2007 KIA Opirus towing

521
Driving tips
Driving on grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45
mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than 454 kg
(1000 lbs.) and you have an automatic
transaxle, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup
and extend the life of your transaxle.
Parking on hills Generally, you should not park your vehi-
cle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
People can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged if they begin a downhill tra-
jectory.
CAUTION
 When towing a trailer on steepgrades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge to ensure the engine does not over-heat. If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H” (HOT), pullover and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and allow the engine toidle until it cools down. You mayproceed once the engine has cooled sufficiently.
 You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi-bility of engine and transaxleoverheating.
WARNING
- Parking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause serious
injury or death, should a down hill
trajectory happen.

Driving tips22
5However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here ’s how to do it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift into gear.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your park- ing brake, and then shift to P (Park) for
an automatic transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.
When you are ready to leave after parking on a hill 1. With the automatic transaxle 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 atten-
tion include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered 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 maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’ s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer usage, overheating might occur inhot days or during uphill driving. Ifthe coolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/C and stop the vehicle in a safe area to cooldown the engine.

6
Road warning / 6-2
Overheating / 6-2
Emergency starting / 6-3
Electrical circuit protection / 6-5
Towing / 6-12
If you have a flat tire / 6-17
In case of an emergency

63
In case of an emergency
4. The coolant level should then bechecked. If the level in the reservoir is
low, look for leaks at the radiator hoses
and connections, heater hoses and
connections, radiator, and water
pump. If you find a major leak or anoth-
er problem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operate the
engine until it has been corrected. Call
an Authorized Kia Dealer for assis-
tance. If you do not find a leak or other
problem, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir.If the engine frequently overheats, havethe cooling system checked and repaired by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Jump starting Jump starting can be dangerous if done
incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to
yourself or damage to your vehicle or
battery, follow the jump starting proce-
dures listed on page 6-4. If in doubt, we
strongly recommend that you have a
competent technician or towing service
jump start your vehicle.✽ ✽ NOTICEUse only a 12-volt jumper system. You
can damage a 12-volt starting motor,
ignition system, and other electrical
parts beyond repair by use of a 24-volt
power supply (either two 12-volt batter-
ies in series or a 24-volt motor generator
set).
WARNING
- Removing
radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and steam
may blow out under pressure. This
could cause serious injury.
EMERGENCY STARTING
WARNING
- Battery
• Keep all flames or sparks away
from the battery. The battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which may
explode if exposed to flame or
sparks.
 Do not attempt to jump start the vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte level
is low; the battery may rupture or
explode.
WARNING
- Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as this
may cause the battery to rupture or
explode causing serious injury.

In case of an emergency12
6TOWING If emergency towing is necessary, we
recommend having it done by an author-
ized Kia dealer or a commercial tow-truck
service. Proper lifting and towing proce-
dures are necessary to prevent damage
to the vehicle. The use of wheel dollies or
flatbed is recommended.For trailer towing guidelines information,
refer to section 5 “Driving Tips”.
It is acceptable to tow the vehicle with the
rear wheels on the ground (without dol-
lies) and the front wheels off the ground.
When being towed by a commercial tow
truck and wheel dollies are not used, the
front of the vehicle should always be lift-
ed, not the rear.
2GHA4107 2GHA4106
2GHA4108
2GHA4109
CAUTION
 Do not tow the vehicle backwards with the front wheels on theground as this may cause dam- age to the vehicle.
 Do not tow with sling-type equip- ment. Use wheel lift or flatbedequipment.

613
In case of an emergency
When towing your vehicle in an emer-
gency without wheel dollies :
1. Set the ignition switch in the ACC posi-tion.
2. Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
3. Release the parking brake.
Tie-down hook
(for flatbed towing)
OGH046012A
Tie-down hook
WARNING
Do not use the hooks under the
front of the vehicle for towing pur-
poses. These hooks are designed
ONLY for transport tie-down. If the
tie-down hooks are used for towing,
the tie-down hooks will be damaged
and this could lead to serious
injury.
CAUTION
Failure to place the transaxle shift
lever in N (Neutral) may cause inter- nal damage to the transaxle.

In case of an emergency14
6
Towing with a vehicle other than
a tow truck If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by an Authorized Kia
dealer or a commercial tow truck service.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing hook
under the front or rear of the vehicle. Use
extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes. Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
 Do not use the tow hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other con-
ditions from which the vehicle cannot
be driven out under its own power.
 Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
 The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other frequent-
ly.
OGH046012
 FrontOGH046013
 Rear

615
In case of an emergency
 Before emergency towing, check thatthe hook is not broken or damaged.
 Fasten the towing cable or chain securely to the hook.
 Do not jerk the hook. Apply steady and even force.
 To avoid damaging the hook, do not pull from the side or at a vertical angle.
Always pull straight ahead.  Use a towing strap less than 5 m (16
feet) long. Attach a white or red cloth
(about 30 cm (12 inches) wide) in the
middle of the strap for easy visibility.
 Drive carefully so that the towing strap is not loosened during towing.
1GHA4107
WARNING
Use extreme caution when towing
the vehicle.
 Avoid sudden starts or erraticdriving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and tow-
ing cable or chain. The hook and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
 If the towing vehicle can hardly move, do not forcibly continue
the towing. Contact an Authorized
Kia dealer or a commercial tow
truck service for assistance.
 Tow the vehicle as straight ahead as possible.
 Keep away from the vehicle dur- ing towing.
CAUTION
 Attach a towing strap to the tow hook.
 Using a portion of the vehicle other than the tow hooks for tow-ing may damage the body of your vehicle.
 Use only a cable or chain specifi- cally intended for use in towingvehicles. Securely fasten thecable or chain to the towing hook provided.