Driving your vehicle
50
5
Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-
cle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. 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.
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, kerbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden manoeuvres. Signal well
in advance.
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 trail-
er bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you discon-
nect and then reconnect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring har-
ness.
An authorised Kia dealer can assist you
in installing the wiring harness.
Driving on grades
Reduce the 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 45 mph (70km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transaxle,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimise heat build up
and extend the life of your transaxle.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.
Maintenance
22
7
Changing the engine oil and filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by an
authorised Kia dealer according to theMaintenance Schedule at the beginningof this section.
WARNING
Used engine oil may cause irrita- tion or cancer of the skin if left in
contact with the skin for prolonged
periods of time. Used engine oil
contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory ani-
mals. Always protect your skin by
washing your hands thoroughlywith soap and warm water as soon
as possible after handling used oil.
