2008 KIA RIO HATCHBACK ESP

Driving your vehicle
26 4
Daytime running light
(if equipped)
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day. DRL can
be helpful in many different driving condi-
tions, and it is especially helpful after
dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your high-
beam headlights turn OFF when:
1. The head light switch is ON.
2. The parking brake engaged.
3. Engine stops.
Windshield wipers
Operates as follows when the ignition
switch is turned ON.
OFF : Wiper is not in operation
INT : Wiper operates intermittently at
the same wiping intervals. Use
this mode in a light rain or mist. To
vary the speed setting, turn the
speed control knob (
1).
LO : Normal wiper speed
HI : Fast wiper speed
MIST : For a single wiping cycle, push
the lever upward and release it
with the lever in the OFF position.
The wipers will operate continu-
ously if the lever is pushed
upward and held.
✽
NOTICE
Before using the windshield wipers
when there is a heavy accumulation of
snow or ice on the windshield, defrost
the windshield for about 10 minutes, or
until the snow or ice is removed. This
will help ensure proper windshield
wiper operation and will prevent dam-
age to the wiper blades, wiper linkage,
and wiper motor.
WIPERS AND WASHERS
7JBN4018A

437
Driving your vehicle
Manual climate control system
To defog inside windshield
1. Select any fan speed.
2. Select desired temperature.
3. Select the or position.
4. The outside (fresh) air and air condi-
tioning will be selected.
To reduce the probability of fogging up
the inside of the windshield, the air intake
control is set to the outside (fresh) air
position automatically and the air condi-
tioning will automatically operate if the
mode is selected to the or posi-
tion. If you don't want the air conditioning
and the outside (fresh) air position, press
the corresponding button to cancel the
operation.
To defrost outside windshield
1. Set the fan speed to the “3”or “4”posi-
tion.
2. Set the temperature to the extreme hot
position.
3. Select the position.
4. The outside (fresh) air and air condi-
tioning will be selected.
To reduce the probability of fogging up
the inside of the windshield, the air intake
control is set to the outside (fresh) air
position automatically and the air condi-
tioning will automatically operate if the
mode is selected to the or posi-
tion. If you don't want the air conditioning
and the outside (fresh) air position, press
the corresponding button to cancel the
operation.• For maximum defrosting, set the temper-
ature control to the extreme right/hot posi-
tion and the fan speed control to the high-
est speed.
• If warm air to the floor is desired while
defrosting or defogging, set the mode to
the floor-defrost position.
• Before driving, clear all snow and ice from
the windshield, rear window, outside rear
view mirrors, and all side windows.
• Clear all snow and ice from the hood and
air inlet in the cowl grill to improve heater
and defroster efficiency and to reduce the
probability of fogging up inside of the
windshield.
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTING AND DEFOGGING
1JBN40501JBN4051
CAUTION
Do not use the or position
during cooling operation in
extremely humid weather. The dif-
ference between the temperature of
the outside air and that of the wind-
shield could cause the outer sur-
face of the windshield to fog up,
causing loss of visibility. In this
case,set the mode selection knob
to the position and fan speed
control knob to the lower speed.

Driving tips
6 5
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
• Avoid sudden movements in braking or
steering.
• When braking with non-ABS brakes
pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped.• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly 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 vehicles equipped with
an automatic transaxle. Do not race the
engine, and spin the wheels as little as
possible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow
vehicle to avoid engine overheating and
possible damage to the transaxle.
✽
NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or fail-
ure, and tire damage.
CAUTION-ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels,especially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystanders.

57
Driving tips
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 to
see 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.
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
output capability of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to pro-
vide 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 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) with a manual transaxle
or P (Park) with an automatic transaxle
and block the rear wheels.

