2006 KIA CERATO brakes

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Driving your vehicle
Parking brake & brake fluid warning
Parking brake warning
This light is illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion. The warning light should go off
when the parking brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in
the reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safelocation and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately
and add fluid as required. Then
check all brake components for
fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are found, the warning light
remains on or the brakes do not
operate properly. Have it towed to
any Authorized Kia Dealer for a
brake system inspection and nec-
essary repairs.
To check bulb operation, check
whether the parking brake and brake
fluid warning light illuminates when
the ignition switch is in the ON posi-tion.
Low brake vacuum pressure warn- ing (for diesel, if equipped)
If the brake warning light remains on
after adding brake fluid and the brake
pedal becomes heavier or harder, it
may indicate that the brake vacuum
pump has any problem. Therefore
you should avoid high speed driving
or sudden stop, and you should
depress the brake pedal deeper and
harder than usual in braking. Make
sure to have the brake system
checked and repaired by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warn-
ing light on is dangerous. If thebrake warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked and
repaired immediately by an
authorized Kia Dealer.

Driving tips
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SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATION
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
 Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the engine is running
smoothly, begin driving.
Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
 Save fuel by accelerating slowly after stopping.
 Keep the engine in tune and follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule. This will increase
the life of all parts and lower your
operating costs.  Do not use the air conditioner
unnecessarily.
 Slow down when driving on rough roads.
 For longer tire life and better fuel economy, always keep the tiresinflated to the recommended pres-
sures.
 Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden stops.
This will reduce wear on brake lin-
ings and pads. Driving in such a
way will also save fuel because
extra fuel is required to accelerate
back to driving speed.
 Do not carry unnecessary weight in the vehicle.
 Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage
to the brakes, and poor fuel econo-
my.
 Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel
economy.  Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
 Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer performscheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
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WARNING - Engine off
during motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes willnot function without the engine
running. Instead, keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.

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Driving tips
 Driving too fast through large pud-dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
 If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns. Winter driving
 We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment, including
tire chains, a window scraper,
windshield de-icer, a bag of sand
or salt, flares, a small shovel and
jumper cables.
 Make sure you have sufficient eth- ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
 Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide enough winter starting
power.
 Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for cold weather.
 Check the ignition system for loose connections and damage.  Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
 Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.
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Driving tips
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Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is nohigher 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.
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Driving tips
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TRAILER TOWING (FOR EUROPE)
✽✽NOTICE
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,follow the advice in this section.
WARNING - Towing a
trailer
If you don't use the correct
equipment and drive properly,
you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the
trailer is too heavy, the brakes
may not work well - or even at
all. You and your passengers
could be seriously or fatally
injured. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps inthis section.Engine Gasoline Engine Diesel Engine
1.6 Engine2.0Engine1.5/2.0 1.6 EngineItemEngine
Maximum Without brake550 550 550 550
trailer System (1212) (1212) (1212) (1212)
weight With brake 1200 1400 1400 1200 kg (Ibs.) System (2645) (3086) (3086) (2645)
Maximum permissible
static vertical load on 48 (105) 56 (123) 56 (123) 48 (105)
the coupling device
kg (Ibs.)
Recommended distance
from rear wheel center 4 Door : 1065 (42)
to coupling point 5 Door : 925 (36)
mm (Inch)

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Driving tips
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Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to workharder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements.If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
 Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway control.
 After your odometer indicates 800 km (500 miles) or more, you can
tow a trailer. For the first 800 km
(500 miles) that you tow a trailer,
don’t drive over 80 km/h (50 mph)
and don’t make starts at full throt-
tle. This helps your engine and
other parts of your vehicle “wear” in
at the heavier loads.
 Always drive your vehicle at a mod- erate speed (less than 100 km/h).
 The important considerations have to do with weight: Weight of the trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than the
maximum trailer weight
with trailer
brakes. But even that can be too
heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use
your trailer. For example, speed, alti-
tude, road grades, outside tempera-
ture and how much your vehicle is
used to pull a trailer are all important.
The ideal trailer weight can also
depend on any special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.

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Driving tips
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Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trail-
er. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that thetongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufactur-
er or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recom-
mendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trail-
er. And, never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer
brakes loaded, then it needs its own
brakes and they must be adequate.
Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
 Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake system.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now a
good deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.
WARNING
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have properly
set up the brake system. This is
not a task for amateurs. Use an
experienced, competent trailer
shop for this work.

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Driving tips
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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 70km/h (45 mph) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-heating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer
brakes and you have an automatic
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.
If you have a manual transaxle, drive
in fourth gear (or, as you need to, a
lower gear).
✽✽ NOTICE