2008 KIA Sportage Owner's Manual

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Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and
it's time for new pads, you will hear a
high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some dri-
ving conditions or climates may
cause a brake squeal when you
first apply (or lightly apply) the
brakes.This is normal and does
not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
✽
NOTICE
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not
continue to drive with worn brake
pads.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs ser-
vice.If you ignore this audible
warning, you will eventually lose
braking performance, which
could lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads as
complete front or rear axle sets
to ensure smooth brake perfor-
mance.
(Continued)
• Wet brakes may result in the
vehicle not slowing down at
the usual rate and pulling to
one side when the brakes are
applied.After going through
water, apply the brakes lightly
to regain smooth braking per-
formance.

Driving your vehicle
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Parking brake
To apply the parking brake, pull the
parking brake handle fully and firmly
upward while applying the service
brake.To release the parking brake, pull the
handle up slightly and push the
release button, then lower the handle
to the released position while holding
the button in.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessive
brake pad and brake rotor wear.
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WARNING- Parking brake
• To prevent unintentional
movement when stopped, do
not use just the gear shift
lever to hold the vehicle in
position.Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely
positioned in 1st (First) gear
or R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle equipped vehicles
and in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
• Never allow a person who is
unfamiliar with the vehicle or
children to touch the park
ing
brake.If the parking brake is
released unintentionally,seri-
ous injury may occur.

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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.
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Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
(if equipped)The ABS system continuously sens-
es the speed of the wheels. If the
wheels are going to lock, the ABS
system repeatedly modulates the
hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS system is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit 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 delivered to
the brakes.
WARNING- ABS Brakes
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement.Yo u
can still have an accident.In
fact, your ABS system will not
be able to prevent an accident.
You must especially 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 con-
ditions where hydroplaning
could occur.
(Continued)
(Continued)
•Driving too fast on poor road
surfaces.The ABS is
designed to improve maxi-
mum braking effectiveness on
typical highways and roads in
good condition.On poor road
surfaces, the ABS may actual-
ly reduce braking effective-
ness.

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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.
✽
NOTICE
• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS system. In this case,
however, your regular brakes will
work normally.
• The ABS warning light will stay on
for approximately 3 seconds after
the ignition switch is ON. During
that time, the ABS will go through
self-diagnosis and the light will go
off if everything is normal. If the
light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS system.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
✽
NOTICE
• When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously 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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✽
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.

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Power steering
Power Steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the
vehicle. If the engine is off or if the
power steering system becomes
inoperative, the vehicle may still be
steered, but it will require increased
steering effort.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power
steering checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer.
✽
NOTICE
• Never hold the steering wheel
against a stop (extreme right or
left turn) for more than 5 seconds
with the engine running. Holding
the steering wheel for more than 5
seconds in either position may
cause damage to the power steer-
ing pump.
• If the power steering drive belt
breaks or if the power steering
pump malfunctions, the steering
effort will greatly increase.
✽
NOTICE
If the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather
(below -10°C/14°F), the power steer-
ing may require increased effort
when the engine is first started. This
is caused by increased fluid viscosity
due to the cold weather and does not
indicate a malfunction.
When this happens, increase the
engine RPM by depressing accelera-
tor until the RPM reaches 1,500 rpm
then release or let the engine idle for
two or three minutes to warm up the
fluid.
STEERING WHEEL

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Tilt steering (if equipped)
A tilt steering wheel allows you to
adjust the steering wheel before you
drive.You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more
room when you exit and enter the
vehicle.
The steering wheel should be posi-
tioned so that it is comfortable for
you to drive, while permitting you to
see the instrument panel warning
lights and gauges.To change the steering wheel angle,
pull down (
➀) the lock release lever,
adjust the steering wheel to the
desired angle (
➁), then pull up the
lock-release lever to lock the steering
wheel in place.
Be sure to adjust the steering wheel
to the desired position before driving.
WARNING - Steering
wheel
• Never adjust the angle of
steering wheel while driving.
You may lose your steering
control and cause severe per-
sonal injury or accidents.
• After adjusting, push the
steering wheel both up and
down to be certain it is locked
in position.
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