2014 KIA Forte oil

Driving your vehicle
25
Be sure the exhaust system
does not leak.
The exhaust system should be
checked whenever the vehicle is
raised to change the oil or for any
other purpose. If you
hear a change in the sound of the
exhaust or if you drive over some-
thing that strikes the underneath side
of the vehicle, have the exhaust sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING - Engineexhaust
Do not inhale exhaust fumes or
leave your engine running in an
enclosed area for a prolonged
time.
Exhaust fumes contain carbon
monoxide, a colorless, odorless
gas that can cause uncon-
sciousness and death by
asphyxiation.
WARNING- Open trunk
Do not drive with the trunk
open.
Poisonous exhaust gases can
enter the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with the
trunk open proceed as follows:
1.Close all windows.
2.Open side vents.
3.Set the air intake control at
"Fresh", the air flow control at
"Floor" or "Face" and the fan
at the highest speed.

Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(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 Chapter 7,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
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 off.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
53
Driving your vehicle
WARNING - Distracted driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any hand held devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the driver should
not be used during vehicle
operation.
WARNING
- Check surrounding
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a vehicle into D (Drive)
or R (Reverse).

Driving your vehicle
46
5
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
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
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 for-
get to check both the engine coolant
and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
overheat the engine.
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.

Driving your vehicle
48
5
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in section 7. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer or a service
station.
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
section 8 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni-
tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in section 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
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 heat-
ed 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 instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint fin-
ish.

What to do in an emergency
46
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
If the engine doesn't turn over
or turns over slowly
1.If your vehicle has an automatictransaxle, be sure the shift lever is
in N (Neutral) or P (Park) and the
emergency brake is set.
2.Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3.Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you operate
the starter, the battery is dis-
charged.
4.Check the starter connections to be sure they are securely tight-
ened.
5.Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump
starting".
If engine turns over normally
but does not start
1.Check fuel level.
2.With the ignition switch in theLOCK position, check all connec-
tors at the ignition coil and spark
plugs. Reconnect any that may be
disconnected or loose.
3.Check the fuel line in the engine compartment.
4.If the engine still does not start, call an authorized Kia dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
WARNING - Push/pull start
Do not push or pull the vehicle
to start it. Push or pull starting
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload and create a
fire hazard.

Maintenance
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
• Owner maintenance schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
• Normal maintenance schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
• Maintenance under severe usage conditions. . . . . . . 7-23
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-25
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Brake/clutch fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
• Checking the brake/clutch fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• Checking the parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
41
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
• Battery recharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
44
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-44
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
• Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
• All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
• Summer tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
• Snow tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
55
• Radial-ply tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
• Low aspect raito tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
7

73
Maintenance
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
1. Engine oil filler cap
2. Engine oil dipstick
3. Brake/clutch fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Fuse box
6. Positive battery terminal
7. Negative battery terminal
8. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
9. Radiator cap
10. Engine coolant reservoir
OYDNMC2041
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.

Maintenance
67
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an author-
ized 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 deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling 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 operation 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
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
WARNING - Hot coolant
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure.