2011 KIA CADENZA Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
14
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward. N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the lower gear.
✽✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to D
(Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one gear.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except as explained in“Rocking the vehicle” in this sec- tion.
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+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode

515
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
 In sports mode, the driver must exe- cute upshifts in accordance with road
conditions, taking care to keep the
engine speed below the red zone.
 In sports mode, only the 6 forward
gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) or P (Park) position
as required.
 In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
 In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift points
are varied to upshift automatically.
 To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain
gearshifts when the shift lever is oper-
ated.
 When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving on
a slippery road. Push the shift lever to
the -(down) side to shift back to the 1st
gear.Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal isdepressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
noise near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition. Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position into R (Reverse)
position with the brake pedal depressed,
continue depressing the brake, then do
the following:
1. Press the shift-lock release button.
2. Move the shift lever.
3. Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized KIA dealer immediately.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting out
of the P (Park) position into anoth-
er position to avoid inadvertent
motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the car.
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Driving your vehicle
16
5
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)position. Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into R
(Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, slow down and shift to
a lower gear. When you do this, engine
braking will help slow the car.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear maynot be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in P
(Park) to keep the car from moving.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-tor pedal.

517
Driving your vehicle
Moving up a steep grade from a stand-ing start
To move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the
appropriate gear depending on load
weight and steepness of the grade, and
release the parking brake. Depress the
accelerator gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle free
by moving it forward and backward.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people orobjects.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properlybelted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim- its.

Driving your vehicle
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5
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING
- Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This will create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increasedstopping distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brakeapplication will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to oneside when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performancereturns to normal.
WARNING - Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you mustuse the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.

519
Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then depress the park-
ing brake pedal down as far as possible. In addition it is recommended that when
parking the vehicle on an incline, the shift
lever should be in the P (Park) position.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, depress
the parking brake pedal a second time
while applying the foot brake. The pedal
will automatically extend to the fullyreleased position.
If the parking brake does not release or
does not release all the way, have the
system checked by an authorized KIA
dealer.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to aserious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
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CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brakepad and brake rotor wear.

Driving your vehicle
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Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switch in the START or ONposition.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released while
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function in the brake system. Immediate
attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop. Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move- ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parkingbrake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants orpedestrians.
W-75
WARNING
ABS (or ESP) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving maneuvers. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Program system) may be longer
than for those without it in the fol-
lowing road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle should be driven at reducedspeeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered roads.
With tire chains installed. (Continued)

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Driving your vehicle
The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the situa-
tion warrants and allow the ABS to con-
trol the force being delivered to the
brakes.✽✽NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system, your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
(Continued)
On roads where the road surfaceis pitted or has different surface height.
The safety features of an ABS (or
ESP) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.