2012 KIA Sportage radiator cap

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

Features of your vehicle
28
4
D100100AAM
Opening the fuel filler lid
The fuel filler lid must be opened from
inside the vehicle by pulling up the fuel
filler lid opener.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If the fuel filler lid does not open
because ice has formed around it, tap
lightly or push on the lid to break the ice
and release the lid. Do not pry on the lid.
If necessary, spray around the lid with
an approved de-icer fluid (do not use
radiator anti-freeze) or move the vehicle
to a warm place and allow the ice to
melt.
1. Stop the engine.
2. To open the fuel filler lid, pull up the
fuel filler lid opener.
3. Pull open the fuel filler lid (1).
4. To remove the cap, turn the fuel filler cap (2) counterclockwise.
5. Refuel as needed.
D100200AAM
Closing the fuel filler lid
1. To install the cap, turn it clockwise until it “clicks”. This indicates that the cap is
securely tightened.
2. Close the fuel filler lid and push it in lightly making sure that it is securely
closed.
✽ ✽NOTICE
There may be an intermittent noise near
the refueling hole while the engine is
idling if the fuel cap is not closed secure-
ly. This occurs normally with the OBD
system.
D100300AAM-EU
FUEL FILLER LID
WARNING - Refueling
If pressurized fuel sprays out, it
can cover your clothes or skin
and subject you to the risk of fire
and burns. Always remove the
fuel cap carefully and slowly. If
the cap is venting fuel or if you
hear a hissing sound, wait until
the condition stops before com-
pletely removing the cap.
Do not "top off" after the nozzle automatically shuts off when
refueling.
Tighten the cap until it clicks, oth- erwise the Check Engine light
will illuminate.
Always check that the fuel cap is installed securely to prevent fuel
spillage in the event of an acci-
dent.
OSL040020OSL040021

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
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.

Maintenance
20
7
G070200AHM
Changing the coolant
Have the coolant changed by an author-
ized Kia dealer according to the
Maintenance Schedule at the beginning
of this section.
WARNING
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and
steam may blow out under pres-
sure causing serious injury.
OSL070007
OSL072007
■ Type A
■Type B
WARNING -Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or
antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
the paint and body trim.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth around the radiatorcap before refilling the coolant in order to prevent the coolant fromoverflowing into engine parts suchas the alternator.