2009 KIA Spectra engine

Driving your vehicle84
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Transaxle rangesP (park)This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotat-
ing. Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into this position.
R (reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (neutral)With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’sseat, 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 vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
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) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into Rwhile the vehicle is in motion,except as explained in “Rockingthe Vehicle”, in this manual.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damagedif you shift into P (Park) whilethe vehicle is in motion.

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Driving your vehicle
D (drive)This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.✽ ✽NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
3 (Third Gear)Move shift lever to this position for
towing a trailer during hill climbing.
This position also provides engine
braking when going down hills.2 (Second Gear)Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This
position also helps reduce wheel
spin on slippery surfaces. When the
shift lever is placed in 2 (Second
Gear), the transaxle will automatical-
ly shift from first to second gear.
L (Low)Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climb-
ing steep grades.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommend-
ed maximum speeds in 2(Second Gear) or L (Low).Operating the vehicle at speedsabove the maximum recom-mended, for 2 (Second Gear) orL (Low) may cause excessiveheat to develop which couldresult in damage to or failure ofthe automatic transaxle.

Driving your vehicle10
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing startTo move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
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
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle cannot
be shifted from P (Park).
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 can-
not be removed.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in or
around the car.

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Driving your vehicle
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 normally would. The
stopping distance, however, 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
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery 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 dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle. 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 resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)

Driving your vehicle14
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Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off. If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
Parking 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 vehicle moves back-
ward.
When parking your vehicle on a downhill 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 vehicle moves forward.
W-75

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Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient 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
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.
ABS
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CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and stays on, you may have aproblem with the ABS system.In this case, however, your reg-ular brakes will work normally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 sec-onds after the ignition switchis ON. During that time, theABS will go through self-diag-nosis and the light will go off ifeverything is normal. If thelight stays on, you may have aproblem with your ABS sys-tem. Contact an authorized Kiadealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road hav-
ing poor traction, such as anicy road, and operate yourbrakes continuously, the ABSwill be active continuouslyand the ABS warning lightmay illuminate. Pull your carover to a safe place and stopthe engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then yourABS system is normal.Otherwise, you may have aproblem with the ABS.Contact an authorized Kiadealer as soon as possible.

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Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICEWhen you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on
at the same time. This happens
because of the low battery voltage. It
does not mean your ABS is malfunc-
tioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.

Driving your vehicle18
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Power steeringPower Steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the
vehicle. 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
steering checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer.
✽ ✽

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 start-
ed. This is caused by increased fluid
viscosity due to the cold weather and
does not indicate a malfunction.
When this happens, increase the
engine RPM by depressing accelera-
tor until the RPM reaches 1,500 rpm
then release or let the engine idle for
two or three minutes to warm up the
fluid.
STEERING WHEEL
CAUTION
Never hold the steering wheel
against a stop (extreme rightor left turn) for more than 5seconds with the engine run-ning. Holding the steeringwheel for more than 5 sec-onds in either position maycause damage to the powersteering pump.
If the power steering drive belt breaks or if the power steeringpump malfunctions, the steer-ing effort will greatly increase.