Winter Driving

Severe winter weather conditions quickly wear tires and cause other problems. To minimize winter driving problems, follow these recommendations:

Snow or Ice

You must maintain a sufficient following distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you.

Apply the brakes gently. Rapid acceleration, sudden braking, and sharp turns are potentially very dangerous actions. When braking, use engine braking to its full extent. Sudden braking on a snowy or icy road may cause the vehicle to skid.

To drive the vehicle through deep snow, it may be necessary to use winter tires or install snow chains on the tires.

Always carry emergency equipment in your vehicle. Some items you may want to carry include snow tire chains, tow straps or chains, a flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables, an ice scraper, gloves, a rag, coveralls, a blanket, etc.

Winter Tires

WARNING

Winter tires must be equivalent in size and type to the vehicle's standard tires. Otherwise, the safety and handling of your vehicle may be compromised.

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 maintain balanced vehicle handling in all weather conditions. Traction provided by winter tires on dry roads may not be as high as with 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 against their use.

Tire Chains

Installing some types of traction chains may damage the tire. Therefore, using winter tires is preferable to using traction chains.

If road and weather conditions require the use of snow chains, always use snow chains that are correctly sized for the tires on your HYUNDAI vehicle.

Always follow the installation instructions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.

Damage to your vehicle caused by improper use of snow chains is not covered by your vehicle manufacturer's warranty.

When using snow chains, attach them to the drive wheels as follows.

2WD: Front wheels
AWD: Front wheels

Snow chains must be installed on the front wheels. This also applies to all-wheel drive vehicles.

WARNING

The use of snow chains may adversely affect vehicle handling:

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

Information

• Install the snow chains on the left and right front tires. Note that installing snow chains on the tires will provide greater steering control, but will not prevent side skidding.
• Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state, and municipal regulations for possible restrictions on their use.

Chain Installation

When installing snow chains, follow the chain manufacturer's instructions and tighten them as tightly as possible. Drive slowly (less than 20 mph (30 km/h)) with snow chains installed. If you hear chains contacting the body or chassis, stop and retighten them. If they still contact, reduce speed until the noise stops. Remove snow chains as soon as you start driving on cleared roads.

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

NOTICE

- When using snow chains:

• Chains of the wrong size or improperly installed chains may damage brake lines, suspension, body, and wheels of your vehicle.
• Use SAE class "S" or wire chains.
• If you hear noise caused by chains contacting the body, tighten the chain 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 equipped with aluminum wheels. If unavoidable, use wire-type chains.
• Use wire chains less than 0.59 in (15 mm) wide to prevent damage to the chain connections.