The severe weather conditions of winter quickly wear out tires and cause other problems. To minimize winter driving problems, you should take the following suggestions:

Snow or Icy Conditions

You need to keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

Apply the brakes gently. Speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and sharp turns are potentially very hazardous practices. During deceleration, use engine braking to the fullest extent. Sudden brake applications on snowy or icy roads may cause the vehicle to skid.

To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may be necessary to use snow tires or to install tire chains on your tires.

Always carry emergency equipment. Some of the items you may want to carry include tire chains, tow straps or chains, a flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper, gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.

Snow tires

WARNING

Snow tires should be equivalent in size and type to the vehicle’s standard tires. Otherwise, the safety and handling of your vehicle may be adversely affected.

If you mount snow tires on your vehicle, make sure to use radial tires of the same size and load range as the original tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels to balance your vehicle’s handling in all weather conditions. The traction provided by snow tires on dry roads may not be as high as your vehicle's original equipment tires. Check with the tire dealer for maximum speed recommendations.

Information

Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and municipal regulations for possible restrictions against their use.

Tire chains

Since the sidewalls of radial tires are thinner than other types of tires, they may be damaged by mounting some types of tire chains on them. Therefore the use of snow tires is preferred over the use of tire chains.

If the road and weather conditions require the use of tire chains, be sure to use tire chains that have been properly selected for the size of tire on your HYUNDAI vehicle.

Be sure to follow the guidelines and installation instructions provided from the tire chain manufacturer.

Damage to your vehicle caused by improper tire chain use is not covered by your vehicle manufacturer’s warranty.

WARNING

The use of tire chains may adversely affect vehicle handling:

• Drive less than 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer's recommended speed limit, whichever is lower.
• Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other road hazards, which may cause the vehicle to bounce.
• Avoid sharp turns or locked wheel braking.

Information

• Install tire chains on both left and right front tires. It should be noted that installing tire chains on the tires will provide a greater driving force, but will not prevent side skids.
• Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and municipal regulations for possible restrictions against their use.

Chain installation

When installing tire chains, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and mount them as tightly possible. Drive slowly (less than 20 mph (30 km/h)) with chains installed. If you hear the chains contacting the body or chassis, stop and tighten them. If they still make contact, slow down until the noise stops. Remove the tire chains as soon as you begin driving on cleared roads.

When mounting snow chains, park the vehicle on level ground away from traffic. Turn on the vehicle Hazard Warning Flasher and place a triangular emergency warning device behind the vehicle (if available). Always place the vehicle in P (Park), apply the parking brake and turn off the engine before installing snow chains.

NOTICE

When using tire chains:

• Wrong size chains or improperly installed chains can damage your vehicle's brake lines, suspension, body and wheels.
• Use SAE "S" class or wire chains.
• If you hear noise caused by chains contacting the body, retighten the chain to prevent contact with the vehicle body.
• To prevent body damage, retighten the chains after driving 0.3~0.6 miles (0.5~1.0 km).
• Do not use tire chains on vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels. If unavoidable, use a wire type chain.
• Use wire chains less than 0.59 inch (15mm) wide to prevent damage to the chain’s connection.

Winter Precautions

Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant

Your vehicle is delivered with high quality ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling system. It is the only type of coolant that should be used because it helps prevent corrosion in the cooling system, lubricates the water pump and prevents freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish your coolant in accordance with the maintenance schedule in chapter 8. Before winter, have your coolant tested to assure that its freezing point is sufficient for the temperatures anticipated during the winter.

Change to "winter weight" oil if necessary

In some climates it is recommended that a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be used during cold weather. See chapter 8 for recommendations. If you aren't sure what weight oil you should use, consult an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.

Check battery and cables

Winter puts additional burdens on the battery system. Visually inspect the battery and cables as described in chapter 8. The level of charge in your battery can be checked by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer or a service station.

Check spark plugs and ignition system

Inspect your spark plugs as described in chapter 8 and replace them if necessary. Also check all ignition wiring and components to be sure they are not cracked, worn or damaged in any way.

Use approved window washer antifreeze in system

To keep the water in the window washer system from freezing, add an approved window washer anti-freeze solution in accordance with instructions on the container. Window washer anti-freeze is available from an authorized HYUNDAI dealer and most auto parts outlets. Do not use engine coolant or other types of antifreeze as these may damage the paint finish.

Do not let your parking brake freeze

Under some conditions your parking brake can freeze in the engaged position. This is most likely to happen when there is an accumulation of snow or ice around or near the rear brakes or if the brakes are wet. If there is a risk the parking brake may freeze, apply it only temporarily while you put the gear selector lever in P and block the rear wheels so the car cannot roll. Then release the parking brake.

Do not let ice and snow accumulate underneath

Under some conditions, snow and ice can build up under the fenders and interfere with the steering. When driving in severe winter conditions where this may happen, you should periodically check underneath the car to be sure the movement of the front wheels and the steering components is not obstructed.

Don't place foreign objects or materials in the engine compartment

Placement of foreign object or materials which prevent cooling of the engine, in the engine compartment, may cause a failure or combustion. The manufacturer is not responsible for the damage caused by such placement.

To keep locks from freezing

To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into the key opening. If a lock is covered with ice, squirt it with an approved deicing fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is frozen internally, you may be able to thaw it out by using a heated key. Handle the heated key with care to avoid injury.