
563
Driving your vehicle
Severe weather conditions in the
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize the
problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:
Snowy or icy conditionsTo drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
on your tires. If snow tires are need-
ed, it is necessary to select tires
equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do
so may adversely affect the safety
and handling of your vehicle.
Furthermore, speeding, rapid accel-
eration, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns are potentially very
hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids to occur. You
need to keep sufficient distance
between the vehicle in operation in
front of your vehicle. Also, apply the
brake gently.
Snow tires If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure they are radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires withoutfirst checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING
- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
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565
Driving your vehicle
Don’t let your parking brake
freezeUnder some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
If there is a risk the parking brake
may freeze, apply it only temporarily
while you put the gear shift lever in P
(Park, automatic transaxle) or in first
or reverse gear (manual transaxle)
and block the rear wheels so the
vehicle cannot roll. Then release the
parking brake.Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneathUnder some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components are not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipmentDepending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tow straps or chains, flash-
light, emergency flares, sand, shov-
el, jumper cables, window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, blan-
ket, etc.
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Driving your vehicle66
5If you are considering towing with
your vehicle, you should first check
with your country's Department of
Motor Vehicles to determine their
legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for
towing trailers, cars, or other types of
vehicles or apparatus may differ. Ask
an authorized Kia dealer for further
details before towing.
You may require an additional wiring
harness connector to install a trailer
hitch. Please contact an authorized
Kia dealer for more details. Your vehicle can tow a trailer.* 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 section.Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requires
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
This section contains many time-
tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Please read this
section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements.TRAILER TOWING
CAUTION
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and resultin costly repairs not covered byyour warranty. To pull a trailercorrectly, follow the advice inthis section.
WARNING
- Towing a trailer
If you don't use the correct
equipment and/or drive improp-
erly, you can lose control when
you pull a trailer. For example, if
the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well - or
even at all. You and your pas-
sengers could be seriously or
fatally injured. Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all the
steps in this section.
WARNING
- Weight limits
Before towing, make sure the
total trailer weight, GCW (gross
combination weight), GVW
(gross vehicle weight), GAW
(gross axle weight) and trailer
tongue load are all within the
limits.
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Driving your vehicle68
5Driving 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.
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Driving your vehicle70
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.
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What to do in an emergency86IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIREJack and toolsThe jack, jack handle, wheel lug nut
wrench are stored in the luggage
compartment.
Pull up the luggage box cover to
reach this equipment.
(1) Jack handle
(2) Jack
(3) Wheel lug nut wrench
(4) Socket
Jacking instructions The jack is provided for emergency
tire changing only.
To prevent the jack from “rattling”
while the vehicle is in motion, store it
properly.
Follow jacking instructions to reduce
the possibility of personal injury.
WARNING
- Changingtires
Never attempt vehicle repairs
in the traffic lanes of a public
road or highway.
Always move the vehicle com- pletely off the road and onto
the shoulder before trying to
change a tire. The jack should
be used on a firm level
ground. If you cannot find a
firm, level place off the road,
call a towing service company
for assistance.
Be sure to use the correct front and rear jacking posi-
tions on the vehicle; never
use the bumpers or any other
part of the vehicle for jack
support.
(Continued)
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69
What to do in an emergency
Removing and storing the
spare tire Your spare tire is stored underneath
your vehicle, directly below the cargo
area.
To remove the spare tire:
1.Open the tailgate.
2.Find the hex bolt cover and bendthe cover back. 3.Connect the socket and wheel lug
nut wrench.
4.Use the wheel lug nut wrench to loosen the bolt enough to lower the
spare tire.
Turn the wrench counterclockwise
until the spare tire reaches the
ground.
(Continued)
The vehicle can easily roll offthe jack causing serious
injury or death. No person
should place any portion of
their body under a vehicle that
is supported only by a jack;
use vehicle support stands.
Do not start or run the engine while the vehicle is on the
jack.
Do not allow anyone to remain in the vehicle while it is on the
jack.
Make sure any children pres- ent are in a secure place away
from the road and from the
vehicle to be raised with the
jack.
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What to do in an emergency10
65.After the spare tire reaches the
ground, continue to turn the
wrench counterclockwise, and
draw the spare tire outside. Never
rotate the wrench excessively, oth-
erwise the spare tire carrier may be
damaged.
6.Remove the retainer (1) from the center of the spare tire. To store the spare tire:
1.Lay the tire on the ground with the
valve stem facing up.
2.Place the wheel under the vehicle and install the retainer (1) through
the wheel center.
3.Turn the wrench clockwise until it clicks.
WARNING
Ensure the spare tire retainer is
properly aligned with the center
of the spare tire to prevent the
spare tire from “rattling”.
Otherwise, it may cause the
spare tire to fall off the carrier
and lead to an accident.
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