Hyundai Santa Cruz: Dual Clutch Transmission / Dual Clutch Transmission Operation
The dual clutch transmission has eight forward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected automatically when the shift lever is in the
D (Drive)
position.
- The advanced wet-clutch dual clutch
transmission in your vehicle can be
thought of as an automatically shifting
manual transmission. It gives the
driving feel of a manual transmission,
yet provides the ease of a fully
automatic transmission.
- When D (Drive) is selected, the
transmission will automatically
shift through the gears similar to a
conventional automatic transmission.
With a wet-type dual clutch
transmission, however, the engine
torque that is transmitted directly
from the engine to the transmission
is transferred by a clutch pack that
is lubricated in oil. The oil's primary
purpose is to cool the clutch, and
because of lubricating properties of
the oil and this cooling effect, gear
shifts are smooth as well as direct.
- The wet-type dual clutch transmission
allows for better acceleration
performance and increased fuel
efficiency while driving. But it differs
from a conventional automatic
transmission because it does not
incorporate a torque converter.
Instead, the transition from one gear
to the next is managed by clutch slip,
especially at lower speeds.
As a result, shifts are sometimes more
noticeable, and a light vibration can
be felt as the transmission shaft speed
is matched with the engine shaft
speed. This is a normal condition of
the dual clutch transmission.
- The wet-type clutch transfers torque
more directly and provides a direct
drive feeling which may feel different
from a conventional automatic
transmission. This may be more
noticeable when launching the vehicle
from a stop or when traveling at low,
stop-and-go vehicle speeds.
- When rapidly accelerating from a
lower vehicle speed, the engine
rpm may increase dramatically as a
result of clutch slip as the dual clutch
transmission selects the correct gear.
This is a normal condition.
- When accelerating from a stop on
an incline, press the accelerator
smoothly and gradually to avoid any
shudder feeling or jerkiness.
- When traveling at a lower vehicle
speed, if you release the accelerator
pedal quickly, you may feel engine
braking before the transmission
changes gears. This engine braking
feeling is similar to operating a
manual transmission at low speed.
- When driving downhill, you may
wish to move the gear shift lever to
Manual Shift mode and downshift to
a lower gear in order to control your
speed without using the brake pedal
excessively.
- When you turn the engine on and off,
you may hear clicking sounds as the
system goes through a self-test. This
is a normal sound for the dual clutch
transmission.
- During the first 1000 miles (1,500km),
you may feel that the vehicle may not
be smooth when accelerating at low
speed. During this break-in period, the
shift quality and performance of your
new vehicle is continuously optimized.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or
death:
- ALWAYS check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before shifting a
vehicle into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
- Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position, then set
the parking brake, and place the
ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF
position. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed.
- 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.
NOTICE
- Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
- Do not put the shift lever in N
(Neutral) while driving.
WARNING
Due to transmission failure, you may
not continue to drive and the position
indicator and the position indicator (D,
P) on the instrument cluster will blink.
Contact authorized HYUNDAI dealer
and have the system checked.
DCT warning messages
This warning message is displayed when
vehicle is driven slowly on a grade and
the vehicle detects that the brake pedal
is not applied.
![](images/dual_clutch_transmission_operation-1563/1344/pages.21(3).jpg)
Steep grade! Press brake pedal
Driving up hills or on steep grades:
- To hold the vehicle on an incline use
the foot brake or the parking brake.
- When in stop-and-go traffic on an
incline, allow a gap to form ahead
of you before moving the vehicle
forward. Then hold the vehicle on the
incline with the foot brake.
- If the vehicle is held or creeping
forward on an incline by applying
the accelerator pedal, the clutch and
transmission may overheat which
can result in damage. At this time, a
warning message will appear on the
LCD display.
- If the LCD warning is active, the foot
brake must be applied.
- Ignoring the warnings can lead to
damage to the transmission.
![](images/dual_clutch_transmission_operation-1563/1344/pages.22(3).jpg)
Transmission high temperature
- Under certain conditions, such as
repeated stop-and-go launches
on steep grades, sudden take off
or acceleration, or other harsh
driving conditions, the transmission
clutch temperatures will increase
excessively.
- When the clutch temperatures are too
high, the “Transmission temp. is high!
Stop safely” warning message will
appear on the LCD display, a chime
will sound, and the transmission
shifting may not be smooth.
