Winter Driving

Severe winter weather quickly wears tires and causes other problems. To minimize winter driving problems, follow these recommendations:

Snow or Ice

Maintain a sufficient following distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead.

Apply the brakes gently. Excessive speed, rapid acceleration, sudden braking, and sharp turns are potentially very dangerous. When braking, make full use of engine braking. Sudden braking on snowy or icy roads may cause the vehicle to skid.

Driving through deep snow may require the use of winter tires or the installation of traction chains on the tires.

Always carry emergency equipment. Items you may want to take with you include traction chains, tow straps or chains, a flashlight, flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables, an ice scraper, gloves, a rag, coveralls, a blanket, etc.

Winter Tires

WARNING

Winter tires must be the same size and type as the standard tires. Otherwise, vehicle safety and handling may be adversely affected.

If you install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use radial tires of the same size and load range as the original tires. Install winter tires on all four wheels to balance the handling of your vehicle in any weather conditions. Traction provided by winter tires on dry roads may not be as high as that of the original equipment tires. Consult your tire dealer for maximum speed recommendations.

Information

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

Tire Chains

Because the sidewalls of radial tires are thinner than those of other tire types, they may be damaged when some types of snow chains are installed. Therefore, it is recommended to use winter tires instead of snow chains. If snow chains must be used, use genuine HYUNDAI parts and install the snow chains after reading the instructions included with the snow chains. Damage to your vehicle caused by an improper snow chain installation is not covered by your vehicle manufacturer's warranty.

WARNING

Using traction chains may adversely affect vehicle handling:

• Drive at a speed less than 20 mph (30 km/h) or the speed limit recommended by the chain manufacturer, whichever is lower.
• Drive carefully and avoid bumps, potholes, sharp curves, and other road hazards, which may cause the vehicle to bounce.
• Avoid sharp turns or braking that locks the wheels.

Information

• Install snow chains on the left and right front tires. It should be noted that installing snow chains on the tires will provide greater steering control, but will not prevent sideslip.
• Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state, and municipal regulations regarding possible restrictions on their use.

Chain Installation

When installing snow chains, follow the manufacturer's instructions and install them as tightly as possible. Drive slowly (below 30 km/h) with the chains installed. If you hear the chains contacting the body or chassis, stop and retighten them. If they still contact, reduce speed until the noise stops. Remove the chains as soon as you drive on cleared road.

When installing snow chains, park the vehicle on a level surface away from traffic. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and place a warning triangle device behind the vehicle (if equipped). Always shift the vehicle into P (Park), apply the parking brake and turn off the engine before installing snow chains.

NOTICE

- When using snow chains:

• Chains of incorrect size or improperly installed chains can damage the engine, brake lines, suspension, body and wheels.
• Use SAE class "S" or wire chains.
• If you hear noise caused by the chains contacting the body, retighten the chains to prevent contact with the vehicle body.
• To prevent body damage, retighten the chains after driving 0.3–0.6 mile (0.5–1.0 km).
• Do not use snow chains on vehicles with aluminum wheels. If unavoidable, use wire-type chains.
• Use wire chains less than 0.47 in (12 mm) wide to prevent damage to the chain connection.