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LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS Checking the washer fluid
level The reservoir is translucent so that
you can check the level with a quick
visual inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir and add fluid if neces-
sary. Plain water may be used if
washer fluid is not available.
However, use washer solvent with
antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing.
Body lubrication All moving points of the body, such
as door hinges, hood hinges, and
locks, should be lubricated each time
the engine oil is changed. Use a non-
freezing lubricant on locks during
cold weather.
Make sure the engine hood second-
ary latch keeps the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is
released.
1LDA5021
WARNING
Do not use radiator coolant or
antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when
sprayed on the windshield
and may cause loss of vehicle
control or damage to paint
and body trim.
Windshield washer fluid agents contain some amounts
of alcohol and can be flamma-
ble under certain circum-
stances. Do not allow sparks
or flame to contact the washer
fluid or the washer fluid reser-
voir. Damage to the vehicle or
it's occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poisonous to humans and ani-
mals. Do not drink and avoid
contacting windshield washer
fluid. Serious injury or death
could occur.
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BATTERY
WARNING
- Battery dangers
Always read the follow-
ing instructions carefully
when handling a battery.
Keep lighted cigarettes and all other flames or
sparks away from the
battery.
Hydrogen, which is a highly combustible gas,
is always present in bat-
tery cells and may
explode if ignited.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children
because batteries con-
tain highly corrosive
SULFURIC ACID. Do not
allow battery acid to con-
tact your skin, eyes,
clothing or paint finish.
(Continued)
(Continued)If any electrolyte getsinto your eyes, flush your
eyes with clean water for
at least 15 minutes and
get immediate medical
attention. If possible,
continue to apply water
with a sponge or cloth
until medical attention is
received.
If electrolyte gets on
your skin, thoroughly
wash the contacted area.
If you feel a pain or a
burning sensation, get
medical attention imme-
diately.
Wear eye protection when charging or work-
ing near a battery.
Always provide ventila-
tion when working in an
enclosed space.
(Continued)
(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-casedbattery, excessive pressure on
the case may cause battery
acid to leak, resulting in per-
sonal injury. Lift with a battery
carrier or with your hands on
opposite corners.
Never attempt to charge the battery when the battery
cables are connected.
The electrical ignition system works with high voltage.
Never touch these compo-
nents with the engine running
or the ignition switched on.
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✽ ✽NOTICE Before performing maintenance
or recharging the battery, turn off
all accessories and stop the engine.
The negative battery cable must be removed first and installed last
when the battery is disconnected.
WARNING
- Recharging
battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precau-
tions:
The battery must be removed from the vehicle and placed in
an area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes, sparks, or flame near the bat-
tery.
Watch the battery during charging, and stop or reduce
the charging rate if the battery
cells begin gassing (boiling)
violently or if the temperature
of the electrolyte of any cell
exceeds 49°C (120°F).
Wear eye protection when checking the battery during
charging.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Disconnect the battery charg-er in the following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger main switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from the negative battery ter-
minal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from the positive battery ter-
minal.
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TIRES AND WHEELS Tires care For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.Inflation pressures All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the front (driver’s or pas-
senger’s) door sill.
✽ ✽
NOTICE Warm tires normally exceed rec-
ommended cold tire pressures by
28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6 psi). Do not
release air from warm tires to
adjust the pressure or the tires will
be underinflated.
Underinflation results in excessive wear, poor handling, reduced fuel
economy, and the possibility of
blowouts from overheated tires.
Also, low tire pressure can cause
poor sealing of the tire bead. If the
tire pressure is excessively low,
wheel deformation and/or tire sep-
aration is possible. So, keep your
tire pressures at the proper levels.
If a tire frequently needs refilling,
have it checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer. (Continued)
1LDN6001
WARNING
Severe underinflation (70 kPa
(10 psi) or more) can lead to
severe heat build-up, especially
on hot days and when driving at
high speed. This can potentially
cause tread separation and
other tire irregularities to
appear that can result in the
loss of vehicle control leading
to severe injury or death.
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(Continued)
Overinflation produces a harshride, handling problems, excessive
wear at the center of the tire tread,
and a greater possibility of dam-
age from road hazards.
Be sure to reinstall the tire infla- tion valve caps. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leak-
age. If the cap have been lost,
install new one as soon as possible.
Tire rotation To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire
also if you can see fabric or cord.
After rotation, be sure to bring the
front and rear tire pressures to spec-
ification and check lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications. Disc brake pads and rear brake
shoes should be inspected for wear
whenever tires are rotated.
✽ ✽
NOTICERotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
WARNING
- Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and lead
to sudden tire failure. This could
result in loss of vehicle control.
CBGQ0707CBGQ0707A
Do not include compact spare tire in rotation.
Directional tires (if equipped)
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Wheel replacement When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
WARNING
When replacing tires, nevermix radial, bias-belted, and
bias-type tires. All four tires
should be of the same size,
design and construction. Use
only the tire sizes listed on the
Tire Label found below the
door striker on the driver’s
side. Make sure that all tires
and wheels are the same size
and have the same load-carry-
ing capacity. Use only tire and
wheel combinations recom-
mended on the Tire Label or
by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Failure to follow these precau-
tions can adversely affect the
safety and handling of your
vehicle.
(Continued)
(Continued)
The use of any other tire sizeor type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, tire clearance, and
speedometer calibration.
Driving on worn-out tires is very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.
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Checking a tire life
Tire strength and performance
decline with age. Any tires that are
over 6 year old, including the spare
(determined by the tire manufacture
date), should be replaced regardless
of mileage. You can find the tire man-
ufacture date on the tire sidewall
(either on the inside or outside of the
wheel). The date is a Department Of
Transportation (DOT) number con-
sisting of letters and numbers. You
can determine the tire manufacture
date by the last four numbers of the
DOT code. DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The first letters/numbers of the DOT
indicate the manufacturing plant, tire
size and tread pattern, last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 0803 represents
that the tire was produced in the 8th
week of 2003.
WARNING
A tire more than 6 years old may
cause separation of the cord
layers inside the tire leading to
loss of vehicle or a serious
injury. Therefore, make sure to
check the manufacturing date
and replace the old tire in 6
years after the tire manufactur-
ing date.
WARNING
- Tire
temperature
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tires failure. This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury or death.
1LDN7046
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EXTERIOR CARE Exterior general caution It is very important to follow the label
directions when using any chemical
cleaner or polish. Read all warning
and caution statements that appear
on the label.Finish maintenanceWashing
To help protect your vehicle’s finish
from rust and deterioration, wash it
thoroughly and frequently at least
once a month with lukewarm or cold
water.
If you use your vehicle for off-road
driving, you should wash it after each
off-road trip. Pay special attention to
the removal of any accumulation of
salt, dirt, mud, and other foreign
materials. Make sure the drain holes
in the lower edges of the doors and
rocker panels are kept clear and
clean.Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial pollution and similar
deposits can damage your vehicle’s
finish if not removed immediately.
Even prompt washing with plain
water may not completely remove all
these deposits. A mild soap, safe for
use on painted surfaces, may be
used.
After washing, rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water.
Do not allow soap to dry on the fin-
ish.
✽ ✽
NOTICEDo not use strong soap, chemical
detergents or hot water, and do not
wash the vehicle in direct sunlight or
when the body of the vehicle is
warm.
CAUTION
Water washing in the engine
compartment may cause the
failure of electrical circuits
located in the engine compart-
ment.
Pay extreme attention to wash the engine compartment by
using water.
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.
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