
Features of your vehicle
32
4
D150304APA
Seat belt warning
Seat belt warning light
Type A
As a reminder to the driver, the seat belt
warning light will blink for approximately
6 seconds each time you turn the ignition
switch ON regardless of belt fastening.
If the driver’s seat belt is unfastened after
the ignition switch is ON, the seat belt
warning light blinks again for approxi-
mately 6 seconds.
Type B
As a reminder to the driver, the driver’s
seat belt warning light will blink or illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds each
time you turn the ignition switch ON
regardless of belt fastening.
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switch is turned ON orif it is disconnected after the ignition
switch is turned ON, the seat belt warn-
ing light will blink or illuminate until the
belt is fastened.
But, if the driver's seat belt is connected and disconnected twice within 9 seconds
after the belt is fastened, the driver’s seat
belt warning light will not operate. If the system does not operate as
described, see an authorized KIA dealer
for assistance.
Seat belt warning chime (if equipped)
Type A
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switch is turned ON or
if it is unfastened after the ignition switch
is ON, the seat belt warning chime will
sound for approximately 6 seconds. At
this time, if the seat belt is fastened, the
chime will stop immediately.
Type B
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switch is turned ON
and you drive over 9 km/h (6 mph), the
seat belt warning chime will sound for
approximately 100 seconds after the
warning light blinks for approximately 1
minute.
If the driver's seat belt is disconnected
after the ignition switch is turned ON and
you drive over 9 km/h (6 mph), the seat
belt warning chime will sound for approx-
imately 100 seconds.
But, if the driver's seat belt is connected and disconnected twice within 9 seconds
after the belt is fastened, the seat belt
warning chime will not operate.D150305ASA
Turn signal indicator
The blinking green arrows on the instru-
ment panel shows the direction indicated
by the turn signals. If the arrow comes on
but does not blink or blinks more rapidly
than normal or does not illuminate at all,
it indicates a malfunction in the turn sig-
nal system. It should be checked by an
authorized KIA dealer.
D150306AUN
High beam indicator
This indicator illuminates when the head- lights are on and in the high beam posi-
tion or when the turn signal lever is pulled
into the Flash-to-Pass position.

Features of your vehicle
34
4
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are
found, the warning light remains on or
the brakes do not operate properly.
Have the vehicle towed to any author-
ized KIA dealer for a brake system
inspection and necessary repairs.
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switchis in the ON position. Low brake vacuum pressure warning
(diesel engine only)
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake vacuum pump has
a problem. Therefore you should avoid
high speed driving or sudden stop, and
you should depress the brake pedaldeeper and harder than usual when
braking. Make sure you have the brake
system checked and repaired by an
authorized KIA dealer.D150313AUNCharging system warning
light
This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electricalcharging system.
If the warning light comes on while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera- tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an authorized
KIA dealer correct the problem as
soon as possible.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light on is dangerous. If the brake
warning light remains on, have the
brakes checked and repaired imme-
diately by an authorized KIA dealer.WARNING
Continuous braking while driving on steep or long downhill may
cause to descend the vacuum
level in brake booster for a time
and turn on the warning light. In
this case, shift down the
transaxle. If the warning light illu-
minate continuously, stop the
vehicle in the safe location andwait until the warning light goes
off.
Driving the vehicle with a warn- ing light on is dangerous. If thebrake warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked and
repaired immediately by an
authorized KIA dealer.

53
Driving your vehicle
E020100AUN
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
E020200AUN
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
E020300AUN
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges. Check the operation of warning lights
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 for more information on their
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
car into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment. Drivingwhile under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerousthan driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driveror call a cab.
WARNING
When you intend to park or stop the
vehicle with the engine on, be care-ful not to depress the accelerator
pedal for a long period of time. It
may overheat the engine or exhaust
system and cause fire.

59
Driving your vehicle
E050102ASA
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you need to increase your speed
again. When the vehicle is traveling down
steep hills, downshifting helps maintain
safe speed and prolongs brake life.
E050200AUN Good driving practices
Never take the car out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the car in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
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. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your car.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into reverse.
The transaxle can be damaged if you
do not. To shift into reverse, depress
the clutch, move the shift lever to neu-
tral, wait 3 seconds, then shift to the
reverse position.
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.
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 a rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speed.
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
14
5
E060200AEN Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the gear 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).
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.
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 a rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speed.
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.

531
Driving your vehicle
E110700AUN
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engineoil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may over-
heat the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tiresshould be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 8.
1VQA1004

What to do in an emergency
6
6
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
F050000ASA
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power,
or hear loud pinging or knocking, the
engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the gear selector lever in P (auto- matic transaxle) or Neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking brake. If
the air conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If the engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out
from the hood, stop the engine. Do notopen the hood until the coolant has
stopped running or the steaming has
stopped. If there is no visible loss of
engine coolant and no steam, leave
the engine running and check to be
sure the engine cooling fan is operat-
ing. If the fan is not running, turn the
engine off. 4. Check to see if the water pump drive
belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the car. (If the air con-
ditioning had been in use, it is normal
for cold water to be draining from it
when you stop).
5. If the water pump drive belt is broken or engine coolant is leaking out, stop the engine immediately and call the
nearest authorized KIA dealer for
assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of over-
heating, wait until the engine tempera-
ture has returned to normal. Then,
check to see if the coolant has beenlost, carefully add coolant to the reser-
voir to bring the fluid level in the reser-
voir up to the halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-heating happens again, call an author-
ized KIA dealer for assistance.
WARNING
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates there is a leak in the cooling system
and this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorized KIA dealer.

77
Maintenance
G030103AUN
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the enginecoolant 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. G030104AUN
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air condi- tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean the 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. G030105APA
At least once a year:
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks, and
hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weatherstrips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.