2011 KIA Forte Owner's Manual

471
Features of your vehicle
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Mode selection
The mode selection knob controls the
direction of the air flow through the venti-
lation system.
Air can be directed to the floor, dash-
board outlets, or windshield. Six symbols
are used to represent MAX A/C, Face,
Bi-Level, Floor, Floor-Defrost and Defrost
air position.
The MAX A/C mode is used to cool the
inside of the vehicle faster.
MAX A/C-Level (B, D)
Air flow is directed toward the upper body
and face.
In this mode, the air conditioning and the
recirculated air position will be selected
automatically.
Face-Level (B, D)
Air flow is directed toward the upper body
and face. Additionally, each outlet can be
controlled to direct the air discharged
from the outlet.
Bi-Level (B, D, E, C)
Air flow is directed towards the face and
the floor.
Floor-Level (C, A, D, E)
Most of the air flow is directed to the
floor, with a small amount of the air being
directed to the windshield and side win-
dow defrosters.
Floor/Defrost-Level (A, C, D, E)
Most of the air flow is directed to the floor
and the windshield with a small amount
directed to the side window defrosters.
Defrost-Level (A, D)
Most of the air flow is directed to the
windshield with a small amount of air
directed to the side window defrosters.
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Features of your vehicle
72
4
Instrument panel vents
The outlet vents can be opened or closed
separately using the thumbwheel.
Also, you can adjust the direction of air
delivered from these vents using the vent
control lever as shown.D230102APB
Temperature control
The temperature control knob allows you
to control the temperature of the air flow-
ing from the ventilation system. To
change the air temperature in the pas-
senger compartment, turn the knob to
the right for warm air or left for cooler air.
D230103APB
Air intake control
This is used to select outside (fresh) air
position or recirculated air position.
To change the air intake control position,
push the control button.
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473
Features of your vehicle
Recirculated air position The indicator light on the
button illuminates when the
recirculated air position is
selected.
With the recirculated air position selected, air from
passenger compartment
will be drawn through the
heating system and heated
or cooled according to the
function selected.
Outside (fresh) air position The indicator light on the
button will not illuminate
when the outside (fresh) air
position is selected.
With the outside (fresh) air
position selected, air enters
the vehicle from outside and
is heated or cooled accord-
ing to the function selected.✽ ✽NOTICE
Prolonged operation of the heater in the
recirculated air position (without air
conditioning selected) may cause fog-
ging of the windshield and side windows
and the air within the passenger com-
partment may become stale.
In addition, prolonged operation of the
air conditioning with the recirculated
air position selected will result in exces-
sively dry air in the passenger compart-
ment. WARNING
Continuous use of the climate
control system in the recirculated
air position may allow humidity to
increase inside the vehicle which
may fog the glass and obscure
visibility.
Do not sleep in a vehicle with the air conditioning or heating sys-
tem on. It may cause serious
harm or death due to a drop in the
oxygen level and/or body temper-
ature.
Continuous use of the climate control system in the recirculated
air position can cause drowsi-
ness or sleepiness, and loss of
vehicle control. Set the air intake
control to the outside (fresh) air
position as much as possible
while driving.

