Off-Road Driving with Your Four-
Wheel Drive Vehicle
Off-road driving can be great fun. But
it has definite hazards. The greatest
of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the
paved road system behind. Traffic
lanes are not marked. Curves are not
banked.
There are no carefully engineered
road signs to warn you of dangerous
conditions or to advise you of a safe
speed. You have to assess the envi-
ronment yourself. Surfaces can be
slippery, rough, uphill or downhill.
Off-road driving involves learning
new skills. That’s why it’s important
that you read and understand this
section. You’ll find useful driving infor-
mation and suggestions. These will
help make your off-road driving safer
and more enjoyable.Before you go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before
you leave the paved roads. Be sure to
have all necessary maintenance and
service work done beforehand. Be
sure to read all the information about
your four-wheel drive vehicle in this
manual. Is there enough fuel? Is the
spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid
levels at the proper levels? What are
the local laws that apply to off-road-
ing where you’ll be driving? If you
don’t know, you should check with
law enforcement people in the area.
Will you be on someone’s private
land? If so, be sure to get the neces-
sary permission.DRIVING TIPS5-16
WARNING
- Rollover
As with other Sports Utility
Vehicles (SUVs), failure to oper-
ate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control, an acci-
dent or vehicle rollover.
Specific design characteris-
tics (higher ground clearance,
narrower track, etc.) give this
vehicle a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars.
A SUV is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional 2-wheel drive
vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed person is significantly
more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a safety belt.
Make sure everyone in the
vehicle is properly buckled
up.
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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
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
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
OVERHEATINGIf your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these
symptoms occur, use the following pro-
cedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flash-
er, then drive to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle; shift
to Neutral (manual transaxle) or
Park (automatic transaxle) and
apply the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of
the radiator, stop the engine and call
an authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance.
If there is no visible coolant, you
may allow the engine to idle and
open the hood to permit the engine
to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the
engine and allow sufficient time for it
to cool.4. The coolant level should then be
checked. Use the coolant reservoir
dipstick to check the level. If the
level in the reservoir is low, look for
leaks at the radiator hoses and
connections, heater hoses and
connections, radiator, and water
pump. If you find a major leak or
another problem that may have
caused the engine to overheat, do
not operate the engine until it has
been corrected. Call an authorized
Kia dealer for assistance. If you do
not find a leak or other problem,
carefully add coolant to the reser-
voir.If the engine frequently overheats,
have the cooling system checked and
repaired by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
6-3
WARNING- Removing Radiator Cap
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause seri-
ous injury.
BL-ENG (CAN)-6.qxd 7/28/05 5:57 PM Page 3
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
ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT
PROTECTIONFuses
A vehicle’s electrical system is pro-
tected from electrical overload dam-
age by fuses.
This vehicle has two fuse panels, one
located in the driver’s side kick panel,
the other in the engine compartment
near the battery.If any of your vehicle’s lights, acces-
sories, or controls do not work, check
the appropriate circuit fuse. If a fuse
has blown, the element inside the
fuse will be melted.
Always replace a blown fuse with one
of the same rating.
If the same fuse blows again, avoid
using the system involved and imme-
diately consult an authorized Kia
dealer.
Two kinds of fuses are used: stan-
dard for lower amperage rating and
main for higher amperage ratings.Fuse Replacement
If the electrical system does not work,
first check the driver’s side fuse
panel.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
6-7
S2BLD313
StandardMain fuseNormal
Blown
NormalBlown
WARNING- Fuse Replacement
Never replace a fuse with any-
thing but another fuse of the
same rating.
A higher capacity fuse could
cause damage and possibly a
fire.
Never install a wire instead of
the proper fuse – even as a
temporary repair. It may cause
extensive wiring damage and
possibly a fire.
Do not use a screwdriver or
any other metal object to
remove fuses because it may
cause a short circuit and dam-
age the system.
BL-ENG (CAN)-6.qxd 7/28/05 5:57 PM Page 7
1. Turn the ignition switch and all
other switches off.
2. Pull the suspected fuse straight
out. Use the removal tool provided
on the main fuse box in the engine
compartment fuse relay box (if
equipped). Refer to the fuse panel
chart on the fuse panel cover to
identify the likely problem fuse or
electrical circuit.3. Check the removed fuse; replace it
if it is blown. The number of fuses
vary according to the vehicle
model. Check both the passenger
and engine compartment fuse box
covers.
4. Push in a new fuse of the same rat-
ing, and make sure it fits tightly in
the clips.
If it fits loosely, consult an authorized
Kia dealer.If you do not have a spare, use a fuse
of the same rating from a circuit you
may not need for operating the vehi-
cle, such as the radio or room lamp
fuse.
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work and the
fuses are OK, check the fuse block in
the engine compartment. If a fuse is
blown, it must be replaced.
1. Turn the ignition switch and all
other switches off.
2. Remove the fuse block cover by
unhooking the tab on one end and
tilting the cover back toward the
other end.
3. Check the fuses. If one is blown,
replace it with a new one of the
same rating.IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY6-8
FUSE
S2BLA604
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