2010 KIA SORENTO Driving

549
Driving your vehicle
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glarefrom 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 missingareas 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.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allowadequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
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Driving your vehicle
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Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽✽
NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engineoil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tiresshould be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.
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551
Driving your vehicle
More weather conditions of winter result
in greater wear and other problems. To
minimize winter driving problem, you
should follow these suggestions:Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-
cations, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-
cient distance between the vehicle in
operation in front and your vehicle. Also,
apply the brake gently. It should be notedthat installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.
✽✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all countries.
Check the country laws before fitting
tire chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING - Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety
and handling of your vehicle may
be adversely affected.
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Driving your vehicle
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Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by mount-
ing some types of snow chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is rec-
ommended instead of snow chains. Do
not mount tire chains on vehicles
equipped with aluminum wheels; snow
chains may cause damage to the wheels.
If snow chains must be used, use wire-
type chains with a thickness of less than
15 mm (0.59 in). Damage to your vehicle
caused by improper snow chain use is
not covered by your vehicle manufactur-
ers warranty. When using tire chains, attach them to
the drive wheels as follows.
2WD : Front wheels
4WD : All four wheels
If a full set of chains is not avail-
able for a 4WD vehicle, chains
may be installed on the front
wheels only. Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the manu-
facturer's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains are
the correct size and type for yourtires. Incorrect snow chains cancause damage to the vehicle body and suspension and may not becovered by your vehicle manufac-
turer warranty. Also, the snowchain connecting hooks may bedamaged from contacting vehicle components causing the snow
chains to come loose from thetire. Make sure the snow chainsare SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installation for proper mounting after drivingapproximately 0.5 to 1 km (0.3 to0.6 miles) to ensure safe mount-ing. Retighten or remount the
chains if they are loose.
WARNING
- Mounting chains
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place
a triangular emergency warning
device behind the vehicle if avail-
able. Always place the vehicle in P
(Park), apply the parking brake and
turn off the engine before installing
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Driving your vehicle
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling
system. It is the only type of coolant that
should be used because it helps prevent
corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with themaintenance schedule in section 7.
Before winter, have your coolant tested toassure that its freezing point is sufficient
for the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
7. The level of charge in your battery can
be checked by an authorized KIA dealer
or a service station.Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary In some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See section 8
for recommendations. If you aren't sure
what weight oil you should use, consult
an authorized KIA dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in
section 7 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 30 km/h (20 mph) or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other
road hazards, which may cause
the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
CAUTION
Chains that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-pension, body and wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

Driving your vehicle
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To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an
approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into
the key opening. If a lock is covered with
ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing
fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is
frozen internally, you may be able to thaw
it out by using a heated key. Handle the
heated key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is
available from an authorized KIA dealer
and most auto parts outlets. Do not useengine coolant or other types of anti-
freeze as these may damage the paintfinish. Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
This is most likely to happen when there
is an accumulation of snow or ice around
or near the rear brakes or if the brakes
are wet. If there is a risk the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily while you put the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accumu- late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the car to be sure the move-
ment of the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er, you should carry appropriate emer-
gency equipment. Some of the items you
may want to carry include tire chains, tow
straps or chains, flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, shovel, jumper cables, win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.

555
Driving your vehicle
If you are considering towing with your
vehicle, you should first check with your
country's Department of Motor Vehicles
to determine their legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for tow-
ing trailers, cars, or other types of vehi-
cles or apparatus may differ. Ask an
authorized KIA dealer for further details
before towing.✽✽NOTICE - For Europe
 The technically permissible maximum load on the rear axle(s) may be
exceeded by not more than 15% and
the technically permissible maximum
laden mass of the vehicle may be
exceeded by not more than 10% or
100kg (220.4 lbs), whichever value is
lower. In this case, do not exceed 100
km/h (62.1 mph) for vehicle of catego-
ry M1 or 80 km/h (49.7 mph) for vehi-
cle of category N1.
 When a vehicle of category M1 is tow- ing a trailer, the additional load
imposed at the trailer coupling device
may cause the tire maximum load rat-
ings to be exceeded, but not by more
than 15%. In this case, do not exceed
100 km/h (62.1 mph) and increase the
tire inflation pressure by at least 0.2
bar. Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify
what the vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you should read the infor-
mation in “Weight of the trailer” thatappears later in this section.
Remember that trailering is different than
just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling,
durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering requires correct equip-
ment, 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 assemblies, 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
additional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also considerably adds wind
resistance, increasing pulling require-
ments.
TRAILER TOWING (FOR EUROPE)
WARNING
- Towing a trailer
If you don't use the correct equip-
ment and drive improperly, 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 inthis section.
WARNING - Weight limits
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, grossaxle weight and trailer tongue loadare all within the limits.
CAUTION
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result incostly repairs not covered by yourwarranty. To pull a trailer correctly,follow the advice in this section.

Driving your vehicle
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Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few rea-
sons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here
are some rules to follow:
Do you have to make any holes in the
body of your vehicle when you install a
trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to
seal the holes later when you removethe hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can
get into your vehicle, as well as dirt and
water.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do not attach
rental hitches or other bumper-type
hitches. Use only a frame-mountedhitch that does not attach to the
bumper.
KIA trailer hitch accessory is available at an authorized KIA dealer. Left side
 Right side