- If this occurs, pull over to a safe
location, stop the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the brakes and
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and allow
the transmission to cool.
- If you ignore this warning, the driving
condition may become worse.
You may experience abrupt shifts,
frequent shifts, or jerkiness. To return
to the normal driving condition, stop
the vehicle and shift into P (Park).
Then allow the transmission to cool
for a few minutes with engine on
before driving off.
- When possible, drive the vehicle
smoothly.
![](images/dual_clutch_transmission_operation-1563/1344/pages.23(3).jpg)
Transmission overheated
- If the vehicle continues to be driven
and the clutch temperatures reach
the maximum temperature limit, the
“Transmission Hot! Park with engine
on” warning will be displayed. When
this occurs the clutch is disabled
until the clutch cools to normal
temperatures.
- The warning will display a time to wait
for the transmission to cool.
- If this occurs, pull over to a safe
location, stop the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the brakes and
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and allow
the transmission to cool.
- When the message “Trans cooled.
Resume driving” appears you can
continue to drive your vehicle.
- When possible, drive the vehicle
smoothly.
If any of the warning messages in the
LCD display continue to blink, for your
safety, contact an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer and have the system checked.
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position when the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must depress
firmly on the brake pedal and make sure
your foot is off the accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot shift the lever out of P
(Park), see “Shift-Lock Release” in this
chapter.
The shift lever must be in P (Park) before
turning the engine off.
WARNING
- Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may cause you to
lose control of the vehicle.
- After the vehicle has stopped, always
make sure the shift lever is in P
(Park), apply the parking brake, and
turn the engine off.
- When parking on an incline, place
the shift lever in P (Park) and apply
the parking brake to prevent the
vehicle from rolling downhill.
- For safety, always engage the
parking brake with the shift lever in
the P (Park) position except for the
case of emergency parking.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you
may damage the transmission if you
shift into R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
in motion.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart a
stalled engine, or if it is necessary to stop
with the engine ON. Shift into P (Park)
if you need to leave your vehicle for any
reason.
Always depress the brake pedal when
you are shifting from N (Neutral) to
another gear.
WARNING
Do not shift into gear unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal. Shifting into
gear when the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to move
very rapidly. You could lose control of
the vehicle and hit people or objects.
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position. The
transmission will automatically shift
through a 8-gear sequence, providing
the best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or driving uphill, depress the
accelerator fully. The transmission will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear (or gears, as appropriate).
The DRIVE MODE switch, located on the
shift lever console, allows the driver to
switch from NORMAL mode to SPORT
mode.
![](images/dual_clutch_transmission_operation-1563/1344/pages.24(3).jpg)
Manual shift mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, manual shift mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D (Drive)
position into the manual gate. To return
to D (Drive) range operation, push the
shift lever back into the main gate.
In Manual Shift mode, moving the shift
lever backwards (B) and forwards (A) will
allow you to select the desired range of
gears for the current driving conditions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward (A) once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards (B)
once to shift down one gear.
Information
- Only the eight forward gears can be
selected in Manual Shift Mode. To
reverse or park the vehicle, move the
shift lever to the R (Reverse) or P
(Park) position as required.
- Downshifts are made automatically
when the vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.
- When the engine rpm approaches the
red zone the transmission will upshift
automatically.
- If the driver presses the lever to
+ (Up) or - (Down) position, the
transmission may not make the
requested gear change if the next gear
is outside of the allowable engine rpm
range. The driver must execute upshifts
in accordance with road conditions,
taking care to keep the engine rpms
below the red zone.
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the dual clutch
transmission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transmission
from P (Park) to R (Reverse) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the ignition
switch in the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever to R (Reverse).
Shift-lock release
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position into R (Reverse)
position with the brake pedal depressed,
continue depressing the brake, and then
do the following:
![](images/dual_clutch_transmission_operation-1563/1344/pages.25(3).jpg)
1. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK/
OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the shift lever boots.
4. Move the Shift lever while holding
the release button (1) with a tool (for
example, flathead screw-driver).
If you need to use the shift-lock release,
we recommend that the system be
inspected by an authorized HYUNDAI
dealer immediately.
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, apply the parking brake, and
place the ignition switch in the LOCK/
OFF po ...
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