2006 KIA Sorento towing

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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5-1
DRIVING TIPSFuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Emission Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Tips on Driving Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Suggestions for Economical Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Special Driving Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Using Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Weight of the Vehicle - with and without a Trailer . . . . . . . .5-32
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Overloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Label Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
5
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WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE -
WITH AND WITHOUT A
TRAILERThis section will guide you in the
proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle
weight within its design rating capa-
bility, with or without a trailer. Properly
loading your vehicle will provide max-
imum return of the vehicle design
performance. Before loading your
vehicle, familiarize yourself with the
following terms for determining your
vehicle’s weight ratings, with or with-
out a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Specifications and Tire Information
Label:Base Curb Weight
This is the weight of the vehicle
including a full tank of fuel and all
standard equipment. It does not
include passengers, cargo, or option-
al equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight
This is the weight of your new vehicle
when you picked it up from your deal-
er plus any aftermarket equipment.
Cargo Weight
This figure includes all weight added
to the Base Curb Weight, including
cargo and optional equipment. When
towing, trailer tongue load or king pin
weight also is part of the Cargo
Weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)
This is the total weight placed on
each axle (front and rear) - including
vehicle curb weight and all payload.GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single
axle (front or rear). These numbers
are shown on Tire Information Label
and Specifications. The total load on
each axle must never exceed its
GAWR.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
This is the Base Curb Weight plus
actual Cargo Weight plus passen-
gers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle
(including all options, equipment,
passengers and cargo). The GVWR
is shown on the Vehicle Certification
Label located on the driver’s door pil-
lar and Specifications table.DRIVING TIPS5-32
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GCW (Gross Combined Weight)
This is the weight of the loaded vehi-
cle (GVW) plus the weight of the fully
loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded
trailer - including all cargo and pas-
sengers - that the vehicle can handle
without risking damage. [Important:
The towing vehicle’s braking system
is rated for operation at GVWR, not
GCWR. Separate functional brakes
should be used for safe control of
towed vehicles and for trailers weigh-
ing 1,650 lbs (750kg).] The GCW
must never exceed the GCWR.Maximum Trailer Weight
This is the highest possible weight of
a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can
tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo, and a
driver. The weight of other optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
your vehicle will reduce the maximum
trailer weight your vehicle can tow.Calculating the load your vehicle
can tow
1. Use the appropriate maximum
GCWR chart (in the Weight of the
Trailer section in this chapter) for
your type of drive system and
transmission.
2. Weigh your vehicle.
3. Subtract the weight of your vehicle
from the maximum GCWR in the
chart. This is the maximum trailer
weight your vehicle can tow. It must
be below the maximum trailer
weight shown in the chart. Note
that the maximum trailer weight
your vehicle can tow depends on
the total weight of any cargo, pas-
sengers and available equipment
in the vehicle.
DRIVING TIPS
5-33
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TRAILER TOWINGYour vehicle can tow a trailer. To iden-
tify what the vehicle trailering capaci-
ty is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight of the
Trailer’’ that appears later in this sec-
tion. Remember that trailering is dif-
ferent than just driving your vehicle
by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel econo-
my. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.This section contains many time-test-
ed, important trailering tips and safe-
ty rules. Many of these are important
for your safety and that of your pas-
sengers. Please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transmission, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, further increasing
the pulling requirements.If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
 State, provincial, county and
municipal government have varying
trailering laws. Make sure your
hitch, mirrors, lights and wiring
arrangements are legal, not only
where you live, but also where
you’ll be driving. A good source for
this information is provincial or local
law enforcement agencies.
 Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.
 After your odometer indicates 800
km or more, you can tow a trailer.
For the first 800 km that you tow a
trailer, don’t drive over 80 km/h and
don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other
parts of your vehicle “wear” in at the
heavier loads.
 Always drive at a safe speed (less
than 100 km/h) commensurate with
road conditions.
 Three important considerations
have to do with weight:DRIVING TIPS5-34✽ ✽
NOTICEPulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correct-
ly, follow the advice in this section.
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Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than 1,590
kg (3,500 lbs.) with trailer brakes. But
even that can be too heavy depend-
ing on the number of passengers.
It depends on how you plan to use
your trailer. For example, speed, alti-
tude, road grades, outside tempera-
ture and how much your vehicle is
used to pull a trailer are all important.
The ideal trailer weight can also
depend on any special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
DRIVING TIPS
5-35
ItemFour Wheel Drive Two Wheel Drive
A/T M/T A/T M/T
Maximum GCWR3,681 kg 3,662 kg 3,592 kg 3,573 kg
(8,115 lbs) (8,074 lbs) (7,919 lbs) (7,877 lbs)
Maximum
Trailer Weight
✽ ✽
NOTICE For definitions of terms used in this table and instructions on how to calcu-
late your vehicle load, refer to Weight of the Vehicle in this chapter.
 The combined weight of the completed towing vehicle and the loaded trail-
er must not exceed the GCWR.
 When towing maximum loads under high outside temperatures and/or on
steep grades, the A/C system may cycle on and off to protect the engine from
overheating. This may result in a temporary increase of interior tempera-
ture.
Without brake system : 750 kg (1,650 lbs)
With brake system : 1,590 kg (3,500 lbs)
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load of any trailer is an
important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
vehicle weight (GVW) of your vehicle.
This weight includes the curb weight
of the vehicle, any cargo you may
carry in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you tow a
trailer, you must add the tongue load
to the GVW because your vehicle will
also be carrying that weight.
The trailer tongue should weigh a
maximum of 10% of the total loaded
trailer weight. After you’ve loaded
your trailer, weigh the trailer and then
the tongue, separately, to see if the
weights are proper. If they aren’t, you
may be able to correct them simply
by moving some items around in the
trailer.Too little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to sway.
Too much tongue load reduces front-
tire traction and steering control.DRIVING TIPS5-36
WARNING
 An improperly loaded trailer
can cause loss of control of
your vehicle.
 Never load a trailer with more
weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be
loaded with approximately
60% of the total trailer load;
the rear should be loaded with
approximately 40% of the total
trailer load.
 Never exceed the maximum
weight limits of the trailer or
trailer towing equipment.
Improper loading can result in
damage to your vehicle and/or
personal injury. Check
weights and loading at a com-
mercial scale or highway
patrol office equipped with
scales.
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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
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