
Driving your vehicle
50
5
When you are ready to leave after park- ing on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in Neutral
or automatic transaxle in P (Park),
apply your brakes and hold the brake
pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks. Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-tion to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nutsand bolts should be tight.CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
in hot days or during uphill driv- ing. If the coolant gauge indicatesover-heating, switch off the A/Cand stop the vehicle in a safe area
to cool down the engine.
When towing, check the transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan to improve engine performancewhen towing a trailer.
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What to do in an emergency
2
6
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
vehicle to a safe place.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a ignition lock
switch, the vehicle can move forward
by shifting to the 2 (second) or 3 (third)
gear and then turning the starter with-out depressing the clutch pedal.
If you have a flat tire while driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and let the vehicle 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
control. When the vehicle has slowed
down 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 possi-
ble and park on a firm level ground. If
you are on a divided highway, do not
park in the median area between the
two traffic lanes.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING
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623
What to do in an emergency
Use a towing strap less than 5 m (16feet) long. Attach a white or red cloth (about 30 cm (12 inches) wide) in the
middle of the strap for easy visibility.
Drive carefully so that the towing strap is not loosened during towing.
Emergency towing precautions
Turn the ignition switch to ACC so thesteering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than normal 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.
WARNING
Use extreme caution when towing
the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and tow-
ing cable or chain. The hook and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
If the disabled vehicle is unable to move, do not forcibly continue
the towing. Contact an authorized
KIA dealer or a commercial tow
truck service for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle dur- ing towing.
CAUTION - Automatic
transaxle
If the car is being towed with all four wheels on the ground, it can
be towed only from the front. Besure that the transaxle is in neu- tral. Be sure the steering isunlocked by placing the ignition
switch in the ACC position. Adriver must be in the towed vehi-cle to operate the steering and brakes.
To avoid serious damage to the automatic transaxle, limit thevehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph)and drive less than 1.5 km (1
mile) when towing.
Before towing, check the level of the automatic transaxle fluid. If itis below the "HOT" range on thedipstick, add fluid. If you cannot
add fluid, a towing dolly must beused.OED066029
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Maintenance
6
7
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.
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729
Maintenance
Automatic transaxle fluid (if equipped)
The fluid level should be in the "HOT"
range of the dipstick, after the engine
and transaxle are at normal operating
temperature. Check the automatic
transaxle fluid level with the engine run-
ning and the transaxle in neutral, with the
parking brake properly applied. Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately. Brake fluid
Check brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir. The level should be between
“MIN” and “MAX” marks on the side of
the reservoir. Use only hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4specification.Parking brake
Inspect the parking brake system includ-
ing the parking brake pedal and cables.
Brake discs, pads, calipers and
rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear, discs
for run out and wear, and calipers for fluid
leakage. Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections for
looseness or damage. Retighten to the
specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or damage.
Check the dust boots and ball joints for
deterioration, cracks, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts. Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and clamps
for cracks, deterioration, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts and, if nec-
essary, repack the grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant (if equipped)
Check the air conditioning lines and con-
nections for leakage and damage.
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735
Maintenance
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (IF EQUIPPED)
Checking the automatic transaxle
fluid level
The automatic transaxle fluid level
should be checked regularly.
Keep the vehicle on the level ground with
the parking brake applied and check the
fluid level according to the following pro-
cedure.
1. Place the shift lever in N (Neutral) posi- tion and confirm the engine is running
at normal idle speed.
2. After the transaxle is warmed up suffi- ciently [fluid temperature 70~80°C
(158~176°F)], for example by 10 min-
utes usual driving, move the shift leverthrough all positions then place the
shift lever in N(Neutral) or P(Park)position. 3. Confirm if the fluid level is in the "HOT"
range on the level gauge. If the fluid
level is lower, add the specified fluid
from the fill hole. If the fluid level is
higher, drain the fluid from the drain
hole.
4. If the fluid level is checked in cold con- dition [fluid temperature 20~30 °C
(68~86 °F)], add the fluid to the “C”
(COLD) line and then recheck the fluid
level according to the above step 2.
WARNING - Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should be
checked when the engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during
this procedure.
WARNING - Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply parking brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle slippage. Overfilling can causefoaming, loss of fluid and transaxle malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxle malfunc-tion and failure.
OED076025OED070045
COLD
HOT
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