2006 KIA Sorento Owner's Manual

Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road
driving problems. However, heavy
rain can cause flash flooding, and
flood waters demand extreme cau-
tion.
Find out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep
enough to cover your wheel bearing
hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe, don’t try
it. You probably won’t get through.
Also, water that deep can damage
your axle and other vehicle parts.If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through slowly. At fast speeds, water
can splash on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling
can also occur if your tailpipe goes
underwater. As long as your tailpipe
is underwater, you will not be able to
start your engine. When you go
through water, remember that it may
take you longer to stop when your
brakes are wet.
If you have driven through water that
was deep enough to cover your
wheel bearing hubs, it may be a good
idea to have an authorized Kia dealer
repack your front wheel bearings and
examine your rear-end fluid for evi-
dence of water.After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis
or under the hood. These accumula-
tions can be a fire hazard.
After driving in mud or sand, clean
and check the brake linings.
Accumulation of mud or sand can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage. Also,
check the fuel lines and cooling sys-
tem for any leakage. Your vehicle will
also require more frequent service
due to off-road use.DRIVING TIPS5-30
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DRIVING TIPS
5-31
WARNING
- Water
Driving through rushing water
can be dangerous. Deep water
can sweep your vehicle down-
stream and you and your pas-
sengers could drown. If it’s only
inches deep, it can still wash
away the ground from under
your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle.
Never drive through rushing
water.
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WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE -
WITH AND WITHOUT A
TRAILERThis section will guide you in the
proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle
weight within its design rating capa-
bility, with or without a trailer. Properly
loading your vehicle will provide max-
imum return of the vehicle design
performance. Before loading your
vehicle, familiarize yourself with the
following terms for determining your
vehicle’s weight ratings, with or with-
out a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Specifications and Tire Information
Label:Base Curb Weight
This is the weight of the vehicle
including a full tank of fuel and all
standard equipment. It does not
include passengers, cargo, or option-
al equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight
This is the weight of your new vehicle
when you picked it up from your deal-
er plus any aftermarket equipment.
Cargo Weight
This figure includes all weight added
to the Base Curb Weight, including
cargo and optional equipment. When
towing, trailer tongue load or king pin
weight also is part of the Cargo
Weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)
This is the total weight placed on
each axle (front and rear) - including
vehicle curb weight and all payload.GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single
axle (front or rear). These numbers
are shown on Tire Information Label
and Specifications. The total load on
each axle must never exceed its
GAWR.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
This is the Base Curb Weight plus
actual Cargo Weight plus passen-
gers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle
(including all options, equipment,
passengers and cargo). The GVWR
is shown on the Vehicle Certification
Label located on the driver’s door pil-
lar and Specifications table.DRIVING TIPS5-32
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GCW (Gross Combined Weight)
This is the weight of the loaded vehi-
cle (GVW) plus the weight of the fully
loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded
trailer - including all cargo and pas-
sengers - that the vehicle can handle
without risking damage. [Important:
The towing vehicle’s braking system
is rated for operation at GVWR, not
GCWR. Separate functional brakes
should be used for safe control of
towed vehicles and for trailers weigh-
ing 1,650 lbs (750kg).] The GCW
must never exceed the GCWR.Maximum Trailer Weight
This is the highest possible weight of
a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can
tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo, and a
driver. The weight of other optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
your vehicle will reduce the maximum
trailer weight your vehicle can tow.Calculating the load your vehicle
can tow
1. Use the appropriate maximum
GCWR chart (in the Weight of the
Trailer section in this chapter) for
your type of drive system and
transmission.
2. Weigh your vehicle.
3. Subtract the weight of your vehicle
from the maximum GCWR in the
chart. This is the maximum trailer
weight your vehicle can tow. It must
be below the maximum trailer
weight shown in the chart. Note
that the maximum trailer weight
your vehicle can tow depends on
the total weight of any cargo, pas-
sengers and available equipment
in the vehicle.
