2008 KIA CERATO warning

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Maintenance
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OWNER MAINTENANCE
Owner maintenance schedule
The following lists are vehicle checks and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an
Authorized Kia Dealer at the fre-quencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your
vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant reservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, levelroad.
When stopping, listen and check for strange sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air conditioning system after use is
normal).
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow out
under pressure. This could
cause serious injury.

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At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the engine
coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall) :
Check radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or da-
mage.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened
with washer fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year :
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.

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Owner maintenance precau- tions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section,
several procedures can be done only
by an Authorized Kia Dealer with
special tools.
✽✽NOTICE
Improper owner maintenance dur- ing the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read
the separate Kia Warranty &
Maintenance book provided with
the vehicle. If you're unsure about
any servicing or maintenance proce-
dure, have it done by an Authorized
Kia Dealer.
WARNING - Maintenance
work
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can be danger-
ous. You can be seriously
injured while performing some
maintenance procedures. If
you lack sufficient knowledge
and experience or the propertools and equipment to do the
work, have it done by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Working under the hood with the engine running is danger-
ous. It becomes even more
dangerous when you wear
jewelry or loose clothing.These can become entangled
in moving parts and result in
injury. Therefore, if you must
run the engine while working
under the hood, make certain
that you remove all jewelry
(especially rings, bracelets,
watches, and necklaces) and
all neckties, scarves, and sim-
ilar loose clothing before get-ting near the engine or cool-ing fans.

Maintenance
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Changing the engine oil and filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by
an authorized KIA dealer accordingto the Maintenance Schedule at thebeginning of this section. The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year-round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a week, atthe beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder cli-
mate.
Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Used engine oil may cause irri- tation or cancer of the skin if left
in contact with the skin for pro-
longed periods of time. Used
engine oil contains chemicals
that have caused cancer in lab-
oratory animals. Always protect
your skin by washing your
hands thoroughly with soap and
warm water as soon as possibleafter handling used oil.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
WARNING - Removing
radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap while the engine
is operating or hot. Doing somight lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal
injury from escaping hotcoolant or steam.
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Turn the engine off and waituntil it cools down. Even then,
use extreme care when
removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it,
and turn it counterclockwise
slowly to the first stop. Step
back while the pressure is
released from the cooling sys-
tem. When you are sure all thepressure has been released,
press down on the cap, using
a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
Even if the engine is not oper- ating, do not remove the radi-ator cap or the drain plugwhile the engine and radiator
are hot. Hot coolant and steam
may still blow out under pres-
sure, causing serious injury.

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Changing the coolant
Have coolant changed by an author-
ized KIA dealer according to theMaintenance Schedule at the begin-ning of this section.
OLD056009
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause seri-
ous injury.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabric around the radiator cap beforerefilling the coolant in order toprevent the coolant from over- flowing into engine parts suchas generator.

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BRAKES AND CLUTCH (IF EQUIPPED)
Checking brake/clutch fluid
level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake/clutch fluid, clean
the area around the reservoir cap
thoroughly to prevent brake/clutchfluid contamination. If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch
fluid. (Refer to “Recommended Lubricants” in section 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.WARNING
When changing and adding
brake/clutch fluid, handle it
carefully. Do not let it come in
contact with your eyes. If
brake/clutch fluid should come
in contact with your eyes, imme-
diately 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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✽✽NOTICE
“COLD (C)” scale is for reference
only and should NOT be used todetermine transaxle fluid level. ✽
✽
NOTICE
New automatic transaxle fluid
should be red. The red dye is addedso the assembly plant can identify itas automatic transaxle fluid and dis-
tinguish 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.
Therefore, have an Authorized Kia
dealer change the automatictransaxle fluid according to theScheduled Maintenance at thebeginning of this section.
Changing the automatic transaxle fluid
Have automatic transaxle fluid
changed by an authorized KIA deal-er according to the MaintenanceSchedule at the beginning of thissection.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle slippage. Overfillingcan cause foaming, loss offluid and transaxle malfunc-tion.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxlemalfunction and failure.
WARNING - Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of
the vehicle, apply parking brakeand depress the brake pedal
before moving the shift lever.
WARNING - Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should
be checked when the engine isat normal operating tempera-
ture. This means that the
engine, radiator, radiator hose
and exhaust system etc., are
very hot. Exercise great care not
to burn yourself during this pro-
cedure.

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LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS
Checking the washer fluid
level
The reservoir is translucent so that
you can check the level with a quickvisual inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir and add fluid if neces-
sary. 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-
freezing lubricant on locks during
cold weather.
Make sure the engine hood second-
ary latch keeps the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch isreleased.
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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 amountsof alcohol and can be flamma-
ble under certain circum-
stances. Do not allow sparksor flame to contact the washerfluid or the washer fluid reser-
voir. Damage to the vehicle or
it's occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poisonous to humans and ani-
mals. Do not drink and avoidcontacting windshield washer
fluid. Serious injury or death
could occur.