Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill,
you’ll want to consider many of the
same things you thought about
before you went uphill. As a brief
reminder, those include:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be
able to maintain vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth?
Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed
dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obsta-
cles? Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is
there a hidden creek bank or even
a river bottom with large rocks?
Have changes in the weather con-
ditions and their effect on the ter-
rain since you went uphill made
your task more difficult?Once you have decided that you can
go down a hill safely, try to keep your
vehicle headed straight down, and
use a low gear. This way, engine
braking can help your brakes so they
won’t have to do all the work.
Descend slowly, keeping your vehicle
under control at all times.
DRIVING TIPS
5-25
WARNING- Exiting Vehicle
Getting out on the downhill
(low) side of a vehicle stopped
across an incline is dangerous.
If the vehicle rolls over, you
could be crushed or fatally
injured. Always get out on the
uphill (high) side of the vehicle
and stay well clear of the
rollover path.WARNING - Leaving Vehicle
If you are going to leave your
vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift a manual transmission
to 1(First), or an automatic
transmission to P (Park).
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 25
Stalling downhill
Stalling is much more likely to hap-
pen going uphill. But if it happens
going downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the
brakes. Then apply the parking
brake.
Move the shift lever to P (Park) in
automatic transmissions or shift to
N (Neutral) in manual transmis-
sions and, while still braking,
restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the
parking brake, and drive straight
down.
If the engine won’t start, get out
and seek help. Exit on the uphill
side of the vehicle and stay clear of
the path the vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.Driving across an incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across the incline of a
hill. If this happens, you have to
decide whether or not to try to drive
across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up
or down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or
down a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front
wheels to the rear wheels) reduces
the likelihood the vehicle will tumble
end over end. But when you drive
across an incline, the much narrow-
er track width (the distance
between the left and right wheels)
may not prevent the vehicle from
tilting and rolling over. Also, driving
across an incline puts more weight
on the downhill wheels. This could
cause a downhill slide or a rollover. Surface conditions can be a prob-
lem when you drive across a hill.
Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even
wet grass can cause your tires to
slip sideways. If the vehicle slips
sideways, it can hit something that
will tip it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and
cause it to roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline even
worse. If you drive across a rock
with the uphill wheels, or if the
downhill wheels drop into a rut or
depression, your vehicle can tilt
even more.
For reasons like these, you need to
decide carefully whether or not to try
to drive across an incline. Just
because the trail goes across the
incline doesn’t mean you have to
drive it.
DRIVING TIPS
5-27
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 27
Parking on hills
Generally, you should not park your
vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a
hill. People can be seriously or fatally
injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged if they begin a
downhill trajectory.However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here’s how to do
it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift
into gear.
2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, release the brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your
parking brake, and then shift to R
(Reverse) for a manual transmis-
sion or P (Park) for an automatic
transmission.
5. Be sure the transfer case (if
equipped) is fully engaged in a
drive gear – not in N (Neutral).
6. Release the brakes.
DRIVING TIPS
5-41
WARNING- Parking on a Hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill
with an attached trailer could
cause serious injury or fatal
injury. If the brakes fail, the
vehicle and trailer could roll
down hill and strike people or
property.
WARNING- Parking Brake
Not setting the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle could
lead to a serious accident.
If you have left the engine run-
ning, the vehicle can move sud-
denly. Always set the parking
brake and take the key with you
to be sure your vehicle is
securely parked.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 41
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on a Hill
1. With the manual transmission in
Neutral or automatic transmission
in P (Park), apply your brakes and
hold the brake pedal down while
you:
Start your engine;
Shift into gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up
and store the chocks.Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition 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 bolts
should be tight.DRIVING TIPS5-42
✽ ✽
NOTICEDue to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur in
hot days or during uphill driving. If
the coolant gauge indicates over-
heating, switch off the A/C and stop
the vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 42
3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical
loads.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the
exact sequence shown in the previ-
ous illustration. First connect one
end of a jumper cable to the posi-
tive terminal of the discharged bat-
tery, then connect the other end to
the positive terminal on the booster
battery. Proceed to connect one
end of the other jumper cable to the
negative terminal of the booster
battery, then the other end to a
solid, stationary, metallic point (for
example, the engine lifting bracket)
away from the battery. Do not con-
nect 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 ter-
minal of the discharged battery. Do
not allow the jumper cables to con-
tact anything except the correct
battery terminals or the correct
ground. Do not lean over the bat-
tery 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 discharge
is not apparent, you should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.Push-Starting
Your manual transmission-equipped
vehicle should not be push-started
because it might damage the emis-
sion control system. Vehicles
equipped with automatic transmis-
sions cannot be push-started. Follow
the directions for jump-starting in this
manual.IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY6-6
CAUTION
Never tow a vehicle to start it
because the sudden surge for-
ward when the engine starts
could cause a collision with the
tow vehicle.
