725
Maintenance
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.
Tire rotation To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) 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 if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications.Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only
from front to rear and not from
right to left.
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)
CBGQ0707
WARNING
Do not use the temporary
spare tire for tire rotation
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
JB CAN 7.qxd 7/29/05 9:11 AM Page 25
Maintenance30
74. Tire ply composition and mate-
rial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction. 5. Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform tire quality grading
The following information relates to
the tire grading system developed by
the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) for grading tires
by tread wear, traction and tempera-
ture performance. Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use. However, performance
may differ from the norm because of
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on Kia vehicles
may vary with respect to grade.
WARNING -
Tire age
A tire more than 6 years old may
sustain separation of cord lay-
ers inside the tire. Tire failure to
separation of cord, can cause
accidents resulting in severe
injuries or death.
Make sure to check the manu-
facturing date of the tire and
replace it within 6 years of that
date.
JB CAN 7.qxd 7/29/05 9:11 AM Page 30
731
Maintenance
Traction - AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. The
grades represent the tires ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perform-
ance.
Temperature -A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C. The grades repre-
sent the tire’s resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tires to
degenerate and reduce tires life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tires failure. Grades A and B
represent higher levels of perform-
ance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by the law.
All season tires Kia specifies all season tires on
some models to provide good per-
formance for use all year round,
including snowy and icy road condi-
tions. All season tires are identified
by ALL SEASON and/or M+S (Mud
and Snow) on the tire sidewall. Snow
tires have better snow traction than
all season tires and may be more
appropriate in some areas.
Summer tires Kia specifies summer tires on some
models to provide superior perform-
ance on dry roads. Summer tire per-
formance is substantially reduced in
snow and ice. Summer tires do not
have the tire traction rating M+S
(Mud and Snow) on the tire side wall.
if you plan to operate your vehicle in
snowy or icy conditions. Kia recom-
mends the use of snow tires or all
season tires on all four wheels.Snow tiresIf you equip your car with snow tires,
they should be the same size and
have the same load capacity as the
original tires. Snow tires should be
installed on all four wheels; other-
wise, poor handling may result.
Snow tires should carry 28 kPa (4
psi) more air pressure than the pres-
sure recommended for the standard
tires on the tire label on the driver's
side of the center pillar, or up to the
maximum pressure shown on the tire
sidewall, whichever is less.
Do not drive faster than 120 km/h (75
mph) when your car is equipped with
snow tires.
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
tire failure. This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury or death.
JB CAN 7.qxd 7/29/05 9:11 AM Page 31
Index29Air bags-supplemental restraint system··················\
·······3-47
Air cleaner ··················\
··················\
··················\
···············7-17
Air conditioner air filter··················\
··················\
·············7-18
Antenna ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
··3-80
Audio system ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········3-81
Automatic transaxle··················\
··················\
············4-6, 7-15
Battery··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
····7-21
Before driving ··················\
··················\
··················\
············5-4
Brake fluid ··················\
··················\
··················\
···············7-13
Brake system··················\
··················\
··················\
··············4-9
Climate control system ··················\
··················\
··············4-30
Defroster ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
4-29
Door locks··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
3-9
Drive belts··················\
··················\
··················\
················7-14
Electrical circuit protection ··················\
··················\
·········6-6
Emergency starting ··················\
··················\
··················\
····6-3
Emission control system ··················\
··················\
··············5-2Engine compartment ··················\
··················\
············2-4, 7-9
Engine cooling system ··················\
··················\
···············7-11
Engine oil ··················\
··················\
··················\
·················7-10\
Exterior care··················\
··················\
··················\
·············7-33
Fuel filler lid ··················\
··················\
··················\
············3-65
Fuel requirements ··················\
··················\
··················\
······5-2
Gauges ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···4-17
Hazard warning flasher··················\
··················\
··············4-29
Hood··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·······3-64
How to use this manual ··················\
··················\
···············1-2
If you have a flat tire ··················\
··················\
·················6-17\
Ignition switch ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········4-2
Immobilizer system ··················\
··················\
··················\
···3-7
Instrument cluster ··················\
··················\
··················\
····4-16
Instrument panel overview ··················\
··················\
··········2-3
Interior care··················\
··················\
··················\
··············7-35
Interior features··················\
··················\
··················\
········3-73
Interior lights ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········3-71
Interior overview ··················\
··················\
··················\
·······2-2ABCED
FGHI
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