In case of an emergency
18 6
Important - use of compact spare
tire
your vehicle is equipped with a compact
spare tire. This compact spare tire takes
up less space than a regular-size tire.
This tire is smaller than a conventional
tire and is designed for temporary use
only.
The compact spare should be inflated to
60 psi (420 kPa).
✽
NOTICE
Check the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to the
specified pressure, as necessary.
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
• Under no circumstances should you
exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a higher
speed could damage the tire.
• Ensure that you drive slowly enough
for the road conditions to avoid all haz-
ards. Any road hazard, such as a pot-
hole or debris, could seriously damage
the compact spare.
• Any continuous road use of this tire
could result in tire failure, loss of vehi-
cle control, and possible personal
injury.
• Do not exceed the vehicle’s maximum
load rating or the load-carrying capaci-
ty shown on the sidewall of the com-
pact spare tire.
• Avoid driving over obstacles. The com-
pact spare tire diameter is smaller than
the diameter of a conventional tire and
reduces the ground clearance approxi-
mately 25 mm (1 inch), which could
result in damage to the vehicle.• Do not take this vehicle through an
automatic car wash.
• Do not use tire chains on this tire.
Because of the smaller size, a tire
chain will not fit properly. This could
damage the vehicle and result in loss
of the chain.
• This tire should not be installed on the
front axle if the vehicle must be driven
in snow or on ice.
• Do not use the compact spare tire on
any other vehicle because this tire has
been designed especially for your vehi-
cle.
• The compact spare tire’s tread life is
shorter than a regular tire. Inspect your
compact spare tire regularly and
replace worn compact spare tires with
the same size and design, mounted on
the same wheel.
CAUTION
• You should drive carefully when
the compact spare is in use. The
compact spare should be
replaced by the proper conven-
tional tire and rim at the first
opportunity.
• The operation of this vehicle is
not recommended with more than
one compact spare tire in use at
the same time.
CAUTION
This spare tire should be used only
for VERY short distances. Compact
spares should NEVER be used for
long drives or extended distances.

Maintenance
2 7
MAINTENANCE SERVICES
You should exercise the utmost care to
prevent damage to your vehicle and
injury to yourself whenever performing
any maintenance or inspection proce-
dures.
Should you have any doubts concerning
the inspection or servicing of your vehi-
cle, we strongly recommend that you
have an authorized Kia dealer perform
this work.
An authorized Kia dealer has factory-
trained technicians and genuine Kia
parts to service your vehicle properly. For
expert advice and quality service, see an
authorized Kia dealer.
Inadequate, incomplete or insufficient
servicing may result in operational prob-
lems with your vehicle that could lead to
vehicle damage, an accident, or person-
al injury.Owner’s responsibility
Maintenance Service and Record
Retention are the owner's responsibil-
ity.
You should retain documents that show
proper maintenance has been performed
on your vehicle in accordance with the
scheduled maintenance service charts
shown on the following pages. You need
this information to establish your compli-
ance with the servicing and maintenance
requirements of your Kia warranties.
Detailed warranty information is provided
in your Warranty & Consumer Information
manual.
Repairs and adjustments required as a
result of improper maintenance or a lack
of required maintenance are not covered.
We strongly recommend that all vehicle
maintenance be performed by an author-
ized Kia dealer using genuine Kia parts.

729
Maintenance
86 - Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the
speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
5.5JX14
5.5 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
14 - Rim diameter in inches.Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger cars. The speed
rating is part of the tire size designa-
tion on the sidewall of the tire. This
symbol corresponds to that tire's
designed maximum safe operating
speed.3. Checking tire life (TIN : Tire
Identification Number)
Any tires that are over 6 years, based
on the manufacturing date, tire
strength and performance, decline
with age naturally (even unused
spare tires). Therefore, the tires
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of the
wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of num-
bers on a tire consisting of numbers
and English letters. The manufactur-
ing date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1605 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2005.
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph)
V 240 km/h (149 mph)
Z Above 240 km/h (149 mph)
Maximum Speed Speed
Rating
Symbol

Maintenance
30 7
4. Tire ply composition and mate-
rial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
5. Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform tire quality grading
The following information relates to
the tire grading system developed by
the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) for grading tires
by tread wear, traction and tempera-
ture performance.Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use. However, performance
may differ from the norm because of
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on Kia vehicles
may vary with respect to grade.
WARNING
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, it is recommended that
tires generally be replaced after
six (6) years of normal service.
Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading condi-
tions can accelerate the aging
process. Failure to follow this
warning can result in sudden
tire failure, which could lead to a
loss of control and an accident
involving serious injury or
death.