Features of your vehicle
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4
Low Tire Pressure
Warning Light (if equipped)
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON position.
- It illuminates for approximately 3seconds and then goes off.
When one or more of your tires are significantly underinflated (The
location of the underinflated tires
are displayed on the LCD display).
For more details, refer to “Tire
Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” in chapter 6. This warning light remains on after
blinking for approximately 60 seconds
or repeats blinking and off at the
intervals of approximately 3 seconds:
When there is a malfunction with
the TPMS.
In this case, we recommend that
you have the vehicle inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer as soon
as possible.
For more details, refer to “Tire
Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” in chapter 6.
Door Ajar Warning Light
This warning light illuminates:
When a door is not closed securely.
Trunk Open Warning
Light
This warning light illuminates:
When the trunk is not closed secure-
ly.
WARNING - Safe Stopping
The TPMS cannot alert you to severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors.
If you notice any vehicle insta- bility, immediately take your
foot off the accelerator pedal,
apply the brakes gradually with
light force, and slowly move to
a safe position off the road.
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Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up. Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in section 7,“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle control,
that may lead to an accident,
severe personal injury, and
death. The driver’s primary
responsibility is in the safe and
legal operation of a vehicle, and
use of any handheld devices,
other equipment, or vehicle sys-
tems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehi-
cle or which are not permissible
by law should never be used dur-
ing operation of the vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
Indicator light
When ignition switch is turned to the ON position, the indicator light illumi-
nates, then goes off if the ESC sys-
tem is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate. ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when the ESC is turned off with the
button.
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for dailydriving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
✽✽ NOTICE
When operating the vehicle on a dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESP is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.
Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC systemto malfunction. When replacing tires, make sure they are thesame size as your original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control
is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by
slowing down on curved,
snowy, or icy roads. Drive slow-
ly and don’t attempt to acceler-
ate whenever the ESC indicator
light is blinking, or when the
road surface is slippery.WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF but- ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator light blinks). If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip
out of control.
Driving your vehicle
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ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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 kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate rate. Do not make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts and
maintain a steady cruising speed.
Do not race between stoplights. Try
to adjust your speed to the traffic so
you do not have to change speeds
unnecessarily. Avoid heavy traffic
whenever possible. Always maintain
a safe distance from other vehicles
so you can avoid unnecessary brak-
ing. 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 toreduce fuel consumption. Do not "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 tirepressures 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 accordancewith the maintenance schedule in
section 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance 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 tocorrosion.
Travel lightly. Do not carry unnec- essary weight in your vehicle.
Weight reduces fuel economy.
Do not 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.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.WARNING - Spinning
tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56
km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat which
could result in tire damage that
may injure bystanders.WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and
backward. Do not attempt this
procedure if people or objects
are anywhere near the vehicle.
During the rocking operation the
vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes
unstuck, causing injury or dam-
age to nearby people or objects.
OBH058035L
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Driving your vehicle
If your tires are not in good condi-tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud- dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns. Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is nohigher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks of
roots of trees. Become familiar with
the off-road conditions where you
are going to drive before you begin
driving. Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
✽✽
NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the tires.
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Driving your vehicle
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Fuel, engine coolant and engine
oil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both engine coolant andengine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and
sudden tire failure leading to
accidents, injuries, and even
death. Always check the tires
for proper inflation before
driving. For proper tire pres-
sures, refer to section 8,“Tires and wheels”.
Driving on tires with no or insufficient tread is danger-
ous. Worn-out tires can result
in loss of vehicle control, col-
lisions, injury, and even death.
Worn-out tires should be
replaced as soon as possible
and should never be used for
driving. Always check the tire
tread before driving your vehi-
cle. For further information
and tread limits, refer to sec-
tion 7, “Tires and wheels”.