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Driving your vehicle40
4High - beam operation To turn on the high beam headlights,
push the lever away from you. Pull it back
for low beams.
The high-beam indicator will light when
the headlight high beams are switched
on.
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on for a
prolonged time while the engine is not
running.
Flashing headlights To flash the headlights, pull the lever
towards you. It will return to the normal
(low-beam) position when released. The
headlight switch does not need to be on
to use this flashing feature.
Turn signalsThe ignition switch must be on for the
turn signals to function. To turn on the
turn signals, move the lever up or down.
Green arrow indicators on the instrument
panel indicate which turn signal is oper-
ating. They will self-cancel after a turn is
completed. If the indicator continues to
flash after a turn, manually return the
lever to the OFF position.
1GHA2210A
2GHA2055
2GHA2211A
Right turnLeft turn
Left lane
changeRight lane
change
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Driving your vehicle44
4If the washer does not work, check the
washer fluid level. If the fluid level is not
sufficient, you will need to add appropri-
ate non-abrasive windshield washer fluid
to the washer reservoir.
The reservoir filler neck is located in the
front of the engine compartment on the
passenger side.
The defroster heats the window to
remove frost, fog and thin ice from the
interior and exterior of the rear window,
while the engine is running.To activate the rear window defroster,
press the rear window defroster button
located in the heater contorl panel. The
indicator on the rear window defroster
button illuminates when the defroster is
ON.
If your vehicle is equipped with the front
windshield deicer, it will be operating at
the same time when you operate the rear
window defroster.
If there is heavy accumulation of snow on
the rear window, brush it off before oper-
ating the rear defroster.
The rear window defroster automatically
turns off after 20 minutes or when the
ignition switch is turned off. To turn off the
defroster, press the rear window
defroster button again.
WARNING
Do not use the washer in freezing
temperatures without first warming
the windshield with the defrosters;
the washer solution could freeze on
contact with the windshield and
obscure your vision.
DEFROSTER
OGH026044
CAUTION
To prevent possible damage to the
washer pump, do not operate thewasher when the fluid reservoir is empty.
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445
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE• To prevent damage to the conductors
bonded to the inside surface of the
bottom of the front windshield and the
rear window, never use sharp instru-
ments or window cleaners containing
abrasives to clean the window.
• To prevent the battery from being dis- charged, operate the defroster only
while the engine is running.
• The front windshield defroster is designed to defrost wiper blades. If
you want to defrost and defog the
front windshield, refer to “Windshield
Defrosting and Defogging” in this sec-
tion.
The hazard warning flasher causes the
rear tail lights and front turn signal lights
to flash on and off, which serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise cau-
tion when approaching or passing your
vehicle.
To activate the flasher, depress the haz-
ard warning flasher switch. This switch
operates in any ignition switch position.
To turn the flashers off, depress the
switch again.
OGH026040
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
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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.
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Driving tips25FUEL REQUIREMENTSGasoline engine (unleaded)Your new Kia vehicle is designed to use
only unleaded fuel with a minimum
Octane Rating of 87 Anti-Knock Index
(AKI).
Gasoline containing alcohol and
methanolGasohol, a mixture of gasoline and
ethanol (also known as grain alcohol),
and gasoline or gasohol containing
methanol (also known as wood alcohol)
are being marketed along with or instead
of leaded or unleaded gasoline.
Do not use gasohol containing more than
10% ethanol, and do not use gasoline or
gasohol containing any methanol. Either
of these fuels may cause drivability prob-
lems and damage to the fuel system.
Discontinue using gasohol of any kind if
drivability problems occur.Vehicle damage or driveability problems
may not be covered by the manufactur-
er’s warranty if they result from the use
of:
1. Gasohol containing more than 10%
ethanol.
2. Gasoline or gasohol containing methanol.
3. Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol.
✽ ✽ NOTICENever use gasohol which contains
methanol. Discontinue use of any gaso-
hol product which impairs drivability.
CAUTION
NEVER USE LEADED FUEL. The
use of leaded fuel is detrimental tothe catalytic converter and willdamage the engine control sys- tem’s oxygen sensor and affectemission control.
Never add any fuel system cleaningagents to the fuel tank other thanwhat Kia has specified. (Consult an Authorized Kia Dealer for details.)
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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.
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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.
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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.