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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.
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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.
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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)
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Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off.If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
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 vehicle moves back-
ward.
• When parking your vehicle on a
downhill 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 vehicle moves forward.
W-75
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• Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient 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
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
• On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.
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 reg-
ular brakes will work normally.
• The ABS warning light will stay
on for approximately 3 sec-
onds after the ignition switch
is ON. During that time, the
ABS will go through self-diag-
nosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the
light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS sys-
tem. Contact an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION
• When you drive on a road hav-
ing poor traction,such as an
icy road, and operate your
brakes continuously, the ABS
will be active continuously
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
problem with the ABS.
Contact an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
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Driving your vehicle
✽
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 malfunc-
tioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
