2006 KIA Sorento check transmission fluid

 Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
 Do not use the parking brake if it
might freeze. When parking, shift to
1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a man-
ual transmission or P (Park) with an
automatic transmission, and block
the rear wheels.Snow Tires
If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the orig-
inal tires. Mount snow tires on all four
wheels to balance your vehicle’s han-
dling in all weather conditions. Keep
in mind that the traction provided by
snow tires on dry roads may not be
as high as your vehicle’s original
equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, provincial and
municipal regulations for possible
restrictions against their use.
DRIVING TIPS
5-11
WARNING- Snow Tire Size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle’s
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
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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.
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OWNER MAINTENANCEOwner Maintenance Schedule
The owner should perform these
vehicle inspections at the indicated
intervals to ensure safe and depend-
able operation.
Bring any problem to the attention of
an authorized Kia dealer as soon as
possible.When refueling, check the follow-
ing:
 Engine oil level
 Engine coolant level
 Brake (and clutch, if equipped) fluid
level
 Washer fluid levelEvery month, check:
 Tire inflation pressures (cold)
 Coolant level in reservoir (cold
engine)
Every 6 months (for example,
every spring and fall), check:
 Power steering fluid level
 Automatic transmission fluid level
MAINTENANCE
7-7
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level. The engine
compartment will be hot and
you could be burned.
WARNING- Engine Cooling Fans
Because your engine cooling
fans are electronically con-
trolled, they will run if the igni-
tion switch is ON, even if the
engine is not running. This
could cause serious injury. To
prevent this, be sure the igni-
tion is OFF, unless you must run
the engine while performing
maintenance or an inspection.
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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
(IF EQUIPPED)Checking the Automatic
Transmission Fluid Level
The automatic transmission fluid level
should be checked regularly.The volume of the transmission fluid
changes with temperature. Although
it is best to check the level after hav-
ing driven the vehicle for at least 30
minutes, the level can be checked
after warming the fluid using the pro-
cedure below.
MAINTENANCE
7-17
S2BLC704
Automatic transmission fluid dipstick
✽ ✽
NOTICE Low transmission fluid level
causes transmission slippage.
Overfilling can cause foaming,
loss of fluid and transmission
malfunction.
 The use of a non-specified fluid
could result in transmission mal-
function and failure.
WARNING- Parking Brake
To avoid sudden movement of
the vehicle, set the parking
brake and depress the brake
pedal before moving the shift
lever.
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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.
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