2014 KIA Sorento maintenance

527
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance under
severe usage conditions” in chap-
ter 7). Always wash your vehicle
thoroughly after off-road use,
especially cleaning the bottom of
the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the AWD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip the vehi-
cle with four tires of the same size
and type.
• A full time four wheel drive vehi- cle cannot be towed by an ordi-
nary tow truck. Make sure that
the vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.
WARNING
- Drivingthrough
water
Drive slowly. If you are driving
too fast in water, the water can
get into the engine compart-
ment and wet the ignition sys-
tem, causing your vehicle to
suddenly stop. If this happens
and your vehicle is in a tilted
position, your vehicle may roll
over.
WARNING
- AWD driving
 Avoid high cornering speed.
 Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
 The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at high speed.
 In a collision, an unbelted per- son is significantly more like-
ly to die compared to a person
wearing a seat belt.
 Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
oversteers to re-enter the
roadway. In the event your
vehicle leaves the roadway, do
not steer sharply. Instead,
slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
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555
Driving your vehicle
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 miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
 Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary 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 consumption.  Don't "ride" the brake 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 con-
sequences.
 Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
 Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.  Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
section 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see sec-
tion 7 for details).
 Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum 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 contribute to
corrosion.
 Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces- sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
 Don't 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.ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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Driving your vehicle64
5Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolantYour 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 cablesWinter 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 necessaryIn 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 systemInspect 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 freezingTo 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 systemTo 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.
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571
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:
 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 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.
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MaintenanceEngine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7• Owner maintenance schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-27
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35Brake/clutch fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36• Checking the brake/clutch fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38• Checking the parking brake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
47• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
• Battery recharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-50
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-50
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-54
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
• Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56
7
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73
Maintenance
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OXMA072001
* The actual engine room in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake 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 oil dipstick
* : if equipped
■
■2.4L GDI
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Maintenance47
OXMA073001
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Fuse box
6. Negative battery terminal
7. Positive battery terminal
8. Radiator cap
9. Engine oil dipstick
10. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
* if equipped
■ ■3.3L GDI* The actual engine compartment in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
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75
Maintenance
MAINTENANCE SERVICESYou should exercise the utmost care
to prevent damage to your vehicle
and injury to yourself whenever per-
forming any maintenance or inspec-
tion procedures.
Should you have any doubts con-
cerning the inspection or servicing of
your vehicle, we strongly recom-
mend that you have an authorized
Kia dealer perform this work.
An authorized Kia dealer has factory
trained technicians and genuine Kia
parts to service your vehicle proper-
ly. For expert advice and quality serv-
ice, see an authorized Kia dealer.
Inadequate, incomplete or insuffi-
cient servicing may result in opera-
tional problems with your vehicle that
could lead to vehicle damage, an
accident, or personal injury.
Owner’s responsibility ✽ ✽NOTICEMaintenance Service and Record
Retention are the owner's responsi-
bility. You should retain documents that
show proper maintenance has been
performed on your vehicle in accor-
dance with the scheduled mainte-
nance service charts shown on the
following pages. You need this infor-
mation to establish your compliance
with the servicing and maintenance
requirements of your vehicle war-
ranties.
Detailed warranty information is pro-
vided in your Warranty & Consumer
Information manual.
Repairs and adjustments required as
a result of improper maintenance or
a lack of required maintenance are
not covered. We recommend you have your vehi-
cle maintained and repaired by an
authorized Kia dealer. An authorized
Kia dealer meets Kia’s high service
quality standards and receives tech-
nical support from Kia in order to pro-
vide you with a high level of service
satisfaction.
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