2004 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner's Manual - Page 160

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI 2 23 SMOOTH CORNERING C150A01A-AAT WINTER DRIVING C160A01A-AAT C160C01A-AAT Avoid braking or gear changing in corners, especially when roads are wet. Ideally, corners should always be taken under gentle acceleration. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear will be held to a minimum. The more severe weather conditions of winter result in greater wear and other problems. To minimize the problems of winter driving, you should follow these suggestions: Use High Quality Ethylene Glycol Coolant Your Hyundai 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 Section 5. Before winter, have your coolant tested to assure that its freezing point is sufficient for the temperatures anticipated during the winter. C160D01A-AAT C160B01A-AAT Snowy or Icy Conditions To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may be necessary to use snow tires or to install tire chains on your tires. If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to select tires equivalent in size and type of the original equipment tires. Failure to do so may adversely affect the safety and handling of your car. Furthermore, 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 skids to occur. You need to keep sufficient distance between the vehicle in operation in front and your vehicle. Also, apply the brake gently. It should be noted that installing tire chains on the tire will provide a greater driving force, but will not prevent side skids. Check Battery and Cables Winter puts additional burdens on the battery system. Visually inspect the battery and cables as described in Section 6. The level of charge in your battery can be checked by your Hyundai dealer or a service station. NOTE: Tire chains are not legal in all states. Check state laws before fitting tire chains.