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Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE Owner maintenance schedule The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or qualified
service technician at the frequencies
indicated to help ensure safe,
dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er or qualified service technician or
service advice as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.
When you stop for fuel: Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle: Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, level
road.
When stopping, listen and check for strange sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system after use is
normal).
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WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow out
under pressure. This could
cause serious injury.
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Maintenance12
7At least monthly: Check coolant level in the coolant
recovery reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall) : Check radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or da-
mage.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened
with washer fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year : Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system before the warm weather season.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.
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Maintenance14
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ENGINE COMPARTMENT
1GHA411
1. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
2. Power steering fluid reservoir
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Auto transaxle oil dipstick
5. Air cleaner
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Engine oil dipstick
8. Radiator cap
9. Positive battery terminal
10. Engine coolant reservoir
11. Negative battery terminal
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Maintenance
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BRAKESChecking brake fluid level Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake fluid, clean the
area around the reservoir cap thor-
oughly to prevent brake fluid contam-
ination.If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-
mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid.
(Refer to “RecommendedLubricants” later in this section.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
1GHA422
WARNING
When changing and adding
brake fluid, handle it carefully.
Do not let it come in contact
with your eyes. If brake fluid
should come in contact with
your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of
fresh tap water. Have your eyes
examined by a doctor as soon
as possible.
WARNING
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of
fluid, the vehicle should be
inspected by an Authorized Kia
Dealer.
1GHA5005
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Maintenance22
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Checking the parking brake Check whether the stroke is within
specification when the parking brake
pedal is depressed with 44 lb (20 kg,
196 N) of force. Also, the parking
brake alone should securely hold the
vehicle on a fairly steep grade. If the
stroke is more or less than specified,
have the parking brake adjusted by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Stroke : 3.5~3.8 in (88~98 mm)
1GHA3011
PARKING BRAKE
CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to con-
tact the vehicle's body paint, aspaint damage will result. Brakefluid, which has been exposedto open air for an extended timeshould never be used as itsquality cannot be guaranteed. Itshould be thrown out. Don't putin the wrong kind of fluid. Forexample, just a few drops ofmineral-based oil, such asengine oil, in your brake clutchsystem can damage brakeclutch system parts.
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Maintenance
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STEERING WHEELPark the vehicle on level ground,
start the car and place the tire
wheels in the straight-ahead posi-
tion. Turn the steering wheel to the
left and right with a little force and
check the free play until you get a
feel for resistance against the tire
wheels movement.
Standard value: 1.2 in (30 mm) or
less✽ ✽NOTICEIf the measured value exceeds the
standard value, have the system
checked by an authorized Kia deal-
er.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLEChecking the automatic
transaxle fluid level The automatic transaxle fluid level
should be checked regularly.
The volume of the transaxle fluid
changes with temperature. Although
it is best to check the level after hav-
ing driven the vehicle for at least 30
minutes, the level can be checked
after warming the fluid using the fol-
lowing procedure. 1. Park the vehicle on level ground
and firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Allow the engine to idle for about 2 minutes.
3. Depress the brake pedal and move the shift lever slowly through
all ranges then set it in P (Park).
4. With the engine still idling, pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean and rein-
sert it fully.
5. Pull out the dipstick again and check the fluid level.
1.2 in (30 mm)2GHN5100
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Maintenance26
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If the fluid has been warmed to nor-
mal operating temperature of approx-
imately 158~176° F (70~80°C), the
fluid level should be within “HOT”
range.✽ ✽ NOTICE“COLD” scale is for reference only
and should NOT be used to deter-
mine transaxle fluid level.
✽ ✽NOTICENew automatic transaxle fluid
should be red. The red dye is added
so the assembly plant can identify it
as automatic transaxle fluid and dis-
tinguish it from engine oil or
antifreeze. The red dye, which is not
an indicator of fluid quality, is not
permanent. As the vehicle is driven,
the automatic transaxle fluid will
begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an Authorized Kia
dealer change the automatic
transaxle fluid according to the
Scheduled Maintenance at the
beginning of this section.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes
transaxle slippage. Overfillingcan cause foaming, loss offluid and transaxle malfunc-tion.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxlemalfunction and failure.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of
the vehicle, apply parking brake
and depress the brake pedal
before moving the shift lever.
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Maintenance
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LUBRICANT SPECIFICATIONS Recommended lubricants To help achieve proper engine and
powertrain performance and durabil-
ity, use only lubricants of the proper
quality. The correct lubricants also
help promote engine efficiency that
results in improved fuel economy.
Engine oils labeled Energy
Conserving Oil are now available.
Along with other additional benefits,
they contribute to fuel economy by
reducing the amount of fuel neces-
sary to overcome engine friction.
Often, these improvements are diffi-
cult to measure in everyday driving,
but in a year’s time, they can offer
significant cost and energy savings.
*¹ Refer to the recommended SAE viscosity numbers on the next page.These lubricants and fluids are recommended for use in your vehicle.
Lubricant Classification
Engine oil *¹
API Service SL or above, ILSAC GF-3 or above
Automatic transaxle fluid DIAMOND ATF SP-III or SK ATF SP-III
Power steering fluid PSF-IV
Brake fluid FMVSS116 DOT-3 or DOT-4