BL-ENG (CAN)-6.qxd 7/28/05 5:57 PM Page 6
Tire replacement
1. Park on a level surface and apply
the parking brake firmly.
2. Shift into R (Reverse) with manual
transmission or P (Park) with auto-
matic transmission.
3. Activate the hazard warning flash-
er.IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
6-21
S2BLA618
WARNING- Changing Tires
Never attempt vehicle repairs
in the traffic lanes of a public
road or highway.
Always move the vehicle com-
pletely off the road and onto
the shoulder before trying to
change a tire. If you cannot
find a firm, level place off the
road, call a towing service
company for assistance.
Be sure to use the correct
front and rear jacking posi-
tions on the vehicle; never
use the bumpers or any other
part of the vehicle for jack
support.
(Continued)
(Continued)
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack causing serious
injury or death. Never allow
any portion of your body to
get beneath the vehicle while
using the jack.
Do not start or run the engine
while the vehicle is on the
jack.
Do not allow anyone to remain
in the vehicle while it is on the
jack.
Make sure any children pres-
ent are in a secure place away
from the road and from the
vehicle to be raised with the
jack.
BL-ENG (CAN)-6.qxd 7/28/05 5:57 PM Page 21
LUBRICANT
SPECIFICATIONSRecommended Lubricants
To help achieve proper engine and
powertrain performance and durabili-
ty, use only lubricants of the proper
quality. The correct lubricants also
help promote engine efficiency that
results in improved fuel economy.
Engine oils labeled Energy
Conserving Oil are now available.
Along with other additional benefits,
they contribute to fuel economy by
reducing the amount of fuel neces-
sary to overcome engine friction.
Often, these improvements are diffi-
cult to measure in everyday driving,
but in a year’s time, they can offer sig-
nificant cost and energy savings.
MAINTENANCE
7-41
*¹ Refer to the recommended SAE viscosity numbers on the next page.These lubricants and fluids are recommended for use in your vehicle.
Lubricant Classification
Engine oil *¹
API Service SJ, SL or above
ILSAC GF-3 or above
Manual transmission fluid API Service GL-4 (SAE 75W-85)
Automatic 30-40LEi MOBIL D-II
transmission fluid A5SR1 APOLLOIL ATF RED-1
4WD transfer case fluid DEXRON III
Front differential fluid API Service GL-5 (SAE 90)
Rear differential fluid
without LSD
API Service GL-5 (SAE 90)
with LSD
API Service GL-5 (SAE 85W-90, INFILREX 33)
Power steering fluid PSF-III
Brake / clutch fluid FMVSS116 DOT-3 or DOT-4
BL-ENG (CAN)-7.qxd 7/28/05 5:58 PM Page 41
A
ir Bag - Supplemental Restraint System . . . . . 3-44
Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-86
Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . 4-79
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
B
attery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Brakes and Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
C
ruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Cup Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-78
D
efroster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-65
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Electrical Circuit Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Electrical Power Outlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Emergency Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Emission Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Engine Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Engine Oil and Oil Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Four Wheel Drive(4WD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Front Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Fuel Filler Lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-70
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2G
auges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
H
azard Warning Flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-69
How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2
If You Have a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Ignition Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Immobilizer System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Interior and Exterior Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
Interior Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Interior Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-76
INDEX9-2
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