2009 KIA Sportage stop start

423
Driving your vehicle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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.
✽ ✽ NOTICE• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS system. In this case,
however, your regular brakes will
work normally.
• The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds after
the ignition switch is ON. During
that time, the ABS will go through
self-diagnosis and the light will go
off if everything is normal. If the
light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS system.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
✽ ✽ NOTICE• When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop the
engine.
• Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your ABS
system is normal. Otherwise, you
may have a problem with the ABS.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
W-78

425
Driving your vehicle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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.
✽ ✽NOTICE• Never hold the steering wheel
against a stop (extreme right or
left turn) for more than 5 seconds
with the engine running. Holding
the steering wheel for more than 5
seconds in either position may
cause damage to the power steer-
ing pump.
• If the power steering drive belt breaks or if the power steering
pump malfunctions, the steering
effort will greatly increase.
✽ ✽

NOTICEIf the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather
(below -10°C/14°F), the power steer-
ing may require increased effort
when the engine is first started. 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

443
Driving your vehicle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Safety belt warning If the driver's safety belt is not fas-
tened when the key is turned ON or
if it is unfastened after the key is
turned ON, the safety belt warning
light blinks until the belt fastened.Shift pattern indicators
(if equipped)The individual indicators illuminate to
show the automatic transaxle shift
lever selection.
Immobilizer indicator
(if equipped)This light illuminates when the immo-
bilizer key is inserted and turned to
the ON position to start the engine.
At this time, you can start the engine.
The light goes out after the engine is
running. In case this light goes out
before you start the engine, you must
turn to the LOCK position and restart
the engine.
If this light blinks when the ignition
switch is in the ON position before
starting the engine, have the system
checked by an authorized Kia
Dealer.
Parking brake & brake
fluid warning Parking brake warning This light is illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion. The warning light should go off
when the parking brake is released.Low brake fluid level warningIf the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in
the reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safelocation and stop your vehicle.

Driving your vehicle48
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Safety belt warning chime If the driver's safety belt is not fas-
tened when the ignition key is turned
ON or if it is unfastened after the key
is ON, the safety belt warning chime
will sound for approximately 6 sec-
onds. At this time, if the safety belt is
fastened, the chime will stop at once.Parking start warning chimeIf you drive over 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
with the parking brake applied, the
parking start warning chime will
sound.Key reminder warning chimeIf the driver’s door is opened while
the ignition key is left in the ignition
switch, the key reminder warning
chime will sound. This is to prevent
you from locking your keys in the
vehicle.

53
Driving tips
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMThe emission control system of your
vehicle is covered by a written limited
warranty. Please see the warranty
information contained in the
Warranty & Consumer Information
Manual in your vehicle.Vehicle modifications This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification of your Kia could affect
its performance, safety or durability
and may even violate governmental
safety and emissions regulations.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from any modifi-
cation may not be covered under
warranty.
Engine exhaust gas precau-
tions (carbon monoxide) Carbon monoxide can be presentwith other exhaust fumes.
Therefore, if you smell exhaust
fumes of any kind inside your vehi-
cle, have it inspected and repaired
immediately. If you ever suspect
exhaust fumes are coming into
your vehicle, drive it only with all
the windows fully open. Have your
vehicle checked and repaired
immediately. Do not operate the engine in con-
fined or closed areas (such as
garages) any more than what is
necessary to move the vehicle in or
out of the area.
When the vehicle is stopped in an open area for more than a short
time with the engine running,
adjust the ventilation system (as
needed) to draw outside air into the
vehicle.
Never sit in a parked or stopped vehicle for any extended time with
the engine running.
When the engine stalls or fails to start, excessive attempts to re-
start the engine may cause dam-
age to the emission control sys-
tem.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
WARNING -
Exhaust
Engine exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide (CO). Though
colorless and odorless, it is
dangerous and could be lethal if
inhaled. Follow the instructions
following to avoid CO poison-
ing.

Driving tips10
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Driving in the rain Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield. If your tires are not in good condi-
tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud- dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Winter driving We recommend that you carryemergency equipment, including
tire chains, a window scraper,
windshield de-icer, a bag of sand
or salt, flares, a small shovel and
jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient eth- ylene-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.

519
Driving tips
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Scanning the terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain. You
need to be familiar with the terrain
and its many different features. Here
are some things to consider.Surface conditionsOff-roading can take you over hard-
packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass,
sand, mud, snow or ice. Each of
these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration, and braking of your
vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface
you are on, you may experience slip-
ping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction,
and longer braking distances.
Surface obstaclesUnseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or
bump can startle you if you’re not
prepared. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or
even the rise and fall of the terrain
itself. Here are some things to con-
stantly evaluate:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture changeahead?
Does the path take you uphill or downhill?
Might you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly?
When you drive over obstacles or
rough terrain, it is critical that you
keep a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other sur-
face features can force the wheel out
of your hands if you’re not prepared. When you drive over bumps, rocks,
or other obstacles, your wheels can
leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you
can’t control the vehicle as well or
perhaps at all. Because you will be
on an unpaved surface, it’s especial-
ly important to avoid sudden acceler-
ation, sudden turns, or sudden brak-
ing. Any of these actions could cause
the center of gravity of the vehicle to
shift and destabilize the vehicle,
leading to a collision or rollover acci-
dent.
Off-road driving requires a different
kind of alertness from driving on
paved roads and highways. There
are no road signs, posted speed lim-
its or signal lights. You have to use
your own judgment about what is
safe and what isn’t. Bad judgment in
this uncontrolled environment can be
fatal.

523
Driving tips
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Stalling while driving uphillWhat should I do if my vehicle stalls,or is about to stall, and I can’t makeit up the hill?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 vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transaxle into reverse, release
the parking brake, and slowly back
down the hill in reverse. If your engine has stopped run-
ning, you’ll need to restart it. With
the brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift a
manual transaxle to N (Neutral), or
an automatic transaxle 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. 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 by
depressing 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
vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back
down.