2006 KIA AMANTI engine overheat

Knowing your vehicle102
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Cigarette lighterFrontTo use the cigarette lighter, press
the front face then release it to allow
the cigarette lighter and ashtray to
slowly extend from center panel.
To operate the cigarette lighter, press
it in and release it. When it is heated,
it automatically pops out ready for
use.
If the engine is not running, the igni-
tion switch must be in the ACC posi-
tion for the lighter to operate.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Do not hold the lighter in after it is
already heated because it will
overheat.
• Only a genuine Kia lighter should be used in the cigarette lighter
socket. The use of plug-in acces-
sories (shavers, hand-held vacu-
ums, and coffee pots, for example)
may damage the socket or cause
electrical failure.
• If the lighter does not pop out within 30 seconds, remove it to
prevent overheating.
Ashtrays Front To use the ashtray, press the front
face and release it to allow the ciga-
rette lighter and ashtray to slowly
extend from center panel.
To remove the ashtray, grasp the
ashtray bucket (
➀) and carefully pull
it out.
INTERIOR FEATURES
1GHA2084
1GHA2084A

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Driving your vehicle
Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Depressing the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle. If you must use the parking
brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING -
Brakes
 Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
 When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)

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Driving your vehicle
Engine temperature gauge This gauge shows the temperature
of the engine coolant when the igni-
tion switch is ON.
Do not continue driving with an over-
heated engine. If your vehicle over-
heats, refer to “Overheating” in the
Index.✽ ✽
NOTICEIf the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the
“H” position, it indicates overheat-
ing that may damage the engine.
Fuel gaugeThe fuel gauge indicates the approx-
imate amount of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 18.49 US gal.
(70 litres).
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a
low fuel warning light, which will illu-
minate when the fuel level has
dropped to about 2.38 US gal. (9
liters).
Instrument panel illuminationWhen the vehicle’s parking lights or
headlights are on, rotate the illumina-
tion control knob to adjust the instru-
ment panel illumination intensity.
2GHN2052

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 If warmer air is desired at floor
level for bi-level operation, set the
mode to the position and
adjust the temperature control to
maintain maximum comfort.
 When maximum cooling is desired, set the temperature con-
trol to the Lo (62°F/17°C) and set
the air intake to the recirculated
air position, then set the fan
speed to the highest speed.
✽ ✽NOTICEWhen using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature gauge
closely while driving up hills or in
heavy traffic when outside tempera-
tures are high. Air conditioning sys-
tem operation may cause engine
overheating. Continue to use the
blower fan but turn the air condi-
tioning system off if the temperature
gauge indicates engine overheating.
Air conditioning system oper-
ation tips  If the vehicle has been parked in
direct sunlight during hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to let the hot air inside the vehicle
escape.
 To help reduce moisture inside of windows on rainy humid days,
decrease the humidity inside the
vehicle by operating the air condi-
tioning system.
 During air conditioning system operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed at idle as the air condition-
ing compressor cycles on. This is
a normal system operation charac-
teristics.

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Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS Hazardous driving conditions When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
 Drive cautiously and allow extradistance for braking.
 Avoid sudden movements in brak- ing or steering.
 When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down
motion until the vehicle is stopped.✽ ✽ NOTICEDo not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
 If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
 Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transaxle. Do not
race the engine, and spin the wheels
as little as possible. If you are still
stuck after a few tries, have the vehi-
cle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transaxle.
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WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.

Driving tips85✽
✽NOTICEProlonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
Driving at night Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
 Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
 Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's head-
lights.
 Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed on vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
 Avoid staring directly at the head- lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
 A heavy rainfall will make it harderto see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
 Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
 If your tires are not in good condi- tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
 Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
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WARNING
- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 35
mph (56 km/h). Spinning the
wheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat, explode
and injure bystanders.

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Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-
tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting
system. Use only an approved trailer
wiring harness.
Your Authorized Kia Dealer can
assist you in installing the wiring har-
ness.
Driving on grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
If your trailer weighs more than 1000
lbs. (453 kg) and you have an auto-
matic transaxle, you should drive in
D (Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat buildup and extend the life of
your transaxle.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 12%) 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.
• You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
CAUTION
Failure to use an approved trail-
er wiring harness could result indamage to the vehicle electricalsystem and/or personal injury.

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Maintenance when trailer tow-
ing Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention include engine oil, automat-
ic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and
cooling system fluid. Brake condition
is another important item to frequent-
ly check. Each item is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you
find them quickly. If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review these sec-
tions before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your
trailer and hitch. Follow the mainte-
nance schedule that accompanied
your trailer and check it periodically.
Preferably, conduct the check at the
start of each day’s driving. Most
importantly, all hitch nuts and bolts
should be tight.
✽ ✽
NOTICEDue to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur in
hot days or during uphill driving. If
the coolant gauge indicates over-
heating, switch off the A/C and stop
the vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.
OVERLOADING
CAUTION
The gross axle weight rating
(GAWR) and the gross vehicleweight rating (GVWR) for yourvehicle are on the manufactur-er's label attached to the dri-ver's door. Exceeding these rat-ings can cause an accident orvehicle damage. You can calcu-late the weight of your load byweighing the items (or people)before putting them in the vehi-cle. Be careful not to overloadyour vehicle.