2008 KIA RIO HATCHBACK tires

Driving tips
4 5
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-
ror(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 controls 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 light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.WARNING- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgement. Driving
while under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerous
than driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or take
drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.

55
Driving tips
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 vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
• Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the
engine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing. 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 maintenance
schedule. This will increase the life of
all parts and lower your operating
costs.
• Do not use the air conditioner unnec-
essarily.
• Slow down when driving on rough
roads.
• For longer tire life and better fuel econ-
omy, always keep the tires inflated to
the recommended pressures.• Maintain a safe distance from other
vehicles to avoid sudden stops. This
will reduce wear on brake linings 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 economy.
• Improper wheel alignment results in
faster tire wear and lower fuel econo-
my.
• 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 con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect.

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.

Driving tips
8 5
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 first
checking local, state and municipal regu-
lations for possible restrictions against
their 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
adversely affected.

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In case of an emergency
✽
NOTICE
To prevent internal damage to the
transaxle, never tow your vehicle from
the rear (backwards) with all four tires
in contact with the surface.
Tips for towing a stuck vehicle
The following methods are effective
when your vehicle is stuck in mud, sand
or similar substances that prevent the
vehicle from being driven out under its
own power.
• Remove the soil and sand, etc. from
the front and the back of the tires.
• Place a stone or wood under the tires.The spare tire, jack, jack handle, front
towing hook, wheel lug nut wrench are
stored in the luggage compartment.
Move the carpeting out of the way to
reach this equipment.
Removing the spare tire
Turn the tire hold-down wing bolt coun-
terclockwise.
Store the tire in the reverse order of
removal.
To prevent the spare tire and tools from
“rattling” while the vehicle is in motion,
store them properly.
IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE
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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.

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In case of an emergency
Changing tires
Jacking instructions
The jack is provided for emergency tire
changing only.
Follow jacking instructions to reduce the
possibility of personal injury.
Tire replacement
1. Park on a level surface and apply the
parking brake firmly.
2. Shift the shift lever into R (Reverse)
with manual transaxle or P (Park) with
automatic transaxle.
3. Activate the hazard warning flasher.
WARNING- Changing tires
• Never attempt vehicle repairs in
the traffic lanes of a public road
or highway.
•Always move the vehicle com-
pletely off the road and onto the
shoulder before trying to change
a tire. The jack should be used on
level firm ground. If you cannot
find a firm, level place off the
road, call a towing service com-
pany for assistance.
• Be sure to use the correct front
and rear jacking positions on the
vehicle;never use the bumpers or
any other part of the vehicle for
jack support.
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(Continued)
• The vehicle can easily roll off the
jack causing serious injury or
death. No person should place
any portion of their body under a
vehicle that is supported only by
a jack ; use vehicle support
stands.
• Do not start or run the engine
while the vehicle is on the jack.
• Do not allow anyone to remain in
the vehicle while it is on the jack.
• Make sure any children present
are in a secure place away from
the road and from the vehicle to
be raised with the jack.
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