2008 KIA Sorento Owner's Manual

723
Maintenance
For best battery service :
• Keep the battery securely mounted.
• Keep the battery top clean and dry.
• Keep the terminals and connections
clean, tight, and coated with petroleum
jelly or terminal grease.
• Rinse any spilled electrolyte from the
battery immediately with a solution of
water and baking soda.
• If the vehicle is not going to be used for
an extended time, disconnect the bat-
tery cables.
(Continued)
If any electrolyte gets into
your eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at least
15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention. If
possible, continue to apply
water with a sponge or
cloth until medical attention
is received.
If electrolyte gets on your
skin, thoroughly wash the
contacted area. If you feel a
pain or a burning sensation,
get medical attention imme-
diately.
Wear eye protection when
charging or working near a
battery. Always provide
ventilation when working in
an enclosed space.
(Continued)(Continued)
• When lifting a plastic-cased bat-
tery, excessive pressure on the
case may cause battery acid to
leak, resulting in personal injury.
Lift with a battery carrier or with
your hands on opposite corners.
• Never attempt to recharge the
battery when the battery cables
are connected.
• The electrical ignition system
works with high voltage. Never
touch these components with the
engine running or the ignition
switched on.
Failure to follow the above warn-
ings can result in serious bodily
injury or death.
E2BLA721

Maintenance
24 7
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
• If the battery becomes discharged in a
short time (because, for example, the
headlights or interior lights were left on
while the vehicle was not in use),
recharge it by slow charging (trickle)
for 10 hours.
• If the battery gradually discharges
because of high electric load while the
vehicle is being used, recharge it at 20-
30A for two hours.
Items to be reset after the battery has
been discharged or the battery has
been disconnected.
• Clock (See Chapter 3)
• Trip computer (See Chapter 4)
• Compass (See Chapter 4)
• Climate control system (See Chapter 4)
• Audio (See Chapter 3)
WARNING- Recharging
battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precautions:
• The battery must be removed
from the vehicle and placed in an
area with good ventilation.
• Do not allow cigarettes,sparks,or
flame near the battery.
• Watch the battery during charg-
ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
• Wear eye protection when check-
ing the battery during charging.
•Disconnect the battery charger in
the following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger main
switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from
the negative battery terminal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from
the positive battery terminal.
CAUTION
• Before performing maintenance
or recharging the battery, turn off
all accessories and stop the
engine.
• The negative battery cable must
be removed first and installed last
when the battery is disconnected.

725
Maintenance
TIRES AND WHEELS
Tires care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Inflation pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.
(Refer to “Tires” in section 8,
Specifications.)All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the front driver’s door sill.
WARNING- Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (70 kPa
(10 psi) or more) can lead to
severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for protracted periods at high
speeds.
E2BLD502A

Maintenance
26 7
WARNING - Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and lead
to sudden tire failure. This could
result in loss of vehicle control
and potential injury.
CAUTION - Tire pressure
Always observe the following:
• Check tire pressure when the
tires are cold. (After vehicle
has been parked for at least
three hours or hasn't been
driven more than 1.6 km (one
mile) since startup.)
• Check the pressure of your
spare tire each time you check
the pressure of other tires.
• Never overload your vehicle.
Be careful not to overload a
vehicle luggage rack if your
vehicle is equipped with one.
• Worn, old tires can cause acci-
dents. If your tread is badly
worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
CAUTION
• Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handling
and reduced fuel economy.
Wheel deformation also is
possible. Keep your tire pres-
sures at the proper levels. If a
tire frequently needs refilling,
have it checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
• Overinflation produces a
harsh ride, excessive wear at
the center of the tire tread, and
a greater possibility of dam-
age from road hazards.
CAUTION
• Warm tires normally exceed
recommended cold tire pres-
sures by 28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6
psi). Do not release air from
warm tires to adjust the pres-
sure or the tires will be under-
inflated.
• Be sure to reinstall the tire
inflation valve caps. Without
the valve cap, dirt or moisture
could get into the valve core
and cause air leakage. If the
cap have been lost, install new
one as soon as possible.

727
Maintenance
Checking tire inflation pres-
sure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to check
Use a good quality gage to check tire
pressure. You can not tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by look-
ing at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're
underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile).Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.
Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire
also if you can see fabric or cord.
After rotation, be sure to bring the
front and rear tire pressures to spec-
ification and check lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications.

Maintenance
28 7
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only
from front to rear and not from
right to left.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch ) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
WARNING
• Do not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
• Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stance. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
CBGQ0706
CBGQ0707
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire With a full-size spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)
Tread wear indicator
2GHA5032

729
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replace-
ment (if equipped)
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new Kia and should be mounted on
the same compact spare tire wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
Wheel alignment and tire
balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
WARNING - Replacing
tires
• Driving on worn-out tires is
very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
• Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility. Do not use a size and
type of tire and wheel that is
different from the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all
four tires with the tire and
wheel of the same size, type,
tread, brand and load-carrying
capacity.
(Continued)
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-
minum wheels.Use only
approved wheel weights.

Maintenance
30 7
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
Tire sidewall labeling
Federal law requires tire manufactur-
ers to place standardized information
on the sidewall of all tires. This infor-
mation identifies and describes the
fundamental characteristics of the
tire and also provides the tire identifi-
cation number (TIN) for safety stan-
dard certification. The TIN can be
used to identify the tire in case of a
recall.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.
I030B04JM
1
1
23
4
5,6
7
(Continued)
If you nevertheless decide to
equip your vehicle with any
tire/wheel combination not
recommended by Kia for off
road driving, you should not
use these tires for highway
driving.
• The use of any other tire size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance,stopping distance, body
to tire clearance,snow tire
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
• It is best to replace all four
tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling.