2015 KIA Forte Owner's Manual

731
Maintenance
ENGINE COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year-round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at
the beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder cli-
mate.Checking the coolant level
Check the condition and connections
of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F (MAX) and L (MIN) marks
on the side of the coolant reservoir
when the engine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant or distilled (deion-
ized) water to provide protection
against freezing and corrosion. Bring
the level to F (MAX), but do not over-
fill. If frequent coolant addition is
required, see an authorized Kia deal-
er for a cooling system inspection.
Recommended engine coolant
When adding coolant, use onlydeionized water or soft water for
your vehicle and never mix hard
water in the coolant filled at the fac-
tory. An improper coolant mixture
can result in serious malfunction or
engine damage.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol-
based coolant to prevent corrosion
and freezing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the spec-
ified coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less
than 35% antifreeze, which would
reduce the effectiveness of the
solution.
WARNING - Cooling fan
Use caution when
working near the
blade of the cooling
fan. The electric
motor (cooling fan) is
controlled by engine coolant
temperature, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed. It may
sometimes operate even when
the engine is not running.
OMD070004N

Maintenance
32
7
CAUTION- Removing
radiator cap
Never attempt toremove the radiator cap while the engineis operating or hot.Doing so might lead to cooling system andengine damage.
For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.
WARNING
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure.
OMD071005L
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage
(volume)
Antifreeze Water
-15°C (5°F)35 65
-25°C (-13°F)4060
-35°C (-31°F)5050
-45°C (-49°F)6040

733
Maintenance
Turn the engine off and wait until it
cools down. Use care when remov-
ing the radiator cap. Wrap a thick
towel around it, and turn it counter-
clockwise slowly to the first stop.
Step back while the pressure is
released from the cooling system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and con-
tinue turning counterclockwise to
remove it.Changing the coolant
Have the coolant changed by an
authorized Kia dealer according to
the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this section.

Maintenance
34
7
BRAKE/CLUTCH (IF EQUIPPED) FLUID
Checking the brake/clutch*
fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake/clutch* fluid, clean
the area around the reservoir cap
thoroughly to prevent brake/clutch*
fluid contamination.
* if equipped If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-
mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings and/or
clutch disc (if equipped). If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake/clutch* system checked by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch*
fluid. (Refer to “Recommended lubri-cants and capacities” in chapter 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
In the event the brake/clutch* system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
When changing and adding
brake/clutch* fluid, handle it carefully.
Do not let it come in contact with
your eyes. If brake/clutch* 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 doc-
tor as soon as possible.
Brake/clutch* fluid, which has been
exposed to open air for an extended
time should never be used as its
quality cannot be guaranteed. It
should be disposed of properly.
CAUTION - Brake/clutch fluid
Do not allow brake/clutch* fluidto contact the vehicle's bodypaint, as paint damage willresult.
CAUTION - Proper fluid
Only use brake/clutch fluid inbrake/clutch system. Smallamounts of improper fluids(such as engine oil) can causedamage to the brake/clutch sys-tem.
OYDDMC2004

735
Maintenance
WASHER FLUID
Checking the washer fluid
level
Check the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir and add fluid if neces-
sary. 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.
Checking the parking brake
Check the stroke of the parking
brake by counting the number of
“clicks’’ heard while fully applying it
from the released position. Also, the
parking brake alone should securely
hold the vehicle on a fairly steep
grade. If the stroke is more or less
than specified, have the parking
brake adjusted by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Stroke : 6~8 “clicks’’ at a force of 20kg (44 lbs, 196 N).
WARNING - Windshield
fluid
Do not drink the windshield
washer fluid. The windshield
washer fluid is poisonous to
humans and animals.
WARNING - Flammable
fluid
Do not allow the washer fluid to
come in contact with open
flames or sparks. The wind-
shield washer fluid reservoir is
flammable under certain cir-
cumstances. This can result in a
fire.
OMD070007
OYDDDR2105
PARKING BRAKE

Maintenance
36
7
AIR CLEANER
Filter replacement
It must be replaced when necessary,
and should not be washed.
You can clean the filter when inspect-
ing the air cleaner element.
Clean the filter by using compressed
air. Replace the filter according to the
Maintenance Schedule.
If the vehicle is operated in extreme-
ly dusty or sandy areas, replace theelement more often than the usualrecommended intervals. (Refer to“Maintenance under severe usageconditions” in this chapter.)
OMD070010
CAUTION - Air filter
maintenance
Do not drive with the air clean- er removed; this will result inexcessive engine wear.
When removing the air cleaner filter, be careful that dust ordirt does not enter the airintake, or damage may result.
Use a Kia genuine part. Use of nongenuine part could dam-age the air flow sensor.

737
Maintenance
CLIMATE CONTROL AIR FILTER (IF EQUIPPED)
Filter inspection
The climate control air filter should
be replaced according to the
Maintenance Schedule. If the vehicle
is operated in severely air-polluted
cities or on dusty rough roads for a
long period, it should be inspected
more frequently and replaced earlier.
When you replace the climate control
air filter, replace it performing the fol-
lowing procedure, and be careful to
avoid damaging other components.

Maintenance
38
7
WIPER BLADES
Blade inspection
Commercial hot waxes applied by
automatic car washes have been
known to make the windshield diffi-
cult to clean. Contamination of either the wind-
shield or the wiper blades with for-
eign matter can reduce the effective-
ness of the windshield wipers.
Common sources of contamination
are insects, tree sap, and hot wax
treatments used by some commer-
cial car washes. If the blades are not
wiping properly, clean both the win-
dow and the blades with a good
cleaner or mild detergent, and rinse
thoroughly with clean water.
Blade replacement
When the wipers no longer clean
adequately, the blades may be worn
or cracked, and require replacement.
To prevent damage to the wiper arms
or other components, do not attempt
to move the wipers manually.
The use of a non-specified wiper
blade could result in wiper malfunc-
tion and failure.
1JBA5122CAUTION - Wiper blades
To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, do not use gasoline,kerosene, paint thinner, or othersolvents on or near them.