2008 KIA SPECTRA5 warning

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Driving tips
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Calculating the load your vehicle
can tow
1. Use the appropriate maximum
GCWR chart (in the Weight of the
Trailer section in this chapter) for
your type of drive system and
transmission.
2. Weigh your vehicle.
3. Subtract the weight of your vehicle
from the maximum GCWR in the
chart. This is the maximum trailer
weight your vehicle can tow. It
must be below the maximum trail-
er weight shown in the chart. Note
that the maximum trailer weight
your vehicle can tow depends on
the total weight of any cargo, pas-
sengers and available equipment
in the vehicle.To identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in
“Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section. Remember that
trailering is different than just driving
your vehicle by itself. Trailering caus-
es major changes in handling, dura-
bility, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering requires correct equip-
ment, and cautious driving.
WARNING- Towing a
trailer
If you don't use the correct
equipment or you drive improp-
erly, you can lose control when
you pull a trailer. For example, if
the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may fail, and would at
least be ineffective to promptly
stop the vehicle. You and your
passenger could be seriously or
fatally injured. We do not recom-
mend towing a trailer. However,
in the event there is a need to
tow a trailer, such as in an emer-
gency, follow all the steps in this
section.
Item Specification
Maximum trailer Without trailer brakes 340 (750)
weight kg (lbs.) With trailer brakes 680 (1500)
TRAILER TOWING
CAUTION
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result
in costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.

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Driving tips
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Weight of the trailer tongue
The tongue load of any trailer is an
important weight to measure
because it affects the total gross
vehicle weight (GVW) of your vehicle
since that is the trailer weight push-
ing down on the hitch on your vehi-
cle. The rest of the trailer weight is
sitting on the trailer's wheels.
The trailer tongue should weigh a
maximum of 10% of the total loaded
trailer weight.
After you've loaded the trailer, go to a
Weigh Station and weigh the trailer
and then the tongue, separately, to
see if the weights are proper. If they
aren’t, you may be able to correct
them simply by moving some items
around in the trailer.Hitches
It's important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by, and rough roads are
a few reasons why you’ll need the
right hitch. Here are some rules to
follow:
• Do not attach a trailer hitch which
requires you to alter other parts on
your vehicle.
• Never make a hole in your vehicle
to accommodate a hitch.
• The bumpers on your vehicle are
not intended for hitches. Do not
attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.WARNING - Trailer bal-
ance
• Never load a trailer with more
weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be
loaded with approximately
60% of the total trailer load;
the rear should be loaded with
approximately 40% of the total
trailer load.
• Never exceed the maximum
weight limits of the trailer or
trailer towing equipment.
Improper loading can result in
damage to your vehicle and/or
personal injury. Check weights
and loading at a commercial
scale or highway patrol office
equipped with scales.
• An improperly loaded trailer
can cause loss of vehicle con-
trol.

Driving tips
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Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trail-
er. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that the
tongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufactur-
er or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recom-
mendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trail-
er. And, never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum weight for a trailer without
brakes, then the trailer needs its own
brakes. You must consult with a
knowledgeable and reputable trailer
vendor to determine which brake
equipped trailer is right for your
needs. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires experience.
You must gain that experience slow-
ly and carefully which practicing with
an unloaded or lightly loaded trailer.
Before setting out for the open road,
you must get to know your trailer.
Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.
WARNING
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have properly
set up the brake system. This is
not a task for amateurs. Use an
experienced, competent trailer
shop for this work.

Driving tips
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Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-
tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting
system. Use only an approved trailer
wiring harness.
Your Authorized Kia Dealer can
assist you in installing the wiring har-
ness.Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 70
km/h (45 mph) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat buildup and extend the life of
your transaxle.
WARNING - Trailer wiring
harness
Failure to use an approved trail-
er wiring harness could result in
damage to the vehicle's electri-
cal system, there by disabling
the brake light system resulting
in an accident.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep
grades especially (in excess of
6%) pay close attention to the
engine coolant temperature
gauge to ensure the engine
does not overheat. If the needle
of the coolant temperature
gauge moves across the dial
towards “H” (HOT), pull over and
stop as soon as it is safe to do
so, and allow the engine to idle
until it cools down. You may pro-
ceed once the engine has
cooled sufficiently.

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Parking on hills
Generally, you should not park your
vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a
hill. People can be seriously or fatal-
ly injured, and both your vehicle and
the trailer can be damaged if they
begin to move downhill.However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here’s how to do
it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift
into gear.
2. Have someone place chocks
(blocks of wood or metal intended
for this purpose) under the down-
hill sides of the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, release the brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your
parking brake, and then shift to R
(Reverse) for a manual transaxle
or P (Park) for an automatic
transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in
Neutral or automatic transaxle in P
(Park), apply your brakes and hold
the brake pedal down while you:
• Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
2. Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly forward until the trail-
er is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up
and store the chocks.
WARNING- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake
is not firmly set or if the engine
is still running. In either case
the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be serious-
ly or fatally injured.
WARNING- Parking on a
hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill
with a trailer attached is danger-
ous. It could cause serious
injury or death, should the trail-
er break lose, or should the trail-
er drag the vehicle downhill.

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9Road warning / 6-2
Tires pressure monitoring system (TPMS) / 6-3
Overheating / 6-8
Emergency starting / 6-9
Electrical circuit protection / 6-12
Towing / 6-19
If you have a flat tire / 6-24
In case of an emergency

In case of an emergency
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ROAD WARNING
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher serves
as a warning to other drivers to exer-
cise extreme caution when
approaching, overtaking, or passing
your vehicle. It should be used when-
ever emergency repairs are being
made or when the vehicle is stopped
near the edge of a roadway.
Depress the flasher switch with the
ignition switch in any position. The
flasher switch is located in the center
console switch panel. All turn signal
lights will flash simultaneously.• The hazard warning flasher oper-
ates whether your vehicle is run-
ning or not.
• The turn signals do not work when
the hazard flasher is on.
• Care must be taken when using
the hazard warning flasher while
the vehicle is being towed.
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OLD026100

In case of an emergency
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Low tire pressure
telltale
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning telltale is illuminat-
ed, one or more of your tires is sig-
nificantly under-inflated. Immediately
reduce your speed, avoid hard cor-
nering and anticipate increased stop-
ping distances. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible.
Inflate the tires to the proper pres-
sure as indicated on the vehicle’s
placard or tire inflation pressure label
located on the driver’s side center pil-
lar outer panel. If you cannot reach a
service station or if the tire cannot
hold the newly added air, replace the
low pressure tire with the temporary
spare tire. Then the TPMS malfunc-
tion indicator may turn on and the
Low Tire Pressure telltale may turn
off after restarting and about 20 min-
utes of continuous driving before you
have the low-pressure tire repaired
and replaced on the vehicle.1
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WARNING - Low pressure
damage
Significantly low tire pressure
makes the vehicle unstable and
can contribute to loss of vehicle
control and increased braking
distances.
Continued driving on low pres-
sure tires can cause the tires to
overheat and fail.CAUTION- Changing tem-
peratures
In winter or cold weather, the
low tire pressure telltale may be
illuminated if the tire pressure
was adjusted to the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure
in warm weather. It does not
mean your TPMS is malfunction-
ing because the decreased tem-
perature leads to a proportional
lowering of tire pressure.
When you drive your vehicle
from a warm area to a cold area
or from a cold area to a warm
area, or the outside temperature
is greatly higher or lower, you
should check the tire inflation
pressure and adjust the tires to
the recommended tire inflation
pressure.