DRIVING TIPS
5-33
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TRAILER TOWINGYour vehicle can tow a trailer. To iden-
tify what the vehicle trailering capaci-
ty is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight of the
Trailer’’ that appears later in this sec-
tion. Remember that trailering is dif-
ferent than just driving your vehicle
by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel econo-
my. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.This section contains many time-test-
ed, important trailering tips and safe-
ty rules. Many of these are important
for your safety and that of your pas-
sengers. Please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transmission, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder 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, further increasing
the pulling requirements.If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
 State, provincial, county and
municipal government have varying
trailering laws. Make sure your
hitch, mirrors, lights and wiring
arrangements are legal, not only
where you live, but also where
you’ll be driving. A good source for
this information is provincial or local
law enforcement agencies.
 Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.
 After your odometer indicates 800
km or more, you can tow a trailer.
For the first 800 km that you tow a
trailer, don’t drive over 80 km/h and
don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other
parts of your vehicle “wear” in at the
heavier loads.
 Always drive at a safe speed (less
than 100 km/h) commensurate with
road conditions.
 Three important considerations
have to do with weight:DRIVING TIPS5-34✽ ✽
NOTICEPulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correct-
ly, follow the advice in this section.
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Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than 1,590
kg (3,500 lbs.) with trailer brakes. But
even that can be too heavy depend-
ing on the number of passengers.
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.
DRIVING TIPS
5-35
ItemFour Wheel Drive Two Wheel Drive
A/T M/T A/T M/T
Maximum GCWR3,681 kg 3,662 kg 3,592 kg 3,573 kg
(8,115 lbs) (8,074 lbs) (7,919 lbs) (7,877 lbs)
Maximum
Trailer Weight
✽ ✽
NOTICE For definitions of terms used in this table and instructions on how to calcu-
late your vehicle load, refer to Weight of the Vehicle in this chapter.
 The combined weight of the completed towing vehicle and the loaded trail-
er must not exceed the GCWR.
 When towing maximum loads under high outside temperatures and/or on
steep grades, the A/C system may cycle on and off to protect the engine from
overheating. This may result in a temporary increase of interior tempera-
ture.
Without brake system : 750 kg (1,650 lbs)
With brake system : 1,590 kg (3,500 lbs)
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load of any trailer is an
important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
vehicle weight (GVW) of your vehicle.
This weight includes the curb weight
of the vehicle, any cargo you may
carry in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you tow a
trailer, you must add the tongue load
to the GVW because your vehicle will
also be carrying that weight.
The trailer tongue should weigh a
maximum of 10% of the total loaded
trailer weight. After you’ve loaded
your trailer, weigh the trailer and then
the tongue, separately, to see if the
weights are proper. If they aren’t, you
may be able to correct them simply
by moving some items around in the
trailer.Too little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to sway.
Too much tongue load reduces front-
tire traction and steering control.DRIVING TIPS5-36
WARNING
 An improperly loaded trailer
can cause loss of control of
your vehicle.
 Never load a trailer with more
weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be
loaded with approximately
60% of the total trailer load;
the rear should be loaded with
approximately 40% of the total
trailer load.
 Never exceed the maximum
weight limits of the trailer or
trailer towing equipment.
Improper loading can result in
damage to your vehicle and/or
personal injury. Check
weights and loading at a com-
mercial scale or highway
patrol office equipped with
scales.
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Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s
Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflat-
ed to the limit for cold tires. You’ll find
these numbers on the Tire Pressure
label (or see “Label Information’’ in
the Index). Be sure not to exceed the
GVW limit for your vehicle.Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you’ll need the right
hitch. Here are some rules to follow:
 Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch?
If you do, then be sure to seal the
holes later when you remove the
hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) from your
exhaust can get into your vehicle,
as well as dirt and water.
 The bumpers on your vehicle are
not intended for hitches. Do not
attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that the
tongue 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 trailer.
And, never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
DRIVING TIPS
5-37
S2BLD502A
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