2023 HYUNDAI SONATA Owners Manual

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
6-12
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the vehicle:
When the stop lamp switch fuse is
blown, you can't start the engine
normally. Replace the fuse with a new
one. If you are not able to replace
the fuse, you can start the engine by
pressing and holding the Engine Start/
Stop button for 10 seconds with the
Engine Start/Stop button in the ACC position.
Do not press the Engine Start/Stop
button for more than 10 seconds except
when the stop lamp switch fuse is
blown.
For your safety always depress the
brake pedal before starting the engine.
ODN8069002
Information
If the smart key battery is weak or the
smart key does not work correctly, you
can start the engine by pressing the Engine Start/Stop button with the smart key in
the direction of the picture above.
Remote Start
ODN8069003
ODN8069004
You can start the vehicle using the
Remote Start button of the smart key.
To start the vehicle remotely:• Lock the doors by pressing the door
lock button within 10 m (32 feet)
distance from the vehicle.
• Press the remote start button for over
2 seconds within 4 seconds after
locking the doors and the hazard
warning will blink.
To turn off the remote start function,
press the remote start button once.
In case of the manual operation,
the climate control system will be
maintained even when the engine is
turned OFF. However, the automatic
operation is set to 22°C (72°F).

6-13
06
ODN8069005
Automatic Transmission Operation
The automatic transmission has eight forward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected automatically in the D (Drive) position.
WARNING
The automatic transmission shift button or interior parts might get hot when a
vehicle is parked outside during hot weather. Always be careful when the vehicle is
hot.
AUtoMAtic trAnSMiSSion

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
6-15
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position. The
transmission will automatically shift
through a 8-gear sequence, providing
the best fuel economy and power.
To start the vehicle forward, push the D
(Drive) button by depressing the brake
pedal with the engine ON. Then depress
the accelerator pedal smoothly.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or driving uphill, depress the
accelerator fully. The transmission will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear (or gears, as appropriate).
When the vehicle is stopped in D (Drive)
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 D
(Drive) position, if you open the driver's
door with the seat belt unfastened, the
gear may not shift to P (Park) position
automatically to protect the automatic
transmission.
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transmission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the gear from
P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse)
or D (Drive) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the gear from P (Park) or N
(Neutral) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the ignition switch in the ON position.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the R (Reverse) or D (Drive) button. Stay in N (Neutral) position when engine is Off
ODN8069006
ODN8069008
If you want to keep the N (Neutral)
position after the engine is OFF, do the
following.
1. Deactivate the AUTO HOLD and release the parking brake when the
ignition switch is ON.
2. Start the engine. Push the N (neutral) button while depressing the brake
pedal. If the message ("Press and
hold OK button to stay in Neutral
when vehicle is OFF") appears on the
cluster LCD display, press and hold
the OK button on the steering wheel
for more than 1 second.
3. When the message ("Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear to cancel")
appears on the cluster LCD display,
turn off the engine.
In this situation, if you unfasten the
driver's seat belt and open the driver's
door within 3 minutes, the gear stays in
the N (Neutral) position and the ignition
switch is turned off.

While Driving
6-16
When the battery is discharged:
You cannot shift the gear when the
battery is discharged.
In emergencies, do the following to
move the shift button to N (Neutral) on a
level ground.
1. Connect the battery cables from
another vehicle or from a another
battery to the jump-starting terminals
inside the engine compartment.
For more information refer to "Jump Starting" in chapter 7.
2. Release the parking brake with the Engine Start/Stop button in the ON position.
3. Shift the gear to the N(Neutral) position. Refer to the "Stay in Neutral
when vehicle is Off" in this chapter.
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Press the P button, apply the parking
brake, and place the ignition switch in
the LOCK/OFF position. Take the Key
with you when exiting the vehicle. • The gear is shifted to P (Park) position
automatically for safety under the
following conditions.
- When the driver unfastens the seat belt and opens the driver’s door.
- When the engine is turned off with the gear shifted to R (Reverse), D
(Drive) or N (Neutral).
WARNING
When you stay in the vehicle with
the engine running, be careful not to
depress the accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. The engine or exhaust
system may overheat and start a fire.
The exhaust gas and the exhaust system
are very hot. Keep away from the
exhaust system components.
Do not stop or park over flammable
materials, such as dry grass, paper or
leaves. They may ignite and cause a fire.

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.