2011 KIA Sportage Owner's Manual

567
Driving your vehicle
WARNING
Overloading your vehicle cancause heat buildup in your
vehicle's tires and possible
tire failure that could lead to a
crash.
Overloading your vehicle can cause increased stopping dis-
tances that could lead to a
crash.
A crash resulting from poor handling vehicle damage, tire
failure, or increased stopping
distances could result in seri-
ous injury or death.
WARNING - Loose cargo
Items you carry inside your
vehicle can strike and injure
occupants in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash.
Put items in the cargo area of your vehicle. Try to spread the
weight evenly.
Never stack items, like suit- cases, inside the vehicle
above the tops of the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child restraint in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it.
Do not drive with a seat folded down unless necessary.CAUTION
Overloading your vehicle may
cause damage. Repairs wouldnot be covered by your warran-ty. Do not overload your vehicle.
Using heavier suspension com- ponents to get added durabilitymight not change your weightratings. Ask your dealer to helpyou load your vehicle the rightway.

Driving your vehicle
68
5
E160000AUN
This section will guide you in the proper
loading of your vehicle and/or trailer, to
keep your loaded vehicle weight within its
design rating capability, with or without a
trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of the vehicle
design performance. Before loading your
vehicle, familiarize yourself with the fol-
lowing terms for determining your vehi-
cle's weight ratings, with or without a
trailer, from the vehicle's specifications
and the certification label:
E160100AUN
Base curb weight
This is the weight of the vehicle including
a full tank of fuel and all standard equip-
ment. It does not include passengers,
cargo, or optional equipment.
E160200AUN
Vehicle curb weight
This is the weight of your new vehicle
when you picked it up from your dealer
plus any aftermarket equipment.
E160300AUN
Cargo weight
This figure includes all weight added to
the Base Curb Weight, including cargo
and optional equipment.
E160400AUN
GAW (Gross axle weight)
This is the total weight placed on each
axle (front and rear) - including vehicle
curb weight and all payload.
E160500AUN
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating)
This is the maximum allowable weight
that can be carried by a single axle (front
or rear). These numbers are shown on
the certification label.
The total load on each axle must never
exceed its GAWR.
E160600AUN
GVW (Gross vehicle weight)
This is the Base Curb Weight plus actual
Cargo Weight plus passengers.
E160700AUN-EU
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating)
This is the maximum allowable weight of
the fully loaded vehicle (including all
options, equipment, passengers and
cargo). The GVWR is shown on the cer-
tification label located on the driver’s
door sill.
VEHICLE WEIGHT GLOSSARY

6
Road warning / 6-2
In case of an emergency while driving / 6-2
If the engine will not start / 6-3
Emergency starting / 6-4
If the engine overheats / 6-6
If you have a flat tire / 6-7
Towing / 6-15
What to do in an emergency

What to do in an emergency
26
ROAD WARNING
F010100ASA
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.
F020100AUN-EU
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 vehi-
cle to a safe place.
F020200AUN
If you have a flat tire while driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedaland 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
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 possible
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
OSL060001

63
What to do in an emergency
2. When the vehicle is stopped, turn onyour emergency hazard flashers, set
the parking brake and put the transaxle
in P (Park, automatic transaxle) or
reverse (manual transaxle).
3. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle. Be sure they all get out on the
side of the car that is away from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.
F020300AUN
If the engine stalls while driving
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized KIA dealer or seek other
qualified assistance.
F030100AAM
If engine doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly
1. If your car has an automatic transaxle,be sure the shift lever is in N (Neutral)
or P (Park) and the emergency brake
is set.
2. Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3. Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you operate the
starter, the battery is discharged.
4. Check the starter connections to be sure they are securely tightened.
5. Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump starting".
F030200AHM
If engine turns over normally but
does not start
1. Check the fuel level.
2. With the ignition switch in the LOCKposition, check all connectors at the
ignition coils and spark plugs.
Reconnect any that may be discon-
nected or loose.
3. Check the fuel line in the engine com- partment.
4. If the engine still does not start, call an authorized KIA dealer or seek other
qualified assistance.
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
WARNING
If the engine will not start, do not
push or pull the vehicle to start it.
This could result in a collision or
cause other damage. In addition,
push or pull starting may cause the
catalytic converter to overload and
create a fire hazard.

What to do in an emergency
46
EMERGENCY STARTING
F040000AUN
Connect cables in numerical order and
disconnect in reverse order.
F040100AHM-U1
Jump starting
Jump starting can be dangerous if done
incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to
yourself or damage to your vehicle or
battery, follow these jump starting proce-
dures. If in doubt, we strongly recom-
mend that you have a competent techni-
cian or towing service jump start your
vehicle.
CAUTION
Use only a 12-volt jumper system.You can damage a 12-volt startingmotor, ignition system, and otherelectrical parts beyond repair by use of a 24-volt power supply (eithertwo 12-volt batteries in series or a24-volt motor generator set).
WARNING- Battery
• Keep all flames or sparks away from the battery. The battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which may
explode if exposed to flame or
sparks.
If these instructions are not fol-
lowed exactly, serious personal
injury and damage to the vehicle
may occur! If you are not sure
how to follow this procedure,
seek qualified assistance.
Automobile batteries contain sul-
furic acid. This is poisonous and
highly corrosive. When jump
starting, wear protective glasses
and be careful not to get acid on
yourself, your clothing or on the
vehicle.
Do not attempt to jump start the vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte level
is low; the battery may rupture or
explode.
WARNING- Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as this
may cause the battery to rupture or
explode causing serious injury.
1VQA4001
Discharged
battery
Jumper Cables
Booster
battery
(-)
(+)
(+)(-)

65
What to do in an emergency
F040101ASA
Jump starting procedure
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12-volt and that its negative terminal is
grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehicles to
come in contact.
3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the illustration.
First connect one end of a jumper
cable to the positive terminal of the
discharged battery (1), then connect
the other end to the positive terminal
of the booster battery (2).
Proceed to connect one end of the
other jumper cable to the negative ter-
minal of the booster battery (3), then
the other end to a solid, stationary,
metallic point (for example, the engine
lifting bracket) away from the battery
(4). Do not connect it to or near any
part that moves when the engine is
cranked. Do not allow the jumper cables to con-
tact anything except the correct battery
terminals or the correct ground. Do not
lean over the battery when making
connections.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at 2,000
rpm, then start the engine of the vehi-
cle with the discharged battery.
If the cause of your battery discharging isnot apparent, you should have your vehi-cle checked by an authorized KIA dealer.
F040200AAM-EU
Push-starting
Vehicles equipped with automatic
transaxle and manual transaxle vehicles
equipped with clutch lock system cannot
be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section for
jump-starting.
CAUTION- Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper cablefrom the negative terminal of thebooster battery to the negative ter- minal of the discharged battery.This can cause the discharged bat-tery to overheat and crack, releas-ing battery acid.
WARNING
Never tow a vehicle to start it
because the sudden surge forward
when the engine starts could cause
a collision with the tow vehicle.

What to do in an emergency
66
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
F050000AAM
If 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.