
Driving your vehicle64
Automatic transaxle operationAll normal forward driving is done with
the shift lever in the D (Drive) position.
To move the shift lever from the P (Park)
position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the lock release button
must be pressed.For smooth operation, depress the brakepedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear.✽ ✽ NOTICE• To avoid damage to your transaxle, do
not accelerate the engine in R
(Reverse) or any forward gear posi-
tion with the brakes on.
• When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle stationary with
engine power. Use the service brake
or the parking brake.
(Continued)
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever is
in the P (PARK) position; then set
the parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.
OJB046003
Lock release button
prevents shift lever movement without first
depressing the button.
O/D button
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever. Depress the brake pedal and push the button when shifting.
The shift lever can be moved without depressing the lock release button.

47
Driving your vehicle
(Continued)
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P(Park) into D (Drive), or R (Reverse)
when the engine is above idle speed.Transaxle rangesP (Park)This position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating.
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into this position.
✽ ✽ NOTICEThe transaxle may be damaged if you
shift into P (Park) while the vehicle is in
motion.R (Reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.✽ ✽NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop before
shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you
may damage the transaxle if you shift
into R while the vehicle is in motion.
N (Neutral)With the gearshift in the N position, the
wheels and transaxle are not locked. The
vehicle will roll freely even on the slight-
est incline unless the parking brake or
service brakes are applied.D (Drive)This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.✽ ✽NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position. Set the
parking brake fully, shut the
engine off and take the key with
you. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
you do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while thevehicle is in motion will cause the
drive wheels to lock which will
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) position
so that it cannot be moved unless
the lock release button is pushed
in, AND set the parking brake fully.
(Continued)

49
Driving your vehicle
Shift lock systemFor your safety, the Automatic Transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle out of P (Park)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition tothe ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
sound near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.Ignition key interlock systemThe ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position. If the ignition switch is in any
other position, the key cannot be
removed.
BRAKE SYSTEM Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
WARNING
- Parking brake
Pulling the parking brake while the
vehicle is moving at normal speeds
can cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use the
parking brake to stop the vehicle,
use great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING -
Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
(Continued)

Driving your vehicle12
4Parking on curbed streets When parking your vehicle on an uphill
grade, park as close to the curb as
possible and turn the front wheels
away from the curb so that the front
wheels will contact the curb if the vehi-
cle moves backward.
When parking your vehicle on a down- hill grade, park as close to the curb as
possible and turn the front wheels
toward the curb so that the front
wheels will contact the curb if the vehi-
cle moves forward.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
(if equipped)
The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS repeatedly modulates the
hydraulic brake pressure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situation,
do not attempt to modulate your brake
pressure and do not try to pump your
brakes. Press your brake pedal as hard
as possible or as hard as the situation
warrants and allow the ABS to control the
force being delivered to the brakes.
Even with the anti-lock brake system,your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
WARNING
- ABS Brakes
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement. You can
still have an accident. In fact, your
ABS will probably not be able to
prevent an accident in the following
driving conditions:
Dangerous driving, such asneglecting safety precautions,
speeding, or driving too close to
the vehicle in front of you.
Driving at high speed in situa- tions providing considerably less
traction, such as wet conditions
where hydroplaning could occur.
Driving too fast on poor road sur- faces. The ABS is designed to
improve maximum braking effec-
tiveness on typical highways and
roads in good condition. On poor
road surfaces, the ABS may actu-
ally reduce braking effectiveness.

Driving your vehicle14
4Power steering (if equipped)Power steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the vehi-
cle. If the engine is off or if the power
steering system becomes inoperative,
the vehicle may still be steered, but it will
require increased steering effort.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power steer-
ing checked by an authorized Kia dealer.✽ ✽
NOTICE• Never hold the steering wheel against
a stop (extreme right or left turn) for
more than 5 seconds with the engine
running. Holding the steering wheel
for more than 5 seconds in either posi-
tion may cause damage to the power
steering pump.
• If the power steering drive belt breaks or if the power steering pump mal-
functions, the steering effort will
greatly increase.
✽ ✽ NOTICEIf the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather (below -
10 °C /14 °F), the power steering may
require increased effort when the engine
is first started. This is caused by
increased fluid viscosity due to the cold
weather and does not indicate a mal-
function.
When this happens, increase the engine
RPM by depressing the accelerator until
the RPM reaches 1,500 rpm then release
or let the engine idle for two or three
minutes to warm up the fluid.
Tilt steering (if equipped)A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust
the steering wheel before you drive. You
can also raise it to the highest level to
give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
The steering wheel should be positioned
so that it is comfortable for you to drive,
while permitting you to see the instru-
ment panel warning lights and gauges.
STEERING WHEEL
WARNING -
Steering wheel
Never adjust the angle of steering
wheel while driving. You may lose
your steering control and cause
severe personal injury or acci-
dents.
After adjusting, push the steering wheel both up and down to be
certain it is locked in position.

