2008 KIA Sportage cooling

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Driving tips
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After off-road driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis
or under the hood. These accumula-
tions can be a fire hazard.
After driving in mud or sand, clean
and check the brake linings.
Accumulation of mud or sand can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage. Also,
check the fuel lines and cooling sys-
tem for any leakage. Your vehicle will
also require more frequent service
due to off-road use.WARNING- Water
Driving through rushing water
can be dangerous.Deep water
can sweep your vehicle down-
stream and you and your pas-
sengers could drown.If it’s only
inches deep,it can still wash
away the ground from under
your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle.
Never drive through rushing
water.

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.
✽
NOTICE
• 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 to
improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.
OVERLOADING
CAUTION - Vehicle weight
The gross axle weight rating
(GAWR) and the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) for your
vehicle are on the manufactur-
er's label attached to the dri-
ver's door.Exceeding these rat-
ings can cause an accident or
vehicle damage.You can calcu-
late the weight of your load by
weighing the items (and people)
before putting them in the vehi-
cle.Be careful not to overload
your vehicle.

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In case of an emergency
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.
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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.

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9Maintenance services / 7-3
Maintenance schedule / 7-4
Owner maintenance / 7-8
Engine compartment / 7-11
Engine oil and oil filter / 7-13
Engine cooling system / 7-15
Brakes and clutch / 7-18
Parking brake / 7-19
Drive belts / 7-20
Power steering / 7-21
Steering wheel / 7-22
Automatic transaxle / 7-23
Manual transaxle / 7-25
Rear differential (4WD) / 7-25
Transfer case (4WD) / 7-25
Lubricants and fluids / 7-26
Air cleaner / 7-27
Climate control air filter / 7-28
Wiper blades / 7-29
Maintenance

Maintenance
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MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
MAINTENANCE
INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Engine control system
Kilometers or time in months,whichever comes first
× 1,000 km 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96 104 112 120 128
# Months4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64
Engine oil & engine oil filter (1) R R R R R RRRRRRRR RRR
Drive belts (tension) I I I I
Cooling system hoses & connections I I I I I
Engine coolant (1) I I I I I RIIIIIRI III
Fuel filterRR
Fuel tank cap, lines, EVAP canister and hosesII
Fuel tank air filter (if equipped) I R I R I
Air cleaner element (2) I I I I I RIIIIIRI III
Ignition wires I I
Spark plugs2.0L (Platinum)R
2.7L (lridium)
PCV valve (if equipped) I I I I
Idle speed I I I I I
Valve clearance 2.0LI
Engine timing beltR
Replace every 160,000 km

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Maintenance
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ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year-round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at
the beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder cli-
mate.Checking the coolant level
WARNING- Removing
radiator cap
• Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the engine
is operating or hot.Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal
injury from escaping hot
coolant or steam.
• Turn the engine off and wait
until it cools down.Use
extreme care when removing
the radiator cap.Wrap a thick
towel around it, and turn it
counterclockwise slowly to
the firs
t stop.Step back while
the pressure is released from
the cooling system.When you
are sure all the pressure has
been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel,
and continue turning counter-
clockwise to remove it.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Even if the engine is not oper-
ating, do not remove the radi-
ator cap or the drain plug
while the engine and radiator
are hot.Hot coolant and steam
may still blow out under pres-
sure, causing serious injury.

Maintenance
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Check the condition and connections
of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses.The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side
of the coolant reservoir when the
engine is cool.If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-
tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to F, but do not over-
fill. If frequent additions are required,
see an Authorized Kia Dealer for a
cooling system inspection.
7KMA50051KMA5007

Index
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Air cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Airbags-supplemental restraint system. . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-109
Automatic climate control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-75
Automatic transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6, 7-23
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
Before driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Brakes and clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Defroster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-64
Door locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Drive belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Electrical circuit protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Electronic stability controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36Emergency starting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Emission control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Engine oil and oil filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Exterior care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Four wheel drive (4WD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Fuel filler lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Fuel requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Hazard warning flasher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-65
Homelink® wireless control system . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
How to use this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
If you have a flat tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Ignition switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Immobilizer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Instrument panel overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
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