2006 KIA Sorento wheel

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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Transmission ranges
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.
R (Reverse)
Use this position for backing-up the
vehicle.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline 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 5th 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.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-17
CAUTION
The transmission may be dam-
aged if you shift into P (Park)
while the vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete
stop before shifting into or out
of R (Reverse); you may dam-
age transmission if you shift
into R while the vehicle is in
motion.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock and
you will lose control of the
vehicle.
Always make sure the shift
lever is latched in the P (Park)
position so that it cannot be
moved unless the lock release
button is depressed.
Never leave a child unat-
tached in a vehicle.
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FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD)For Safe Four-Wheel Drive Operation
Your vehicle allows you to drive in
on-road and off-road conditions.
However, do not try to drive in deep
standing water, mud, or over steep
hills.
When you are driving up or down
hills drive as close to straight up
and down the hill as possible. Use
extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.You must learn how to corner in a
4WD vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not rely on your experience in
conventional 2WD vehicles in
choosing safe cornering speed. You
must drive more slowly.
Drive off-road carefully because
your vehicle may be damaged by
rocks or roots of trees. Become
familiar with the off-road conditions
you are going to drive before you
start.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE4-20
WARNING- Four Wheel Drive
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
CAUTION
Do not grab inside of the steer-
ing wheel when you are driving
off-road. Your arm may be hurt
by a sudden steering maneuver
or from steering wheel rebound
due to impact with objects on
the ground. This may cause you
to lose steering wheel control.
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Always hold the steering wheel
firmly when you are driving off-
road.
Make sure all passengers are
wearing seat belts.
Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
Shorten your scheduled mainte-
nance interval if you drive in off-road
conditions such as sand, mud or
water (see “Scheduled Maintenance”
in the Index). Always wash you car
thoroughly.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-21
WARNING
Reduce speed when you turn
corners. The center of gravity of
4WD vehicles is higher than
that of conventional 2WD vehi-
cles, making them more likely to
roll over when you turn corners
too fast.
CAUTION
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.
WARNING
If you are driving too fast in
water, the water spray can get
into the engine compartment
and wet the ignition system,
causing your vehicle a sudden
stop. If this happens and your
vehicle is in a tilted position,
your vehicle may roll over.
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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.
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When 4WD is selected with the trans-
fer shift knob, the vehicle will switch
to 4WD operation after a few sec-
onds.
To avoid shift shock, when the vehicle
is stopped and you make a transfer
case shift using the transfer shift
know, wait until the corresponding
indicator light in the instrument clus-
ter illuminates before driving.Knob position
This is used to set different positions.
2HI(Rear-wheel drive)
This mode is used, when driving on
normal roads and highway.
4HI(High-range 4-wheel drive)
This mode is used, when driving off-
roads, wet or snow covered roads
with normal speed.
The 4WD indicator light ( ) will be
turned on to remind you that you are
in the 4HI mode.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE4-24
✽ ✽
NOTICE Do not select four wheel drive on
flat and normal roads.
 Four-wheel driving on flat roads
for a long period causes poor fuel
economy and noise and it also
causes tires to wear faster.
 Four-wheel driving on flat and
normal roads can result in a
severe binding and chattering
condition when turning the steer-
ing wheel.
 Four-wheel driving on flat roads
for a long period can also cause
the differential oil temperature to
increase, resulting in damage to
parts in the power train.
✽ ✽
NOTICEWhen the vehicle shifts into 4WD
mode, a slight mechanical sound
and vibration may be felt and does
not indicate a problem with the sys-
tem.
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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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