415
Driving your vehicle
To change the steering wheel angle, pull
down (1) the lock release lever, adjust
the steering wheel to the desired angle
( 2 ), then pull up the lock-release lever to
lock the steering wheel in place.
Be sure to adjust the steering wheel to
the desired position before driving.
HornTo sound the horn, press the horn sym-
bol on your steering wheel.
Check the horn regularly to be sure it
operates properly.
1JBA4007
CAUTION
- Horn
To sound the horn, press the area indicated by the horn symbol onyour steering wheel (see illustra-tion). The horn will operate only when this area is pressed.
Do not strike the horn severely to operate it, or hit it with your fist.Do not press on the horn with asharp-pointed object.
1JBA4008

Driving your vehicle18
4Fuel gaugeThe fuel gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 45 liters
(11.9 gallons)
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a low
fuel warning light, which will illuminate
when the fuel level has dropped to about
5.5~6.5 liters (1.5~1.7 gallons).
Instrument panel illumination
(if equipped)When the vehicle’s parking lights or head-
lights are on, rotate the illumination con-
trol knob to adjust the instrument panel
illumination intensity.
Warning lights / audible indicators Checking operation All warning lights are checked by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). Any light that does not illuminate
should be checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.
After starting the engine, check to make
sure that all warning lights are off. If any
are still on, this indicates a situation that
needs attention. When releasing the
parking brake, the brake system warning
light should go off. The fuel warning light
will stay on if the fuel level is low.Anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light (if
equipped) This light illuminates if the key is turned
to ON and goes off in approximately 3
seconds if the system is operating nor-
mally.
If the light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS. Contact an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as possi-
ble.
1JBN4055
WARNING -
Fuel gauge
Running out of fuel can expose
vehicle occupants to danger, both
in vehicle operation and by stop-
ping in high neighborhoods.
You must stop and obtain addition-
al fuel as soon as possible after the
warning light comes on or when the
gauge indicator comes close to the
E level.
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
ABS
CAUTION
Avoid driving with a very low fuel level. If you run out of fuel, it couldcase the engine to misfire and result in excessive loading of thecatalytic converter.

Driving your vehicle22
4Malfunction indicator
(if equipped)This indicator light is part of the Engine
Control System which monitors various
emission control system components. If
this light illuminates while driving, it indi-
cates that a potential problem has been
detected somewhere in the emission
control system.
Generally, your vehicle will continue to be
drivable and will not need towing, but
have the system checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possible.
Safety belt warning chime
(if equipped)If the driver's seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition key is turned “ON” or if
it is disconnected after the key is turn
ON, the safety belt warning chime will
sound for approximately 6 seconds.
If the driver’s lap/shoulder belt is not fas-
tened within 30 seconds after the engine
is started, the safety belt warning chime
will sound for 6 seconds. This cycle will
repeat 11 times with an interval of 24
seconds between cycles.Key reminder warning chime
(if equipped)If the driver’s door is opened and the igni-
tion key is left in the ignition switch in the
LOCK or ACC position, the key reminder
warning chime will sound. This is to pre-
vent you from locking your keys in the
vehicle.
CAUTION
Prolonged driving with the
Emission Control SystemMalfunction Indicator Lamp ( ) illuminated may causedamage to the emission controlsystems which could effect dri-vability and/or fuel economy.
If the
Emission
Control System
Malfunction Indicator Light ( ) begins to flash ON and OFF,potential catalytic converter dam-age is possible which could resultin loss of engine power. Have theEngine Control System inspectedas soon as possible by an author-ized Kia dealer.