2006 KIA Sorento automatic transmission

When driving down a sloping road
with the transaxle in O/D (5th), you
can decrease the vehicle speed with-
out using the brakes by pressing the
O/D OFF button.
When the ignition is switched OFF,
O/D OFF mode is automatically can-
celled.
O/D OFF indicator
This indicator light illuminates in the
instrument panel when the O/D mode
is cancelled.P (Park)
This position locks the transmission
and prevents the front wheels from
rotating. Always come to a complete
stop before shifting into this position.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE4-12✽ ✽
NOTICEIf the O/D OFF indicator flashes, it
indicates an electrical problem with
the transaxle. Should this occur,
have the vehicle checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (PARK)
position. Set the parking
brake fully, shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if
you do not follow these pre-
cautions in the order speci-
fied.
Never leave a child unattend-
ed in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transmission may be dam-
aged if you shift into P (Park)
while the vehicle is in motion.
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R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even if the transfer case is in gear,
unless the parking brake or service
brakes are applied.D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift through a four-gear
sequence, providing the best econo-
my and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at which
time the transmission will automati-
cally downshift to the next lower gear.2 (Second Gear)
Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This
position also helps reduce wheel spin
on slippery surfaces. When the shift
lever is placed in 2 (Second Gear),
the transmission will automatically
shift from first to second gear.
Downshifting from second to first
gear is possible below speeds of 26
miles per hour (43 km/h). Do not
exceed 36 miles per hour (60 km/h)
while in second gear.
L (Low)
Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climb-
ing steep grades. Do not exceed 22
miles per hour (35 km/h) while in
Low.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-13
✽ ✽
NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transmission if you shift into R
while the vehicle is in motion,
except as explained in “Rocking the
Vehicle”, in this manual.
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DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-15
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (A5SR1, IF EQUIPPED)
5BLA402
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever.
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever.To move the shift lever from the P position, the ignition switch must be in the ON position,
the brake pedal must be depressed and the lock release button must be depressed.
+ (UP)
- (DOWN) Sports mode Automatic mode
Lock release button prevents shift lever
movement without first depressing the
button.
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Automatic Transmission
Operation
All normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)
position. To move the shift lever from
the P (Park) position, the brake pedal
must be depressed, and the lock
release button must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or Reverse
gear.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE4-16
CAUTION
• Do not accelerate the engine
in R (Reverse) or any forward
gear position with the brakes
on.
 When stopped on an upgrade,
do not hold the vehicle sta-
tionary with engine power.
Use the service brake or the
parking brake.
 Do not shift from N (Neutral)
or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
WARNING
- Automatic
Transmission
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
5BLA403 + (UP)
- (DOWN) Automatic
mode
Sports mode
BL-ENG (CAN)-4.qxd 7/28/05 5:55 PM Page 16

Sports Mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the “D”
position into the manual gate. To
return to “D”range operation, push
the shift lever back into the main
gate.In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow
you to make gearshifts rapidly. In con-
trast to a manual transmission, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward
once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one
gear.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE4-18
✽ ✽
NOTICE Upshifts do not take place auto-
matically in sports mode. The
driver must execute upshifts in
accordance with road conditions,
taking care to keep the engine
speed below the red zone.
 In sports mode, only the five for-
ward gears can be selected. To
reverse or park the vehicle, move
the shift lever to the “R” or “P”
position as required.
 In sports mode, downshifts are
made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automat-
ically selected.
(Continued)
E4BLA402C + (UP)
- (DOWN) Automatic
modeSports mode
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Moving up a Steep grade from a
Standing Start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D (Drive).
Select the appropriate gear depend-
ing on load weight and steepness of
the grade, and release the parking
brake. Depress the accelerator grad-
ually while releasing the service
brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) while in Sport mode
will help prevent the vehicle from
rolling backwards.Shift Lock System
For your safety, the Automatic
Transmission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission out of P
(Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button
and move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the
ACC or LOCK position, the transmis-
sion cannot be shifted from P (Park).
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chat-
tering noise near the shift lever may
be heard. This is a normal condition.
Also, the ignition key cannot be
removed unless the shift lever is in
the P (Park) position. If the ignition
switch is in any other position, the key
cannot be removed.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-19
(Continued)
 In sports mode, when the engine
rpm approaches the red zone
shift points are varied to upshift
automatically.
 To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift
lever is operated.
 When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into
the +(up) position. This causes
the transmission to shift into the
2nd gear which is better for
smooth driving on a slippery
road. Push the shift lever to the -
(down) side to shift back to the
1st gear.
 While the vehicle is driving in 5th
gear with the shift lever in the
"D" position, selecting the shift
lever to sports mode position
causes the transmission to down-
shift to 4th gear automatically to
secure driving performance. At
the time of shifting you can have a
shift feeling.
BL-ENG (CAN)-4.qxd 7/28/05 5:55 PM Page 19

