2023 HYUNDAI SONATA ignition

While Driving
6-8
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.
1. Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2. Make sure the gear is in P (Park).
3. Depress the brake pedal.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the START
position. Hold the key (maximum of
10 seconds) until the engine starts and
release it.
Information
• It is best to maintain a moderate engine speed until the vehicle engine comes
up to normal operating temperature.
Avoid harsh or abrupt acceleration or deceleration while the engine is still cold.
• Whether the engine is cold or warm,
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: • Do not hold the ignition key in the
START position for more than 10
seconds. Wait 5 to 10 seconds before trying again.
• Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
Turning off the engine
1. Stop the vehicle and depress the brake pedal fully.
2. Shift the gear to P (Park).
3. Turn the ignition switch to the off position and apply the parking brake.

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.

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
6-26
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 be not shifted to P (Park)
position automatically for protecting the
dual clutch transmission.
The DRIVE MODE switch, located on
the shift lever/button console, allows
the driver to switch from NORMAL/
COMFORT mode to SPORT or ECO mode. (if equipped)
For more details, refer to “Drive Mode
Integrated Control System” later in this
chapter. Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transmission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transmission
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R
(Reverse) or D (Drive) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
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 move the shift lever to R (Reverse). (shift lever
type)
Depress the brake pedal and push the
R (Reverse) button. (shift button type)
When the battery is discharged:
You cannot shift the shift lever/button,
when the battery is discharged.
In emergencies, do the following
to move the shift lever/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 details, refer to “Jump
Starting” in chapter 8.
2. Release the parking brake with the ignition switch 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.

06
6-27
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever/button into the P
(Park) position, apply the parking brake,
and place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position. Take the Key with
you when exiting the vehicle.
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.
LCD display message (button
type)
Shifting conditions not met. Reduce speed, then shift
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 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).