2008 KIA Sportage hood release

gas tank size instrument panel oil reset towing capacity pairing phone sport mode

Page 8 of 350

KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owners Manual Your vehicle at a glance
2 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
INTERIOR OVERVIEW
1. Door lock/unlock button
2. Power window switches
3. Outside rearview mirror control switch
(if equipped)
4. Hood release lever
5. I

Page 44 of 350

KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owners Manual 335
Knowing your vehicle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
WARNING- Belt use
Safety belts must be used cor-
rectly to work properly in an
accident.Each seating position
in your vehicle has a specific
safety belt asse

335
Knowing your vehicle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
WARNING- Belt use
Safety belts must be used cor-
rectly to work properly in an
accident.Each seating position
in your vehicle has a specific
safety belt assembly that
includes a buckle and tongue
designed to be used together.
Failure to heed these warnings
and follow these instructions
will increase the risk and sever-
ity of injuries and the likelihood
of death in an accident.
•Use the shoulder portion of
the safety belt on the outside
shoulder only.Never wear the
shoulder portion under the
arm.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Never swing the safety belt
around your neck to fit over
the inside shoulder.
• Never wear the shoulder por-
tion of the safety belt across
the neck or face.
• Wear the lap portion as low as
possible.Be sure that the lap
belt fits snugly around the
hips.Never wear a lap portion
of a lap/shoulder belt over
your waist;it should always
go over the stronger area of
your hips.
• Never use a single safety belt
for more than one person.
• The front seatbacks should
always remain i
n a comfort-
able, upright position when
the vehicle is moving.
WARNING- Twisted belts
A twisted or jammed safety belt
cannot restrain you properly.If
you cannot untwist or unjam the
safety belt, have an authorized
Kia dealer service it immediate-
ly.Never drive or ride with a
twisted or jammed safety belt.WARNING- Safety belt
care
• A damaged belt may not give
you the protection you need in
an accident.
•Inspect your safety belts peri-
odically for excessive wear or
damage.Pull out each belt
fully and look for fraying, cuts,
burns or other damage.Pull
the safety belt out and let it
retract a number of times.
Make sure that the lap/shoul-
der belts return smoothly and
easily into the retractor.
• Check the latches to make
sure they latch and release
without interference or delay.
• Never close the doors on any
part of the lap or shoulder
belt.
• Any belt not in good condition
or in good working order
should be promptly replaced.

Page 89 of 350

KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owners Manual Knowing your vehicle
80 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Opening the hood:
1. Pull the release lever on the lower
left side of the instrument panel to
unlatch the hood. The hood
should pop open slightly.2. Go to t

Page 237 of 350

KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owners Manual 527
Driving tips
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Stalling downhill
Stalling is much more likely to hap-
pen going uphill. But if it happens
going downhill, here’s what to do.
• Stop your vehicle by applying the

527
Driving tips
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Stalling downhill
Stalling is much more likely to hap-
pen going uphill. But if it happens
going downhill, here’s what to do.
• Stop your vehicle by applying the
brakes. Then apply the parking
brake.
• Move the shift lever to P (Park) in
automatic transaxle or shift to N
(Neutral) in manual transaxle and,
while still braking, restart the
engine.
• Shift back to a low gear, release
the parking brake, and drive
straight down.
• If the engine won’t start, get out
and seek help. Exit on the uphill
side of the vehicle and stay clear of
the path the vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.
Driving across an incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across the incline of a
hill. If this happens, you have to
decide whether or not to try to drive
across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:
• A hill that can be driven straight up
or down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or
down a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front
wheels to the rear wheels) reduces
the likelihood the vehicle will tum-
ble end over end. But when you
drive across an incline, the much
narrower track width (the distance
between the left and right wheels)
may not prevent the vehicle from
tilting and rolling over. Also, driving
across an incline puts more weight
on the downhill wheels. This could
cause a downhill slide or a rollover.• Surface conditions can be a prob-
lem when you drive across a hill.
Loose gravel, muddy spots, or
even wet grass can cause your
tires to slip sideways. If the vehicle
slips sideways, it can hit something
that will tip it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and
cause it to roll over.
• Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline even
worse. If you drive across a rock
with the uphill wheels, or if the
downhill wheels drop into a rut or
depression, your vehicle can tilt
even more.
For reasons like these, you need to
decide carefully whether or not to try
to drive across an incline. Just
because the trail goes across the
incline doesn’t mean you have to
drive it.

Page 313 of 350

KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owners Manual Maintenance
26 7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS
Checking the washer fluid
level
The reservoir is translucent so that
you can check the level with a quick
visual inspection.
Check the fluid

instrument cluster USB port water pump odometer wiring fuses