Trailer Or Vehicle Towing - Hyundai 2009 Tucson Owner's Manual

2
DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI

TRAILER OR VEHICLE TOWING

26
C190A01S-AAT
If you are considering towing with your car,
you should first check with your State's
Department of Motor Vehicles to deter-
mine their legal requirements.
Since laws vary from State to State the
requirements for towing trailers, cars, or
other types of vehicles or apparatus may
differ. Ask your Hyundai dealer for further
details before towing.
!
CAUTION:
Do not do any towing with your car during
its first 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in order to
allow the engine to properly break in.
Failure to heed this caution may result in
serious engine or transaxle damage.
C190B01S-AAT
Trailer Hitches
Select the proper hitch and ball combina-
tion, making sure that its location is com-
patible with that of the trailer or vehicle
being towed.
Use a quality non-equalizing hitch which
distributes the tongue load uniformly
throughout the chassis.
The hitch should be bolted securely to the
car and installed by a qualified technician.
DO NOT USE A HITCH DESIGNED FOR
TEMPORARY INSTALLATION AND
NEVER USE ONE THAT ATTACHES
ONLY TO THE BUMPER.
C190C01Y-AAT
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to federal
and/or local regulations and that it is prop-
erly installed and operating correctly.
NOTE:
If you tow a trailer or vehicle, your car will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. See Maintenance
Under Severe Usage Conditions" on
page 5-6.
!
CAUTION:
o Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
o When towing a trailer on steep grades
(in excess of 6%) pay close attention
to the engine coolant temperature
gauge to ensure the engine does not
overheat. If the needle of the coolant
temperature gauge moves across the
dial towards "H" (HOT), pull over and
stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and
allow the engine to idle until it cools
down. You may proceed once the
engine has cooled sufficiently.
C190D01S-AAT
Safety Chains
Should the hitch connection between your
vehicle and the trailer or vehicle you are
towing fail, the trailer or vehicle could
wander dangerously across other lanes of
traffic and ultimately leave the roadway. To
eliminate this potentially dangerous situa-
tion, safety chains, attached between your
car and the trailer or towed vehicle, are
required in most states.