Features of your vehicle
74
4
D230104AUN
Fan speed control
The ignition switch must be in the ON
position for fan operation.
The fan speed control knob allows you to
control the fan speed of the air flowing
from the ventilation system. To change
the fan speed, turn the knob to the right
for higher speed or left for lower speed.
Setting the fan speed control knob to the
“0” position turns off the fan.
D230105AHM
Air conditioning (if equipped)
Press the A/C button to turn the air con-
ditioning system on (indicator light will
illuminate). Press the button again to turn
the air conditioning system off.
System operation
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Ventilation
1. Set the mode to the position.
2. Set the air intake control to the outside
(fresh) air position.
3. Set the temperature control to the desired position.
4. Set the fan speed control to the desired speed.
D230502APB
Heating
1. Set the mode to the position.
2. Set the air intake control to the outside(fresh) air position.
3. Set the temperature control to the desired position.
4. Set the fan speed control to the desired speed.
5. If dehumidified heating is desired, turn the air conditioning system (if
equipped) on.
If the windshield fogs up, set the mode to the
,position.
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475
Features of your vehicle
Operation Tips
To prevent dust or unpleasant fumesfrom entering the vehicle through the
ventilation system, temporarily set the
air intake control to the recirculated air
position. Be sure to return the control
to the fresh air position when the irrita-
tion has passed to keep fresh air in the
vehicle. This will help keep the driver
alert and comfortable.
Air for the heating/cooling system is drawn in through the grilles just ahead
of the windshield. Care should be
taken that these are not blocked by
leaves, snow, ice or other obstructions.
To prevent interior fog on the wind- shield, set the air intake control to the
fresh air position and fan speed to the
desired position, turn on the air condi-
tioning system, and adjust the temper-
ature control to desired temperature.D230503ATD
Air conditioning (if equipped)
All KIA Air Conditioning Systems are
filled with environmentally friendly
R-134a refrigerant which does not dam-
age the ozone layer.
1. Start the engine. Push the air condi- tioning button.
2. Set the mode to the position.
3. Set the air intake control to the recir- culated air position. However, pro-
longed operation of the reticulated air
position will excessively dry the air. In
this case, change the air position.
4. Adjust the fan speed control and tem- perature control to maintain maximum
comfort.
When maximum cooling is desired, set the temperature control to the extreme
left position, set the mode control to
the MAX A/C position, then set the fan
speed control to the highest speed.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• While using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature gauge
closely while driving up hills or in
heavy traffic when outside tempera-
tures are high. Air conditioning sys-
tem operation may cause engine over-
heating. Continue to use the blower
fan but turn the air conditioning sys-
tem off if the temperature gauge indi-
cates engine overheating.
• While opening the windows in humid weather air conditioning may create
water droplets inside the vehicle.
Since excessive water droplets may
cause damage to electrical equipment,
air conditioning should only be used
with the windows closed.

Features of your vehicle
76
4
Air conditioning system operation tips
If the vehicle has been parked in direct
sunlight during hot weather, open the
windows for a short time to let the hot
air inside the vehicle escape.
To help reduce moisture inside of the windows on rainy or humid days,
decrease the humidity inside the vehi-
cle by operating the air conditioning
system.
During air conditioning system opera- tion, you may occasionally notice a
slight change in engine speed as the
air conditioning compressor cycles.
This is a normal system operation
characteristic.
Use the air conditioning system every month only for a few minutes to ensure
maximum system performance.
When using the air conditioning sys- tem, you may notice clear water drip-
ping (or even puddling) on the ground
under the passenger side of the vehi-
cle. This is a normal system operation
characteristic. Operating the air conditioning system
in the recirculated air position provides
maximum cooling, however, continual
operation in this mode may cause the
air inside the vehicle to become stale.
During cooling operation, you may occasionally notice a misty air flow
because of rapid cooling and humid air
intake. This is a normal system opera-
tion characteristic.
D230300AHM-EC
Climate control air filter
The climate control air filter installed
behind the glove box filters the dust or
other pollutants that come into the vehi-
cle from the outside through the heating
and air conditioning system. If dust or
other pollutants accumulate in the filter
over a period of time, the air flow from the
air vents may decrease, resulting in
moisture accumulation on the inside of
the windshield even when the outside
(fresh) air position is selected. If this hap-
pens, have the climate control air filter
replaced by an authorized KIA dealer.
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Outside air
Recirculatedair
Climate control
air filter Blower
Evaporator
coreHeater core

477
Features of your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
• If the vehicle is being driven in severe
conditions such as dusty, rough roads,
more frequent climate control air fil-
ter inspections and changes are
required.
• When the air flow rate suddenly decreases, the system should be
checked at an authorized KIA dealer.
D230400ATD
Checking the amount of air con-
ditioner refrigerant and compres-
sor lubricant
When the amount of refrigerant is low,
the performance of the air conditioning is
reduced. Overfilling also has a negative
influence on the air conditioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected by an
authorized KIA dealer.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
It is important that the correct type and
amount of oil and refrigerant is used.
Otherwise, damage to the compressor
and abnormal system operation may
occur.
WARNING
The air conditioning system should
be serviced by an authorized KIA
dealer. Improper service may cause
serious injury to the person per-
forming the service.

Features of your vehicle
78
4
AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
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1. Front windshield defroster button
2. Climate control display
3. Rear windshield defroster button
4. Fan speed control switch
5. AUTO (automatic control) button
6. OFF button
7. Temperature control knob
8. Air conditioning button
9. Mode selection button
10. Recirculated air position button
11. Outside air position button
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