
Driving your vehicle
64
5
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now a
good deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane. Due to the added load to the
engine when going uphill the vehicle
may also take longer to pass than it
would on flat ground.
Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, just move your
hand to the left. To move the trailer to
the right, move your hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects near the edge of the
road. Avoid jerky or sudden maneu-
vers. Signal well in advance before
turning or lane changes.

565
Driving your vehicle
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’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you dis-
connect and then reconnect the
wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-
tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting
system. Use only an approved trailer
wiring harness.
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 (45 mph) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transaxle, you should drive in D
(Drive) when towing 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 trail-
er wiring harness could result
in damage to the vehicle electri-
cal system and/or personal
injury.

Driving your vehicle
66
5
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer
attached to your vehicle, you should
not park your vehicle on a hill. People
can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged if they unexpected-
ly roll downhill.
However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here's how to do
it:
1.Pull the vehicle into the parking
space. Turn the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb (right if
headed downhill, left if headed up
hill). 2.If the vehicle has a manual
transaxle, place the vehicle in neu-
tral. If the vehicle has an automatic
transaxle, place the vehicle in P
(Park).
3.Set the parking brake and shut off the engine.
4.Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the
wheels.
5.Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift to neutral, release the parking
brake and slowly release the
brakes until the trailer chocks
absorb the load.
6.Reapply the brakes, reapply the parking brake and shift the vehicle
to R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle or P (Park) for automatic
transaxle.
7.Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the park-
ing brake set.CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does notoverheat.
If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge movesacross the dial towards “H”(HOT), pull over and stop assoon as it is safe to do so, andallow the engine to idle until itcools down. You may proceedonce the engine has cooledsufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailerweight and uphill grade toreduce the possibility ofengine and transaxle over-heating.
WARNING- Parking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill
with a trailer attached could
cause serious injury or death,
should the trailer break loose or
brake stops working.

567
Driving your vehicle
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle inNeutral or automatic transaxle in P
(Park), apply your brakes and hold
the brake pedal down while you:
and
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 tow-
ing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant
and cooling system fluid. Brake con-
dition is another important item to
frequently check. Each item is cov-
ered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you
start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your
trailer and 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 hitch nuts and bolts
should be tight.
CAUTION
Due to higher load duringtrailer usage, overheatingmight occur in hot days orduring uphill driving. If thecoolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/C andstop the vehicle in a safe areato cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
WARNING- Parkingbrake
It can be dangerous to get out
of your vehicle if the parking
brake is not firmly set.
If you have left the engine run-
ning, the vehicle can move sud-
denly. You or others could be
seriously or fatally injured.

Driving your vehicle
68
5
If you do decide to pull a trail-
er
Here are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.
Do not do any towing with your vehicle during its first 2,000 km
(1,200 miles) in order to allow the
engine to properly break in. Failure
to heed this caution may result in
serious engine or transaxle dam-
age.
When towing a trailer, be sure to consult an authorized Kia dealer
for further information on additional
requirements such as a towing kit,
etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a mod- erate speed (less than 100 km/h
(60 mph)).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the
posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower.
The chart contains important con- siderations that have to do with
weight: Engine
Item Gasoline Engine
2.0L
Maximum trailer
weight
Without brake system 454 (1,000)
With brake system 680 (1,499)
Maximum tongue weight 75 (165)
kg (lbs.)
To identify what the vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should
read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this sec-
tion.

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
If the engine will not start, do
not push or pull the vehicle to
start it. This could result in a
collision or cause other dam-
age. In addition, push or pull
starting may cause the catalytic
converter (if equipped) to be
overloaded and create a fire
hazard.

What to do in an emergency
66
Jump starting procedure
✽
✽NOTICE
If the battery is discharged, the
engine can be started using a battery
of another vehicle and two jumper
cables. Only use jumper cables with
fully insulated clamp handles.
To prevent personal injury or dam-
age to both vehicles, adhere strictly
to the following procedure.
1.Make sure the booster battery is
12-volt and that its negative termi-
nal is grounded.
2.If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehicles to
touch.
3.Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4.Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the illus-
tration. First connect one end of a
jumper cable to the positive termi-
nal of the discharged battery (1),
then connect the other end to the
positive terminal on the booster
battery (2).
Proceed to connect one end of the
other jumper cable to the negative
terminal of the booster battery (3),
then the other end to a solid, sta-
tionary, 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. Do not allow the jumper cables to
contact anything except the correct
battery terminals or the correct
ground. Do not lean over the bat-
tery when making connections.
5.Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at
2,000 rpm, then start the engine of
the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
If the cause of your battery discharg-ing is not apparent, you should haveyour vehicle checked by an author-ized Kia dealer.
CAUTION - Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper
cable from the negative terminalof the booster battery to thenegative terminal of the dis-charged battery. This can causethe discharged battery to over-heat and crack, releasing bat-tery acid.

67
What to do in an emergency
Push-starting
Your manual transaxle-equipped
vehicle should not be push-started
because it might damage the emis-
sion control system.
Vehicles equipped with automatic
transaxle cannot be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section
for jump-starting.
WARNING
Never tow a vehicle to start it
because the sudden surge for-
ward when the engine starts
could cause a collision with the
tow vehicle.