2006 KIA AMANTI Owners Manual

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TIRES AND WHEELS Tires 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 one mile (1.6 km).
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.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Warm tires normally exceed rec-
ommended cold tire pressures by 4
to 6 psi (28 to 41 kPa). Do not
release air from warm tires to
adjust the pressure or the tires will
be underinflated.
• Underinflation results in excessive wear, poor handling, 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 deformation and/or tire sep-
aration is possible. So, keep your
tire pressures at the proper levels.
If a tire frequently needs refilling,
have it checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer. (Continued)
3GHA523
WARNING
Severe underinflation (10 psi (70
kPa) 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.

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(Continued)
• Overinflation produces a harsh
ride, handling problems, excessive
wear at the center of the tire tread,
and a greater possibility of dam-
age from road hazards.
• Be sure to reinstall the tire infla- tion valve caps. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leak-
age. If the cap have been lost,
install new one as soon as possible.
Tire rotation To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 7,500 miles (12,000 km) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire
also if you can see fabric or cord.
After rotation, be sure to bring the
front and rear tire pressures to spec-
ification and check lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications.
WARNING
- Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and lead
to sudden tire failure. This could
result in loss of vehicle control.
CBGQ0706CBGQ0707CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire With a full-size spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)

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Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor 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 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) 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.
Wheel alignment and tire
balance The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.✽ ✽NOTICEImproper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use only approved wheel weights.
2GHA5032
Tread wear indicator

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WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.Wheel replacement When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
WARNING
 When replacing tires, never
mix radial, bias-belted, and
bias-type tires. All four tires
should be of the same size,
design and construction. Use
only the tire sizes listed on the
Tire Label found below the
door striker on the driver’ s
side. Make sure that all tires
and wheels are the same size
and have the same load-carry-
ing capacity. Use only tire and
wheel combinations recom-
mended on the Tire Label or
by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Failure to follow these precau-
tions can adversely affect the
safety and handling of your
vehicle.
(Continued)
(Continued)
The use of any other tire size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, tire clearance, and
speedometer calibration.
 Driving on worn-out tires is
very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
 It is best to replace all four
tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’ s
handling.

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Tire size designation A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
225/60 R16 98H
225 - Tire width in millimeters.
60 - Aspect ratio. The tire ’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
98 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
Wheel size designation Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
6.5 JX16
6.5 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
Tire speed ratings The chart below shows many of the
different speed ratings currently
being used for passenger car. The
speed rating symbol is part of the tire
size designation on the sidewall of
the tire. This symbol corresponds to
that tire's designed maximum safe
operating speed.
S 112 mph (180 km/h)
T 118 mph (190 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h) V 149 mph (240 km/h)Z Above 149 mph (240 km/h)
Maximum Speed
Speed
Rating
Symbol

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Uniform tire quality grading The following information relates to
the tire grading system developed by
the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) for grading
tires by tread wear, traction and tem-
perature performance.
Tread wearThe tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use. However, performance
may differ from the norm because of
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on Kia vehicles
may vary with respect to grade.
Traction - A, B & C The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are A, B and C. The grades
represent the tires ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.Temperature -A, B & C The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C. The grades repre-
sent the tire’ s resistance to the gener-
ation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor labo-
ratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tires to
degenerate and reduce tires life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tires failure. Gr ade C corre-
sponds to a level of performance
which all passenger vehicle tires
must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades A and B represent higher lev-
els of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required
by the law.
XXXXXXXXXX
2GHN741
Tread wear XXX Traction X Temperature X

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Checking a tire lifeIf any tires that are over 6 years
based on the manufacturing date,
tire strength and performance
decline with age naturally (even if the
tires are not used like a spare tire).
Therefore, the tires should be
replaced by new ones including the
spare tire. You can find the manufac-
turing date on the tire sidewall (pos-
sibly only on the inside of the wheel),
which has DOT marking. DOT is seri-
al numbers on tires, which consist of
a combination of numbers and
English letters. You can check the
manufacturing date to the last four
position of the DOT.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1602 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2002.
WARNING
A tire more than 6 years old may
cause separation of the cord
layers inside the tire leading to
loss of vehicle or a serious
injury. Therefore, make sure to
check the manufacturing date
and replace the old tire in 6
years after the tire manufactur-
ing date.
WARNING
- Tire temperature
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tires failure. This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury or death.

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BULB REPLACEMENT Use only the bulbs of the specified
wattage.
Headlight bulb replacement ✽ ✽ NOTICEAfter heavy, driving rain or washing,
headlight and taillight lenses could
appear frosty. This condition is
caused by the temperature difference
between the lamp inside and outside.
This is similar to the condensation on
your windows inside your vehicle
during the rain and doesn’t indicate
a problem with your vehicle. If the
water leaks into the lamp bulb cir-
cuitry, have the vehicle checked by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
WARNING
- Working on
the lights
Prior to working on the light,
firmly apply the parking brake
and ensure that the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK”
position to avoid sudden move-
ment of the vehicle and burning
your fingers or receiving an
electric shock.
CAUTION
If you don’ t have necessary
tools, the correct bulbs and the expertise, consult anAuthorized Kia Dealer. In manycases, it is difficult to replacevehicle light bulbs becauseother parts of the vehicle mustbe removed before you can getthe bulb. Especially if you mustremove the front bumper toreplace the light bulbs in thefront of the vehicle. This mayresult in damage to the vehicle.
2GHN5102
➀ Headlight (High)
➁ Headlight (Low)
➂ Front fog light
➃ Position light
➄ Front turn signal light
➅ Side mark light