2008 KIA CERATO Owners Manual

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Driving tips
Diesel engine
Diesel fuel
Diesel engine must be operated only
on commercially available diesel fuelthat complies with EN 590 or compa-
rable standard. (EN stands for
"European Norm"). Do not use
marine diesel fuel, heating oils, or
non-approved fuel additives, as this
will increase wear and cause dam-age to the engine and fuel system.
The use of non-approved fuels and /
or fuel additives will result in a limita-
tion of your warranty rights. Diesel fuel of 52 to 54 cetane is used
in your vehicle. If two types of diesel
fuel are available, use summer or
winter fuel properly according to the
following temperature conditions.
Above -5°C(23°F) ... Summer typediesel fuel.
Below -5°C(23°F) ... Winter type diesel fuel.
Watch the fuel level in the tank very
carefully : If the engine stops through
fuel failure, the circuits must be com-
pletely purged to permit restarting.
Biodiesel
Commercially supplied biodiesel
blends of no more than 5% biodiesel,
commonly known as "B5 biodiesel"
may be used in your vehicle if it
meets EN 14214 or equivalent spec-
ifications. (EN stands for "European
Norm"). The use of biofuels made
from rapeseed methyl ester (RME),
fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), veg-
etable oil methyl ester (VME) etc. ormixing diesel with biodiesel will
cause increased wear or damage to
the engine and fuel system. Repair
or replacement of worn or damagedcomponents due to the use of non
approved fuels will not be covered by
the manufactures warranty.
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CAUTION
• Do not let any gasoline or water enter the tank. Thiswould make it necessary todrain it out and to bleed thelines to avoid jamming the injection pump and damagingthe engine.
In winter, in order to cut down incidents due to freezing,paraffin oil may be added to the fuel if the temperaturedrops to below -10°C(50°F).Never use more than 20% paraffin oil.
CAUTION
Never use any fuel, whether diesel or B5 biodiesel thatfails to meet the latest petrole-um industry specification.
Never use any fuel additives or treatments that are not rec-ommended or approved by the vehicle manufacturer.

Driving tips
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EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
The emission control system of your
vehicle is covered by a written limited
warranty. Please see the warranty
information contained in the
Warranty & Maintenance book in
your vehicle.
Vehicle modifications
This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification of your Kia could affect
its performance, safety or durability
and may even violate governmental
safety and emissions regulations.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from any modifi-
cation may not be covered under
warranty. Engine exhaust gas precau-
tions (carbon monoxide)
Carbon monoxide can be present
with other exhaust fumes.
Therefore, if you smell exhaust
fumes of any kind inside your vehi-
cle, have it inspected and repaired
immediately by an authorized Kia
dealer. If you ever suspect exhaust
fumes are coming into your vehi-
cle, drive it only with all the win-
dows fully open. Have your vehicle
checked and repaired immediately. Do not operate the engine in con-
fined or closed areas (such as
garages) any more than what is
necessary to move the vehicle in orout of the area.
When the vehicle is stopped in an open area for more than a short
time with the engine running,
adjust the ventilation system (as
needed) to draw outside air into the
vehicle.
Never sit in a parked or stopped vehicle for any extended time with
the engine running.
Inspect the emission control sys- tem whenever engine stalls.
If the engine stalls or fails to start, do not re-engaging the starter over
3 times. If the engine stalls or re-
engaged excessively, it may causedamage to the emission controlsystem.
WARNING
Engine exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide (CO). Though
colorless and odorless, it is
dangerous and could be lethal if
inhaled. Follow the instructions
following to avoid CO poison-ing.

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Driving tips
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Operating precautions for cat-
alytic converters
Your vehicle is equipped with a cat-
alytic converter emission control
device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
Use only UNLEADED FUEL forgasoline engine (unleaded).
Do not operate the vehicle when there are signs of engine malfunc-
tion, such as misfire or a noticeable
loss of performance.
Do not misuse or abuse the engine. Examples of misuse arecoasting with the ignition off and
descending steep grades in gear
with the ignition off. Do not operate the engine at high
idle speed for extended periods (5
minutes or more).
Do not modify or tamper with any part of the engine or emission con-
trol system. All inspections and
adjustments must be made by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Failure to observe these precautionscould result in damage to the catalyt-
ic converter and to your vehicle.
Additionally, such actions could void
your warranties.
WARNING - Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite
flammable items under your
vehicle. Do not park the vehicle
over or near flammable objects,
such as dry grass, paper,
leaves, etc.

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BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
Be sure that all windows, outside mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance. Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even asmall amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ridewith a driver who has beendrinking or taking drugs.Choose a designated driver orcall a cab. Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than drivingdrunk.

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Driving tips
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SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATION
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the engine is running
smoothly, begin driving.
Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
Save fuel by accelerating slowly after stopping.
Keep the engine in tune and follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule. This will increase
the life of all parts and lower your
operating costs. Do not use the air conditioner
unnecessarily.
Slow down when driving on rough roads.
For longer tire life and better fuel economy, always keep the tiresinflated to the recommended pres-
sures.
Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden stops.
This will reduce wear on brake lin-
ings and pads. Driving in such a
way will also save fuel because
extra fuel is required to accelerate
back to driving speed.
Do not carry unnecessary weight in the vehicle.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage
to the brakes, and poor fuel econo-
my.
Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel
economy. Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer performscheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING - Engine off
during motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes willnot function without the engine
running. Instead, keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.

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SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in brak- ing or steering.
When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down
motion until the vehicle is stopped.
✽✽ NOTICE
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud. Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between 1 (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with
a manual transaxle or R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehiclesequipped with an automatic
transaxle. Do not race the engine,and spin the wheels as little as pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.
✽✽
NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change intire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.

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Driving tips
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Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult tosee at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed on vehicles notequipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to seeat night.
Avoid staring directly at the head- lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness. Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking ormissing areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condi- tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.WARNING - Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56
km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat, explode
and injure bystanders.

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Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns. Winter driving
We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment, including
tire chains, a window scraper,
windshield de-icer, a bag of sand
or salt, flares, a small shovel and
jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient eth- ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide enough winter starting
power.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for cold weather.
Check the ignition system for loose connections and damage.
Use antifreeze-formulated wind- shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WARNING - Snow tire
size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-ed.