53
Driving tips
Carbon monoxide can be present withother exhaust fumes. Therefore, if you
smell exhaust fumes of any kind inside
your vehicle, have it inspected and
repaired immediately. If you ever sus-
pect 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 confined 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 vehi- cle 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 damage to the
emission control system.Operating precautions for catalytic
converters
Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic
converter emission control device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
Use only UNLEADED FUEL for gaso-line engine (unleaded).
Do not operate the vehicle when there are signs of engine malfunction, such
as misfire or a noticeable loss of per-
formance.
Do not misuse or abuse the engine. Examples of misuse are coasting with
the ignition off and descending steep
grades in gear with the ignition off. Do not operate the engine at high idle
speed for extended periods (5 minutes
or more).
Do not modify or tamper with any part of the engine or emission control sys-
tem. All inspections and adjustments
must be made by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Failure to observe these precautions
could result in damage to the catalytic
converter and to your vehicle.
Additionally, such actions could void your
warranties.
WARNING- Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite
flammable items under your vehi-
cle. Do not park, idle or drive the
vehicle over or near flammable
objects, such as grass, vegetation,
paper, leaves, etc.
Driving tips
45
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in
Section 7, Maintenance.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls areeasily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.WARNING- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgement. Driving
while under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerous
than driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or take
drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
55
Driving tips
SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATION
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a
liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once theengine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing. Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
Save fuel by accelerating slowly after stopping.
Keep the engine in tune and follow the recommended periodic maintenance
schedule. This will increase the life of
all parts and lower your operating
costs.
Do not use the air conditioner unnec- essarily.
Slow down when driving on rough roads.
For longer tire life and better fuel econ- omy, always keep the tires inflated to
the recommended pressures. Maintain a safe distance from other
vehicles to avoid sudden stops. This
will reduce wear on brake linings and
pads. Driving in such a way will also
save fuel because extra fuel is required
to accelerate back to driving speed.
Do not carry unnecessary weight in the vehicle.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage to the
brakes, and poor fuel economy.
Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel econo-
my.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur- ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect.
Driving tips
65
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when stalled
in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn
the steering wheel right and left to clear
the area around your front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between 1 (First) and
R (Reverse) in vehicles equipped with a
manual transaxle or R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped with
an automatic transaxle. Do not race the
engine, and spin the wheels as little as
possible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow
vehicle to avoid engine overheating and
possible damage to the transaxle.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or fail-
ure, and tire damage.
CAUTION- ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystanders.
57
Driving tips
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight, here
are some important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more distancebetween you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's headlights.
Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment 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 condition, 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 eas- ier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large puddles 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 oper-
ation returns.
Winter driving
We recommend that you carry emer-gency 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 ethyl- ene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce the
output capability of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to pro-
vide enough winter starting power.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for cold weather.
Check the ignition system for loose connections and damage.
Use antifreeze-formulated windshield washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift to 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) with a manual transaxle
or P (Park) with an automatic transaxle
and block the rear wheels.
511
Driving tips
The vehicle certification label attached
on the driver’s side center pillar gives the
vehicle identification number (VIN).
Tire specification and pressure
label
The tires supplied on your new vehicle
are chosen to provide the best perform-
ance for normal driving.
The tire label located on the driver's side
center pillar gives the tire pressures rec-
ommended for your car.
Engine number
The engine number is stamped on the
engine block as shown in the drawing.
OJB060002OJB059009N
In case of an emergency
26
ROAD WARNING
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle. It
should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.
Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
The turn signals do not work when the hazard flasher is on.
Care must be taken when using the hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.
If the engine stalls at a crossroad
or crossing
If the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehi-
cle to a safe place.
If you have a flat tire while driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedaland let the car slow down while driving
straight ahead. Do not apply the brakes
immediately or attempt to pull off the
road as this may cause a loss of con-
trol. When the car has slowed to such
a speed that it is safe to do so, brake
carefully and pull off the road. Drive off
the road as far as possible and park on
firm, level ground. If you are on a divid-
ed highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes.
2. When the car is stopped, turn on your emergency hazard flashers, set the
parking brake and put the transmission
in P.
3. Have all passengers get out of the car. Be sure they all get out on the side of
the car that is away from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.
1JBN6001
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
WHILE DRIVING
63
In case of an emergency
If engine stalls while driving
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keepinga straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized Kia dealer or seek other
qualified assistance. If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these symp-
toms occur, use the following procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flasher,
then drive to the nearest safe location
and stop your vehicle; set the automat-
ic transaxle in P (Park), or shift the
manual transaxle to N (Neutral) and
apply the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator, stop the engine and call an
authorized Kia dealer for assistance.
If coolant is not boiling out, allow the
engine to idle and open the hood to
permit the engine to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the engine
and allow sufficient time for it to cool. 4. The coolant level should then be
checked. If the level in the reservoir is
low, look for leaks at the radiator hoses
and connections, heater hoses and
connections, radiator, and water
pump. If you find a major leak or anoth-
er problem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operate the
engine until it has been corrected. Call
an authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance. If you do not find a leak or other
problem, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir.
If the engine frequently overheats, havethe cooling system checked and repairedby an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING- Removing
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. This
could cause serious injury.
OVERHEATING