2012 KIA Sportage coolant reservoir

Your vehicle at a glance
42
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
B030000AUN-C1
1. Engine coolant reservoir ..................7-18
2. Engine oil filler cap ..........................7-16
3. Brake/clutch* fluid reservoir ............7-21
4. Positive battery terminal ..................7-28
5. Negative battery terminal ................7-28
6. Fuse box ..........................................7-45
7. Air cleaner ........................................7-23
8. Engine oil dipstick ............................7-16
9. Radiator cap ....................................7-20
10. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ..7-22
* if equipped
OLM079001/OSL071001N
❈The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
■
■
MPI engine
■
■ T-GDI engine

447
Features of your vehicle
When the door is opened, or if the engine
is not started within 1 minute, the
tachometer pointer may move slightly in
the ON position with the engine OFF.
This movement is normal and will not
affect the accuracy of the tachometer
once the engine is running.
D150203AUN
Engine temperature gauge
This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “If the engine overheats” in section 6.
CAUTION
If the gauge pointer moves beyondthe normal range area toward the“H” position, it indicates overheat- ing that may damage the engine.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine withinthe tachometer's RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine dam-age.
WARNING
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The engine
coolant is under pressure and
could cause severe burns. Wait
until the engine is cool before
adding coolant to the reservoir.
OSL040065N/OSL040042
■Type A■Type B

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.

Maintenance
27
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
G010000AAM-EU
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake/clutch* fluid reservoir
4. Positive battery terminal
5. Negative battery terminal
6. Fuse box
7. Air cleaner
8. Engine oil dipstick
9. Radiator cap
10. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
* if equipped
OLM079001/OSL071001N
❈The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
■
■
MPI engine
■
■ T-GDI engine

Maintenance
47
G030000AUN
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized Kia dealer at
the frequencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
G030101AHM
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in the coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
WARNING- Maintenance work
Performing maintenance work on
a vehicle can be dangerous. You
can be seriously injured while
performing some maintenance
procedures. If you lack sufficient
knowledge and experience or the
proper tools and equipment to do
the work, have it done by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Working under the hood with the engine running is dangerous. It
becomes even more dangerous
when you wear jewelry or loose
clothing. These can become
entangled in moving parts and
result in injury. Therefore, if you
must run the engine while work-
ing under the hood, make certain
that you remove all jewelry (espe-
cially rings, bracelets, watches,
and necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose cloth-
ing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause burns
or other serious injury.

75
Maintenance
G030102AAM
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of theexhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
G030103AHM
At least monthly:
Check the 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.
G030104AHM
At least twice a year (i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check the radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check the 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.
G030105AHM-C1
At least once a year:
Clean the body and door drain holes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate the automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.

Maintenance
14
7
G050900AUN
Spark plugs
Make sure to install new spark plugs of
the correct heat range.
G051000AHM
Valve clearance (if equipped)
Inspect for excessive valve noise and/or
engine vibration and adjust if necessary.
An authorized Kia dealer should perform
the operation.
G051100AHM
Cooling system
Check the cooling system components,
such as the radiator, coolant reservoir,
hoses and connections for leakage and
damage. Replace any damaged parts.
G051200AUN
Coolant
The coolant should be changed at the
intervals specified in the maintenance
schedule.
G051400AUN
Automatic transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Automatic transaxle fluid should not be
checked under normal usage conditions.
But in severe conditions, the fluid should
be changed at an authorized Kia dealer
in accordance to the scheduled mainte-
nance at the beginning of this section.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Automatic transaxle fluid color is basi-
cally red.
As the vehicle is driven, the automatic
transaxle fluid will begin to look darker.
It is normal condition and you should
not judge the need to replace the fluid
based upon the changed color.
G051300AUN
Manual transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance schedule.
G051500AUN
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately.
G051600AAM
Brake/Clutch (if equipped) fluid
Check the brake fluid level in the brake
fluid reservoir. The level should be
between “MIN” and “MAX” marks on the
side of the reservoir. Use only hydraulic
brake fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT
4 specification.
CAUTION
The use of a non-specified fluid
could result in transaxle malfunc-tion and failure.
Use only specified automatictransaxle fluid. (Refer to“Recommended lubricants andcapacities” in section 8.)

Maintenance
18
7
ENGINE COOLANT
G070000AHM
The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at the
beginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.
G070100AHM
Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
Never attempt to remove the radi-
ator cap while the engine is oper-
ating or hot. Doing so might lead
to cooling system and engine
damage. Also, hot coolant or
steam could cause serious per-
sonal injury.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Turn the engine off and wait untilit cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you are
sure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiator
cap or the drain plug while the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.WARNING
The electric motor (cool-
ing fan) is controlled by
engine coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed.
It may sometimes operate even
when the engine is not running.
Use extreme caution when working
near the blades of the cooling fan
so that you are not injured by a
rotating fan blades. As the engine
coolant temperature decreases, the
electric motor will automatically
shut off. This is a normal condition.
If your vehicle is equipped with
GDI, the electric motor (cooling fan)
may operate untill you disconnect
the negative battery cable.