2008 KIA Sportage Index

ii
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9Introduction
Your vehicle at a glance
Knowing your vehicle
Driving your vehicle
Driving tips
In case of an emergency
Maintenance
Specifications
Index
table of contents

Introduction
2 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
We want to help you get the greatest
possible driving pleasure from your
vehicle. Your Owner’s Manual can
assist you in many ways. We strong-
ly recommend that you read the
entire manual. At the very least, you
must read the WARNING and CAU-
TION sections spread throughout the
manual, which are easily recognized
by their special markings. These sec-
tions have precautions that must be
followed to prevent personal injury or
death.
Illustrations complement the words
in this manual to best explain how to
enjoy your vehicle. By reading your
manual, you learn about features,
important safety information, and
driving tips under various road condi-
tions.The general layout of the manual is
provided in the Table of Contents. A
good place to start is the index; it has
an alphabetical listing of all informa-
tion in your manual.
Sections: This manual has eight sec-
tions plus an index. Each section
begins with a brief list of contents so
you can tell at a glance if that section
has the information you want.
You’ll find various WARNING’s,
CAUTION’s, and NOTICE’s in this
manual. These WARNING’s,
CAUTION’s and NOTICE’s were pre-
pared to enhance your personal
safety and continued satisfaction
with Kia vehicle. You should carefully
read and follow ALL procedures and
recommendations provided in these
WARNING’s, CAUTION’s and
NOTICE’s.
✽
NOTICE
A NOTICE indicates a situation in
which damage to your vehicle could
result if the notice is ignored.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation
in which serious bodily injury or
death could result if the warning
is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation
in which personal injury, perhaps
severe, could result if the caution
is ignored.

Driving your vehicle
16 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
• If you need to drive in water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to
“4WD LOCK” and drive at less than
8 km/h (5 mph).
✽
NOTICE
• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte-
nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance
Schedule” in the Index). Always
wash you car thoroughly after off
road use, especially cleaning the
under side of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the perfor-
mance of the 4WD vehicle is great-
ly affected by the condition of the
tires. Be sure to equip the vehicle
with four tires of the same size and
type.
• A full time four wheel drive vehi-
cle cannot be towed by an ordi-
nary tow truck. Make sure that
the vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.WARNING - Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.WARNING - Driving
through water
Drive slowly.If you are driving
too fast in water, the water spray
can get into the engine com-
partment and wet the ignition
system, causing your vehicle to
suddenly stall.If this happens
and your vehicle is in a tilted
position, your vehicle may roll
over.

441
Driving your vehicle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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.
✽
NOTICE
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the
“H” position, it indicates overheat-
ing that may damage the engine.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approx-
imate amount of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity :
- 58 liters (15.3 gallons)
for 2.0L engine
- 65 liters (17.1 gallons)
for 2.7L engine
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a
low fuel warning light, which will illu-
minate when the fuel level has
dropped to about 9~10 liters (2.4~2.6
gallons).
Odometer
The odometer indicates the total dis-
tance the vehicle has been driven.
1KMN20991KMA21011KMA2098
WARNING-Fuel gauge
Running out of fuel can expose
vehicle occupants to danger,
both in vehicle operation and by
stopping in high neighbor-
hoods.
You must stop and obtain addi-
tional fuel as soon as possible
after the warning light comes on
or when the gauge indicator
comes close to the E level.

Driving tips
2 5
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
Gasoline engine (unleaded)
Your new Kia vehicle is designed to
use only unleaded fuel with a mini-
mum Octane Rating of 87 Anti-
Knock Index (AKI).
✽
NOTICE
NEVER USE LEADED FUEL. The
use of leaded fuel is detrimental to
the catalytic converter and will
damage the engine control system’s
oxygen sensor and affect emission
control.
Never add any fuel system cleaning
agents to the fuel tank other than
what Kia has specified. (Consult an
Authorized Kia Dealer for details.)
Gasoline containing alcohol
and methanol
Gasohol, a mixture of gasoline and
ethanol (also known as grain alco-
hol), and gasoline or gasohol con-
taining methanol (also known as
wood alcohol) are being marketed
along with or instead of leaded or
unleaded gasoline.
Do not use gasohol containing more
than 10% ethanol, and do not use
gasoline or gasohol containing any
methanol. Either of these fuels may
cause drivability problems and dam-
age to the fuel system.
Discontinue using gasohol of any
kind if drivability problems occur.Vehicle damage or driveability prob-
lems may not be covered by the
manufacturer’s warranty if they result
from the use of:
1. Gasohol containing more than
10% ethanol.
2. Gasoline or gasohol containing
methanol.
3. Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol.
✽
NOTICE
Never use gasohol which contains
methanol. Discontinue use of any
gasohol product which impairs dri-
vability.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Driving tips
40 5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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.

623
In case of an emergency
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
6. Loosen the wheel lug nuts coun-
terclockwise one turn each, but do
not remove any nut until the tire
has been raised off the ground.7. Place the jack at the front or rear
jacking position closest to the tire
you are changing. Place the jack
at the designated locations under
the frame. The jacking positions
are plates welded to the frame
with two tabs and a raised dot to
index with the jack.
WARNING- Jack location
To reduce the possibility of
injury, be sure to use only the
jack provided with the vehicle
and in the correct jack position;
never use any other part of the
vehicle for jack support.
1KMA40191KMA4018

Maintenance
40 7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
P215/65R16 96T
P - Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’ are
intended for use on passenger
cars or light trucks; however, not
all tires have this marking).
215 - Tire width in millimeters.
65 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
96 - Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
T - Speed Rating Symbol. See the
speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
6.5 J×16
6.5 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
16 - Rim diameter in inches.Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger cars. The speed
rating is part of the tire size designa-
tion on the sidewall of the tire. This
symbol corresponds to that tire's
designed maximum safe operating
speed.
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph)
V 240 km/h (149 mph)
Z Above 240 km/h (149 mph)
Maximum Speed Speed
Rating
Symbol