Transfer shift knob operation
AUTO ↔ ↔
LOW
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Depress the clutch pedal (Manual
transmission) or put the shift lever
into N (Neutral) position (Automatic
transmission).
3.
AUTO ➝ ➝
LOW: Turn the transfer shift knob to
LOW mode.LOW ➝ ➝
AUTO: Turn the transfer shift knob to
AUTO mode.
4. Before releasing the clutch pedal
(Manual Transmission) or shifting
to other ranges from N (Automatic
Transmission), wait for the corre-
sponding indicator light in the
instrument cluster to go ON or
OFF.Part-Time 4WD Operation
(If equipped)
You can send your engine's driving
power to all front and rear wheels for
maximum power.
Four-wheel drive is useful when you
drive in snow, mud, ice or sand where
good traction is required, or when
your wheels lose traction using two-
wheel drive.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-23
L
O
WAUTO
S2BLA412
CAUTION
If the vehicle moves while the
transfer shift is in process, the
gearbox may be damaged.
BL-ENG (CAN)-4.qxd 7/28/05 5:55 PM Page 23

4LO(Low-range 4-wheel drive)
Use 4LO for climbing or descending
hills, off-roads driving and towing the
vehicle, especially when increased
power is required.
The 4WD LOW indicator light ( )
will be turned on to remind you that
you are in the 4LO mode.
Transfer shift knob operation
By turning the transfer knob (4HI,
4LO), both front and rear axles are
engaged.
This improves the traction character-
istic.2HI➝ ➝
4HI
Turn the transfer knob from the 2HI
mode to 4HI mode at speed below
80km/h.
It is not necessary to depress the
clutch pedal or put the shift lever into
N (Neutral) position (Manual
Transmission) or put the shift lever
into N (Neutral) position (Automatic
Transmission).
Perform this operation when driving
straight. There will be a few seconds
of time delay before come into 4HI
mode when you shift the knob to 4 HI
from 2HI.
4HI ➝ ➝
2HI
Turn the transfer knob from the 4HI
mode to the 2HI mode at speed
below 80km/h. It is not necessary to
depress the clutch pedal (manual
transmission) or put the shift lever
into N (Neutral) (automatic transmis-
sion). Perform this operation when
driving straight. Perform this opera-
tion when driving straight.
If the transfer mode does not shift
into 2HI mode when you turn the
transfer knob to 2HI, drive straight
ahead with accelerating or decelerat-
ing, or drive in reverse.4HI ↔ ↔
4LO
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Depress the clutch pedal for the
manual transmission or put the
shift lever into N (Neutral) for the
automatic transmission.
3.
4HI ➝ ➝
4LO: Select the 4LO mode.4LO➝ ➝
4HI: Select the 4HI mode.
4. Before releasing the clutch pedal
(Manual transmission) or shifting
to other ranges from N range
(Automatic transmission) ,wait for
corresponding indicator light turns
on or off in the cluster.
4WD
LOW
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-25
CAUTION
If the vehicle moves while the
transfer shift is in process, the
gearbox may be damaged.
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