75
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized KIA dealer atthe frequencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used. Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the 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 steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-aheadposition.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-mal).
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.
Maintenance
6
7
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in the engine
coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check the radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened with
washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean the body and door drain holes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.
Maintenance
40
7
CAUTION
Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handlingand reduced fuel economy. Wheel deformation also ispossible. Keep your tire pres-sures at the proper levels. If a tire frequently needs refilling,have it checked by an author-ized KIA dealer.
Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear atthe center of the tire tread, anda greater possibility of dam-age from road hazards.
TIRES AND WHEELS
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle. Recommended cold tire inflation pressures All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold Tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.
For recommended inflation pressure,
refer to “Tire and wheels” in section 8. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the vehicle.
WARNING -
Tire underin- flation
Severe underinflation (70 kPa(10 psi) or more) can lead to
severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation andother tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for long periods at high speeds.
OYN089003
741
Maintenance
Checking tire inflation pressure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to check
Use a good quality gage to check tire
pressure. You can not tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by look-
ing at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're
underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven nomore than 1.6 km (1 mile).
WARNING- Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure. This
could result in loss of vehicle
control and potential injury.
CAUTION - Tire pressure
Always observe the following:
Check tire pressure when the tires are cold. (After vehiclehas been parked for at leastthree hours or hasn't beendriven more than 1.6 km (one mile) since startup.)
Check the pressure of your spare tire each time you checkthe pressure of other tires.
Never overload your vehicle. Be careful not to overload avehicle luggage rack if your vehicle is equipped with one.
Worn, old tires can cause acci- dents. If your tread is badlyworn, or if your tires havebeen damaged, replace them.
CAUTION
Warm tires normally exceed recommended cold tire pres-sures by 28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6psi). Do not release air fromwarm tires to adjust the pres- sure or the tires will be under-inflated.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation valve caps. Withoutthe valve cap, dirt or moisture could get into the valve coreand cause air leakage. If avalve cap is missing, install a new one as soon as possible.
Maintenance
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7
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflationpressure matches the recommendedpressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture. Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom- mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to “Tire and wheels” in section 8.
WARNING
Inspect your tires frequently for proper inflation as well as
wear and damage. Always use
a tire pressure gauge.
Tires with too much or too little pressure wear unevenly caus-
ing poor handling, loss of vehi-
cle control, and sudden tirefailure leading to accidents,
injuries, and even death. Therecommended cold tire pres-
sure for your vehicle can be
found in this manual and onthe tire label located on the dri-
ver's side center pillar.
Worn tires can cause acci- dents. Replace tires that are
worn, show uneven wear, or
are damaged.
Remember to check the pres- sure of your spare tire. KIA
recommends that you check
the spare every time you
check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.
743
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tires are rotated.
✽✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
Wheel alignment and tire balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
WARNING
Do not use the compact spare tire for tire rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
CBGQ0706
CBGQ0707
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
With a full-size spare tire Directional tires (if equipped)
Maintenance
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7
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there isless than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
OEN076053
Tread wear indicatorWARNING - Replacing
tires
To reduce the chance or serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
Replace tires that are worn, show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, andtraction.
Do not drive your vehicle with too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
When replacing tires, never mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same car. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)(Continued)
Using tires and wheel otherthan the recommended sizes
could cause unusual handling
characteristics and poor vehi-
cle control, resulting in a seri-ous accident.
Wheels that do not meet KIA’s specifications may fit poorly
and result in damage to the
vehicle or unusual handling
and poor vehicle control.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. Tire
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESP (Electronic Stability
Program) to work irregularly.(if equipped)
745
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replacement (if equipped)
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mountedon the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is notdesigned to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire. Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset.
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. Slow down whenever there
is rain, snow or ice on the road, toreduce the possibility of losing con-
trol of the vehicle. Tire maintenance In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps decrease tire
wear. If you find a tire worn unevenly,
have your dealer check the wheelalignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removedfrom the wheel.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,speedometer and odometer cal-
ibration, headlight aim and
bumper height.