Driving your vehicle
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• 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.
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Driving your vehicle
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WARNING - 4WD driving
•Avoid high cornering speed.
• Do not make quick steering
wheel movements,such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at high speed.
• In a collision, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely
to die compared to a person
wearing a seat belt.
•Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over steers
to re-enter the
roadway.In the event your
vehicle leaves the roadway, do
not steer sharply.Instead,
slow down before pulling back
into the travel lanes.
WARNING - Jacked vehi-
cle
While the full-time 4WD vehicle
is being raised on a jack, never
start the engine or cause the
tires to rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the
jack and to jump forward.WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capabili-
ty.Do not use a size and type of
tire and wheel that is different
from the one that is originally
installed on your vehicle.It can
affect the safety and perfor-
mance of your vehicle, which
could lead to handling failure or
rollover and serious injury.
When replacing the tires,be
sure to equip all four tires with
the ti
re and wheel of the same
size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity.If you
nevertheless decide to equip
your vehicle with any tire/wheel
combination not recommended
by Kia for off road driving, you
should not use these tires for
highway driving.
CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud,snow,
etc.the vehicle can sometimes
be driven out by depressing the
accelerator pedal further; how-
ever avoid running the engine
continuously at high rpm
because doing so could dam-
age the 4WD system.
511
Driving tips
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• Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it
might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-
ipal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
WARNING- Snow tire
size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires.Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
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In case of an emergency
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IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE
The spare tire, jack, jack handle,
wheel lug nut wrench are stored in
the luggage compartment. Remove
the luggage under tray out of the way
to reach this equipment.Removing the spare tire
Turn the tire hold-down wing bolt
counterclockwise.
Store the tire in the reverse order of
removal.
To prevent the spare tire and tools
from “rattling” while the vehicle is in
motion, store them properly.
Important - use of compact
spare tire
your vehicle is equipped with a com-
pact spare tire. This compact spare
tire takes up less space than a regu-
lar-size tire. This tire is smaller than a
conventional tire and is designed for
temporary use only.
1KMN40121KMA4014
CAUTION
• You should drive carefully
when the compact spare is in
use.The compact spare
should be replaced by the
proper conventional tire and
rim at the first opportunity.
• The operation of this vehicle
is not recommended with
more than one compact spare
tire in use at the same time.
In case of an emergency
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The compact spare should be inflat-
ed to 420 kPa (60 psi).
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NOTICE
Check the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to
the specified pressure, as necessary.
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
• Under no circumstances should
you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a
higher speed could damage the
tire.
• Ensure that you drive slowly
enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
• Any continuous road use of this tire
could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible per-
sonal injury.
• Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi-
mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire.
• Avoid driving over obstacles. The
compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately
25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle.• Do not take this vehicle through an
automatic car wash.
• This tire should not be installed on
the front axle if the vehicle must be
driven in snow or on ice.
• Do not use the compact spare tire
on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
• The compact spare tire’s tread life
is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
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CAUTION
This spare tire should be used
only for VERY short distances.
Compact spares should NEVER
be used for long drives or
extended distances.
Maintenance
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TIRES AND WHEELS
Tires care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Inflation pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been dri-
ven for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the front driver’s door sill.
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NOTICE
• Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handling and
reduced fuel economy. Wheel
deformation also is possible. Keep
your tire pressures at the proper
levels. If a tire frequently needs
refilling, have it checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
• Overinflation produces a harsh
ride, excessive wear at the center
of the tire tread, and a greater pos-
sibility of damage from road haz-
ards.
1KMN5045
WARNING - Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (10 psi (70
kPa) or more) can lead to severe
heat build-up, causing blowouts,
tread separation and other tire
failures that can result in the
loss of vehicle control leading
to severe injury or death.This
risk is much higher on hot days
and when driving for protracted
periods at high speeds.
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Maintenance
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Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only
from front to rear and not from
right to left.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
Compact spare tire replace-
ment (if equipped)
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new Kia and should be mounted on
the same compact spare tire wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
1KMA5026
Tread wear indicator
CAUTION
Do not mix bias-ply and radial-
ply under any circumstances.
This may cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics.
Maintenance
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Wheel alignment and tire
balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
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NOTICE
Improper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use only approved wheel weights.
WARNING - Replacing
tires
•Driving on worn-out tires is
very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
• Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility.Do not use a size and
type of tire and wheel that is
different from the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle.It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, whi
ch could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury.When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all
four tires with the tire and
wheel of the same size, type,
tread, brand and load-carrying
capacity.If you nevertheless
decide to equip your vehicle
with any tire/wheel combina-
tion not recommended by Kia
for off road driving, you
should not use these tires for
highway driving.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• The use of any other tire size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance,stopping distance, body
to tire clearance,snow tire
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
• It is best to replace all four
tires at the same time.If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling.