2006 KIA CERATO check engine

477
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Driving your vehicle
Use the air conditioning system
every month if only for a few min-
utes to ensure maximum system
performance.
 When using the air conditioning
system, you may notice clear water
dripping (or even pudding) on the
ground under the passenger side
of the vehicle. This is a normal sys-
tem operation characteristics.
 The air conditioning systemincludes a function that automati-
cally turns the air conditioningcompressor off if engine coolant
temperature approaches an over
heating level. The air conditioning
compressor operation will resume
once engine coolant temperature
returns to the normal range. Also,the air conditioning compressor is
automatically turned off for a few
seconds when the accelerator isfully depressed (wide open throt-tle). 
When operating the air condition-ing system use the outside (fresh)air position.
 Operating the air conditioning sys-tem in the recirculated air position
does provide maximum cooling,
however, continual operation in this
mode may cause the air inside the
vehicle to become stale. Checking the amount of air
conditioner refrigerant andcompressor lubricant
When the amount of refrigerant is
low, the performance of the air con-
ditioning is reduced. Overfilling alsohas a bad influence on the air condi-tioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.

Driving tips
2
5
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
Gasoline engine (unleaded)
Your new Kia vehicle is designed to
use only unleaded fuel having an
Octane Rating of RON (ResearchOctane Number) 91 / AKI (Anti-
Knock Index) 87 or higher.
Your new Kia is designed to obtain
maximum performance with
UNLEADED FUEL, as well as mini-
mize exhaust emissions and spark
plug fouling.
✽✽ NOTICE
NEVER USE LEADED FUEL. The use of leaded fuel is detrimental to
the catalytic converter and will
damage the engine control system’s
oxygen sensor and affect emission
control.
Never add any fuel system cleaning
agents to the fuel tank other thanwhat Kia has specified. (Consult an
Authorized Kia Dealer for details.)
Gasoline Engine (Leaded)
In countries using LEADED FUEL,
your new Kia vehicle must use
LEADED FUEL. Your new Kia Vehicleis designed to correspond to LEAD-
ED FUEL specifically. Please check
your vehicle whether your vehiclecan use LEADED FUEL or not. Gasoline containing alcohol and methanol Gasohol, a mixture of gasoline and
ethanol (also known as grain alco-hol), and gasoline or gasohol con-
taining methanol (also known as
wood alcohol) are being marketedalong with or instead of leaded or
unleaded gasoline. Do not use gasohol containing more than 10% ethanol, and do not use
gasoline or gasohol containing any
methanol. Either of these fuels may
cause drivability problems and dam-age to the fuel system.
Discontinue using gasohol of any
kind if drivability problems occur.
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53
Driving tips
Vehicle damage or driveability prob-
lems may not be covered by the
manufacturer’s warranty if they resultfrom the use of:
1. Gasohol containing more than10% ethanol.
2. Gasoline or gasohol containing methanol.
3. Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol.
✽✽ NOTICE
Never use gasohol which contains methanol. Discontinue use of any
gasohol product which impairs dri-
vability.
The emission control system of your
vehicle is covered by a written limited
warranty. Please see the warranty
information contained in the
Warranty & Maintenance book in
your vehicle.
Vehicle modifications
This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification of your Kia could affect
its performance, safety or durability
and may even violate governmental
safety and emissions regulations.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from any modifi-
cation may not be covered under
warranty. Engine exhaust gas precau-
tions (carbon monoxide)
 Carbon monoxide can be present
with other exhaust fumes.
Therefore, if you smell exhaust
fumes of any kind inside your vehi-
cle, have it inspected and repaired
immediately by an authorized Kia
dealer. If you ever suspect exhaust
fumes are coming into your vehi-
cle, drive it only with all the win-
dows fully open. Have your vehicle
checked and repaired immediately.
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Engine exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide (CO). Though
colorless and odorless, it is
dangerous and could be lethal if
inhaled. Follow the instructions
following to avoid CO poison-ing.
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM

55
Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
 Be sure that all windows, outside mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
 Check the condition of the tires.
 Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
 Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance. Before starting
 Close and lock all doors.
 Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
 Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
 Be sure that all lights work.
 Check all gauges.
 Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
 Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
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WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even asmall amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ridewith a driver who has beendrinking or taking drugs.Choose a designated driver orcall a cab. Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than drivingdrunk.

59
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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521
Driving tips
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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 particularattention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant
and cooling system fluid. Brake con-
dition is another important item to
frequently check. Each item is cov-
ered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections 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 boltsshould be tight.✽✽NOTICE

63
In case of an emergency
OVERHEATING
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, if you experience a loss
of power, or if you hear a loud knock-
ing or pinging noise, the engine has
probably overheated. Should any of
these symptoms occur, use the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flash- er, then drive to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle; set
the automatic transaxle in P
(Park), or shift the manual
transaxle to N (Neutral) and apply
the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator, stop the engine and
call an Authorized Kia Dealer for
assistance. If coolant is not boiling out, allowthe engine to idle and open the
hood to permit the engine to cool
gradually.
If the temperature does not go
down with the engine idling, stop
the engine and allow sufficient
time for it to cool.
4. The coolant level should then be checked. If the level in the reser-
voir is low, look for leaks at the
radiator hoses and connections,
heater hoses and connections,
radiator, and water pump. If youfind a major leak or another prob-
lem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operatethe engine until it has been cor-
rected. Call an Authorized Kia
Dealer for assistance. If you do not
find a leak or other problem, care-
fully add coolant to the reservoir.
If the engine frequently overheats,
have the cooling system checkedand repaired by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
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WARNING - Removing
radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause seri-
ous injury.

In case of an emergency
6
6
Jump starting procedure
1. Make sure the booster battery is
12-volt and that its negative termi-
nal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehiclesto touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the pre-
vious illustration. First connect one
end of a jumper cable to the posi-
tive terminal of the discharged bat-
tery ( ➀), then connect the other
end to the positive terminal on the
booster battery ( ➁). Proceed to
connect one end of the other
jumper cable to the negative ter-
minal of the booster battery ( ➂),
then the other end to a solid, sta-
tionary, metallic point (for exam-
ple, the engine lifting bracket)
away from the battery ( ➃). Do not
connect it to or near any part that
moves when the engine is
cranked. Do not connect the
jumper cable from the negative
terminal of the booster battery to
the negative terminal of the dis-
charged battery. Do not allow the jumper cables to
contact anything except the cor-
rect battery terminals or the cor-
rect ground. Do not lean over the
battery when making connections.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at
2,000 rpm, then start the engine of
the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
If the cause of your battery discharg-
ing is not apparent, you should haveyour vehicle checked by anAuthorized Kia Dealer.
Refer to illustration on page 6-5.
Push-starting
Your manual transaxle-equipped
vehicle should not be push-startedbecause it might damage the emis-sion control system.
Vehicles equipped with automatic
transaxle cannot be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section
for jump-starting.
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CAUTION
Never tow a vehicle to start itbecause the sudden surge for-ward when the engine startscould cause a collision with the tow vehicle.