2006 KIA Sorento Flat tire

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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SUGGESTIONS FOR
ECONOMICAL OPERATIONYour vehicle’s fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
 Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly,
begin driving. Remember, engine
warm-up may take a little longer on
cold days.
 Save fuel by accelerating slowly
after stopping.
 Keep the engine in tune and follow
the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule. This will increase
the life of all parts and lower your
operating costs. Do not use the air conditioner
unnecessarily.
 Slow down when driving on rough
roads.
 For longer tire life and better fuel
economy, always keep the tires
inflated to the recommended pres-
sures.
 Maintain a safe distance from other
vehicles to avoid sudden stops.
This will reduce wear on brake lin-
ings and pads. Driving in such a
way will also save fuel because
extra fuel is required to accelerate
back to driving speed.
 Do not carry unnecessary weight in
the vehicle.
 Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage to
the brakes, and poor fuel economy. Improper wheel alignment results
in faster tire wear and lower fuel
economy.
 Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
 Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econo-
my and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform sched-
uled inspections and maintenance.DRIVING TIPS5-6
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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 Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, sand, snow,
or ice, your wheels won’t get good
traction. You can’t accelerate as
quickly, turning is more difficult, and
you’ll need longer braking distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when
you’re in mud, the deeper the mud,
the lower the gear. In extremely deep
mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle
moving so you don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense
a change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on beaches or sand dunes) your tires
will tend to sink into the sand.This has an effect on steering, accel-
erating, and braking. You may want to
reduce the air pressure in your tires
slightly when driving on sand. This
will improve traction. Remember to
re-inflate them the first chance that
you have after you leave the loosely
packed sand.Hard-packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is so
poor that you will even have difficulty
accelerating. And if you do get mov-
ing, poor steering and difficult braking
can easily cause you to slide out of
control.
DRIVING TIPS
5-29
✽ ✽
NOTICE In case of loss of traction in mud,
loose soil, or sand, turn the steer-
ing wheel rapidly from side-to-
side. This can help generate addi-
tional traction.
 Do not gun the engine. This will
cause the tires to spin and dig
down, not forward, and could
bury the vehicle to the frame.
Smooth, easy power is better than
too much power.
WARNING- Frozen Surfaces
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds
or rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle
could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on
safe surfaces only.
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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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6-1
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCYRoad Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Emergency Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Electrical Circuit Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
If You Have a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
6
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IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE Storing the Jack and Tools
Jack is stored in the compartment of
the cargo area.
Jack handle and wheel lug nut
wrench are located in the cargo area
floor.Removing the Spare Tire
Your spare tire is stored underneath
your vehicle, directly below the cargo
area.
1. Assemble the wheel lug nut
wrench to the jack handle.
2. Open the rear hatch.3. Insert the jack handle into the hole
just above the rear bumper. The
resistance to turning will be felt
when properly engaged.
4. Turn the jack handle counter-clock-
wise until the spare tire reaches
the ground. Turn the jack handle
10~13 revolutions counter-clock-
wise more after the spare tire
reaches the ground, and draw the
spare tire towards rear of vehicle.
Never rotate the jack handle more
than 17 revolutions, otherwise the
spare tire carrier may be damaged.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
6-19
S2BLA614C
S2BLA628
S2BLA615C
WARNING
Hold the handle firmly and turn
it slowly to lower the spare tire.
The separation of the wrench
from the handle could cause
loss the control and personal
injury.
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To prevent the jack, jack handle,
wheel lug nut, wrench and spare tire
from rattling while the vehicle is in
motion, store them properly. To store
the flat fire, refer to “Storing the spare
tire”in this section.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
6-25
CAUTION
Your vehicle has metric threads
on the wheel studs and nuts.
Make certain during wheel
removal that the same nuts
removed are reinstalled - or, if
replaced, that nuts with metric
threads and the same chamfer
configuration are used.
Installation of a non-metric
thread nut on a metric stud or
vice-versa will not secure the
wheel to the hub properly and
will damage the stud so that it
must be replaced.
Note that most lug nuts do not
have metric threads. Be sure to
use extreme care in checking
for thread style before installing
aftermarket lug nuts or wheels.
If in doubt, consult an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
WARNING
- Wheel Studs
If the studs are damaged, they
may lose their ability to retain
the wheel. This could lead to the
loss of the wheel and a colli-
sion.
✽ ✽
NOTICECheck the inflation pressures as
soon as possible after installing the
spare tire. Adjust it to the specified
pressure, if necessary. Refer to
Section 8, Specifications.
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