2007 KIA Sportage warning

Manual transaxle operationThe manual transaxle has five for-
ward gears.
Press the clutch pedal down fully
while shifting, then release it slowly.
A special safety feature prevents
inadvertent shifting from 5 (Fifth) to
R (Reverse). The gearshift lever must
be returned to the neutral position
before shifting into R (Reverse).Make sure the vehicle is completelystopped before shifting into R(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
✽ ✽ NOTICETo avoid premature clutch wear and
damage, do not drive with your foot
resting on the clutch pedal. Also,
don’t use the clutch to hold the vehi-
cle stopped on an upgrade, while
waiting for a traffic light, etc.
DownshiftingWhen you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
labor. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
1KMA3052
WARNING
- Manual
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
Then make sure the transaxle is
shifted into 1
st
gear when the
vehicle is parked on a level or
uphill grade, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed in
the order identified.
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Driving your vehicle
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Driving your vehicle
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Automatic transaxle operationAll normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)
position.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reversegear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the brakes
on.
• When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle stationary
with engine power. Use the service
brake or the parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
1KMA3019
Automatic
mode

Driving your vehicle84
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Transaxle rangesP (park)Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P. This position
locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
✽ ✽
NOTICEThe transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.(Continued)
 Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (PARK)
position. Set the parking
brake fully, shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
 Never leave a child unattend- ed in a vehicle.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
 Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
 Do not use the P (Park) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)

Driving your vehicle12
4
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. Full-time 4WD is useful
when extra traction is required on
road, such as, when driving on slip-
pery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. These vehicles are not
designed for challenging off-road
use. Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails
is OK. It is always important when
traveling off-highway that the driver
carefully reduce speed to a level that
does not exceed the safe operating
speed for those conditions. In gener-
al, off-road conditions provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions. The dri-
ver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehi-
cle to either side. These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
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WARNING -
Off road dri-
ving
This vehicle is designed primar-
ily for on road use although it
can operate effectively off road.
However it was not designed for
driving in challenging off-road
conditions. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle's
intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
1KMA3053
4WD1KMA3054
2WD
Front wheel
Front wheel Rear wheel

Driving your vehicle14
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For safe four-wheel drive oper-
ation  Do not try to drive in deep standing
water or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehi-
cle.  When you are driving up or down
hills drive as close to straight up
and down the hill as possible. Use
extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.
WARNING -
Hills
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
WARNING -
Four-wheel
driving
The conditions on-road or off-
road that demand four-wheel
drive mean all functions of your
vehicle are exposed to more
extreme stress than under nor-
mal road conditions. Slow down
and be ready for changes in the
composition and traction of the
surface under your tires. If you
have any doubt about the safety
of the conditions you are facing,
stop and consider the best way
to proceed. Do not exceed the
ability of yourself or your vehi-
cle to operate safely.
HILL1
HILL2

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Driving your vehicle
 You must consciously take theeffort to learn how to corner in a
4WD vehicle. Do not rely on your
experience in conventional 2WD
vehicles in choosing safe cornering
speed in 4WD mode. For starters,
you must drive more slowly in
4WD.
 Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by
rocks or roots of trees. Become
familiar with the off-road conditions
where you are going to drive
before you begin driving.  Always hold the steering wheel
firmly when you are driving off-
road.
 Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
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WARNING -
4WD
Reduce speed when you turn
corners. The center of gravity of
4WD vehicles is higher than that
of conventional 2WD vehicles,
making them more likely to roll
over when you turn corners too
fast.
WARNING -
Steering
wheel
Do not grab inside of the steer-
ing wheel when you are driving
off-road. Your arm may be hurt
by a sudden steering maneuver
or from steering wheel rebound
due to impact with objects on
the ground. You could lose con-
trol of the steering wheel.
1KMN4415

Driving your vehicle16
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 If you need to drive in water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to
“4WD LOCK” and drive at less than
8 km/h (5 mph).
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see “Maintenance
Schedule” in the Index). Always
wash you car thoroughly after off
road use, especially cleaning the
under side of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the perfor-
mance of the 4WD vehicle is great-
ly affected by the condition of the
tires. Be sure to equip the vehicle
with four tires of the same size and
type.
• A full time four wheel drive vehi- cle cannot be towed by an ordi-
nary tow truck. Make sure that
the vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.
WARNING -
Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.
WARNING -
Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving
too fast in water, the water spray
can get into the engine com-
partment and wet the ignition
system, causing your vehicle to
suddenly stall. If this happens
and your vehicle is in a tilted
position, your vehicle may roll
over.

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WARNING -
4WD driving
 Avoid high cornering speed.
 Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
 The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at high speed.
 In a collision, an unbelted per- son is significantly more likely
to die compared to a person
wearing a seat belt.
 Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over steers to re-enter the
roadway. In the event your
vehicle leaves the roadway, do
not steer sharply. Instead,
slow down before pulling back
into the travel lanes.
WARNING -
Jacked vehi-
cle
While the full-time 4WD vehicle
is being raised on a jack, never
start the engine or cause the
tires to rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the
jack and to jump forward.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capabili-
ty. Do not use a size and type of
tire and wheel that is different
from the one that is originally
installed on your vehicle. It can
affect the safety and perfor-
mance of your vehicle, which
could lead to handling failure or
rollover and serious injury.
When replacing the tires, be
sure to equip all four tires with
the tire and wheel of the same
size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you
nevertheless decide to equip
your vehicle with any tire/wheel
combination not recommended
by Kia for off road driving, you
should not use these tires for
highway driving.
CAUTION -
Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels begins to spin in mud, snow,etc. the vehicle can sometimesbe driven out by depressing theaccelerator pedal further; how-ever avoid running the enginecontinuously at high rpmbecause doing so could dam-age the 4WD system.