2011 KIA Sorento brake fluid

Introduction61INDICATOR SYMBOLS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
Seat Belt Warning LightTurn Signal IndicatorABS Warning Light*
Parking Brake & Brake Fluid
Warning LightMalfunction Indicator*Immobilizer Indicator* Low Fuel Level Warning Light* if equipped
Tailgate Open Warning Light
❈ For more detailed explanations, refer to “Instrument cluster” in section 4.Charging System Warning Light
Door Ajar Warning Light
A050000AX-EC
Front Fog Light Indicator*
Engine Oil Pressure Warning LightAir Bag Warning Light*Shift Pattern Indicator
ESC Indicator*ESC OFF Indicator*
Cruise Indicator*
4WD system warning light*
4WD LOCK indicator*
DBC indicator*Low windshield washer fluid level
warning light*
Key out warning light*
KEY
OUTECO
ECOMINDER
TM indicator*
Cruise SET Indicator*
High Beam Indicator
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Your vehicle at a glance42ENGINE COMPARTMENTB030000AUN-C1
OXM079001N
❈The actual engine compartment in the vehicle may differ from the illustration. 1. Engine Coolant Reservoir ................7-15
2. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir....7-20
3. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir*
......7-19
4. Radiator Cap ....................................7-17
5. Engine Oil Filler Cap ........................7-14
6. Engine Oil Dipstick ...........................7-14
7. Brake/Clutch* Fluid Reservoir ..........7-18
8. Air Cleaner .......................................7-21
9. Fuse Box ..........................................7-45
10. Negative Battery Terminal ..............7-29
11. Positive Battery Terminal ................7-29
* if equipped
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Features of your vehicle54
4
D150308AHM-EEParking brake & brake
fluid warning lightParking brake warning
This light is illuminated when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch in
the START or ON position. The warning
light should go off after a few seconds
when the parking brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required. Then check all brake
components for fluid leaks.
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. Your vehicle is equipped with dual-diago-
nal braking systems. This means you still
have braking on two wheels even if one
of the dual systems should fail. With only
one of the dual systems working, more
than normal pedal travel and greater
pedal pressure are required to stop the
vehicle. Also, the vehicle will not stop in
as short a distance with only a portion of
the brake system working. If the brakes
fail while you are driving, shift to a lower
gear for additional engine braking and
stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
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.
CAUTION
If the oil pressure warning light
stays on while the engine is run- ning, serious engine damage mayresult. The oil pressure warninglight comes on whenever there is insufficient oil pressure. In normaloperation, it should come on whenthe ignition switch is turned on,then go out when the engine is started. If the oil pressure warninglight stays on while the engine isrunning, there is a serious malfunc-tion.
If this happens, stop the vehicle assoon as it is safe to do so, turn offthe engine and check the oil level. Ifthe oil level is low, fill the engine oil to the proper level and start theengine again. If the light stays onwith the engine running, turn theengine off immediately. In any instance where the oil light stays onwhen the engine is running, theengine should be checked by an authorized KIA dealer before thevehicle is driven again.
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53
Driving your vehicle
E020100AUNBefore 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.E020200AXMNecessary inspectionsFluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis, at
the exact interval depending on the fluid.
Further details are provided in section 7,
“Maintenance”.E020300AHMBefore starting  Close and lock all doors.
 Position the seat so that all controls areeasily 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. Driving
while under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerous
than 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 driver
or 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 ignite a fire.
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Driving your vehicle58
5When 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.
E140500AUNMaintenance 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 nuts
and bolts should be tight.
CAUTION
 Due to higher load during trailer usage, overheating might occurin 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 transaxle fluid more frequently.
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What to do in an emergency66IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATSF050000AAMIf your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power,
or hear loud pinging or knocking, the
engine will probably be too hot. If this
happens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as itis safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (Park, auto- matic transaxle) or Neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking brake. If
the air conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the vehicle or steam is coming out
from underneath the hood, stop the
engine. Do not open 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 operating. If the fan is not run-
ning, 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 vehicle. (If the air
conditioning had been in use, it is nor-
mal 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 the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,
if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir 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 may
result in coolant being blown out of
the opening and cause serious
burns.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling systemand this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorized KIAdealer.
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619
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 loose during towing.
F080301AAM-EUEmergency 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 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.
OXM069009
CAUTION
- Automatictransaxle
 If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it canbe towed only from the front. Be sure 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 andbrakes.
 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 auto- matic transaxle fluid leak underyour vehicle. If the automatictransaxle fluid is leaking, a flatbed equipment or towing dollymust be used.
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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/clutch fluid / 7-18
Power steering fluid / 7-19
Washer fluid / 7-20
Parking brake / 7-20
Air cleaner / 7-21
Climate control air filter / 7-23
Wiper blades / 7-25
Battery / 7-29
Tires and wheels / 7-32
Fuses / 7-45
Appearance care / 7-54
Emission control system / 7-60
Maintenance
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