531
Driving your vehicle
Be cautious when parking on a hill.Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front wheels
into the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If your vehicle is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the vehicle from rolling, block the
wheels.
Under some conditions your parking brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the shift lever
in P (automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake. Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade
with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.
Driving your vehicle
32
5
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without depressing the
accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
If the cruise control is left on, (CRUISE
indicator light in the instrument cluster
illuminated) the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally. Keep the cruise
control system off (CRUISE indicator
light OFF) when the cruise control is not
in use, to avoid inadvertently setting a
speed.
Use the cruise control system only when
traveling on open highways in good
weather.
Do not use the cruise control when driv-
ing in heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow-covered) or wind-
ing roads or over 6% up-hill or down-hill
roads.✽ ✽
NOTICE
During normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
To set cruise control speed:
1. Press the CRUISE ON-OFF button on
the steering wheel to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h (25 mph).
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING- Misuse cruisecontrol
Do not use cruise control if the traf-
fic situation does not allow you to
drive safely at a constant speed
and with sufficient distance to the
vehicle in front.
OUB051046
OUB051042
■ Type A
■Type B
Driving your vehicle
42
5
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
miles (kilometers) you can get from a gal-
lon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed,
especially on the highway, is one of the
most effective ways to reduce fuel con-
sumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your vehi-
cle in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule in section 7. If you
drive your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required
(see section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the vehicle. This
extra weight can result in increased
fuel consumption and also contribute
to corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
543
Driving your vehicle
Remember, your vehicle does notrequire extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a very
high gear resulting in engine bucking. If
this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur- ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. In addition, turning off the
ignition while driving could engage
the steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering. Keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine braking
effect.
Driving your vehicle
44
5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped. Do not pump the brake pedal on a vehi-
cle equipped with ABS.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-slip material under the drive wheels to pro-
vide traction when stalled in ice, snow,
or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to free
it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the
area around your front wheels. Then, shift
back and forth between 1st (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with a
manual transaxle or R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped with an
automatic transaxle. Do not race the
engine, and spin the wheels as little as
possible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow
vehicle to avoid engine overheating and
possible damage to the transaxle.
The ESC system should be turned OFF
prior to rocking the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING - Downshifting
Do not downshift with an automatic
transaxle while driving on slippery
surfaces. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires to
skid and result in an accident.
CAUTION - Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may causeengine overheating, transaxle dam-age or failure, and tire damage.
545
Driving your vehicle
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in cor-
ners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration. If you follow
these suggestions, tire wear will be held
to a minimum.
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight, here
are some important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more distancebetween you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
OUN056051OMC035004WARNING- Sudden
vehicle movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle if
people or objects are nearby. The
vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backwards as it becomes
unstuck.
CAUTION - Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35mph). Spinning the wheels at highspeeds when the vehicle is station-ary could cause a tire to overheat which could result in tire damage.
Driving your vehicle
46
5
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield. If your tires are not in good condition,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it eas- ier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking oper-
ation returns.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
1JBB3303
547
Driving your vehicle
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.
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 the engine coolant and
engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may over-
heat the engine.
WARNING - Under/overinflated tires
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving.
Underinflated or overinflated tires
can cause poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden tire fail-
ure leading to accidents, injuries,
and even death. For proper tire
pressures, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 8.
WARNING - Tire tread
Always check the tire tread before
driving your vehicle. Worn-out tires
can result in loss of vehicle control.
Worn-out tires should be replaced
as soon as possible. For further
information and tread limits, refer
to "Tires and wheels" in section 7.