Avoid turns that take you across the
incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep
to drive across. You could roll over if
you don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the clutch
pedal depressed. This is called “free-
wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do
all the work and could overheat and
fade.If your wheels lock up during downhill
braking, you may feel the vehicle
starting to slide sideways. To regain
your direction, just ease off the
brakes and steer to keep the front of
the vehicle pointing straight downhill.
DRIVING TIPS5-26
CAUTION
Before beginning to go down-
hill, it is critical that you ensure
that no cargo can shift forward
while you are heading downhill.
Such shifting could either
endanger you and your occu-
pants, or interfere with your
ability to control the vehicle.
WARNING
- Braking
Heavy braking when going
down a hill can cause your
brakes to overheat and fade.
This could cause loss of control
and a serious accident. Apply
the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
CAUTION
Avoid braking so hard that you
lock the wheels when going
downhill. If your front wheels
are locked, you can’t steer your
vehicle.
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 26
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
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 30
Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 750
kg (1,650 pounds) loaded, then it
needs its own brakes – and they must
be adequate. Be sure to read and fol-
low the instructions for the trailer
brakes so you’ll be able to install,
adjust and maintain them properly.
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake
system.
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolutely
certain that you have properly set
up the brake system. This is not a
task for amateurs. Use an experi-
enced, competent trailer shop for
this work.Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get to
know your trailer. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so respon-
sive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes
are still working.Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.DRIVING TIPS5-38
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 38
You must check the capacity of the
lighting system and electrical equip-
ment for a trailer before connecting
the wires.
Trailer accessory : 120W and below
Turn signal lamp : 27W × 2EA and
below (Total : 4.2 A and below)
Stop lamp : 27W × 2EA and below
(Total : 4.2 A and below)
Position lamp : 5W × 8EA and
below (Total : 3.65 A and below)Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transmission over-
heating.
If your trailer weighs more than 1650
lbs (750 kg) and you have an auto-
matic transmission, you should drive
in D (Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat buildup and extend the life of
your transmission. If you have a man-
ual transmission, drive in fourth gear
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
DRIVING TIPS5-40
4
3
2
1
7
6
5
Trailer Connector Back up lamp
Position lamp
Trailer accessory
Turn signal lamp (LH)
Turn siganl lamp (RH)
Stop lamp
EarthTrailer Connector
S2BLA550
BL-ENG (CAN)-5.qxd 7/28/05 5:56 PM Page 40
1. Park the vehicle on level ground
and firmly set the parking brake.
2. Allow the engine to idle for about 2
minutes.
3. Depress the brake pedal and move
the shift lever slowly through all
ranges then set it in P (Park).
4. With the engine still idling, pull out
the dipstick, wipe it clean and rein-
sert it fully.
5. Pull out the dipstick again and
check the fluid level.5. Pull out the dipstick again and
check the fluid level.
If the fluid has been warmed to nor-
mal operating temperature of approx-
imately 167°F (75°C), the fluid level
should be between the 2 notches
marked 75°C.MAINTENANCE7-18
25 C
75 C
S2BLA712A
LowOk
Ok
Full
Low
Cold fluid scaleHot fluid scale
Full
✽ ✽
NOTICEThe notch on the 25°C scale is for
reference only and should NOT be
used to determine transmission
fluid level.✽ ✽
NOTICENew automatic transaxle fluid
should be red. The red dye is added
so the assembly plant can identify it
as automatic transaxle fluid and
distinguishes it from engine oil or
antifreeze. The red dye, which is not
an indicator of fluid quality, is not
permanent. As the vehicle is driven,
the automatic transaxle fluid will
begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an Authorized Kia
dealer change the automatic
transaxle fluid according to the
Scheduled Maintenance at the
beginning of this section.
BL-ENG (CAN)-7.qxd 7/28/05 5:58 PM Page 18
BULB REPLACEMENT
Headlight Replacement
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the light assembly from
the body of the vehicle loosening
the bolts.
MAINTENANCE
7-33
S2BLA725A Headlight
Headlight
Front turn signal light
WARNING- Working on the lights
Prior to working on the light,
firmly apply the parking brake
and ensure that the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK”
position to avoid sudden move-
ment of the vehicle and burning
your fingers or receiving an
electric shock.
WARNING- Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs contain pres-
surized gas that will produce
flying pieces of glass if bro-
ken.
Always handle them carefully,
and avoid scratches and abra-
sions. If the bulbs are lit, avoid
contact with liquids. Never
touch the glass with bare
hands. Residual oil may cause
the bulb to overheat and burst
when lit. A bulb should be
operated only when installed
in a headlight.
If a bulb becomes damaged or
cracked, replace it immediate-
ly and carefully dispose of it.
Wear eye protection when
changing a bulb. Allow the
bulb to cool before handling
it.
BL-ENG (CAN)-7.qxd 7/28/05 5:58 PM Page 33
Waxing
Wax the vehicle when water will no
longer bead on the paint.
Always wash and dry the vehicle
before waxing. Use good quality liq-
uid or paste wax, and follow the man-
ufacturer’s instructions. Wax all metal
trim to protect it and to maintain its
luster.
Removing oil, tar, and similar materi-
als with a spot remover will usually
strip the wax from the finish. Be sure
to re-wax these areas even if the rest
of the vehicle does not yet need wax-
ing.
MAINTENANCE7-44
WARNING
After washing the vehicle, test
the brakes while driving slowly
to see if they have been affected
by water. If braking performance
is impaired, dry the brakes by
applying them lightly while
maintaining a slow forward
speed.
WARNING- Water Washing in Engine
Compartment
Water washing in the engine
compartment may cause failure
of electrical circuits. Systems
of your vehicle could fail when
you need them. Wash your
engine compartment carefully.
Check your vehicle’s features
before driving again.
✽ ✽
NOTICE Wiping dust or dirt off the body
with a dry cloth will scratch the
finish.
Do not use steel wool, abrasive
cleaners, or strong detergents
containing high alkaline or caus-
tic agents on chrome-plated or
anodized aluminum parts. This
may result in damage to the pro-
tective coating and cause discol-
oration or paint deterioration.
BL-ENG (CAN)-7.qxd 7/28/05 5:58 PM Page 44
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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