2008 KIA Opirus brake

Driving tips
85
✽NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or fail-
ure, and tire damage.
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 distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's headlights.
• Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
• A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
• Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield.
• If your tires are not in good condition, 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 eas- ier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles 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 oper-
ation returns.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels,e specially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheel s at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystander s.

59
Driving tips
Winter driving
• We recommend that you carry emer-gency 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 ethyl- ene-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 windshield washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift to 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 provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without firstchecking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
WARNING- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle' s stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety and
handling of your vehicle may be
adver sely affected.

Driving tips
125
Towing capacity:
Without trailer brakes:
454 kg (1000 lbs)
With trailer brakes:
908 kg (2000 lbs)
Towing capacity is the maximum
trailer weight including its cargo
weight, your vehicle can tow.
Cargo capacity:
The cargo capacity of your vehicle
will increase or decrease depending
on the weight and the number of
occupants and the tongue load, if
your vehicle is equipped with a trail-
er.Steps for determining correct
load limit
1. Locate the statement "The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs.'' on your vehicle's
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example, if
the "XXX" amount equals 635 kg
(1400 lbs.), and there will be five
68 kg (150 lbs.) passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load
capacity is 295 kg (650 lbs.).
(635-340 (5 x 68) = 295 kg or
1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.) 5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trail- er, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.

Driving tips
165
TRAILER TOWING✽NOTICE
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs
not covered by your warranty. To pull a
trailer correctly, follow the advice in this
section.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify
what the vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you should read the infor-
mation in “Weight of the Trailer” that
appears later in this section. Remember
that trailering is different than just driving
your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability, and fuel
economy. Successful, safe trailering
requires correct equipment, and it has to
be used properly.
This section contains many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your
safety and that of your passengers.
Please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
WARNING- Towing a trail-
er
If you don't u se the correct equip-
ment and drive properly, you can
lose control when you pull a trailer.
For example, if the trailer i s too
heavy, the brakes may not work well
- or even at all. You and your pa s-
senger s could be seriously or fatal-
ly injured. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in this
section.
Item Specification
Maximum trailer Without trailer brakes 454 (1000)
weight kg (lbs.) With trailer brakes 908 (2000)

517
Driving tips
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the load of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads. This
additional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the pulling
requirements.If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
• Consider using a sway control. You canask a hitch dealer about sway control.
• After your odometer indicates 800 km (500 miles) or more, you can tow a
trailer. For the first 800 km (500 miles)
that you tow a trailer, don’t drive over
80 km/h (50 mph) and don’t make
starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle
“wear” in at the heavier loads.
• Always drive at a safe speed (less than 100 km/h) commensurate with road
conditions.
• The important considerations have to do with weight: Weight of the trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than 908 kg
(2000 lbs.) with trailer brakes. But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your
trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer
are all important. The ideal trailer weight
can also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.

519
Driving tips
Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not
drop to the road if it becomes separated
from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be
provided by the hitch manufacturer or by
the trailer manufacturer. Follow the man-
ufacturer’s recommendation for attaching
safety chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trailer.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 454 kg
(1000 lbs.) loaded, then it needs its own
brakes and they must be adequate. Be
sure to read and follow the instructions
for the trailer brakes so you’ll be able to
install, adjust and maintain them proper-
ly.
• Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake sys-tem.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you must get to know
your trailer. Acquaint yourself with the
feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not
nearly so responsive as your vehicle is
by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector(s), lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake con-
troller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electri-
cal connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still work-
ing.
WARNING
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolutely
certain that you have properly set
up the brake system. This i s not a
task for amateur s.Use an experi-
enced, competent trailer shop for
this work.

521
Driving tips
Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45
mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than 454 kg
(1000 lbs.) and you have an automatic
transaxle, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup
and extend the life of your transaxle.
Parking on hills
Generally, you should not park your vehi-
cle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
People can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged if they begin a downhill tra-
jectory.CAUTION
• When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay
clo se attention to the engine
coolant temperature gauge to ensure the engine does not over-heat. If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H” (HOT), pullover and stop as soon as it is safe
to do so, and allow the engine to idle until it cools down. You mayproceed once the engine has cooled sufficiently.
• You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the po ssi-
bility of engine and trans axle
overheating.
WARNING- Parking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause serious
injury or death, should a down hill
trajectory happen.

Driving tips
225
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift intogear.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your park- ing brake, and then shift to P (Park) for
an automatic transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.When you are ready to leave after parking on a hill
1. With the automatic transaxle in P (Park), apply your brakes and hold the
brake pedal down while you:
• Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake i s
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or other s could be s eriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer usage, overheating might occur inhot days or during uphill driving. Ifthe coolant gauge indicate s over-
heating, switch off the A/C and stop
the vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.