2009 KIA Sorento automatic transmission

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 with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped. 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 drive wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between 1 (First) and
R (Reverse) in vehicles equipped with a
manual transmission or R (Reverse) and
any forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transmission. 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 transmis-
sion.
WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transmission, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an acci-
dent. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid.
Be careful when downshifting on
slippery surfaces.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may causeengine over-heating, transmissiondamage or failure, and tire damage.

59
Driving tips
Winter driving We recommend that you carry emer-gency equipment, including tire chains,
a window scraper, windshield deicer, a
bag of sand or salt, flares, a small
shovel and jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient ethylene glycol coolant in the radiator.
Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce the
capacity of any battery, so it must be in
excellent condition to provide enough
winter starting power.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for cold weather.
Check the ignition system for loose connections and damage.
Use antifreeze formulated windshield washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift to 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) with a manual trans-
mission or P (Park) with an automatic
transmission and block the rear
wheels.
Snow 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 firstchecking local, state and municipal regu-lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
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.

Driving tips18
5Driving uphillOnce you decide you can safely drive up
the hill, you need to take some special
steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain your speed. Don’t use more
power than you need, because you
don’t want your wheels to start spin-
ning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill, if at all possible. If the path twists and turns,
you may have to find another route. Slow down as you approach the top of
the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible to approaching traffic on
trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visible to
other drivers.
Stalling while driving uphill
What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or isabout to stall, and I can’t make it up thehill?If your vehicle stalls, or is about to stall
while driving uphill, there are some
things you should do, and there are some
things you must not do. First, here’s what
you should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehi- cle and keep it from rolling backwards.
Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down
the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to restart it. With the brake
pedal depressed and the parking
brake still applied, shift a manual trans-
mission to N (Neutral), or an automatic
transmission to P (Park) and restart
the engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly
back down the hill in reverse.
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering wheel at
the 12 o’clock position. This way, you’ll
be able to tell if your wheels are
straight or turned to the left or right as
you back down.
WARNING -
Driving across
hills
Turning or driving across steep
hills can be dangerous. You could
lose traction, slide sideways, or just
reach an area too steep to traverse.
In any case, it could cause you to
roll over. You could be seriously or
fatally injured. When driving up
hills, always try to go as straight up
as possible.
WARNING
- Driving overhills
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at
full speed can cause an accident
and result in serious or fatal injury.
There could be a drop-off, embank-
ment, cliff, another vehicle or peo-
ple sitting on the ground. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down and
stay alert.

519
Driving tips
Here are some things you must not do if
you stall, or are about to stall, when
going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall bydepressing the clutch or shifting to N
(Neutral) to “rev-up” the engine and
regain forward momentum. This won’t
work. Your vehicle will roll backwards
very quickly and you could go out of
control or roll over.
Instead, apply the brake to stop the vehi-
cle. Then apply the parking brake. Shift
into reverse, release the parking brake,
and slowly back down.
Stalled on a steep uphillIf your vehicle stalls and you can’t back
down the hill, try this: Set the parking
brake, put your transmission in 1 (First)
gear or P (Park), and turn the engine off.
Leave the vehicle and get some help. If
your vehicle is at an angle to the slope of
the hill, exit the vehicle on the uphill side
and stay clear of the path the vehicle
would take if it rolled downhill. Leave it in
1 (First) gear for manual transmission or
P (Park) for automatic transmission.
WARNING
- Stalling
Never attempt to turn around if you
are about to stall when going up a
hill. If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough
to cause you to roll over if you turn
around. If you can’t make it up, you
must back down the hill.
WARNING
- Exiting vehicle
Getting out on the downhill (low)
side of a vehicle stopped across an
incline is dangerous. If the vehicle
rolls over, you could be crushed or
fatally injured. Always get out on
the uphill (high) side of the vehicle
and stay well clear of the rollover
path.
WARNING
- Leaving vehi- cle
If you are going to leave your vehicle,
set the parking brake and shift a
manual transmission to 1 (First), or
an automatic transmission to P
(Park).

Driving tips36
5Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring har-
ness.
Your Authorized Kia Dealer can assist
you in installing the wiring harness.
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 70 km/h (45
mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transmission overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transmission,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transmission.
If you have a manual transmission, drive
in fourth gear (or, as you need to, a lower
gear).
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer
wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep
grades (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 may proceed once the engine hascooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi- bility of engine and transmissionoverheating.

537
Driving tips
Parking on hills Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the curb (right if headed down hill,
left if headed up hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual transmis- sion, place the car in neutral. If the
vehicle has an automatic transmission,
place the car in P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels. 5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift
to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to R
(Reverse) for manual transmission or
P (Park) for automatic transmission.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
When you are ready to leave afterparking on a hill 1. With the manual transmission in Neutral or automatic transmission 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.
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.
WARNING
- Parking on ahill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause serious
injury or death, should the trailer
break lose.

Driving tips38
5Maintenance 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
transmission fluid, axle lubricant and
cooling system fluid. Brake condition is
another important item to frequently
check. Each item is covered in this man-
ual, 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.
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 transmission 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.

In case of an emergency66Jump 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 vehicle, 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 (
➀), then con-
nect the other end to the positive ter-
minal on the booster battery (
➁).
Proceed to connect one end of the
other jumper cable to the negative ter-
minal of the booster battery (
➂), then
the other end to a solid, stationary,
metallic point (for example, the engine
lifting bracket) away from the battery
(
➃). Do not connect it to or near any
part that moves when the engine is
cranked. Do not allow the jumper cables to con-
tact anything except the correct bat-
tery terminals or the correct ground.
Do not lean over the battery when
making connections.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at 2,000
rpm, then start the engine of the vehi-
cle with the discharged battery.
If the cause of your battery discharging isnot apparent, you should have your vehi-cle checked by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Push-starting Your manual transmission-equipped
vehicle should not be push-started
because it might damage the emission
control system.
Vehicles equipped with automatic trans-
mission cannot be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section for
jump-starting.
CAUTION
Never tow a vehicle to start it because the sudden surge forwardwhen the engine starts could causea collision with the tow vehicle.
CAUTION -
Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper cable from 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.