Driving your vehicle
4
5
Before 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. Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls are
easily 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, espe-
cially children, before putting a vehi-
cle into “D (Drive)” or “R (Reverse)”.
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result
in a loss of vehicle control, that
may lead to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The dri-
ver’s primary responsibility is in
the safe and legal operation of a
vehicle, and use of any handheld
devices, other equipment, or vehi-
cle systems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehicle
or which are not permissible by law
should never be used during oper-
ation of the vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
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Condition of ISG system opera- tion
The ISG system will operate under
the following condition:
- The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
- The driver’s door and engine hood are closed.
- The brake vaccum pressure is ade- quate.
- The battery is sufficiently charged.
- The outside temperature is between -2°C to 35°C (28.4°F to 95°F).
- The engine coolant temperature is not too low.
✽✽ NOTICE
Driving your vehicle
32
5
Active ECO operation
Active ECO helps improve fuel efficiency
by controlling the engine and transaxle.
But fuel-efficiency can be changed by the
driver's driving habits and road conditions.
When the Active ECO button is
pressed the ECO indicator (green) will
illuminate to show that the Active ECO
is operating.
When the Active ECO is activated, it does not turn off even though the
engine is restarted again. To turn off
the system, press the active ECO but-ton again.
If Active ECO is turned off, it will return to the normal mode. When Active ECO is activated :
The acceleration may slightly be
reduced eventhough you depress the
accelerator fully.
The air conditioner performance may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic transaxle may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal condi-
tions when the active eco system is acti-
vated to improve fuel efficiency. Limitation of Active ECO opera- tion:
If the following conditions occur while
Active ECO is operating, the system
operation is limited even though there is
no change in the ECO indicator.
When the coolant temperature is low:
The system will be limited until engine
performance becomes normal.
When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain power when drivinguphill because the engine torque is
restricted.
When using sports mode: The system will be limited according to the shiftlocation.
When the accelerator pedal is deeply pressed for a few seconds: The system
will be limited, judging that the driver
wants to speed up.
ACTIVE ECO SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OJD052008
JD eng 5.qxp 7/17/2012 10:42 AM Page 32
Driving your vehicle
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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. Allowadequate 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.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks of
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are going
to drive before you begin driving. 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.
✽✽
NOTICE
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 engine coolant and engineoil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to section
8, “Tires and wheels”.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Driving on tires with no or insuffi-cient tread is dangerous. Worn- out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tiresshould be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
vehicle. For further information
and tread limits, refer to section
7, “Tires and wheels”.
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Driving your vehicle
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To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an
approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into
the key opening. If a lock is covered with
ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing
fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is
frozen internally, you may be able to thaw
it out by using a heated key. Handle the
heated key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is
available from an authorized Kia dealer
and most auto parts outlets. Do not useengine coolant or other types of anti-
freeze as these may damage the paintfinish. Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
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 the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily while you put the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accumu- late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the vehicle to be sure the
movement of the front wheels and the
steering components is not obstructed.Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er, you should carry appropriate emer-
gency equipment. Some of the items you
may want to carry include tire chains, tow
straps or chains, flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, shovel, jumper cables, win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.
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Driving your vehicle
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Turn signals when towing a trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
connected, the trailer lights will also flash
to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signals
when, in fact, they are not. It is important
to check occasionally to be sure the trail-
er bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you discon-
nect and then reconnect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring har-
ness.
An authorized Kia dealer can assist you
in installing the wiring harness.
Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transaxle,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transaxle.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine coolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not over-heat.
If the needle of the coolant tem-perature gauge moves across thedial towards “130/H (HOT)”, pull over and stop as soon as it is safe
to do so, and allow the engine to idle until it cools down. You mayproceed once the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi-bility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
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Driving your vehicle
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When 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. Maintenance 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 is a good idea to
review these sections before you start
your trip.
Do not 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 nutsand bolts should be tight.CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
in hot days or during uphill driv-ing. If the coolant gauge indicatesover-heating, switch off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle
in a safe area to cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fan to improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.
JD eng 5.qxp 7/17/2012 10:44 AM Page 76
What to do in an emergency
8
6
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you will experience a loss of
power, or hear loud pinging or knocking,
the engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (automatic 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 the hood, stop the engine. Do notopen 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 operat-
ing. If the fan is not running, 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 we recom-
mend that you call an authorized Kia
dealer. 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, we recom-
mend that you call an authorized Kia
dealer.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling systemand we recommend that the systembe checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
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 can
allow coolant to blow out of the
opening and cause serious burns.
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