
Driving your vehicle
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5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud. Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transaxle. Do not
race the engine, and spin the wheels
as little as possible. If you are still
stuck after a few tries, have the vehi-
cle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change intire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on
a vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause engine over-heating, transaxledamage or failure, and tire dam-age.

Driving your vehicle
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5
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary In 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, we recommend that you
consult an authorized Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni- tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in section 7 and replace them if neces-
sary. Also check all ignition wiring and
components to be sure they are not
cracked, worn or damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To 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 system
To 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 finish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to happen
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 shift lever in P and block
the rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under 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 is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, shovel, jumper cables, window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.

What to do in an emergency
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6
IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE
Jack and tools
The jack, jack handle, and 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) Screw driver (phillips and flat-head)
(5) Spanner
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 - Changing
tires
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 level firm ground.
If you cannot find a firm, level
place off the road, call a tow-
ing service company for
assistance.
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OKH062005
(Continued)
Be sure to use the correctfront and rear jacking posi-
tions on the vehicle; never
use the bumpers or any other
part of the vehicle for jacking
support.
The vehicle can easily roll off the jack causing serious
injury or death.
Do not get under a vehicle that is supported by a jack.
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.

What to do in an emergency
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6
6. Insert the screwdriver into the
groove of the wheel cap and pry
gently to remove the wheel cap. 7. Loosen the wheel lug nuts coun-
terclockwise one turn each, but do
not remove any nut until the tire
has been raised off the ground.
WARNING - Changing a tire
To prevent vehicle movement
while changing a tire, always
set the parking brake fully,
and always block the wheel
diagonally opposite the wheel
being changed.
We recommend that the wheels of the vehicle be
blocked, and that no person
remain in the vehicle that is
being jacked.
OKH062009OKH062010

621
What to do in an emergency
If you have a tire gauge, remove the
valve cap and check the air pressure.
If the pressure is lower than recom-
mended, drive slowly to the nearest
service station and inflate to the cor-
rect pressure. If it is too high, adjust it
until it is correct. Always reinstall the
valve cap after checking or adjusting
tire pressure. If the cap is not
replaced, air may leak from the tire. If
you lose a valve cap, buy another and
install it as soon as possible.
After you have changed wheels,
always secure the flat tire in its place
and return the jack and tools to their
proper storage locations.To prevent the jack, jack handle,
wheel lug nut wrench and spare tire
from rattling while the vehicle is in
motion, store them properly.CAUTION
Your vehicle has metric threads
on the wheel studs and nuts.Make certain during wheel removal that the same nuts thatwere removed are reinstalled -or, if replaced, that nuts with metric threads and the samechamfer configuration are used.Installation of a non-metricthread nut on a metric stud or vice-versa will not secure thewheel to the hub properly andwill damage the stud so that it must be replaced.
Note that most lug nuts do nothave metric threads. Be sure touse extreme care in checkingfor thread style before installing aftermarket lug nuts or wheels.If in doubt, consult an author-ized Kia dealer.
WARNING - Wheel studs
If the studs are damaged, they
may lose their ability to retain
the wheel. This could lead to theloss of the wheel and a collisionresulting in serious injuries.
WARNING - Inadequate
spare tire pressure
Check the inflation pressures
as soon as possible after
installing the spare tire. Adjust
it to the specified pressure, if
necessary. Refer to “Tires and
wheels” section 8.

Maintenance
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7
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks and inspections that should be per-
formed at the frequencies indicated
to help ensure safe, dependable
operation of your vehicle.
If you have any question, we recom-
mend that you consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used. Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
• Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant
reservoir.
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 steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, levelroad.
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 operation 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
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
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.