2008 KIA SPECTRA5 engine coolant

Your vehicle at a glance
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ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OLD058002
1. Power steering fluid reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Fuse box
6. Negative battery terminal
7. Positive battery terminal
8. Auto transaxle oil dipstick*
9. Radiator cap
10. Engine oil dipstick
11. Engine coolant reservoir
12. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
* : if equipped

Driving your vehicle
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Engine temperature gauge
This gauge shows the temperature
of the engine coolant when the igni-
tion switch is ON.
Do not continue driving with an over-
heated engine. If your vehicle over-
heats, refer to “Overheating” in the
Index.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approx-
imate amount of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 55 litres (14.52
US gal. ).
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a
low fuel warning light, which will illu-
minate when the fuel level has
dropped to about 8.5 liters (2.25 US
gal.).
Instrument panel illumination
When the vehicle’s parking lights or
headlights are on, rotate the illumina-
tion control knob to adjust the instru-
ment panel illumination intensity.
OLD026204N
CAUTION
If the gauge pointer moves
beyond the normal range area
toward the “H” position, it indi-
cates overheating that may
damage the engine.

Driving your vehicle
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• When maximum cooling is desired,
set the temperature control to the
extreme left position and set the air
intake control to the recirculated air
position, then set the fan speed
control to the highest speed.
✽
NOTICE
• When using the air conditioning
system, monitor the temperature
gauge closely while driving up
hills or in heavy traffic when out-
side temperatures are high. Air
conditioning system operation
may cause engine overheating.
Continue to use the blower fan but
turn the air conditioning system
off if the temperature gauge indi-
cates engine overheating.
• With opening the windows in
humid weather air conditioning
may cause to make water drops.
Be careful because excessive water
drop may cause to damage electri-
cal equipment. In this case, close
the windows and turn on the air
conditioning system.
Air conditioning system oper-
ation tips
• If the vehicle has been parked in
direct sunlight during hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to let the hot air inside the vehicle
escape.
• To help reduce moisture inside of
windows on rainy humid days,
decrease the humidity inside the
vehicle by operating the air condi-
tioning system.
• During air conditioning system
operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed at idle as the air condition-
ing compressor cycles on. This is a
normal system operation charac-
teristics.
• Use the air conditioning system
every month if only for a few min-
utes to ensure maximum system
performance.
• When using the air conditioning
system, you may notice clear water
dripping (or even puddling) on the
ground under the passenger side
of the vehicle. This is a normal sys-
tem operation characteristics.• The air conditioning system
includes a function that automati-
cally turns the air conditioning
compressor off if engine coolant
temperature approaches an over
heating level. The air conditioning
compressor operation will resume
once engine coolant temperature
returns to the normal range. Also,
the air conditioning compressor is
automatically turned off for a few
seconds when the accelerator is
fully depressed (wide open throt-
tle).
• When operating the air condition-
ing system use the outside (fresh)
air position.
• Operating the air conditioning sys-
tem in the recirculated air position
does provide maximum cooling,
however, continual operation in this
mode may cause the air inside the
vehicle to become stale.

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Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
• Be sure that all windows, outside
mirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
• Check the condition of the tires.
• Check under the vehicle for any
sign of leaks.
• Be sure there are no obstacles
behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance.
Before starting
• Close and lock all doors.
• Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
• Adjust the inside and outside
rearview mirrors.
• Be sure that all lights work.
• Check all gauges.
• Check the operation of warning
lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
• Release the parking brake and
make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
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WARNING- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even a
small amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ride
with a driver who has been
drinking or taking drugs.
Choose a designated driver or
call a cab.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than driving
drunk.

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Driving tips
• Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
• If you believe you may have gotten
your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.Winter driving
• We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment, including a
window scraper, windshield de-
icer, a bag of sand or salt, flares, a
small shovel and jumper cables.
• Make sure you have sufficient eth-
ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
• Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide enough winter starting
power.
• Make sure the engine oil viscosity
is suitable for cold weather.
• Check the ignition system for loose
connections and damage.• Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it
might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.
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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.

Driving tips
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Maintenance when trailer tow-
ing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant
and cooling system fluid. Brake con-
dition is another important item to
frequently check. Each item is cov-
ered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you
start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your
trailer and hitch. Follow the mainte-
nance schedule that accompanied
your trailer and check it periodically.
Preferably, conduct the check at the
start of each day’s driving. Most
importantly, all hitch nuts and bolts
should be tight.
CAUTION
• Due to higher load during
trailer usage, overheating
might occur in hot days or
during uphill driving. If the
coolant gauge indicates over-
heating, switch off the A/C and
stop the vehicle in a safe area
to cool down the engine.
• When towing check transaxle
fluid more frequently.
• If your vehicle is not equipped
with the air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan
for engine performance when
towing a trailer.

In case of an emergency
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OVERHEATING
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, if you experience a loss
of power, or if you hear a loud knock-
ing or pinging noise, the engine has
probably overheated. Should any of
these symptoms occur, use the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flash-
er, then drive to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle; set
the automatic transaxle in P
(Park), or shift the manual
transaxle to N (Neutral) and apply
the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is
off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of
the radiator, stop the engine and
call an Authorized Kia Dealer for
assistance.If coolant is not boiling out, allow
the engine to idle and open the
hood to permit the engine to cool
gradually.
If the temperature does not go
down with the engine idling, stop
the engine and allow sufficient
time for it to cool.
4. The coolant level should then be
checked. If the level in the reser-
voir is low, look for leaks at the
radiator hoses and connections,
heater hoses and connections,
radiator, and water pump. If you
find a major leak or another prob-
lem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operate
the engine until it has been cor-
rected. Call an Authorized Kia
Dealer for assistance. If you do not
find a leak or other problem, care-
fully add coolant to the reservoir.
If the engine frequently overheats,
have the cooling system checked
and repaired by an Authorized Kia
Dealer.
WARNING- Removing
radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause seri-
ous injury.