2008 KIA Amanti Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
64
Automatic transaxle operation
All 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 the brakepedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear.
✽ NOTICE
 To avoid damage to your transaxle, do
not accelerate the engine in R
(Reverse) or any forward gear posi-
tion 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.
Transaxle ranges
P (park)
This position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating.
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into this position.
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 precaution s are not followed
in the order identified.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion will cause the
drive wheel s to lock which will
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
• Do not use the P (Park) po sition
in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) po sition
so that it cannot be moved unle ss
the lock release button is pushed
in, AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)

47
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 the transaxle if you shift
into R while the 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 slight-
est incline unless the parking brake or
service brakes are applied.
D (drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 5-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.(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 s udden
vehicle movement can occur if
you do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged ifyou shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.

Driving your vehicle
84
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the “D” position
into the sports mode. To return to “D”
range operation, push the shift lever back
into the automatic mode.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a
manual transaxle, the sports mode
allows gearshifts with the accelerator
pedal depressed.Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
Snow mode
When driving on a slippery road, push
the shift lever forward into the +(up) posi-
tion. This causes the transaxle to shift
into the 2nd gear which is better for
smooth driving on a slippery road. Push
the shift lever to the -(down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.
✽
NOTICE
 Upshifts do not take place automati-
cally in sports mode. The driver must
execute upshifts in accordance with
road conditions, taking care to keep
the engine speed below the red zone.
 In sports mode, only the five forward gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the shift lever
to the “R” or “P” position as
required.
 In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
 In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift points
are varied to upshift automatically.
 To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain
gearshifts when the shift lever is oper-
ated.
OMG045005
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Automatic
mode
Sports
mode

49
Driving your vehicle
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the
appropriate gear depending on load
weight and steepness of the grade, and
release the parking brake. Depress the
accelerator gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-
dency to roll backward s. Shifting the
shift lever into 2 (Second Gear) while
in Sport mode will help prevent the
vehicle from rolling backward s.
Ignition key inter lock system
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 cannot be
removed.
Shift lock system
For your safety, the Automatic Transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle out of P (Park)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition 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
sound near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.
Shift-lock override
If the shift lever should fail to move from
the P (Park) position with the brake pedal
depressed, continue depressing the
brake, then do the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering the S/Lock override access hole which is
located on the right side of the shift
lever.
2. Insert the screwdriver or key into the access hole and press down on the
key.
3. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealership immediately.
OMG045061

Driving your vehicle
104
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 a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, 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.
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 distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Parking brake
Depressing the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you mu st
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
WARNING - Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot re st-
ing on the brake pedal. Thi s will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increas ed
stopping di stances.
• When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes . Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could re sult in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
(Continued)

411
Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and it's
time for new pads, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
✽NOTICE
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not
continue to drive with worn brake pads.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning s ound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads a s com-
plete front or rear axle sets.
(Continued)
• Wet brakes may result in the vehi- cle not to slow down at the usual
rate and make it pull to one side
when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brake s lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
s peed until brake performance
returns to normal.

Driving your vehicle
124
Power adjustable pedals
(if equipped)
To adjust the position of the accelerator
and brake pedals, turn the ignition key to
the “ON” position with the selector lever
in the "P" position and push the switch.
If you push the “ ▲” portion of the switch,
the pedals move rearward.
If you push the “ ▼” portion of the switch,
the pedals move forward.
Setting the driver' s position
1. Be sure the parking brake is engaged.
2. Move the accelerator and brake ped-
als to the front most position by push-
ing the “ ▼” portion of the switch.
3. Adjust the seat position and the steer- ing wheel angle properly.
4. Move the pedals toward you until you can fully depress the brake pedal by
pushing the “ ▲” portion of the switch.
5. Depress the pedals a few times to get used to the feel after adjusting.
OGH026050N
WARNING - Pedal adju st-
ment
• Adjust the pedals after parking
the vehicle on level ground. Never
attempt to adjust the pedals while
the vehicle i s moving.
• Never adjust the pedals with your foot on the accelerator pedal as
this may result in increasing the
engine speed and acceleration.
• Make sure that you can fully
depress the brake pedal before
driving. Otherwi se, you may not
be able to hold down the brake
pedal firmly in an emergency
stop.

413
Driving your vehicle
Parking brake
To set the parking brake, depress the
parking brake pedal fully and firmly
downward while applying the service
brake.
Manual release
To release the parking brake, pull the
parking brake release lever while apply-
ing the service brake. The pedal will
automatically extend to the fully released
position. If the parking brake pedal
does not release or does not release all
the way, have the system checked by an
authorized Kia dealer.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brakepad and brake rotor wear.
1GHA30111GHA3012
WARNING- Parking brake
• To prevent unintentional move- ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not us e the
gear shift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make s ure the
gear shift lever is securely posi-
tioned in P (Park).
• Never allow a per son who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle or children
to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released unin-
tentionally, serious injury may
occur.