2008 KIA Sorento Owner's Manual

423
Driving your vehicle
Parking on curbed streets
• When parking your vehicle on an uphill
grade, park as close to the curb as
possible and turn the front wheels
away from the curb so that the front
wheels will contact the curb if the vehi-
cle moves backward.
• When parking your vehicle on a down-
hill grade, park as close to the curb as
possible and turn the front wheels
toward the curb so that the front
wheels will contact the curb if the vehi-
cle moves forward.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
(if equipped)The ABS system continuously senses
the speed of the wheels. If the wheels are
going to lock, the ABS system repeated-
ly modulates the hydraulic brake pres-
sure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS system is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS system in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure and do not try to
pump your brakes. Press your brake
pedal as hard as possible or as hard as
the situation warrants and allow the ABS
system to control the force being deliv-
ered to the brakes.
WARNING- ABS Brakes
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement. You can
still have an accident. In fact, your
ABS system will not be able to pre-
vent an accident. You must espe-
cially avoid:
• Dangerous driving,such as
neglecting safety precautions,
speeding, or driving too close to
the vehicle in front of you.
• Driving at high speed in situa-
tions providing considerably less
traction,such as wet conditions
where hydroplaning could occur.
• Driving too fast on poor road sur-
faces. The ABS is designed to
improve maximum braking effec-
tiveness on typical highways and
roads in good condition. On poor
road surfaces, the ABS may actu-
ally reduce braking effectiveness.

Driving your vehicle
24 4
• Even with the anti-lock brake system,
your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
• Always slow down when cornering.
The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
• On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
 Do not pump your brakes!
 Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
ABS
W-78
CAUTION
• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS system. In this case,
however, your regular brakes will
work normally.
• The ABS warning light will stay
on for approximately 3 seconds
after the ignition switch is ON.
During that time, the ABS will go
through self-diagnosis and the
light will go off if everything is
normal. If the light stays on, you
may have a problem with your
ABS system. Contact an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possi-
ble.
CAUTION
• When you drive on a road having
poor traction,such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop the
engine.
•Restart the engine. If the ABS
warning light is off, then your
ABS system is normal.
Otherwise, you may have a prob-
lem with the ABS. Contact an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as
possible.

425
Driving your vehicle
Power steering
Power Steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the vehi-
cle. If the engine is off or if the power
steering system becomes inoperative,
the vehicle may still be steered, but it will
require increased steering effort.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power steer-
ing checked by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
✽
NOTICE
If the power steering drive belt breaks
or if the power steering pump malfunc-
tions, the steering effort will greatly
increase.
✽
NOTICE
If the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather (below -
10°C/14°F), the power steering may
require increased effort when the engine
is first started. This is caused by
increased fluid viscosity due to the cold
weather and does not indicate a mal-
function.
When this happens, increase the engine
RPM by depressing accelerator until the
RPM reaches 1,500 rpm then release or
let the engine idle for two or three min-
utes to warm up the fluid.
STEERING WHEEL
CAUTION
Never hold the steering wheel
against a stop (extreme right or left
turn) for more than 5 seconds with
the engine running. Holding the
steering wheel for more than 5 sec-
onds in either position may cause
damage to the power steering
pump.

Driving your vehicle
26 4
Tilt steering (if equipped)
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust
the steering wheel before you drive. You
can also raise it to the highest level to
give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
The steering wheel should be positioned
so that it is comfortable for you to drive,
while permitting you to see the instru-
ment panel warning lights and gauges.
To change the steering wheel angle, pull
up the lock release lever (1), adjust the
steering wheel to the desired angle (2),
then release the lock-release lever to
lock the steering wheel in place. Be sure
to adjust the steering wheel to the
desired position before driving.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the horn sym-
bol on your steering wheel.
Check the horn regularly to be sure it
operates properly.WARNING-Steering wheel
• Never adjust the angle of steering
wheel while driving. You may lose
your steering control and cause
severe personal injury or acci-
dents.
• After adjusting, push the steering
wheel both up and down to be
certain it is locked in position.
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➀
➁
CAUTION-Horn
•To sound the horn, press the area
indicated by the horn symbol on
your steering wheel (see illustra-
tion). The horn will operate only
when this area is pressed.
• Do not strike the horn severely to
operate it, or hit it with your fist.
Do not press on the horn with a
sharp-pointed object.

