depress the brake
pedal and then shift the gear.
Shift to P after stopping
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when the gear is shifted to P
(Park) while the vehicle is moving.
Stop the vehicle before shifting to P
(Park).
PARK engaged
The message appears on the LCD display
when the P (Park) position is engaged.
Stop the vehicle before shifting to P
(Park).
Press and hold OK button to stay in
Neutral when vehicle is Off
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when pushing the N
(Neutral) button. If you want to stay N
(Neutral) after turning off the engine,
press and hold the “OK” button on the
steering wheel more than 1 second.Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear
to cancel
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when depressing the "OK"
button on the steering wheel after the
message ("Press and hold OK button
to stay in Neutral when vehicle is Off")
appears on the cluster LCD display. The
gear stays in N(Neutral) position after
turning off the engine. NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) position is engaged.
Gear already selected
The message appears on the LCD
display, when pushing the current shift
button again.
Shift button held down
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, have
the vehicle inspected by an authorized
HYUNDAI dealer.
Shifter system malfunction
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, 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, have the vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

While Driving
6-18
Good Driving Practices
• Never shift the gear from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) to any other position with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
• Never shift the gear 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 shift the gear 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.
• While driving up or downhill, check
the gear position, indicated on the
cluster, to ensure the vehicle is
driving forward while in D (Drive), or
backward while in R (Reverse). If you
drive in the opposite direction of the
selected gear, the engine will turn off
and a serious accident may occur due
to the degraded brake performance.
• 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 in the manual shift
mode, 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.
• 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 travel lanes.
• HYUNDAI recommends you follow all
posted speed limits.
Information
Kickdown Mechanism (if equipped)
If you depress the accelerator pedal equipped with Kickdown device beyond
the pressure point, it maximizes the engine
power. You may feel when the Kickdown
equipment starts to work and hear the sound of Kickdown operation. It is normal
operation, not a failure.

While Driving
6-22
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or
death: • ALWAYS check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before shifting a
vehicle into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever/
button is in the P (Park) position,
then set the parking brake, and place
the ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF
position. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed.
• Do not use aggressive engine braking
(shifting from a higher gear to a
lower gear) on slippery roads. This
could cause the tires to slip and may
result in an accident.
NOTICE
• Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
• Do not put the shift lever/button in N
(Neutral) while driving.
WARNING
Due to transmission failure, you may
not continue to drive and the position
indicator and the position indicator (D,
P) on the instrument cluster will blink.
We recommend that you contact an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer and have
the system checked. DCT warning messages
This warning message is displayed when
vehicle is driven slowly on a grade and
the vehicle detects that the brake pedal
is not applied.
OOSH069010L
Steep grade! Press brake pedal
Driving up hills or on steep grades: •
To hold the vehicle on an incline use
the foot brake or the parking brake.
• When in stop-and-go traffic on an
incline, allow a gap to form ahead
of you before moving the vehicle
forward. Then hold the vehicle on the
incline with the foot brake.
• If the vehicle is held or creeping
forward on an incline by applying
the accelerator pedal, the clutch and
transmission may overheat which
can result in damage. At this time, a
warning message will appear on the
LCD display.
• If the LCD warning is active, the foot
brake must be applied.
• Ignoring the warnings can lead to
damage to the transmission.

While Driving
6-24
•
When the message “Trans cooled.
Resume driving.” appears you can
continue to drive your vehicle.
• When possible, drive the vehicle
smoothly.
If any of the warning messages in the
LCD display continue to blink, for your
safety, we recommend that you contact
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer and have
the system checked.
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever⁄button position
when the ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must depress
firmly on the brake pedal and make sure
your foot is off the accelerator pedal.
The shift lever/button must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may cause you to
lose control of the vehicle.
• After the vehicle has stopped, always
make sure the shift lever/button is in
P (Park), apply the parking brake, and
turn the engine off.
• When parking on an incline, place
the shift lever/button in P (Park) and
apply the parking brake to prevent
the vehicle from rolling downhill.
• For safety, always engage the
parking brake with the shift lever/
button in the P (Park) position except
for the case of emergency parking.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you
may damage the transmission if you
shift into R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
in motion.
When the vehicle is stopped in
R (Reverse) position, if you open
the driver’s door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear is shifted to P (Park)
position automatically.
However when the vehicle moves
in R (Reverse) position, if you open
the driver’s door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear may be not shifted
to P (Park) position automatically for
protecting the dual clutch transmission.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart a
stalled engine, or if it is necessary to stop
with the engine ON. Shift into P (Park)
if you need to leave your vehicle for any
reason.
Always depress the brake pedal when
you are shifting from N (Neutral) to
another gear.

While Driving
6-28
Press and hold the OK button on the
steering wheel to stay in Neutral
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when pushing the
N(Neutral) button. If you want to stay
N(Neutral) after turning off the engine,
press and hold the “OK” button on the
steering wheel more than 1 second.
Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear
to cancel
The warning message appears on the
LCD display, when pushing the “OK”
button on the steering wheel after the
message (“Press and hold OK button
to stay in Neutral when vehicle is Off”)
appears on the cluster LCD display. The
gear stays in N(Neutral) position after
turning off the engine. NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) position is engaged.
Gear already selected
The message appears on the LCD
display, when pushing the current shift
button again.
Shift button held down
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.