2005 KIA Sportage tire size

Driving your vehicle16 4
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 If you need to drive in water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to
“4WD LOCK” and drive at less than
8 km/h (5 mph).
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte-
nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see “Maintenance
Services” in the Index). Always
wash you car thoroughly.
• Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the 4WD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip them
with all four tires with same size
and type.
• The full time four wheel drive
vehicle cannot be towed by an
ordinary tow truck. Make sure
that the vehicle is towed with its
four wheels raised off the ground.
WARNING
While the full-time 4WD vehicle
is being raised on a jack, never
start the engine or cause the
tires to rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the
jack and to jump forward.
CAUTION
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow,
etc. the vehicle can sometimes
be driven out by depressing the
accelerator pedal further; how-
ever avoid running the engine
continuously at high rpm
because doing so could dam-
age the 4WD system.
WARNING
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.
WARNING -
Driving
through water
If you are driving too fast in
water, the water spray can get
into the engine compartment
and wet the ignition system,
causing your vehicle to sudden-
ly stall. If this happens and your
vehicle is in a tilted position,
your vehicle may roll over.
KM CAN (ENG) 4.qxd 9/13/2004 4:48 PM Page 16

Driving tips10 5Snow tires If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-
ipal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Reducing the risk of a rolloverThis multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance
is a better view of the road, which
allows you to anticipate problems.
They are not designed for cornering
at the same speeds as conventional
passenger drive vehicles, any more
than low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily in
off-road conditions. Due to this risk,
driver and passengers are strongly
recommended to buckle their seat-
belts. In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed person is more likely to die than a
person wearing a seatbelt. There
are steps that a driver can make to
reduce the risk of a rollover. If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never
modify your vehicle in any way.
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WARNING
- Snow tire
size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
KM CAN (ENG) 5.qxd 9/13/2004 4:48 PM Page 10

Driving tips40 5
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VEHICLE LOAD LIMITTire and loading information
labelThe tire label located on the driver's
door sill gives the original tire size,
cold tire pressures recommended for
your vehicle, the number of people
that can be in your vehicle and vehi-
cle capacity weight.
Steps for determining correct
load limit1. Locate the statement "The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs.'' on your vehicle's
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example, if
the "XXX" amount equals 640 kg
(1400 lbs.), and there will be five
70 kg (150 lbs.). passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load
capacity is 290 kg (650 lbs.).
(640-350 (5 x 70) = 290 kg or
1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
1KMN5039
KM CAN (ENG) 5.qxd 9/13/2004 4:48 PM Page 40

Driving tips42 5
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Refer to your vehicle's tire and load-
ing information label for specific
information about your vehicle's
capacity weight and seating posi-
tions. The combined weight of the
driver, passengers and cargo should
never exceed your vehicle's capacity
weight.
Compliance labelThe compliance label is located on
the driver's door sill.
The label shows the size of your orig-
inal tires and the inflation pressures
needed to obtain the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle. This is
called the GVWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all occu-
pants, fuel and cargo.This label also tells you the maxi-
mum weights that can be supported
by the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on your
front and rear axles, you need to go
to a weigh station and weigh your
vehicle. Your dealer can help you with
this. Be sure to spread out your load
equally on both sides of the center-
line.
WARNING
 Never exceed the GVWR for
your vehicle, or the GAWR for
either the front or rear axle.
 Do not load your vehicle any
heavier than the GVWR, or
either the maximum front or
rear GAWR. If you do, parts on
your vehicle can break, and it
can change the way your vehi-
cle handles. This could cause
you to lose control and crash.
Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
C190G01JM
KM CAN (ENG) 5.qxd 9/13/2004 4:48 PM Page 42

619
In case of an emergency
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IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE The spare tire, jack, jack handle,
wheel lug nut wrench are stored in
the luggage compartment. Remove
the luggage under tray out of the way
to reach this equipment.
Removing the spare tire Turn the tire hold-down wing bolt
counterclockwise.
Store the tire in the reverse order of
removal.
To prevent the spare tire and tools
from “rattling” while the vehicle is in
motion, store them properly.
Important - use of compact
spare tireyour vehicle is equipped with a com-
pact spare tire. This compact spare
tire takes up less space than a regu-
lar-size tire. This tire is smaller than a
conventional tire and is designed for
temporary use only.
1KMA4012
1KMA4014
CAUTION
 You should drive carefully
when the compact spare is in
use. The compact spare
should be replaced by the
proper conventional tire and
rim at the first opportunity.
 The operation of this vehicle
is not recommended with
more than one compact spare
tire in use at the same time.
KM CAN (ENG) 6.qxd 9/13/2004 4:47 PM Page 19

In case of an emergency20 6The compact spare should be inflat-
ed to 420 kPa (60 psi).✽ ✽
NOTICECheck the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to
the specified pressure, as necessary.
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
 Under no circumstances should
you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a
higher speed could damage the
tire.
 Ensure that you drive slowly
enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
 Any continuous road use of this tire
could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible per-
sonal injury.
 Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi-
mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire.
 Avoid driving over obstacles. The
compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately
25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle. Do not take this vehicle through an
automatic car wash.
 Do not use tire chains on this tire.
Because of the smaller size, a tire
chain will not fit properly. This could
damage the vehicle and result in
loss of the chain.
 This tire should not be installed on
the front axle if the vehicle must be
driven in snow or on ice.
 Do not use the compact spare tire
on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
 The compact spare tire’s tread life
is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
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CAUTION
This spare tire should be used
only for VERY short distances.
Compact spares should NEVER
be used for long drives or
extended distances.
KM CAN (ENG) 6.qxd 9/13/2004 4:47 PM Page 20

Maintenance34 7
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TIRES AND WHEELSTires care For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.Inflation pressures All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the front driver’s door sill.
1KMN5045
WARNING
Severe underinflation (70 kPa
(10 psi) or more) can lead to
severe heat build-up, especially
on hot days and when driving at
high speed. This can potentially
cause tread separation and
other tire irregularities to
appear that can result in the
loss of vehicle control leading
to severe injury or death.
WARNING
 Underinflation results in
excessive wear, poor han-
dling, reduced fuel economy,
and the possibility of
blowouts from overheated
tires. Also, low tire pressure
can cause poor sealing of the
tire bead. If the tire pressure is
excessively low, wheel defor-
mation and/or tire separation
is possible. So, keep your tire
pressures at the proper levels.
If a tire frequently needs refill-
ing, have it checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
 Overinflation produces a
harsh ride, handling prob-
lems, excessive wear at the
center of the tire tread, and a
greater possibility of damage
from road hazards.
KM CAN (ENG) 7.qxd 9/13/2004 4:47 PM Page 34

737
Maintenance
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Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.✽ ✽
NOTICERotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
Tire replacementIf the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
Compact spare tire replace-
ment (if equipped)A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new Kia and should be mounted on
the same compact spare tire wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
1KMA5026
Tread wear indicator
CAUTION
Do not mix bias-ply and radial-
ply under any circumstances.
This may cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics.
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