2008 KIA Spectra Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
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1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2.Manual Transaxle- Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the
clutch pedal depressed while turn-
ing the ignition switch to the start
position. The starter will not oper-
ate if the clutch pedal is not fully
depressed.
Automatic Transaxle- Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine
when the shift lever is in the N
(Neutral) position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START
and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key.
4. In extremely cold weather (below
-18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle
has not been operated for several
days, let the engine warm up with-
out depressing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm,
it should be started without
depressing the accelerator.
The starter will not operate if:
•Manual Transaxle- the clutch
pedal is not fully depressed.
•Automatic Transaxle- the shift
lever is NOT in the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position.
STARTING THE ENGINE
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are
in motion, do not attempt to
move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position. If traffic and
road conditions permit, you may
put the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and turn
the ignition switch to the START
position in an attempt to restart
the engine.
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels,
ski boots,etc.) may interfere
with your ability to use the
brake and accelerator pedal,
and the clutch (if equipped).
CAUTION
Do not engage the starter for
more than 10 seconds. If the
engine stalls or fails to start,
wait 5 to 10 seconds before re-
engaging the starter. Improper
use of the starter may damage
it.

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Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has five for-
ward gears.
Press the clutch pedal down fully
while shifting, then release it slowly.
A special safety feature prevents
inadvertent shifting from 5 (Fifth) to
R (Reverse). The gearshift lever must
be returned to the neutral position
before shifting into R (Reverse).
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone.Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
“labor’’. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OLD046003NWARNING- Manual
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
Then make sure the transaxle is
shifted into 1st gear on level or
uphill ground or into R
(Reverse) gear on downhill
ground. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed in the order identi-
fied.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutch
to hold the vehicle stopped on
an upgrade, while waiting for a
traffic light, etc.

Driving your vehicle
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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OLD036019N
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever. Depress the brake pedal and push the button when shifting.
The shift lever can be moved without depressing the lock release button.
Lock release button
Prevents shift lever movement
without first depressing the button.

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Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
All normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)
position.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse
gear.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
CAUTION
• To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate
the engine in R (Reverse) or
any forward gear position with
the brakes on.
• When stopped on an upgrade,
do not hold the vehicle sta-
tionary with engine power.
Use the service brake or the
parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral)
or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.

Driving your vehicle
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Transaxle ranges
P (park)
This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotat-
ing. Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into this position.
R (reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (neutral)
With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
(Continued)
• Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (PARK)
position. Set the parking
brake fully,shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
• Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
while the vehicle is in motion,
except as explained in “Rocking
the Vehicle”, in this manual.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while
the vehicle is in motion.

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Driving your vehicle
D (drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
3 (Third Gear)
Move shift lever to this position for
towing a trailer during hill climbing.
This position also provides engine
braking when going down hills.
2 (Second Gear)
Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This
position also helps reduce wheel
spin on slippery surfaces. When the
shift lever is placed in 2 (Second
Gear), the transaxle will automatical-
ly shift from first to second gear.
L (Low)
Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climb-
ing steep grades.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommend-
ed maximum speeds in 2
(Second Gear) or L (Low).
Operating the vehicle at speeds
above the maximum recom-
mended, for 2 (Second Gear) or
L (Low) may cause excessive
heat to develop which could
result in damage to or failure of
the automatic transaxle.

Driving your vehicle
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
Shift lock system
For your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button
and move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle cannot
be shifted from P (Park).
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in or
around the car.

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Driving your vehicle
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle. If you must use the parking
brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING - Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
• When descending a long or
steep hill,shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)