2009 KIA Sedona Owner's Manual

433
Driving your vehicle
Maintenance when trailer towing Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion to 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.
If you do decide to pull a trailerHere are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
government have varying trailering
laws. Make sure your hitch, mirrors,
lights and wiring arrangements are
legal, not only where you live, but also
where you’ll be driving. A good source
for this information is provincial or local
law enforcement agencies.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch dealer about sway control.
After your odometer indicates 800 km (500 miles) or more, you can tow a
trailer. For the first 800 km (500 miles)
that you tow a trailer, don’t drive over
80 km/h (50 mph) and don’t make
starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle
“wear” in at the heavier loads.
Always drive your vehicle at a moder- ate speed (less than 100 km/h (60
mph)).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower.
The important considerations have to do with weight:
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer usage, overheating might occurin hot days or during uphill driv-ing. If the coolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/Cand stop the vehicle in a safe areato cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fan to improve engine performancewhen towing a trailer.

Driving your vehicle34
4Weight of the trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than the maxi-
mum trailer weight with trailer brakes. But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your
trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer
are all important. The ideal trailer weight
can also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.
Weight of the trailer tongue
The tongue load of any trailer is an
important weight to measure because it
affects the total gross vehicle weight
(GVW) of your vehicle. This weight
includes the curb weight of the vehicle,
any cargo you may carry in it, and the
people who will be riding in the vehicle.
And if you will tow a trailer, you must add
the tongue load to the GVW because
your vehicle will also be carrying that
weight. The trailer tongue should weigh a maxi-
mum of 10% of the total loaded trailer
weight. After you've loaded your trailer,
weigh the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see if the weights are prop-
er. If they aren’t, you may be able to cor-
rect them simply by moving some items
around in the trailer.
WARNING -
Trailer
Never load a trailer with more weight in the rear than in the
front. The front should be loaded
with approximately 60% of the
total trailer load; the rear should
be loaded with approximately
40% of the total trailer load.
Never exceed the maximum weight limits of the trailer or trail-
er towing equipment. Improper
loading can result in damage to
your vehicle and/or personal
injury. Check weights and loading
at a commercial scale or highway
patrol office equipped with
scales.
An improperly loaded trailer can cause loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
- Vehicle weight
The gross axle weight rating
(GAWR) and the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) for your vehi-
cle are on the manufacturer's label
attached to the driver's door.
Exceeding these ratings can cause
an accident or vehicle damage. You
can calculate the weight of your
load by weighing the items (and
people) before putting them in the
vehicle. Be careful not to overload
your vehicle.
OVERLOADING

435
Driving your vehicle
Vehicle identification number
(VIN) The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
the number used in registering your car
and in all legal matters pertaining to its
ownership, etc.
The number is punched on the engine
compartment bulkhead.The VIN is also on a plate attached to the
top of the dashboard. The number on the
plate can easily be seen through the
windshield from outside.
Vehicle certification labelThe vehicle certification label attached
on the driver's side center pillar gives the
vehicle identification number (VIN).
LABEL INFORMATION There are several important labels and identification numbers located on your vehicle. The label locations are identified in the illus-
trations shown.
OVQ076001N
OVQ076002N
Frame number
VIN (if equipped)
OVQ066023N
Identification label (if equipped)

Driving your vehicle36
4Tire specification / pressure label Engine number
OVQ078003N
OVQ066022N

5
Road warning / 5-2
In case of an emergency while driving / 5-2
Emergency starting / 5-3
If the engine overheats / 5-5
If you have a flat tire / 5-6
Towing / 5-15
What to do in an emergency

What to do in an emergency25ROAD WARNING Hazard warning flasher The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle.It should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.
Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
The turn signals do not work when the hazard flasher is on.
Care must be taken when using the hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.
If the engine stalls at a crossroad
or crossingIf the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehi-
cle to a safe place.If you have a flat tire while drivingIf a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and let the car slow down while driving
straight ahead. Do not apply the
brakes immediately or attempt to pull
off the road as this may cause a loss of
control. When the car has slowed to
such a speed that it is safe to do so,
brake carefully and pull off the road.
Drive off the road as far as possible
and park on firm, level ground.
If you are on a divided highway, do not
park in the median area between the
two traffic lanes.
2. When the car is stopped, turn on your emergency hazard flashers, set the
parking brake and put the transaxle in
P (automatic transaxle) or reverse
(manual transaxle).
OVQ049031OVQ049032
Type AType B
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
WHILE DRIVING

53
What to do in 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 autho-
rised Kia dealer or seek other qualified
assistance.
Jump starting Jump starting can be dangerous if done
incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to
yourself or damage to your vehicle or
battery, follow the jump starting proce-
dures. If in doubt, we strongly recom-
mend that you have a competent techni-
cian or towing service jump start your
vehicle.
WARNING
- Battery
• Keep all flames or sparks awayfrom the battery. The battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which may
explode if exposed to flame or
sparks.
Do not attempt to jump start the vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte level
is low; the battery may rupture or
explode.
EMERGENCY STARTING
WARNING
- Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as this
may cause the battery to rupture or
explode causing serious injury.
CAUTION
Use only a 12-volt jumper system.You can damage a 12-volt starting motor, ignition system, and otherelectrical parts beyond repair by use of a 24-volt power supply (eithertwo 12-volt batteries in series or a 24-volt motor generator set).

What to do in an emergency45Connecting jumper cables Jump starting procedure
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12-
volt and that its negative terminal is
grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehi- cle, do not allow the vehicles to touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the previous illus-
tration. First connect one end of a
jumper cable to the positive terminal of
the discharged battery (1), then con-
nect the other end to the positive termi-
nal on the booster battery (2). Proceed
to connect one end of the other jumper
cable to the negative terminal of the
booster battery (3), then the other end
to a solid, stationary, metallic point (for
example, the engine lifting bracket)
away from the battery (4). Do not con-
nect it to or near any part that moves
when the engine is cranked.
CAUTION
- Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper cablefrom the negative terminal of thebooster battery to the negative ter-minal of the discharged battery. This can cause the discharged bat-tery to overheat and crack, releas- ing battery acid.
1VQA4001
Connect cables in numerical order and
disconnect in reverse order.
Discharged battery
Jumper Cables
Booster battery
(-)
(+)
(+)
(-)