Maintenance
10
6
OWNER MAINTENANCE
Owner maintenance schedule
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an Authorized 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 dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant reser-
voir.
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 steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling 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 oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the coolantrecovery reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year (i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air condi- tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper blades
with clean cloth dampened with wash-
er fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause burns or
other serious injury.
611
Maintenance
At least once a year:
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks, andhood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weatherstrips.
Check the air conditioning system before the warm weather season.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.
Owner maintenance precautions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section, sev-
eral procedures can be done only by an
Authorized Kia Dealer with special tools.
Improper owner maintenance during
the warranty period may affect war-
ranty coverage. For details, read the
separate Kia Warranty & Consumer
Information Manual provided with the
vehicle. If you're unsure about any
servicing or maintenance procedure,
have it done by an Authorized Kia
Dealer.WARNING- Maintenance work
Performing maintenance work on
a vehicle can be dangerous. You
can be seriously injured while per-
forming some maintenance pro-
cedures. If you lack sufficient
knowledge and experience or the
proper tools and equipment to do
the work, have it done by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Working under the hood with the engine running is dangerous. It
becomes even more dangerous
when you wear jewelry or loose
clothing. These can become
entangled in moving parts and
result in injury. Always remove all
loose or hanging clothing and all
jewelry before working on the
engine.
617
Maintenance
BRAKES
Checking brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake fluid, clean the area around
the reservoir cap thoroughly to prevent
brake fluid contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake linings.
If the fluid level is excessively low, have
the brake system checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid. (Referto “Recommended Lubricants” later inthis section.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING - Brake fluid
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
WARNING - Loss of brake
fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to contactthe vehicle's body paint, as paint damage will result. Brake fluid,which has been exposed to open airfor an extended time should never be used as its quality cannot beguaranteed. It should be thrown out. Don't put in the wrong kind offluid. A few drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your brakesystem can damage brake systemparts.
OVQ067024N
Maintenance
18
6
LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS
Checking the washer fluid level
The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visual
inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing.
This warning light indicatesthe washer fluid reservoir is
near empty. Refill the washer
fluid as soon as possible.
Body lubrication
All moving points of the body, such as
door hinges, hood hinges, and locks,
should be lubricated each time the
engine oil is changed. Use a non-freez-
ing lubricant on locks during cold weath-
er.
Make sure the engine hood secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when
the primary latch is released.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
to paint and body trim.
Windshield washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allow
sparks or flame to contact the
washer fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or it's occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contacting
windshield washer fluid. Serious
injury or death could occur.
OVQ066013N
619
Maintenance
POWER STEERING
Checking the power steering fluid
level
With the vehicle on level ground, check
the fluid level in the power steering reser-
voir periodically. The fluid should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir at the normal tem-
perature.
Before adding power steering fluid, thor-
oughly clean the area around the reser-
voir cap to prevent power steering fluid
contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level.
In the event the power steering system
requires frequent addition of fluid, the
vehicle should be inspected by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified power steeringfluid. (Refer to "RecommendedLubricants" later in this section.)
Power steering hoses
Check the connections for oil leaks,
severe damage and twists in the power
steering hose before driving.CAUTION
To avoid damage to the power steering pump, do not operate thevehicle for prolonged periods with a low power steering fluidlevel.
Never start the engine when the reservoir tank is empty.
When adding fluid, be careful that dirt does not get into the tank.
Too little fluid can result in increased steering effort and/ornoise from the power steering sys-tem.
The use of the non-specified fluid could reduce the effectiveness ofthe power steering system andcause damage to it.
OVQ066012N
Index
8I
Side table ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········3-188
Sunglass holder ··················\
··················\
··················\
3-187
Sunroof··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
····3-33
Sunvisor ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
3-192
Tachometer ················\
··················\
··················\
···············3-118
Tailgate ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·····3-15
Tether anchor system ··················\
··················\
·················3-78\
Theft-alarm system ··················\
··················\
··················\
····3-7
Tilt steering ··················\
··················\
··················\
············3-107
Tire specification / pressure label ··················\
················4-38
Tires ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
··········7-3
Tires and wheels ··················\
··················\
··················\
······6-34 Checking tire inflation pressure ··················\
·············6-36
Compact spare tire replacement ··················\
·············6-38
Recommended cold tire inflation pressures ·············6-34
Tire care ··················\
··················\
··················\
·············6-34
Tire maintenance ··················\
··················\
··················\
6-39
Tire replacement ··················\
··················\
··················\
·6-37
Tire rotation ··················\
··················\
··················\
········6-36
Tire sidewall labeling ··················\
··················\
···········6-39
Tire traction ··················\
··················\
··················\
········6-39
Wheel alignment and tire balance ··················\
··········6-38
Wheel replacement ··················\
··················\
···············6-38
Towing ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
····5-17 Tie-down hook (for flatbed towing) ··················\
·······5-20 Trailer towing ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········4-30
Safety chains ··················\
··················\
··················\
······4-31
Transaxle Automatic transaxle ··················\
··················\
···············4-5
Trip computer ··················\
··················\
··················\
········3-121
Vehicle break-in process ··················\
··················\
··············1-3
Vehicle certification label ··················\
··················\
··········4-37
Vehicle identification number (VIN) ··················\
···········4-37
Washer fluid level ··················\
··················\
··················\
·····6-18
Waste tray, see ashtray ··················\
··················\
·············3-189
Warnings and indicators ··················\
··················\
··········3-127
Wheel alignment and tire balance ··················\
···············6-38
Wheel replacement ··················\
··················\
··················\
··6-38
Windows ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
3-26 Power window lock switch ··················\
··················\
··3-28
Windshield defrosting and defogging ··················\
········3-173 Defogging logic ··················\
··················\
··················\
3-175
Winter driving ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········4-30 Snow tires ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········4-30
Wiper blades ··················\
··················\
··················\
············6-21
Wipers and washers ··················\
··················\
·················3-14\
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