2009 KIA AMANTI heating

Driving your vehicle54
4Air conditioning system opera-
tion 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 the windows on rainy humid days,
decrease the humidity inside the vehi-
cle by operating the air conditioning
system.
During air conditioning system opera- tion, you may occasionally notice a
slight change in the engine speed as
the air conditioning compressor cycles
on. This is a normal system operation
characteristics.
Use the air conditioning system every month only for a few minutes to ensure
maximum system performance.
When using the air conditioning sys- tem, you may notice clear water drip-
ping (or even pudding) on the ground
under the passenger side of the vehi-
cle. This is a normal system operation
characteristics. Operating the air conditioning system
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.
Checking the amount of air con-
ditioner refrigerant and compres-
sor lubricantWhen the amount of refrigerant is low,
the performance of the air conditioning is
reduced. Overfilling also has a bad influ-
ence on the air conditioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.
CAUTION
When the performance of the airconditioning system is reduced it isimportant that the correct type and amount of oil and refrigerant isused. Otherwise, damage to the compressor and abnormal systemoperation may occur.
CAUTION
When using the air conditioningsystem, monitor the temperature gauge closely while driving up hillsor in heavy traffic when outside temperatures are high. Air condi-tioning system operation maycause engine overheating. Continue to use the blower fan butturn the air conditioning system off if the temperature gauge indicatesengine overheating.
WARNING
The air conditioning system should
be serviced by an authorized Kia
dealer. Improper service may cause
serious injury to the person per-
forming the service.

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.

523
Driving tips
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 45 mph (70
km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than 1000 lbs.
(454 kg) and you have an automatic
transaxle, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup
and extend the life of your transaxle.
Parking on hills Generally, you should not park your vehi-
cle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
People can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged if they begin a downhill tra-
jectory.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steepgrades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge to ensure the engine does not over-heat. If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H” (HOT), pullover and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and allow the engine toidle until it cools down. You mayproceed once the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi-bility of engine and transaxleoverheating.
WARNING
- Parking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause serious
injury or death, should a down hill
trajectory happen.

Driving tips24
5However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift into
gear.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your park- ing brake, and then shift to P (Park) for
an automatic transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.
When you are ready to leave after parking on a hill 1. With the automatic transaxle in P (Park), apply your brakes and hold the
brake pedal down while you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when trailer towing Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailerusage, overheating might occur inhot days or during uphill driving. Ifthe coolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/C and stop the vehicle in a safe area to cooldown the engine.

6
Road warning / 6-2
In case of an emergency while driving / 6-2
Overheating / 6-3
Emergency starting / 6-4
Electrical circuit protection / 6-6
Towing / 6-13
Tires pressure monitoring system (TPMS) / 6-17
If you have a flat tire / 6-22
In case of an emergency

63
In case of an emergency
3. Have all passengers get out of the car.Be sure they all get out on the side of
the car that is away from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.If engine stalls while driving1. Reduce your speed gradually, keepinga straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized KIA dealer or seek other
qualified assistance. If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these symp-
toms occur, use the following procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flasher,
then drive to the nearest safe location
and stop your vehicle; set the automat-
ic transaxle in P (Park) and apply the
parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator, stop the engine and call an
Authorized Kia Dealer for assistance.
If coolant is not boiling out, allow the
engine to idle and open the hood to
permit the engine to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the engine
and allow sufficient time for it to cool. 4. The coolant level should then be
checked. If the level in the reservoir is
low, look for leaks at the radiator hoses
and connections, heater hoses and
connections, radiator, and water
pump. If you find a major leak or anoth-
er problem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operate the
engine until it has been corrected. Call
an Authorized Kia Dealer for assis-
tance. If you do not find a leak or other
problem, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir.
If the engine frequently overheats, havethe cooling system checked and repaired by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
WARNING
- Removing
radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and steam
may blow out under pressure. This
could cause serious injury.
OVERHEATING

Index6
10
LabelInformation ··················\
··················\
··················\
············5-25
Tire Specification/Pressure ··················\
··················\
······5-26
Lamp, Door Courtesy ··················\
··················\
················3-88
Lap/Shoulder Belt ··················\
··················\
··················\
····3-36 Rear··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
······3-38
Webbing, Cleaning the ··················\
··················\
············7-51
Light Bulbs (Specifications) ··················\
··················\
···············8-2
Bulb Replacement, Headlight············\
··················\
········7-41
Bulb Replacement, Interior ··················\
··················\
·····7-43
Bulb Replacement, License Plate ··················\
··············7-44
Bulb Replacement, Rear Combination ··················\
······7-44
Dome ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···3-88
Interior ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·3-88
Map ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
······3-88
Lighter, Cigarette ··················\
··················\
··················\
·····3-91
Lighting Control ··················\
··················\
··················\
······4-41
Locks, Door ··················\
··················\
··················\
···············3-9
Low Fuel Level Warning ··················\
··················\
···········4-34
Low Washer Fluid Level Warning Indicator ·················4-35\
Lubricant Specifications ··················\
··················\
············7-46
Lubricants and Fluids ··················\
··················\
················7-20
Lumbar Support ··················\
··················\
··················\
·······3-21 Main Fuse ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
6-9
Maintenance ··················\
··················\
··················\
···············7-1
Normal - Schedule··················\
··················\
··················\
·· 7-3
Owner ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
····7-9
Severe - Schedule ··················\
··················\
··················\
····7-6
Services··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
··7-2
Malfunction Indicator ··················\
··················\
················4-34
Mirror ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·····3-84 Day/Night Rearview ··················\
··················\
················3-86
Outside Rearview ··················\
··················\
··················\
··3-84
Modifications, Vehicle ··················\
··················\
·················5-3
Odometer ··················\
··················\
··················\
·················4-26\
Oil Level, Checking the Engine ··················\
··················\
····7-13
Pressure Warning, Engine ··················\
··················\
·······4-32
One-Touch Wiper··················\
··················\
··················\
·····4-43
Outside Rearview Mirror ··················\
··················\
···········3-84
Overheating··················\
··················\
··················\
················6-3
Owner Maintenance ··················\
··················\
··················\
···7-9 Precautions··················\
··················\
··················\
·············7-11L
MO