2008 KIA Amanti Owner's Manual

Maintenance
227
(Continued)
• When lifting a plastic-cased bat-tery, excessive pressure on the
case may cause battery acid to
leak, resulting in per sonal injury.
Lift with a battery carrier or with
your hands on opposite corner s.
• Never attempt to charge the bat- tery when the battery cable s are
connected.
• The electrical ignition s ystem
works with high voltage. Never
touch these components with the
engine running or the ignition
s witched on.
BATTERY
WARNING- Battery
danger s
Always read the following
instructions carefully when
handling a battery.
Keep lighted cigarette s and
all other flames or sparks
away from the battery.
Hydrogen, which i s a highly
combustible gas,i s always
present in battery cells and
may explode if ignited.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children because
batteries contain highly
corrosive SULFURIC ACID.
Do not allow battery acid to
contact your s kin, eyes,
clothing or paint finish.
(Continued)
(Continued)If any electrolyte gets intoyour eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at lea st
15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention. If
possible, continue to apply
water with a s ponge or
cloth until medical attention
is received.
If electrolyte gets on your
s kin, thoroughly was h the
contacted area. If you feel a
pain or a burning sensation,
get medical attention imme-
diately.
Wear eye protection whencharging or working near a
battery. Always provide
ventilation when working in
an enclosed space.
(Continued)

723
Maintenance
For best battery service :
• Keep the battery securely mounted.
• Keep the battery top clean and dry.
• Keep the terminals and connectionsclean, tight, and coated with petroleum
jelly or terminal grease.
• Rinse any spilled electrolyte from the battery immediately with a solution of
water and baking soda.
• If the vehicle is not going to be used for an extended time, disconnect the bat-
tery cables.
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
• If the battery becomes discharged in ashort time (because, for example, the
headlights or interior lights were left on
while the vehicle was not in use),
recharge it by slow charging (trickle)
for 10 hours.
• If the battery gradually discharges because of high electric load while the
vehicle is being used, recharge it at 20-
30A for two hours.
Items to be reset after the battery ha s
been discharged or the battery ha s
been disconnected.
• Driver seat position memory system (See Chapter 3)
• Power window (See Chapter 3)
• Clock (See Chapter 3)
• Climate control system (See Chapter 4)
• Audio (See Chapter 3)
• Sunroof (See Chapter 3)
CBGQ0705

Maintenance
247
✽NOTICE
 Before performing maintenance or
recharging the battery, turn off all
accessories and stop the engine.
 The negative battery cable must be removed first and installed last when
the battery is disconnected.
WARNING- Recharging
battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precaution s:
• The battery mus t be removed
from the vehicle and placed in an
area with good ventilation.
• Do not allow cigarette s,sparks,or
flame near the battery.
• Watch the battery during charg- ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
• Wear eye protection when check- ing the battery during charging.
(Continued)
(Continued)
•Disconnect the battery charger in
the following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger main switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from the negative battery terminal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from the positive battery terminal.

725
Maintenance
TIRES AND WHEELS
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the vehicle.
3GHA523
XXX XX XX
XXX XX XXX XX
XXX XX
XXX XX XX
XXX XX XX
X
X
X
X X
X
390390860860390390860860
OGH036905N
WARNING - Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (70 kPa
(10 ps i) or more) can lead to
s evere heat build-up, caus ing
blowouts , tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to s evere injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for protracted periods at high
s peeds .

Maintenance
267
✽NOTICE
 Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handling and
reduced fuel economy. Wheel
deformation also is possible. Keep
your tire pressures at the proper
levels. If a tire frequently needs
refilling, have it checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
 Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear at the center
of the tire tread, and a greater pos-
sibility of damage from road haz-
ards.
✽ NOTICE
 Warm tires normally exceed rec-
ommended cold tire pressures by
28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6 psi). Do not
release air from warm tires to
adjust the pressure or the tires will
be underinflated.
 Be sure to reinstall the tire infla- tion valve caps. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leak-
age. If a valve cap is missing,
install a new one as soon as possi-
ble.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to check
Use a good quality gauge to check
tire pressure. You can not tell if your
tires are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they're underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile).
WARNING- Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adver sely
affect vehicle handling, and lead
to sudden tire failure. Thi s could
result in lo ss of vehicle control
and potential injury.
WARNING-Tire pressure
Always observe the following:
• Check tire pressure when the tires are cold. (After vehicle
has been parked for at least
three hour s or has n't been
driven more than 1.6 km (one
mile) since startup.)
• Check the pressure of your spare tire each time you check
the pressure of other tires.
• Never overload your vehicle. Be careful not to overload a
vehicle luggage rack if your
vehicle is equipped with one.
• Worn, old tires can cause acci- dents. If your tread is badly
worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.

727
Maintenance
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the cen-
ter of the tire valve. Recheck the tire
pressure with the tire gauge. Be sure
to put the valve caps back on the
valve stems. They help prevent leaks
by keeping out dirt and moisture.Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications.
CBGQ0706
CBGQ0707
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire With a full-size spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)

Maintenance
287
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
a symmetric tread pattern only
from front to rear and not from
right to left.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.Wheel alignment and tire
balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
✽
NOTICE
Improper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use only approved wheel weights.
2GHA5032
Tread wear indicator
WARNING
• Do not us e the temporary
spare tire for tire rotation
• Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances . This may caus e
unusual handling characteri s-
tics that could re sult in death,
s evere injury, or property
damage.

729
Maintenance
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
WARNING - Replacing tires
• Driving on worn-out tire s is
very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
• Your vehicle is equipped with tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility. Do not use a size and
type of tire and wheel that i s
different from the one that i s
originally ins talled on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to han-
dling 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.
(Continued)(Continued)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.
• The use of any other tire size or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, stopping di stance, body
to tire clearance, snow tire
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
• It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’ s
handling.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adver sely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
s topping abilities , handling
characteris tics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
s now chain clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.