2008 KIA Sportage brakes

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.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transaxle, you should drive in D
(Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat build up and extend the life of
your transaxle.
✽
NOTICE
• When towing a trailer on steep
grades (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 proceed once
the engine has cooled sufficiently.
• You must decide driving speed
depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
CAUTION
Failure to use an approved trail-
er wiring harness could result in
damage to the vehicle electrical
system and/or personal injury.

539
Driving tips
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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 a downhill trajectory.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
under 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 until the trailer 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.
If you have left the engine run-
ning, the vehicle can move sud-
denly.You or others could be
seriously or fatally injured.
WARNING- Parking on a
hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill
with a trailer attached could
cause serious injury or death,
should the trailer break lose.

In case of an emergency
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To wing with a vehicle other
than a tow truck
If towing is necessary, we recom-
mend you to have it done by an
Authorized Kia dealer or a commer-
cial tow truck service.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or
chain secured to the emergency tow-
ing hook under the front or rear of the
vehicle. Use extreme caution when
towing the vehicle. A driver must be
in the vehicle to steer it and operate
the brakes.Towing in this manner may be done
only on hard-surfaced roads for a
short distance and at low speeds.
Also, the wheels, axles, power train,
steering and brakes must all be in
good condition.
• Do not use the tow hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other
conditions from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power.
• Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than
the vehicle doing the towing.
6KMA4026 • Front
1KMA4027 • Rear

In case of an emergency
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When your vehicle is being
towed by another vehicle
other than a tow truck (in case
of an emergency)
• Turn the ignition switch to ACC so
the steering wheel isn’t locked.
• Place the transaxle shift lever in N
(Neutral).
• Release the parking bake.
• Vehicles equipped with automatic
transaxles should not exceed 45
km/h (28 mph) and should not be
towed more than 80 km (50 miles).
• Vehicles equipped with manual
transaxle should not be towed in
excess of 88 km/h (55 mph) and
should not be towed more than
645 km (400 miles).• Press the brake pedal with more
force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
• More steering effort will be
required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
• If you are driving down a long hill,
the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off.
✽
NOTICE
To prevent internal damage to the
transaxle, never tow your vehicle
from the rear (backwards) with all
four tires in contact with the sur-
face.
Tips for towing a stuck vehicle
The following methods are effective
when your vehicle is stuck in mud,
sand or similar substances that pre-
vent the vehicle from being driven
out under its own power.
• Remove the soil and sand, etc.
from the front and the back of the
tires.
• Place a stone or wood under the
tires.

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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

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Maintenance
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MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE (CONTINUED)
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
Air conditioner compressor operation &
IIIII
refrigerant amount (if equipped)
Exhaust pipes, heat shield & mountings I IIIIIII
Transfer case fluid (4WD) I I I I R I I I I R I I I I R I
Rear differential fluid (4WD) I I I I I I I I I R I I I I I I
Front suspension ball joints I I I I
Brakes/clutch fluid (1) I I I I I I I RIIIII IIR
Front brake pads & discs (3) I I I I I IIIIIIII III
Rear brake pads & discs/drums (3) I I I I I IIIIIIII III
Parking brake I I IIIIII
Brake lines & connections
IIIII
(including booster)
Manual transaxle oil (1) I I I R I I I R I I I R I I I R
Clutch & brake pedal free play I I I I I IIIIIIII III
MAINTENANCE
INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Chassis and body

Maintenance
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BRAKES AND CLUTCH (IF EQUIPPED)
Checking brake/clutch fluid
level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake/clutch fluid, clean
the area around the reservoir cap
thoroughly to prevent brake/clutch
fluid contamination.If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-
mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch
fluid. (Refer to “Recommended
Lubricants” later in this section.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING - Brake fluid
When changing and adding
brake/clutch fluid, handle it
carefully.Do not let it come in
contact with your eyes.If
brake/clutch fluid should come
in contact with your eyes,imme-
diately flush them with a large
quantity of fresh tap water.Have
your eyes examined by a doctor
as soon as possible.
WARNING - Loss of brake
fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of
fluid, the vehicle should be
inspected by an Authorized Kia
Dealer.
1KMN5020

Maintenance
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EXTERIOR CARE
Exterior general caution
It is very important to follow the label
directions when using any chemical
cleaner or polish. Read all warning
and caution statements that appear
on the label.
Finish maintenance
Washing
To help protect your vehicle’s finish
from rust and deterioration, wash it
thoroughly and frequently at least
once a month with lukewarm or cold
water.
If you use your vehicle for off-road
driving, you should wash it after each
off-road trip. Pay special attention to
the removal of any accumulation of
salt, dirt, mud, and other foreign
materials. Make sure the drain holes
in the lower edges of the doors and
rocker panels are kept clear and
clean.
Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial pollution and similar
deposits can damage your vehicle’s
finish if not removed immediately.Even prompt washing with plain
water may not completely remove all
these deposits. A mild soap, safe for
use on painted surfaces, may be
used.
After washing, rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water.
Do not allow soap to dry on the fin-
ish.✽
NOTICE
Do not use strong soap, chemical
detergents or hot water, and do not
wash the vehicle in direct sunlight or
when the body of the vehicle is
warm.
WARNING - Wet brakes
After washing the vehicle, test
the brakes while driving slowly
to see if they have been affected
by water.If braking performance
is impaired, dry the brakes by
applying them lightly while
maintaining a slow forward
speed.
OJB037800
CAUTION
• Water washing in the engine
compartment including high
pressure water washing may
cause the failure of electrical
circuits located in the engine
compartment.
• Never allow water or other liq-
uids come in contact with
electrical/electronic compo-
nents inside the vehicle as
this may damage them.