Driving your vehicle -> Special driving conditions for Your Hyundai Santa Fe SUV 2023

06  
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS  
Hazardous driving conditions  
Rocking the vehicle  
When hazardous driving elements  
are encountered such as water, snow,  
ice, mud and sand, take the following  
precautions:  
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to  
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn  
the steering wheel right and left to clear  
the area around your front wheels. Then,  
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)  
and a forward gear.  
śꢀ Drive cautiously and maintain a longer  
braking distance.  
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and do  
not race the engine.  
śꢀ Avoid abrupt braking or steering.  
śꢀ When your vehicle is stuck in  
snow, mud, or sand, use second  
gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid  
unnecessary wheel spin.  
śꢀ Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or other  
non-slip materials under the wheels to  
provide additional traction while the  
vehicle becomes stuck in ice, snow,  
or mud.  
To prevent transmission wear, wait until  
the wheels stop spinning before shifting  
gears. Release the accelerator pedal  
while shifting, and press lightly on the  
accelerator pedal while the transmission  
is in gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in  
forward and reverse directions causes a  
rocking motion that may free the vehicle.  
WARNING  
WARNING  
If the vehicle is stuck and excessive  
wheel spin occurs, the temperature  
in the tires can increase very quickly.  
If the tires become damaged, a tire  
blow out or tire explosion can occur.  
This condition is dangerous - you and  
others may be injured. Do not attempt  
this procedure if people or objects are  
anywhere near the vehicle.  
Downshifting with an automatic  
transmission while driving on slippery  
surfaces can cause an accident. The  
sudden change in tire speed could  
cause the tires to skid. Be careful when  
downshifting on slippery surfaces.  
If you attempt to free the vehicle, the  
vehicle can overheat quickly, possibly  
causing an engine compartment fire  
or other damage. Try to avoid spinning  
the wheels as much as possible to  
prevent overheating of either the tires  
or the engine. DO NOT allow the vehicle  
to spin the wheels above 35 mph (56  
km/h).  
Information  
The ESC system must be turned OFF  
before rocking the vehicle.  
6-73  
Driving your vehicle  
NOTICE  
Driving in the rain  
If you are still stuck after rocking the  
vehicle a few times, have the vehicle  
pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid  
engine overheating, possible damage to  
the transmission, and tire damage. See  
“Towing” section in chapter 8.  
Rain and wet roads can make driving  
dangerous. Here are a few things to  
consider when driving in the rain or on  
slick pavement:  
śꢀ Slow down and allow extra following  
distance. A heavy rainfall makes  
it harder to see and increases the  
distance needed to stop your vehicle.  
Smooth cornering  
Avoid braking or gear changing in  
corners, especially when roads are wet.  
Ideally, corners should always be taken  
under gentle acceleration.  
śꢀ Turn OFF your Cruise Control. (if  
equipped)  
śꢀ Replace your windshield wiper blades  
when they show signs of streaking or  
missing areas on the windshield.  
śꢀ Be sure your tires have enough tread.  
If your tires do not have enough tread,  
making a quick stop on wet pavement  
can cause a skid and possibly lead to  
an accident. See “Tire Tread” section  
in chapter 9.  
Driving at night  
Night driving presents more hazards than  
driving in the daylight. Here are some  
important tips to remember:  
śꢀ Slow down and keep more distance  
between you and other vehicles, as it  
may be more difficult to see at night,  
especially in areas where there may  
not be any street lights.  
śꢀ Turn on your headlights to make it  
easier for others to see you.  
śꢀ Driving too fast through large puddles  
can affect your brakes. If you must go  
through puddles, try to drive through  
them slowly.  
śꢀ If you believe your brakes may be wet,  
apply them lightly while driving until  
normal braking operation returns.  
śꢀ Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare  
from other drivers’ headlights.  
śꢀ Keep your headlights clean and  
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly  
aimed headlights will make it much  
more difficult to see at night.  
śꢀ Avoid staring directly at the headlights  
of oncoming vehicles. You could be  
temporarily blinded, and it will take  
several seconds for your eyes to  
readjust to the darkness.  
Hydroplaning  
If the road is wet enough and you are  
going fast enough, your vehicle may  
have little or no contact with the road  
surface and actually ride on the water.  
The best advice is SLOW DOWN when  
the road is wet.  
The risk of hydroplaning increases as  
the depth of tire tread decreases, refer  
to “Tire Tread” section in chapter 9.  
6-74  
06  
Driving in flooded areas  
Reducing the risk of a rollover  
Avoid driving through flooded areas  
unless you are sure the water is no  
higher than the bottom of the wheel hub.  
Drive through any water slowly. Allow  
adequate stopping distance because  
brake performance may be reduced.  
Your multi-purpose passenger vehicle is  
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).  
SUV’s have higher ground clearance  
and a narrower track to make them  
capable of performing in a wide variety  
of off-road applications. The specific  
design characteristics give them a higher  
center of gravity than ordinary vehicles  
making them more likely to roll over if  
you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles  
have a significantly higher rollover rate  
than other types of vehicles. Due to this  
risk, driver and passengers are strongly  
recommended to buckle their seat belts.  
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person  
is significantly more likely to die than a  
person wearing a seat belt.  
After driving through water, dry the  
brakes by gently applying them several  
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.  
Highway driving  
Tires  
Adjust the tire inflation, as specified.  
Under-inflation may overheat or damage  
the tires.  
Do not install worn-out or damaged tires,  
which may reduce traction or fail the  
braking operation.  
There are steps that a driver can make  
to reduce the risk of a rollover. If at all  
possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt  
maneuvers, do not load your vehicle  
with heavy cargo on the roof, and never  
modify your vehicle in any way.  
Information  
Never over-inflate your tires above the  
maximum inflation pressure, as specified  
on your tires.  
WARNING  
Utility vehicles have a significantly  
higher rollover rate than other types of  
vehicles. To prevent rollovers or loss of  
control:  
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil  
Driving at higher speeds on the highway  
consumes more fuel and is less efficient  
than driving at a slower, more moderate  
speed. Maintain a moderate speed in  
order to conserve fuel when driving on  
the highway.  
śꢀ Take corners at slower speeds than  
you would with a passenger vehicle.  
śꢀ Avoid sharp turns and abrupt  
maneuvers.  
Be sure to check both the engine coolant  
level and the engine oil before driving.  
śꢀ Do not modify your vehicle in any  
way that you would raise the center  
of gravity.  
Drive belt  
A loose or damaged drive belt may  
overheat the engine.  
śꢀ Keep tires properly inflated.  
śꢀ Do not carry heavy cargo on the roof.  
WARNING  
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person  
is significantly more likely to die than a  
person wearing a seat belt. Make sure  
all passengers are wearing their seat  
belts.  
6-75