Hyundai Elantra: Driving Your Vehicle / Manual Transmission

Manual Transmission Operation

The manual transmission has 6 forward gears. The transmission is fully synchronized in all forward gears so shifting to either a higher or a lower gear is easily accomplished.

WARNING

Before leaving the driver's seat, always make sure the shift lever is in 1st gear when the vehicle is parked on a uphill and in R (Reverse) on a downhill, set the parking brake, and place the ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF position. Unexpected vehicle movement may occur if these precautions are not followed.

To shift to R (Reverse), make sure the vehicle has completely stopped, and then move the shift lever to neutral before moving into R (Reverse).

When you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st gear or R (Reverse):

1. Put the shift lever in neutral and release the clutch pedal.

2. Depress the clutch pedal, and then shift into 1 (first) or R (Reverse) gear.

NOTICE

During cold weather, shifting may be difficult until the transmission lubricant has warmed up.

Using the clutch

The clutch pedal should be depressed all the way before:

- Starting the engine

The engine will not start without depressing the clutch pedal.

- Shifting into gear, up shifting to the next higher gear, or down shifting to the next lower gear.

When releasing the clutch pedal, release it slowly. The clutch pedal should always be fully released while driving.

CAUTION

To prevent unnecessary wear or damage to the clutch:

• Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
• Do not hold the vehicle with the clutch on an incline, while waiting for the traffic light, etc.
• Always depress the clutch pedal down fully to prevent noise or damage.
• Do not depress the clutch pedal again until it is fully released.
• Do not start with the 2nd (second) gear engaged except when you start on a slippery road.
• Do not drive with cargo loaded more than required loading capacity.

Downshifting

Down shift to a lower gear when slowing down in heavy traffic or driving up a steep hill to prevent high engine loads.

Also, downshifting reduces the chance of stalling and helps reaccelerate the vehicle when you need to increase your speed.

When the vehicle is going downhill, downshifting helps maintain safe speed by providing engine braking (brake power from the engine) and results in less wear on the brakes.

NOTICE

To prevent damage to the engine, clutch and transmission:

• When downshifting from 5th gear to 4th gear, be careful not to inadvertently push the shift lever sideways engaging the 2nd gear. A drastic downshift may cause the engine speed to increase to the point the tachometer will enter the redzone and may cause engine damage.
• Do not downshift more than two gear at a time or downshift the gear when the engine is running at high speed (5,000 RPM or higher).

Such down shifting may damage the engine, clutch and the transmission.

Good Driving Practices

• Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This is extremely dangerous.
• Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause the brakes and related parts to overheat and malfunction. When you are driving down a long hill, slow down and shift to a lower gear. Engine braking will help slow down the vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid over-revving the engine, which can cause damage.
• Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better control of your vehicle.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you shift into R (Reverse) to prevent damage to the transmission.
• Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially careful when braking, accelerating or shifting gears. On a slippery surface, an abrupt change in vehicle speed can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and may cause loss of vehicle control resulting in an accident.

WARNING

Do not use aggressive engine braking (shifting from a higher gear to a lower gear) on slippery roads. This could cause the tires to slip and may result in an accident.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH:

• ALWAYS wear your seat belt. In a collision, an unbelted occupant is significantly more likely to be seriously injured or killed than a properly belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering or turning.
• Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of your vehicle at highway speeds.
• Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the roadway and the driver over steers to reenter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply. Instead, slow down before pulling back into the travel lanes.
• HYUNDAI recommends you follow all posted speed limits.