2008 KIA Sportage engine overheat

Knowing your vehicle
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Cigarette lighter
To use the cigarette lighter, pull the
assembly cover out.
To operate the cigarette lighter, press
it in and release it. When it is heated,
it automatically pops out ready for
use.
If the engine is not running, the igni-
tion switch must be in the ACC posi-
tion for the lighter to operate.
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NOTICE
• Do not hold the lighter in after it is
already heated because it will
overheat.
• Only a genuine Kia lighter should
be used in the cigarette lighter
socket. The use of plug-in acces-
sories (shavers, hand-held vacu-
ums, and coffee pots, for example)
may damage the socket or cause
electrical failure.
• If the lighter does not pop out
within 30 seconds, remove it to
prevent overheating.
Ashtrays
Front
To use the ashtray, pull the assembly
cover out.
To remove the ashtray to empty or
clean it, lift it upward and pull it out.
INTERIOR FEATURES
WARNING- Ashtray use
• Do not use the vehicle’s ash-
trays as waste receptacles.
• Putting lit cigarettes or match-
es in an ashtray with other
combustible materials may
cause a fire.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.

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Driving your vehicle
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• When maximum cooling is desired,
set the temperature control to the
extreme left position, set the air
intake control to the recirculated air
position, then set the fan speed
control to the highest speed.
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NOTICE
• When using the air conditioning
system, monitor the temperature
gauge closely while driving up
hills or in heavy traffic when out-
side temperatures are high. Air
conditioning system operation
may cause engine overheating.
Continue to use the blower fan but
turn the air conditioning system
off if the temperature gauge indi-
cates engine overheating.
• When opening the windows in
humid weather air conditioning
may create water droplets inside
the vehicle. Since excessive water
droplets may cause damage to
electrical equipment, air condi-
tioning should only be run with
the windows closed.
Air conditioning system oper-
ation tips
• If the vehicle has been parked in
direct sunlight during hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to let the hot air inside the vehicle
escape.
• To help reduce moisture inside of
windows on rainy humid days,
decrease the humidity inside the
vehicle by operating the air condi-
tioning system.
• During air conditioning system
operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed at idle as the air condition-
ing compressor cycles on. This is a
normal system operation charac-
teristics.
• Use the air conditioning system
every month if only for a few min-
utes to ensure maximum system
performance.
• When using the air conditioning
system, you may notice clear water
dripping (or even pudding) on the
ground under the passenger side
of the vehicle. This is a normal sys-
tem operation characteristics.• The air conditioning system
includes a function that automati-
cally turns the air conditioning
compressor off if engine coolant
temperature approaches an over
heating level. The air conditioning
compressor operation will resume
once engine coolant temperature
returns to the normal range. Also,
the air conditioning compressor is
automatically turned off for a few
seconds when the accelerator is
fully depressed (wide open throt-
tle).
• When operating the air condition-
ing system use the outside (fresh)
air position.
• Operating the air conditioning sys-
tem in the recirculated air position
does provide maximum cooling,
however, continual operation in this
mode may cause the air inside the
vehicle to become stale.

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Driving your vehicle
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Air conditioning
All Kia Air Conditioning Systems are
filled with environmentally friendly
R-134a refrigerant which is not dam-
aging to the ozone layer.
1. Start the engine. Push the air con-
ditioning button.
2. Set the mode to the position.
3. Set the air intake control to the
outside air or recirculated air posi-
tion.
4. Set the temperature control to the
desired position.
5. Set the fan speed control to the
desired speed.
6. Adjust the fan speed control and
temperature control to maintain
maximum comfort.• If warmer air is desired at floor
level for bi-level operation, set the
mode to the position and
adjust the temperature control to
maintain maximum comfort.
• When maximum cooling is
desired, set the temperature con-
trol to the minimum Lo
(17°C/62°F) and set the air intake
to the recirculated air position,
then set the fan speed control to
the highest speed.
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NOTICE
When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature gauge
closely while driving up hills or in
heavy traffic when outside tempera-
tures are high. Air conditioning sys-
tem operation may cause engine
overheating. Continue to use the
blower fan but turn the air condi-
tioning system off if the temperature
gauge indicates engine overheating.

Driving tips
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SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
• Avoid sudden movements in brak-
ing or steering.
• When braking with non-ABS
brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
• Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or
other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between 1 (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with
a manual transaxle or R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehicles
equipped with an automatic
transaxle. Do not race the engine,
and spin the wheels as little as pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.
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NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
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WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident.The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid.Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
CAUTION - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on
a vehicle equipped with ABS.

Driving tips
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USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
Driving on snow- or Ice-cov-
ered roads (“4WD LOCK”for
full-time 4WD operation)
• Use snow tires. See “Tires” in this
section for more information.
• Keep an adequate distance
between yourself and other vehi-
cles.
• Avoid sudden braking, acceleration
or steering. These actions can
cause your vehicle to lose traction.
Driving in sand or mud (“4WD
LOCK”for full-time 4WD opera-
tion)
• Avoid sudden braking, acceleration
or steering. These actions can
cause your vehicle to get stuck in
the sand or mud.
• Drive at low speeds whenever pos-
sible.
• You may need to get out of your
vehicle at times to check road con-
ditions.
• If you get stuck in the sand or mud,
try placing stones, wood or other
similar materials under the tires to
get traction, or move forward and
backward repeatedly to get
unstuck.
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NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
damage, overheating, transaxle dif-
ferential or transfer case damage or
failure and tire damage.
WARNING- Traction
Make sure that no one stands in
front of or behind the tires when
materials are placed under the
tires to get more traction.The
tires may cause loose materials
to fly out from under the vehicle,
potentially causing serious bod-
ily injury or death.

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.
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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.