2009 KIA AMANTI warning

53
Driving tips
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMThe emission control system of your
vehicle is covered by a written limited
warranty. Please see the warranty infor-
mation contained in the Warranty &
Consumer Information Manual in your
vehicle.Vehicle modifications This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification of your Kia could affect its
performance, safety or durability and
may even violate governmental safety
and emissions regulations.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from any modification
may not be covered under warranty.
Engine exhaust gas precautions
(carbon monoxide) Carbon monoxide can be present withother exhaust fumes. Therefore, if you
smell exhaust fumes of any kind inside
your vehicle, have it inspected and
repaired immediately by an authorized
Kia dealer or other competent repair
shop. If you ever suspect exhaust
fumes are coming into your vehicle,
drive it only with all the windows fully
open. Have your vehicle checked and
repaired immediately. Do not operate the engine in confined
or closed areas (such as garages) any
more than what is necessary to move
the vehicle in or out of the area.
When the vehicle is stopped in an open area for more than a short time
with the engine running, adjust the
ventilation system (as needed) to draw
outside air into the vehicle.
Never sit in a parked or stopped vehi- cle for any extended time with the
engine running.
When the engine stalls or fails to start, excessive attempts to re-start the
engine may cause damage to the
emission control system.
WARNING
Engine exhaust gases contain car-
bon monoxide (CO). Though color-
less and odorless, it is dangerous
and could be lethal if inhaled.
Follow the instructions following to
avoid CO poisoning.

Driving tips45Operating precautions for catalyt-
ic converters Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic
converter emission control device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
Use only UNLEADED FUEL for gaso-line engine (unleaded).
Do not operate the vehicle when there are signs of engine malfunction, such
as misfire or a noticeable loss of per-
formance.
Do not misuse or abuse the engine. Examples of misuse are coasting with
the ignition off and descending steep
grades in gear with the ignition off. Avoid driving with a very low fuel level.
If your run out of gasoline, it could
cause the engine to misfire and result
in excessive loading of the catalytic
converter.
Do not operate the engine at high idle speed for extended periods (5 minutes
or more).
Do not modify or tamper with any part of the engine or emission control sys-
tem. All inspections and adjustments
must be made by a qualified techni-
cian.
Failure to observe these precautions
could result in damage to the catalytic
converter and to your vehicle.
Additionally, such actions could void your
warranties.
WARNING
- Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite
flammable items under your vehi-
cle. Do not park the vehicle over or
near flammable objects, such as
dry grass, paper, leaves, etc.

55
Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING Before entering vehicle: Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.Necessary inspections Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in
Section 7, Maintenance.
Before starting Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls areeasily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
WARNING
- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgement.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink and
drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
Driving while under the influence of
drugs is as dangerous or more dan-
gerous than driving drunk.

Driving tips65SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATIONYour vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a liter
(gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once theengine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing. Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
Save fuel by accelerating slowly after stopping.
Keep the engine in tune and follow the recommended periodic maintenance
schedule. This will increase the life of
all parts and lower your operating
costs. Do not use the air conditioner unnec-
essarily.
Slow down when driving on rough roads.
For longer tire life and better fuel econ- omy, always keep the tires inflated to
the recommended pressures.
Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden stops. This
will reduce wear on brake linings and
pads. Driving in such a way will also
save fuel because extra fuel is required
to accelerate back to driving speed.
Do not carry unnecessary weight in the vehicle.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage to the
brakes, and poor fuel economy.
Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel econo-
my. Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING
- Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function with-
out the engine running. Instead,
downshift to an appropriate gear for
engine braking effect.

57
Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS Hazardous driving conditions When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking or steering.
When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.✽ ✽ NOTICEDo not pump the brake pedal on a vehi-
cle equipped with ABS.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly 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 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 possible. If you are still stuck
after a few tries, have the vehicle pulled
out by a tow vehicle to avoid engine
overheating and possible damage to the
transaxle.
WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.

Driving tips85✽
✽NOTICEProlonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or fail-
ure, and tire damage.
Driving at night Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight, here
are some important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's headlights.
Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condition, making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it eas- ier for others to see you.
WARNING
- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially
at speeds more than 35 mph (56
km/h). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystanders.

Driving tips10
5Snow 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 provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without first
checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use. Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are thin-
ner, they can be damaged by mounting
some types of snow chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is recom-
mended instead of snow chains. Do not
mount tire chains on vehicles equipped
with aluminum wheels, snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use wire-type
chains with a thickness of less than 0.47
(12 mm) for tire treads and sidewall. Do
not fully turn the steering wheel (turning
the steering wheel one way to the end)
with your snow chains installed. In case,
you fully turn your steering wheel, you
must drive at the speed less than 10km/h. Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper snow chain use is not covered
by your vehicle manufacturers warranty.
Install them only on the front tires.
WARNING
- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety and
handling of your vehicle may be
adversely affected.
1GHN2135

511
Driving tips
Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the manu-
facturer's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains arethe correct size and type for yourtires. Incorrect snow chains cancause damage to the vehicle body and suspension and may not becovered by your vehicle manufac-turer warranty. Also, the snow chain connecting hooks may bedamaged from contacting vehiclecomponents causing the snowchains to come loose from the tire. Make sure the snow chainsare SAE class “S” certified. Cable-type, or plastic-type snow chain can also be used.
Always check chain installation for proper mounting after drivingapproximately 0.5 to 1 km to ensure safe mounting. Retightenor remount the chains if they areloose.
WARNING
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place
a triangular emergency warning
device behind the vehicle if avail-
able. Always place the vehicle in
park (P), apply the parking brake
and turn off the engine before
installing snow chains.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
Chains that are the wrong size or improperly installed can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-
pension, body and wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear them
hitting the vehicle.