427
Driving your vehicle
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
With cruise control, you can set and
automatically maintain any speed of
between 40 km/h (24 mph) and
160 km/h (96 mph).
To set cruise control speed:
1. Pull the CRUISE ON-OFF button on
the steering wheel to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which
must be more than 40 km/h (24 mph)
and less than 160 km/h (96 mph).3. Push the COAST/SET switch, and
release it at the desired speed. The SET
indicator light in the instrument cluster
will illuminate. Release the accelerator
at the same time. The desired speed will
automatically be maintained.
The SET function cannot be activated until
approximately 2 seconds after the
CRUISE ON-OFF button has been
engaged.
On a steep grade, the vehicle may
momentarily slow down while going down-
hill.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING- Cruise
control
Do not use the cruise control fea-
ture under the following conditions:
• Heavy or unsteady traffic
• Slippery or winding roads
• Situations that involve varying
speeds
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated) the
cruise control can be switched on
accidentally. Keep the cruise con-
trol system off (CRUISE indicator
light OFF) when cruise control is
not in use.
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Driving your vehicle
28 4
To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following:
• Press the brake pedal.
• Press the clutch pedal with a manual
transmission or shift into N (Neutral)
with an automatic transmission.
• Press the CANCEL switch located on
the steering wheel.
• Press the COAST/SET and RES/
ACCEL switches at the same time.
Each of these actions will cancel cruise
control operation (the SET indicator light
in the instrument cluster will go OFF), but
it will not turn the system off. If you wish
to resume cruise control operation, push
the RES/ACCEL switch located on your
steering wheel. You will return to your
previously preset speed.
To turn cruise control off, do one
of the following:
• Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button (the
CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster will go OFF).
• Turn the ignition off.
Both of these actions cancel cruise con-
trol operation. If you want to resume
cruise control operation, repeat the steps
provided in “To Set Cruise Control
Speed” on the previous page.
To increase cruise control set
speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
• Push the RES/ACCEL switch and hold
it. Your vehicle will accelerate. Release
the switch at the speed you want.
• Push the RES/ACCEL switch and
release it immediately. The cruising
speed will increase by 1.6 km/h (1
mph) each time the RES/ACCEL
switch is operated in this manner.
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429
Driving your vehicle
To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on
If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operation
or change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.
To decrease the cruising speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
• Push the COAST/SET switch and hold
it. Your vehicle will gradually slow
down. Release the switch at the speed
you want to maintain.
• Push the COAST/SET switch and
release it immediately. The cruising
speed will decrease by 1.6 km/h (1
mph) each time the COAST/SET switch
is operated in this manner.
To r esume cruising speed at
more than 40 km/h (24 mph):
If any method other than the CRUISE
ON-OFF switch was used to cancel
cruising speed and the system is still
activated, the most recent set speed will
automatically resume when the
RES/ACCEL switch is pushed.
It will not resume, however, if the vehicle
speed has dropped below 40 km/h (24
mph).
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Driving your vehicle
30 4
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
monitors information from various vehicle
sensors and then compares the driver's
commands with the actual behavior of the
vehicle. If an unstable condition occurs - a
sudden evasive movement for example -
ESC intervenes within fractions of a
second via the engine computer and
brake system and attempts to stabilize
the vehicle.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
• When the ignition is turned
ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
• Press the ESC OFF button
for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).
• When starting the engine,
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.
When operating
When the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.
• When the Electronic Stability
Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and
indicates nothing unusual.
• When moving out of the mud
or slippery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)
-ESCESC
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