2009 KIA Sportage ESP

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Driving tips
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Driving on a hill (“4WD LOCK”
for full-time 4WD operation) Use low gear when going uphill ordownhill and avoid sudden braking.
Do not shift gears or use your clutch when going downhill. Do not
coast downhill in Neutral.
Crossing a ditch (“4WD LOCK”
for full-time 4WD operation) Avoid driving through ditches ifpossible, especially if there is
water in the ditch. Your vehicle may
stall if the electrical system gets
wet. If you must cross a ditch,
select 4WD LOCK mode.
Avoid driving where the water level is higher than the bottom of the
wheel hub. If the water level rises
above this mark, your vehicle will
need to be serviced.
Tap lightly on the brake pedal dur- ing and after driving through water.
This will help keep the brakes dry
and in proper working order.
Do not shift gears while crossing a ditch.
Tight corner brake effectThis is called tight corner brake
effect. Tight corner brake effect is a
unique characteristic of four-wheel
drive vehicles caused by the differ-
ence in tire rotation at the four
wheels and the zero-degree align-
ment of the front wheels and sus-
pension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.
CAUTION -
4WD
When turning sharply on apaved road at low speed whilein four-wheel drive, steeringcontrol will be difficult.

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Driving tips
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Traveling to remote areasIt makes sense to plan your trip,
especially when going to a remote
area. Know the terrain and plan your
route. You are much less likely to
encounter unwanted surprises. Get
accurate maps of trails.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at
least one other vehicle. If something
happens to one of them, the other
can quickly help.
WARNING -
Cargo
Cargo piled close to the height of (or higher than) the seat
backs can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop or on
downhill slopes. You or your
passengers could be severely
injured. Keep cargo below the
top of the seat backs and, if
possible, do not pile separate
items.
Unsecured cargo in the cargo area can be tossed about
when driving on the highways
or over rough terrain. You or
your passengers can be
struck by flying objects and
severely injured. Secure the
cargo properly.
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Cargo should not be carriedon the roof without a proper
roof rack installed. The roof
rack will hold a maximum of
45 kg (100 lbs.). Heavy loads
in a roof rack raise the vehi-
cle’s center of gravity, making
it more likely to roll over. You
can be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls
over. Do not load cargo on the
roof while driving off-road, if
at all possible. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area,
not on the roof or in a roof
rack. Keep cargo in the cargo
area as far forward and low as
possible.

Driving tips18
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Getting familiar with off-road driv-
ingIt’s necessary for you to practice in
an area that’s safe and close to
home before you begin serious off-
road driving. Off-road driving
requires new and different driving
skills.
You need to tune your senses to dif-
ferent kinds of signals. For example,
constantly sweep the terrain with
your eyes looking for unexpected
obstacles. Listen for unusual tire,
gear, or engine sounds. Feel and
respond to the vibrations of the vehi-
cle with your hands, feet, and body
while still carefully controlling your
vehicle. You’ll also need to adjust
your expectations and greatly lower
the number of miles you expect to
cover in an hour or a day. Controlling your vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your vehicle
is to control your speed. Here are
some things to keep in mind when
traveling at higher speeds:
You approach things faster and you
have less time to scan the terrain
for obstacles.
You have less time to react.
You have much more vehicle bounce when you drive over obsta-
cles, giving you less vehicle con-
trol.
You’ll need more distance for brak- ing, especially since you’re on an
unpaved surface. Such terrain will
always be more “slippery” than a
paved road.
WARNING -
Off road driv-
ing
When you’re driving off-road,
bouncing and quick changes in
direction can easily throw you
out of position in your seat. This
could cause you to lose control
of the vehicle and crash.
Whether you are driving on or
off the road, you and your pas-
sengers should always wear
safety belts.

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Driving tips
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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.

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Safety chains You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trail-
er. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that the
tongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufactur-
er or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recom-
mendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trail-
er. And, never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer brakes If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes loaded, then it needs its
own brakes and they must be ade-
quate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake
system.
Driving with a trailer Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now a
good deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.
WARNING -
Trailer brakes
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have properly
set up the brake system. This is
not a task for amateurs. Use an
experienced, competent trailer
shop for this work.

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This device complies with
Industry Canada Standard RSS-
210. Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions:
1. This device may not cause inter- ference, and
2. This device must accept any inter- ference, including interference that
may cause undesired operation of
the device.
WARNING
Changes or modifications not
expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance
could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
IC: 4112104541A Gentex
MODEL/FCC ID: NZLSTDHL3

In case of an emergency20
6The compact spare should be inflat-
ed to 420 kPa (60 psi).✽ ✽
NOTICECheck the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to
the specified pressure, as necessary.
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
Under no circumstances should
you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a
higher speed could damage the
tire.
Ensure that you drive slowly enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
Any continuous road use of this tire could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible per-
sonal injury.
Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi- mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire.
Avoid driving over obstacles. The compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately
25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle. Do not take this vehicle through an
automatic car wash.
This tire should not be installed on the front axle if the vehicle must be
driven in snow or on ice.
Do not use the compact spare tire on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
The compact spare tire’s tread life is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
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CAUTION
This spare tire should be usedonly for VERY short distances.Compact spares should NEVERbe used for long drives orextended distances.

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Maintenance
MAINTENANCE SERVICESYou should exercise the utmost care
to prevent damage to your vehicle
and injury to yourself whenever per-
forming any maintenance or inspec-
tion procedures.
Should you have any doubts con-
cerning the inspection or servicing of
your vehicle, we strongly recom-
mend that you have an Authorized
Kia Dealer perform this work.
An Authorized Kia Dealer has facto-
ry-trained technicians and genuine
Kia parts to service your vehicle
properly. For expert advice and qual-
ity service, see an Authorized Kia
Dealer.
Inadequate, incomplete or insuffi-
cient servicing may result in opera-
tional problems with your vehicle that
could lead to vehicle damage, an
accident, or personal injury.
Owner’s responsibility Maintenance Service and Record
Retention are the owner's respon-
sibility.
You should retain documents that
show proper maintenance has been
performed on your vehicle in accor-
dance with the scheduled mainte-
nance service charts shown on the
following pages. You need this infor-
mation to establish your compliance
with the servicing and maintenance
requirements of your Kia warranties.
Detailed warranty information is pro-
vided in your Warranty & Consumer
Information manual.Repairs and adjustments required as
a result of improper maintenance or
a lack of required maintenance are
not covered.
We strongly recommend that all vehi-
cle maintenance be performed by an
authorized Kia dealer using genuine
Kia parts.
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