2006 KIA CERATO coolant temperature

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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.
✽✽
NOTICE
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the“H” position, it indicates overheat-ing that may damage the engine.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approx- imate amount of fuel remaining in thefuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 55 liters.
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a
low fuel warning light, which will illu-
minate when the fuel level has
dropped to about 8.5 liters.
Trip computer (if equipped)
Trip computer is a microcomputer-
controlled driver information gauge
that displays information related to
driving, such as estimated distance
to empty, average speed and driving
time on the LCD.
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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.

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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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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.

Maintenance
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Check the condition and connections of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses. The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side
of the coolant reservoir when theengine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to F, but do not over-
fill. If frequent additions are required,
see an Authorized Kia Dealer for acooling system inspection. Changing coolant Change coolant according to the
Maintenance Schedule.
 Use only soft (de-mineralized)
water in the coolant mixture.
 The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol-
based coolant to prevent corrosionand freezing.  DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol
coolant or mix them with the spec-ified coolant.
 Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less
than 35% antifreeze, which would
reduce the effectiveness of thesolution.
For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.
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-15°C (5°F) 35 65
-25°C (-13°F) 40 60
-35°C (-31°F) 50 50
-45°C (-49°F) 60 40
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Coolant
Solution Water
Full
OK
Low
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Gasoline Engine
Diesel Engine
Full
OK
Low