Driving your vehicle
46
5
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a very
high gear resulting in engine bucking. If
this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
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 during 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. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.
547
Driving your vehicle
E110100AHM-EC
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 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 or other non-slip material under the drive wheels to pro-
vide traction when stalled in ice, snow,
or mud.
E110200BHM-EU
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 driving wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehicles
equipped with an automatic transmission.
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 transmission.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
1VQA3002
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transmission, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an acci-
dent. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid.
Be careful when downshifting on
slippery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may causeengine overheating, transmission damage or failure, and tire damage.
553
Driving your vehicle
E120800AHM
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 gear shift lever in P
(Park) and block the rear wheels so the
vehicle cannot roll. Then release the
parking brake.
E120900AHM
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 vehicle to be sure the
movement of the front wheels and the
steering components is not obstructed.
E121000ASA-EC
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 tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, shovel, jumper cables, window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, coveralls,
blanket, etc.
Driving your vehicle
56
5
E140400ASA
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 yourself 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 mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake con-
troller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electri-
cal connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and trailer brakes are still working.
E140401AUN
Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-
cle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
E140402AUN
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because of the increased vehicle length,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.
E140403AUN
Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move your hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly
and, if possible, have someone guide
you.
E140404AUN
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Driving your vehicle
58
5
E140407AHM
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down the hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.
Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the curb (right if headed down hill,
left if headed up hill).
2. Shift the vehicle to P (Park) for an automatic transmission.
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels. 5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift
to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to P
(Park) for automatic transmission.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not over- heat. If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge moves acrossthe dial towards “H” (HOT), pullover and stop as soon as it is safeto do so, and allow the engine toidle until it cools down. You mayproceed once the engine hascooled sufficiently.
You must decide the driving speed depending on trailerweight and uphill grade to reducethe possibility of engine andtransmission overheating.
WARNING- Parking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause seri-
ous injury or death, should the trail-
er break loose.WARNING- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
621
What to do in an emergency
When towing your vehicle in an emer-
gency without wheel dollies :
1. Set the ignition switch in the ACC posi-tion.
2. Place the transmission shift lever in N (Neutral).
3. For part-time 4WD vehicle, set the transfer shift knob to 2H.
4. Release the parking brake.
F080300AHM-EU
Emergency towing
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by an authorized
KIA dealer or a commercial tow truck
service. If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing hook
under the front of the vehicle. Use
extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull a vehi-
cle out of mud, sand or other condi-
tions from which the vehicle cannot be
driven out under its own power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other frequent-
ly.
OHM068013NCAUTION
Failure to place the transmissionshift lever in N (Neutral) and thetransfer shift knob for part-time4WD operation to 2H may causeinternal damage to the transmis-sion.
623
What to do in an emergency
F080301AHM-EU
Emergency towing precautions
Turn the ignition switch to ACC so thesteering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transmission shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than usual since you will have reduced
brake performance.
More steering effort will be required because the power steering system
will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake per-
formance will be reduced. Stop often
and let the brakes cool off.
F080400AHM
Tie-down hook
(for flatbed towing)
OHM068014
WARNING
Do not use the hooks under the
rear of the vehicle for towing pur-
poses. These hooks are designed
ONLY for transport tie-down. If the
tie-down hooks are used for towing,
the tie-down hooks or rear bumper
will be damaged and this could lead
to serious injury.
CAUTION - Automatictransmission
If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it canbe towed only from the front. Besure that the transmission is inneutral. Be sure the steering is unlocked by placing the ignitionswitch in the ACC position. Adriver must be in the towed vehi-cle to operate the steering andbrakes.
To avoid serious damage to the automatic transmission, limit thevehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph)and drive less than 1.5 km (1mile) when towing.
Before towing, check the auto- matic transmission fluid leakunder your vehicle. If the auto- matic transmission fluid is leak-ing, a flatbed equipment or tow-ing dolly must be used.
7
Engine compartment / 7-2
Maintenance services / 7-4
Owner maintenance / 7-5
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-11
Engine oil / 7-14
Engine coolant / 7-15
Brake fluid / 7-18
Power steering fluid / 7-19
Washer fluid / 7-20
Parking brake / 7-20
Air cleaner / 7-21
Climate control air filter / 7-21
Wiper blades / 7-22
Battery / 7-25
Tires and wheels / 7-28
Fuses / 7-42
Appearance care / 7-53
Emission control system / 7-67
Maintenance