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Driving your vehicle
R (reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
✽✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R whilethe vehicle is in motion, except as
explained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,in this manual.
N (neutral)
With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakesare applied.
D (drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
WARNING
Always apply the brake pedal
when you stop the vehicle on an
inclined road with the shift lever
in the D (Drive) position. Do
NOT rely on the engine and
transmission to prevent the
vehicle from rolling down thehill.
Before attempting to backup on
an inclined road, always apply
the brake pedal before moving
the shift lever to the R (Reverse)position.

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Driving your vehicle
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignitionswitch to the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-dition. Ignition key interlock system (if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.
Moving up a steep grade from
a standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in or
around the car.

Driving your vehicle
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Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of astalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces. In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Pulling the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden
loss of control of the vehicle. If
you must use the parking brake
to stop the vehicle, use great
caution in applying the brake.
WARNING - Brakes
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stoppingdistances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuousbrake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)

Driving your vehicle
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Parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then without
pressing the release button in, pull
the parking brake lever up as far as
possible. In addition it is recommend-
ed that when parking the vehicle on
a gradient, the shift lever should be
positioned in the appropriate low
gear on manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position on automatic
transaxle vehicles. To release the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and pull up the
parking brake lever slightly.
Secondly, depress the release button
and lower the parking brake lever
while holding the button.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessivebrake pad and brake rotor wear.
OLD036030OLD036031
WARNING - Parking brake
To prevent unintentional movement when stopped and
leaving the vehicle, do not use
the gearshift lever in place of
the parking brake. Set theparking brake AND make sure
the gearshift lever is securely
positioned in 1st (First) gear
or R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle equipped vehicles
and in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow a person who is unfamiliar with the vehicle or
children to touch the parking
brake. If the parking brake is
released unintentionally, seri-
ous injury may occur.

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Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off.If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
Parking on curbed streets
When parking your vehicle on an
uphill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels away from the curb so thatthe front wheels will contact the
curb if the vehicle moves back-
ward.
When parking your vehicle on a downhill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels toward the curb so that thefront wheels will contact the curb if
the vehicle moves forward.
W-75

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Driving your vehicle
Warning lights / audible indi-
cators
Checking operation
All warning lights are checked by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). Any light that does
not illuminate should be checked by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
After starting the engine, check to
make sure that all warning lights are
off. If any are still on, this indicates a
situation that needs attention. When
releasing the parking brake, the
brake system warning light should go
off. The fuel warning light will stay on
if the fuel level is low.Anti-lock brake sys- tem (ABS) warninglight (if equipped)
This light illuminates if the key is
turned to ON and goes off in approx-imately 3 seconds if the system is
operating normally.
If the light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS system.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer as
soon as possible.
Electronic brake force
distribution (EBD)system warning light (if equipped)
If two warning lights illumi- nate at the same time
while driving, your vehicle
has a problem with ABSand EBD system.In this case, your ABS system and
regular brake system may not work
normally. Have the vehicle checked
by an Authorized Kia Dealer as soon
as possible.
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
ABS
ABS
WARNING
If the both ABS and Brake warn-
ing lights are ON and stay ON,
your vehicle’s brake system will
not work normally. So you may
experience an unexpected and
dangerous situation during sud-
den braking. In this case, avoidhigh speed driving and abrupt
braking. Have your vehicle
checked by Authorized Kia
Dealer as soon as possible.

Driving your vehicle
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Parking brake & brake fluid warning
Parking brake warning
This light is illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion. The warning light should go off
when the parking brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in
the reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately
and add fluid as required. Then
check all brake components for
fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are found, the warning light
remains on or the brakes do not
operate properly. Have it towed to
any Authorized Kia Dealer for a
brake system inspection and nec-
essary repairs.
To check bulb operation, check
whether the parking brake and brake
fluid warning light illuminates when
the ignition switch is in the ON posi-tion.
Low brake vacuum pressure warn- ing (for diesel, if equipped)
If the brake warning light remains on
after adding brake fluid and the brake
pedal becomes heavier or harder, it
may indicate that the brake vacuum
pump has any problem. Therefore
you should avoid high speed driving
or sudden stop, and you should
depress the brake pedal deeper and
harder than usual in braking. Make
sure to have the brake system
checked and repaired by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warn-
ing light on is dangerous. If thebrake warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked and
repaired immediately by an
authorized Kia Dealer.

55
Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
Be sure that all windows, outside mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance. Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
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WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even asmall amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ridewith a driver who has beendrinking or taking drugs.Choose a designated driver orcall a cab. Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than drivingdrunk.