2008 KIA Sportage brakes

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Introduction
VEHICLE HANDLING
INSTRUCTIONS
As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle correct-
ly may result in loss of control, an
accident or vehicle rollover.
Specific design characteristics (high-
er ground clearance, track, etc.) give
this vehicle a higher center of gravity
than other types of vehicles. In other
words they are not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as con-
ventional 2-wheel drive vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers. Again, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.Be sure to read the “on-
pavement” and “off-road” driving
guidelines, in section 5 of this
manual.
VEHICLE BREAK-IN
PROCESS
No special break-in period is needed.
By following a few simple precautions
for the first 1,000 km (600 miles) you
may add to the performance, econo-
my and life of your vehicle.
• Do not race the engine.
• Do not maintain a single speed for
long periods of time, either fast or
slow. Varying engine speed is
needed to properly break-in the
engine.
• Avoid hard stops, except in emer-
gencies, to allow the brakes to seat
properly.
• Avoid full-throttle starts.

Knowing your vehicle
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(Continued)
• If the driver brakes the vehicle
heavily in an urgent situa-
tions, occupants will be
thrown forward.If front pas-
sengers are not wearing the
safety belts, they will be
directly in front of the storage
compartment when inflation
occurs.In that situation,seri-
ous injury or death is possi-
ble.
• Never allow front passenger
to put their hands or feet on
the instrument panel or put
their face close to the instru-
ment panel.The airbag will
impact the front passenger
when it inflates.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Never allow children/old
and feeble persons/pregnant
women to sit on the front pas-
senger’s seat.Do not put child
restraint systems on the front
passenger’s seat either.They
may be seriously injured by
the airbag inflation when
airbag deploys.
• Do not put objects or stickers
on the instrument panel.Do
not apply any accessory on
the front windshield glass or
do not i
nstall aftermarket mir-
rors or accessories on the fac-
tory installed rearview mirror.
These may interfere with the
deployment of airbag inflation
or could hit your body at high
speed and cause severe bodi-
ly injury and even death.
WARNING
• The front seat passenger’s
airbag is much larger than the
steering wheel airbag and
inflates with considerably
more force.It can seriously
hurt or kill a passenger who is
not in the proper position and
wearing the safety belt proper-
ly.The front passengers
should always move their seat
as far back as practical and sit
back in their seat.
• It is essential that the front
passengers always wear their
safety belt
s, even when the
vehicle is moving in a parking
lot or up a driveway into
garage.
(Continued)

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Driving your vehicle
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Automatic transaxle operation
All normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)
position.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse
gear.✽
NOTICE
• To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the brakes
on.
• When stopped on an upgrade, do
not hold the vehicle stationary
with engine power. Use the service
brake or the parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P
(Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off.Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
1KMA3019
Automatic
mode

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Driving your vehicle
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R (reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R while
the vehicle is in motion.
N (neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
D (drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).

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Driving your vehicle
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the ser-
vice brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) while in Sport
mode will help prevent the vehicle
from rolling backwards.
Shift lock system
For your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button
and move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the
ACC or LOCK position, the transaxle
cannot be shifted from P (Park).
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-
dition.
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.

Driving your vehicle
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Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
somewhat longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Parking brake
Operating the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle.If you must use the parking
brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING - Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
• When descending a long or
steep hill,shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes.Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)

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Driving your vehicle
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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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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.