2007 KIA Opirus Owner's Manual

Maintenance14
7BRAKESChecking brake fluid level Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake fluid, clean the area around
the reservoir cap thoroughly to prevent
brake fluid contamination. If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake pads. If
the fluid level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid. (Refer
to “Recommended Lubricants” later inthis section.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
WARNING
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
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CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to contactthe vehicle's body paint, as paintdamage will result. Brake fluid,which has been exposed to open airfor an extended time should never be used as its quality cannot beguaranteed. It should be thrown out. Don't put in the wrong kind offluid. For example, just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such asengine oil, in your brake system candamage brake system parts.

715
Maintenance
POWER STEERING Checking the power steering fluid
level With the vehicle on level ground, check
the fluid level in the power steering reser-
voir periodically. The fluid should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
level gauge attached to the cap.
Before adding power steering fluid, thor-
oughly clean the area around the reser-
voir cap to prevent power steering fluid
contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level.In the event the power steering system
requires frequent addition of fluid, the
vehicle should be inspected by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• To avoid damage to the power steer-
ing pump, do not operate the vehicle
for prolonged periods with a low
power steering fluid level.
• Never start the engine when the reser- voir tank is empty.
• When adding fluid, be careful that dirt does not get into the tank.
• Too little fluid can make the steering wheel heavier or strange noise can be
generated.
• The use of the non-specified fluid could reduce the effectiveness of the
power steering wheel and cause dam-
age to it.Use only the specified power steering
fluid. (Refer to "RecommendedLubricants" later in this section.)
Power steering hoseCheck the connections for oil leaks,
severe damage and the twists in the
power steering hose before driving.
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Maintenance16
7AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLEChecking the automatic transaxle
fluid level The automatic transaxle fluid level
should be checked regularly.
Keep the vehicle on the level ground with
the parking brake applied and check the
fluid level according to the following pro-
cedure.
1. Place the selector lever in N (Neutral)
position and confirm the engine is run-
ning at normal idle speed. 2. After the transaxle is warmed up suffi-
ciently (fluid temperature 70~80°C
(158~176°F), for example by 10 min-
utes usual driving, shift the selector
lever through all positions then place
the selector lever in “N (Neutral) or P
(Park)” position.
3. Confirm that the fluid level is in “HOT”range on the level gauge. If the fluid
level is lower, add the specified fluid
from the fill hole. If the fluid level is
higher, drain the fluid from the drain
hole.
4. If the fluid level is checked in cold con- dition (fluid temperature 20~30°C
(68~86°F) add the fluid to “COLD” line
and then recheck the fluid level
according to the above step 2.
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717
Maintenance
✽
✽NOTICE“COLD” scale is for reference only and
should NOT be used to determine
transaxle fluid level.
New automatic transaxle fluid should be
red. The red dye is added so the assem-
bly plant can identify it as automatic
transaxle fluid and distinguish 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.✽ ✽NOTICEHave an Authorized Kia dealer change
the automatic transaxle fluid according
to the Scheduled Maintenance at the
beginning of this section.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle
slippage. Overfilling can causefoaming, loss of fluid andtransaxle malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxle malfunc-tion.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply parking brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
WARNING -
Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should be
checked when the engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during this
procedure.

Maintenance18
7LUBRICANTS 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 necessary. 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-freez-
ing lubricant on locks during cold weath-
er.
Make sure the engine hood secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when
the primary latch is released.
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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 flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allow
sparks or flame to contact the
washer fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or it's occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contacting
windshield washer fluid. Serious
injury or death could occur.

719
Maintenance
AIR CLEANER Element replacement Have the air cleaner element checked
and replaced in accordance with the
maintenance schedule.The climate control air filter located
between the evaporator core and blower
filters the air coming into the vehicle.
If dust or other pollutants accumulate in
the filter for a period of time, the air flow
from the air vents may be decreased and
the dust intake may increase. Therefore
the air filter should be replaced at the
intervals shown in the maintenance
schedule. If the vehicle is operated in
dusty or sandy areas, replace the filter
more often than the recommended inter-
vals.
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CLIMATE CONTROL AIR FILTER (IF EQUIPPED)
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Evaporator core
Blower
Outside air
Recirculated air
Climate control air filter
Inside
vehicle
CAUTION
Do not drive with the air cleaner
removed; this will result in exces-sive engine wear.
Driving without an air cleaner encourages backfiring, whichcould cause a fire in the enginecompartment.
When removing the air cleaner element, be careful that dust ordirt does not enter the air intake,or damage may result.

Maintenance20
7WIPER BLADES Wiper blade maintenance ✽
✽
NOTICECommercial hot waxes applied by auto-
matic car washes have been known to
make the windshield difficult to clean.
Contamination of either the windshield or
the wiper blades with foreign matter can
reduce the effectiveness of the wind-
shield wipers. Common sources of con-
tamination are insects, tree sap, and hot
wax treatments used by some commer-
cial car washes. If the blades are not wip-
ing properly, clean both the window and
the blades with a good cleaner or mild
detergent, and rinse thoroughly with
clean water.
Windshield wiper blade replace-
ment When the wipers no longer clean ade-
quately, the blades may be worn or
cracked, and require replacement.✽ ✽NOTICEThe use of a non-specified wiper blade
could result in wiper malfunction and
failure.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, or othersolvents on or near them.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper arms or other components, do notattempt to move the wipers manual- ly.

721
Maintenance
1. Raise the wiper arm and turn the wiperblade assembly to expose the plastic
locking clip.✽ ✽NOTICEDo not allow the wiper arm to fall
against the windshield, since it may chip
or crack the windshield.
2. Compress the clip and slide the blade
assembly downward. 3. Lift it off the arm.
4. Install the blade assembly in the
reverse order of removal.
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