
549
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices Check to be sure the parking brake is
not engaged and that the parking
brake indicator light is out before driv-
ing away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your vehicle
will not stop as quickly if the brakes are
wet. Wet brakes may cause the vehicle
to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the vehicle
under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and we
recommend that you call an authorised
Kia dealer.
Do not coast down hills with the vehicle out of gear. This is extremely haz-
ardous. Keep the vehicle in gear at all
times, use the brakes to slow down,
then shift to a lower gear so that
engine braking will help you maintain a
safe speed. Do not "ride" the brake pedal. Resting
your foot on the brake pedal whilst driv-ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
If a tyre goes flat whilst you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
vehicle pointed straight ahead whilst
you slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place.
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transaxle, do not let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid creep-
ing forward, keep your foot firmly on
the brake pedal when the vehicle isstopped.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or park your vehicle, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the P (Park) position. If the
parking brake is not fully
engaged, the vehicle may move
inadvertently and injure yourself
and others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants orpedestrians.
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Driving your vehicle
62
5
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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
kilometers (miles) you can get from a
litre (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder- ate rate. Do not make "jack-rabbit"
starts or full-throttle shifts and maintain
a steady cruising speed. Do not race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you do not 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. Do not "ride" the brake or clutch pedal.
This can increase fuel consumption
and also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with your
foot resting 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 tyres. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tyre
wear. Check the tyre pressures at leastonce 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 tyre 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. If you drive your vehi-
cle in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required.
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 contributeto corrosion.
Travel lightly. Do not carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
Do not 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.
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Driving your vehicle
64
5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, followthese 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 isstopped.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tyre chains, or other non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide 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 1 (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.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, whilst driving on slipperysurfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tyre speed
could cause the tyres to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause engine over-heating, transaxle dam- age or failure, and tyre damage.
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5
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 whilst the vehicle is moving slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are going
to drive before you begin driving. Highway driving
Tyres
Adjust the tyre inflation pressures to
specification. Low tyre inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tyres.
Avoid using worn or damaged tyres
which may result in reduced traction or
tyre failure.
✽✽
NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tyre infla-
tion pressure shown on the tyres.
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 tyres can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-den tyre failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check the tyres for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tyre pressures, refer to section
8, “Tyres and wheels”.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Driving on tyres with no or insuf-ficient tread is dangerous. Worn- out tyres can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tyresshould be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tyre tread before driving your
vehicle. For further information
and tread limits, refer to section
7, “Tyres and wheels”.
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Driving your vehicle
74
5
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 authorised 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 to ensure theengine does not overheat.
If the coolant temperature redwarning light illuminates or the coolant temperature gauge movestowards “130”, pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and
allow the engine to idle until it cools down. You may proceed oncethe engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi- bility of engine and transaxleoverheating.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
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 whilst 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 towbar hitch. Follow the mainte-
nance schedule that accompanied your
trailer and check it periodically.
Preferably, conduct the check at the start
of each day’s driving. Most importantly,
all towbar hitch nuts and bolts should betight.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.
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What to do in an emergency
6
6
Jump starting procedure ✽✽
NOTICE
If the battery is discharged, the engine can be started using a battery of anoth-
er vehicle and two jumper cables. Only
use jumper cables with fully insulatedclamp handles.
To prevent personal injury or damage to
both vehicles, adhere strictly to the fol-
lowing 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 totouch.
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
on the booster battery (2). Proceed toconnect one end of the other jumper
cable to the negative terminal 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 con-
nect it to or near any part that moves
when the engine is cranked. Make
sure that there is no contact between
the bodywork of the two vehicles; oth-
erwise, there is the danger of short cir-
cuits.
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.
CAUTION - Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper cable from
the negative terminal of the booster battery to the negative terminal of thedischarged battery. This can cause
the discharged battery to overheat and crack, releasing battery acid.
CAUTION -AGM battery (if equipped)
Absorbent Glass Matt (AGM) bat-
teries are maintenance-free andwe recommend that the AGM bat-
teries be serviced by an autho-rised Kia dealer. For chargingyour AGM battery, use only fully
automatic battery chargers thatare specially developed for AGMbatteries.
When replacing the AGM battery, we recommend that you use parts
for replacement from an autho- rised Kia dealer.
Do not open or remove the cap on top of the battery. This may cause
leaks of internal electrolyte that could result in severe injury.
If the AGM battery is reconnected or replaced, ISG function will notoperate immediately.
If you want to use the ISG func-tion, the battery sensor needs to be calibrated for approximately 4hours with the ignition off.
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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 bonnet, stop the engine. Donot open the bonnet 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 authorised 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 authorised Kia
dealer.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling systemand we recommend that the systembe checked by an authorised Kia dealer.
WARNING
Whilst 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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