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Driving tips
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TRAILER TOWING
✽ ✽ NOTICEPulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this section.
Your Sportage equipped with a 2.7
liter engine can tow a trailer.
However, we do not recommend
trailer towing for the Sportage
equipped with the 2.0 liter engine. To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in
“Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section.
Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requires
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly. This section contains many time-
tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Please read this
section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements.
WARNING
- Towing a
trailer
If you don't use the correct
equipment and drive properly,
you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the
trailer is too heavy, the brakes
may not work well - or even at
all. You and your passengers
could be seriously or fatally
injured. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in
this section.
Item 2.7L Engine
Maximum trailer Without trailer brakes 454 (1000)
weight kg (lbs.) With trailer brakes 907 (2000)
Maximum permissible static vertical
load on the coupling device kg (lbs.) 91 (200)
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Driving tips
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Following distance Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.Passing You’ll need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.
Backing up Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, just move your
hand to the left. To move the trailer to
the right, move your hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.Making turns When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or sud-
den maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn signals when towing a trailer When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly connected,
the trailer lights will also flash to alert
other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are
seeing your signals when, in fact,
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you dis-
connect and then reconnect the
wires.
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In case of an emergency22
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Tire replacement 1. Park on a level surface and apply
the parking brake firmly.
2. Shift the shift lever into R (Reverse) with manual transaxle
or P (Park) with automatic
transaxle.
3. Activate the hazard warning flash- er. 4. Remove the wheel lug nut wrench,
jack, jack handle, and spare tire
from the vehicle.
5. Block both the front and rear of the wheel that is diagonally opposite
the jack position.
WARNING
- Changing a tire
To prevent vehicle movementwhile changing a tire, always
set the parking brake fully, and
always block the wheel diago-
nally opposite the wheel being
changed.
It is recommended that the wheels of the vehicle be
chocked, and that no person
should remain in a vehicle that
is being jacked.
1VQA4022
1VQA4023
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Chart symbols:I- Inspect these items and their related parts. If necessary, correct, clean, refill, adjust of replace.
R- Replace or change
L- Lubricate.(1) Refer to the lubricant and coolant specifications in the Owner’s Manual.
(2) More frequent maintenance is required if driving under dusty conditions.
(3) More frequent maintenance is required if the vehicle is operated under any of the following conditions: a. Short-distance driving.
b. Driving on dusty roads.
c. Extensive idling or slow-speed driving in stop-and-go traffic.
(4) If necessary, rotate and balance the wheels.
* Note: Check the engine oil and coolant levels every week.
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Maintenance12
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OWNER MAINTENANCE Owner maintenance schedule The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an
Authorized Kia Dealer at the fre-
quencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your
vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.
When you stop for fuel: Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant
reservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle: Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, level
road.
When stopping, listen and check for strange sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow out
under pressure. This could cause
burns or other serious injury.