2007 KIA Sportage steering wheel

Driving tips22
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Driving uphillOnce you decide you can safely
drive up the hill, you need to take
some special steps.
 Use a low gear and get a firm grip
on the steering wheel.
 Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain your speed. Don’t
use more power than you need,
because you don’t want your
wheels to start spinning or sliding.
 Try to drive straight up the hill, if at all possible. If the path twists and
turns, you may have to find anoth-
er route.  Slow down as you approach the
top of the hill.
 Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
 Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you’re there.
 Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visi-
ble to other drivers.
WARNING -
Driving
across hills
Turning or driving across steep
hills can be dangerous. You
could lose traction, slide side-
ways, or just reach an area too
steep to traverse. In any case, it
could cause you to roll over. You
could be seriously or fatally
injured. When driving up hills,
always try to go as straight up
as possible.
WARNING
- Driving over hills
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill
at full speed can cause an acci-
dent and result in serious or
fatal injury. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff,
another vehicle or people sitting
on the ground. As you near the
top of a hill, slow down and stay
alert.

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Driving tips
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Stalling while driving uphillWhat should I do if my vehicle stalls,or is about to stall, and I can’t makeit up the hill?If your vehicle stalls, or is about to
stall while driving uphill, there are
some things you should do, and
there are some things you must not
do. First, here’s what you should do:
 Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
 If your engine is still running, shift the transaxle into reverse, release
the parking brake, and slowly back
down the hill in reverse.  If your engine has stopped run-
ning, you’ll need to restart it. With
the brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift a
manual transaxle to N (Neutral), or
an automatic transaxle to P (Park)
and restart the engine. Then, shift
to reverse, release the parking
brake, and slowly back down the
hill in reverse.
 As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering
wheel at the 12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able to tell if
your wheels are straight or turned
to the left or right as you back
down. Here are some things you must not
do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going up a hill.
 Never attempt to prevent a stall by
depressing the clutch or shifting to
N (Neutral) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum.
This won’t work. Your vehicle will
roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control or roll
over.
Instead, apply the brake to stop the
vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back
down.

Driving tips30
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Hard-packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is so
poor that you will even have difficulty
accelerating. And if you do get mov-
ing, poor steering and difficult brak-
ing can easily cause you to slide out
of control.
Driving in waterLight rain causes no special off-road
driving problems. However, heavy
rain can cause flash flooding, and
flood waters demand extreme cau-
tion.
Find out how deep the water is
before you drive through it. If it’s
deep enough to cover your wheel
bearing hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe,
don’t try it, You probably won’t get
through. Also, water that deep can
damage your axle and other vehicle
parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through slowly. At fast speeds, water
can splash on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling
can also occur if your tailpipe goes
underwater. As long as your tailpipe
is underwater, you will not be able to
start your engine. When you go
through water, remember that it may
take you longer to stop when your
brakes are wet. If you have driven through water that
was deep enough to cover your
wheel bearing hubs, it may be a
good idea to have an Authorized Kia
dealer or other competent service
center repack your front wheel bear-
ings and examine your rear-end fluid
for evidence of water.
WARNING
- Frozen sur-
faces
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds
or rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle
could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on
safe surfaces only.

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After off-road drivingRemove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis
or under the hood. These accumula-
tions can be a fire hazard.
After driving in mud or sand, clean
and check the brake linings.
Accumulation of mud or sand can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage. Also,
check the fuel lines and cooling sys-
tem for any leakage. Your vehicle will
also require more frequent service
due to off-road use.
WARNING
- Water
Driving through rushing water
can be dangerous. Deep water
can sweep your vehicle down-
stream and you and your pas-
sengers could drown. If it’s only
inches deep, it can still wash
away the ground from under
your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle.
Never drive through rushing
water.

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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 trail-
er. 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.
Backing up Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, just move your
hand to the left. To move the trailer to
the right, move your hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.Making turns When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or sud-
den maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn signals when towing a trailer When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly connected,
the trailer lights will also flash to alert
other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are
seeing your signals when, in fact,
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you dis-
connect and then reconnect the
wires.

In case of an emergency16
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Towing with a vehicle other
than a tow truck If towing is necessary, we recom-
mend you to have it done by an
Authorized Kia dealer or a commer-
cial tow truck service.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or
chain secured to the emergency tow-
ing 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 distance 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
conditions from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power.
 Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
6KMA4026
 Front1KMA4027
 Rear

In case of an emergency18
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When your vehicle is being
towed by another vehicle
other than a tow truck (in case
of an emergency)  Turn the ignition switch to ACC so
the steering wheel isn’t locked.
 Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
 Release the parking bake.
 Vehicles equipped with automatic transaxles should not exceed 45
km/h (28 mph) and should not be
towed more than 80 km (50 miles).
 Vehicles equipped with manual transaxle should not be towed in
excess of 88 km/h (55 mph) and
should not be towed more than
645 km (400 miles).  Press the brake pedal with more
force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
 More steering effort will be required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
 If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off.
✽ ✽ NOTICETo prevent internal damage to the
transaxle, never tow your vehicle
from the rear (backwards) with all
four tires in contact with the sur-
face.
Tips for towing a stuck vehicleThe following methods are effective
when your vehicle is stuck in mud,
sand or similar substances that pre-
vent the vehicle from being driven
out under its own power.
 Remove the soil and sand, etc.
from the front and the back of the
tires.
 Place a stone or wood under the tires.

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Maintenance services / 7-3
Maintenance schedule / 7-4
Owner maintenance / 7-8
Engine compartment / 7-11
Engine oil and oil filter / 7-13
Engine cooling system / 7-15
Brakes and clutch / 7-18
Parking brake / 7-19
Drive belts / 7-20
Power steering / 7-21
Steering wheel / 7-22
Automatic transaxle / 7-23
Manual transaxle / 7-25
Rear differential (4WD) / 7-25
Transfer case (4WD) / 7-25
Lubricants and fluids / 7-26
Air cleaner / 7-27
Climate control air filter / 7-28
Wiper blades / 7-29
Maintenance