2008 KIA Sorento traction control

419
Driving your vehicle
A limited slip differential if equipped, is for
the rear wheel differential only. The fea-
tures of this limited slip differential are
described below;
Just as with conventional differential, the
wheel on one side is allowed to turn at a
different speed from the wheel on the
other side when the vehicle is cornering.
The difference between the limited slip
differential and a conventional differential
is that if the wheel on one side of the
vehicle loses traction, a greater amount
of torque is applied to the rear wheel on
the other side to improve traction.
WARNING
To avoid injury, never run the
engine with one wheel off the
ground,such as when changing a
tire.
WARNING
• Avoid high cornering speed.
• Do not make quick steering wheel
movements,such as sharp lane
changes or fast,sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at high speeds.
• In a collision crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely
to die compared to a person
wearing a seat belt.
•Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over
steers to re-enter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead,slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL (IF EQUIPPED)

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.

515
Driving tips
Getting familiar with off-road driving
It’s necessary for you to practice in an
area that’s safe and close to home before
you begin serious off-road driving. Off-
road driving requires new and different
driving skills.
You need to tune your senses to different
kinds of signals. For example, constantly
sweep the terrain with your eyes looking
for unexpected obstacles. Listen for
unusual tire, gear, or engine sounds. Feel
and respond to the vibrations of the vehi-
cle with your hands, feet, and body while
still carefully controlling your vehicle.
You’ll also need to adjust your expecta-
tions and greatly lower the number of
miles you expect to cover in an hour or a
day.
Controlling your vehicle is the key to suc-
cessful off-road driving. One of the best
ways to control your vehicle is to control
your speed. Here are some things to
keep in mind when traveling at higher
speeds:
• You approach things faster and you
have less time to scan the terrain for
obstacles.• You have less time to react.
• You have much more vehicle bounce
when you drive over obstacles, giving
you less vehicle control.
• You’ll need more distance for braking,
especially since you’re on an unpaved
surface. Such terrain will always be
more “slippery” than a paved road.Scanning the terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many
different kinds of terrain. You need to be
familiar with the terrain and its many dif-
ferent features. Here are some things to
consider.
Surface conditions
Off-roading can take you over hard-
packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,
mud, snow or ice. Each of these surfaces
affects the steering, acceleration, and
braking of your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you
are on, you may experience slipping,
sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceler-
ation, poor traction, and longer braking
distances.
WARNING - Off road driv-
ing
When you’re driving off-road,
bouncing and quick changes in
direction can easily throw you out
of position in your seat. This could
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle and crash. Whether you are
driving on or off the road, you and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.

517
Driving tips
Driving on off-road hills
Off-road driving often takes you up,
down, or across a hill. Driving safely on
hills requires excellent judgment and an
understanding of what your vehicle can
and can’t do. There are some hills that
simply should not be driven.
Approaching a hill
When you approach a hill, you need to
decide if it’s one of those hills that’s just
too steep to climb, descend, or cross.
Steepness can be difficult to judge. On a
very small hill, for example, there may be
a smooth, constant incline with only a
small change in elevation where you can
easily see all the way to the top. On a
large hill, the incline may get steeper as
you near the top, but you may not see
this because the crest of the hill is hidden
by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider
as you approach a hill:
• Is there a constant incline, or does the
hill get sharply steeper in places?
• Is there good traction on the hillside, or
will the surface cause tire slipping?
• Is there a straight path up or down the
hill so you won’t have to make turning
maneuvers?
• Are there obstructions on the hill that
can block your path (boulders, trees,
logs or ruts)?• What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff,
an embankment, a drop-off, or a
fence? Get out of the vehicle and walk
the hill if you are unsure. It’s the smart
way to find out.
• Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills
often have ruts, gullies, troughs, and
exposed rocks because they are more
susceptible to the effects of erosion.
• How have weather conditions affected
the terrain? Is there likely to be mud,
snow or ice on the hill?
• What time of day is it? Are tempera-
tures dropping so that wet surfaces will
start to freeze?
WARNING - Driving on
hills
Many hills are simply too steep for
any vehicle. If you drive up them,
you will stall. If you drive down
them, you can’t control your speed.
In either case, you could flip over. If
you drive across them, you will roll
over. You could be seriously or
fatally injured. If you have any
doubt about the steepness, don’t
drive up or down the hill, even if it
means that you have to turn around
and find another route. Re-tracking
is a normal part of safe off-roading.

523
Driving tips
Hard-packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces, it’s
very easy to lose control. On wet ice, for
example, the traction is so poor that you
will even have difficulty accelerating. And
if you do get moving, poor steering and
difficult braking can easily cause you to
slide out of control.Driving in water
Light rain causes no special off-road driv-
ing problems. However, heavy rain can
cause flash flooding, and flood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep enough to
cover your wheel bearing hubs, axles, or
exhaust pipe, don’t try it, You probably
won’t get through. Also, water that deep
can damage your axle and other vehicle
parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through slowly. At fast speeds, water can
splash on your ignition system and your
vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur
if your tailpipe goes underwater. As long
as your tailpipe is underwater, you will
not be able to start your engine. When
you go through water, remember that it
may take you longer to stop when your
brakes are wet.
If you have driven through water that was
deep enough to cover your wheel bear-
ing hubs, it may be a good idea to have
an Authorized Kia dealer or other com-
petent service center repack your front
wheel bearings and examine your rear-
end fluid for evidence of water.CAUTION
• In case of loss of traction in mud,
loose soil, or sand, turn the steer-
ing wheel rapidly from side-to-
side. This can help generate addi-
tional traction.
• Do not gun the engine. This will
cause the tires to spin and dig
down, not forward, and could
bury the vehicle to the frame.
Smooth, easy power is better
than too much power.
WARNING- Frozen sur-
faces
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or
rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weak-
en the ice. Your vehicle could fall
through the ice and you and your
passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle on safe surfaces only.

733
Maintenance
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
Standard Safety (CMVSS) for grad-
ing tires by tread wear, traction and
temperature 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.Traction - AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. The
grades represent the tires ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perform-
ance.
Temperature -A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C. The grades repre-
sent the tire’s resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.