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. Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by
mounting some types of snow chains
on them. Therefore, the use of snow
tires is recommended instead of
snow chains. Do not mount tire
chains on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels, snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use wire-type
chains with a thickness of less than
0.59 in (15 mm). Damage to your
vehicle caused by improper snow
chain use is not covered by your
vehicle manufacturers warranty.
Install them only on the front tires.
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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.
1GHA2135
511
Driving tips
Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and tighten
them. If they still make contact, slow
down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
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CAUTION
Make sure the snow chainsare the correct size and typefor your tires. Incorrect snowchains can cause damage tothe vehicle body and suspen-sion and may not be coveredby your vehicle manufacturerwarranty. Also, the snow chainconnecting hooks may bedamaged from contactingvehicle components causingthe snow chains to comeloose from the tire. Make surethe snow chains are SAEclass “S” certified. Cable-type,or plastic-type snow chain canalso be used.
Always check chain installa- tion for proper mounting afterdriving approximately 0.5 to 1km to ensure safe mounting.Retighten or remount thechains if they are loose.
WARNING
When mounting snow chains,
park the vehicle on level ground
away from traffic. Turn on the
vehicle Hazard Warning flashers
and place a triangular emer-
gency warning device behind
the vehicle if available. Always
place the vehicle in park (P),
apply the parking brake and
turn off the engine before
installing snow chains.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle han-
dling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufac-
turer’s recommended speed
limit, whichever is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns,
and other road hazards, which
may cause the vehicle to
bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
Chains that are the wrong size or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle's brake
lines, suspension, body and
wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear them
hitting the vehicle.
737
Maintenance
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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.
Maintenance38
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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)
Maintenance40
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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.
741
Maintenance
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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
743
Maintenance
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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.
Specifications48
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Gear ratio
Tires
ItemFrontRear
Tire size 225/60R16 98H 225/60R16 98H
30 (210) 30 (210)
Wheel size 6.5J x 16 6.5J x 16
Wheel lug nut torque 65~79 65~79
lb·ft (kg·m, N·m) (9~11, 88~107) (9~11, 88~107)
Inflation pressure
psi (kPa)
Engine Gasoline Engine
Gear Automatic transaxle
1st 3.789
2nd 2.057
3rd 1.421
4th 1.039
5th 0.731
Reverse 3.865
F.G.R 3.333