2009 KIA Sorento maintenance

715
Maintenance
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMThe high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with a mixture of
antifreeze and water. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at the
beginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.Checking the coolant level
Check the condition and connections of
all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side of the
coolant reservoir when the engine is
cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protection
against freezing and corrosion. Bring the
level to F, but do not overfill. If frequent
additions are required, see an Authorized
Kia Dealer for a cooling system inspec-
tion.
WARNING
- Removing
radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the radi-
ator cap while the engine is oper-
ating or hot. Doing so might lead
to cooling system and engine
damage and could result in seri-
ous personal injury from escap-
ing hot coolant or steam.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Turn the engine off and wait untilit cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you are
sure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiator
cap or the drain plug while the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.
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Maintenance16
7Changing coolant Have coolant changed by an Authorized
Kia Dealer according to the Maintenance
Schedule at the beginning of this section.
Use only soft (de-mineralized) water in
the coolant mixture.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be pro-
tected by an ethylene-glycol-based
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-
ing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the specified
coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution. For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
WARNING -
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 caus-
ing serious injury.
-15°C (5°F) 35
65
-25°C (-13°F) 40 60
-35°C (-31°F) 50 50
-45°C (-49°F) 60 40Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Coolant
Solution Water
OMG075006

717
Maintenance
BRAKE FLUID (IF EQUIPPED)Checking brake fluid level Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be between
MAX and MIN marks on the side of the
reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake fluid, clean the area around
the reservoir cap thoroughly to prevent
brake fluid contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake linings. If
the fluid level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid. (Referto “Recommended Lubricants” later inthis section.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING -
Brake fluid
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
WARNING -
Loss of brake
fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
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CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to contactthe vehicle's body paint, as paintdamage will result. Brake fluid, which has been exposed to open airfor an extended time should never be used as its quality cannot beguaranteed. It should be thrownout. Don't put in the wrong kind of fluid. A few drops of mineral-basedoil, such as engine oil, in your brake system can damage brake systemparts.

Maintenance18
7POWER STEERING Checking the power steering fluid
level With the vehicle on level ground, check
the fluid level in the power steering reser-
voir periodically. The fluid should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir at the normal tem-
perature.
Before adding power steering fluid, thor-
oughly clean the area around the reser-
voir cap to prevent power steering fluid
contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. In the event the power steering system
requires frequent addition of fluid, the
vehicle should be inspected by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified power steering
fluid. (Refer to "Recommended Lubricants" later in this section.)
Power steering hoseCheck the connections for oil leaks,
severe damage and the twists in the
power steering hose before driving.
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CAUTION
To avoid damage to the power steering pump, do not operate thevehicle for prolonged periodswith a low power steering fluid level.
Never start the engine when the reservoir tank is empty.
When adding fluid, be careful that dirt does not get into the tank.
Too little fluid can make the steer- ing wheel heavier or strangenoise can be generated.
The use of the non-specified fluid could reduce the effectiveness ofthe power steering wheel andcause damage to it.

719
Maintenance
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (IF EQUIPPED)Checking the automatic transmis-
sion fluid level ✽ ✽NOTICEIf your vehicle is not equipped with the
automatic transmission level gauge,
have the automatic transmission fluid
inspected by an authorized Kia dealer
according to the maintenance schedule.
If your vehicle is equipped with the
automatic transmission level gauge,
inspect the fluid level as follows.
The automatic transmission fluid level
should be checked regularly.
Keep the vehicle on the level ground with
the parking brake applied and check the
fluid level according to the following pro-
cedure.
1. Place the selector lever in N (Neutral)
position and confirm the engine is run-
ning at idle speed.
2. After the transmission is warmed up sufficiently (fluid temperature 70~80°C
(158~176°F), for example by 10 min-
utes usual driving, shift the selector
lever through all positions then place
the selector lever in “N (Neutral) or P
(Park)” position. 3. Confirm that the fluid level is in “HOT”
range on the level gauge. If the fluid
level is lower, add the specified fluid
from the fill hole. If the fluid level is
higher, drain the fluid from the drain
hole.
4. If the fluid level is checked in cold con- dition (fluid temperature 20~30°C
(68~86°F) add the fluid to “COLD” line
and then recheck the fluid level
according to the above step 2.
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Automatic transmission fluid dipstick
25 C
75 C
E2BLA712A
Low
HOT
COLD Full
Low
Cold fluid scale Hot fluid scale
Full

Maintenance20
7
✽
✽
NOTICE“COLD” scale is for reference only and
should NOT be used to determine trans-
mission fluid level.
✽ ✽NOTICENew automatic transmission fluid
should be red. The red dye is added so
the assembly plant can identify it as
automatic transmission fluid and distin-
guish it from engine oil or antifreeze.
The red dye, which is not an indicator of
fluid quality, is not permanent. As the
vehicle is driven, the automatic trans-
mission fluid will begin to look darker.
The color may eventually appear light
brown. Therefore, have an Authorized
Kia dealer change the automatic trans-
mission fluid according to the Scheduled
Maintenance at the beginning of this
section.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transmis-
sion slippage. Overfilling cancause foaming, loss of fluid andtransmission malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transmission mal-function and failure.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply parking brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
WARNING -
Transmission
fluid
The transmission fluid level should
be checked when the engine is at
normal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during this
procedure.

721
Maintenance
LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS Checking the washer fluid level The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visual
inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing.This warning light indicatesthe washer fluid reservoir is
near empty. Refill the washer
fluid as soon as possible.
Body lubrication All moving points of the body, such as
door hinges, hood hinges, and locks,
should be lubricated each time the
engine oil is changed. Use a non-freez-
ing lubricant on locks during cold weath-
er.
Make sure the engine hood secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when
the primary latch is released.
WARNING -
Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to paint and body trim.
Windshield Washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allow
sparks or flame to contact the
washer fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or it's occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contacting
windshield washer fluid. Serious
injury or death could occur.
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Maintenance22
7AIR CLEANER Element replacementHave the air cleaner element checked
and replaced in accordance with the
maintenance schedule.
✽ ✽
NOTICEDo not drive with the air cleaner
removed; this will result in excessive
engine wear.
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CAUTION
- Engine
Driving without an air cleaner
encourages backfiring, which couldcause a fire in the engine compart- ment.