Driving your vehicle
92
5
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.
77
Maintenance
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or dam-
age.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened
with washer fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.
745
Maintenance
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflationpressure matches the recommendedpressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the cen-
ter of the tire valve. Recheck the tire
pressure with the tire gauge. Be sure
to put the valve caps back on the
valve stems. They help prevent leaks
by keeping out dirt and moisture.Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom- mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to “Tire and wheels” in section 8.
WARNING
Inspect your tires frequently for proper inflation as well as
wear and damage. Always use
a tire pressure gauge.
Tires with too much or too little pressure wear unevenly caus-
ing poor handling, loss of vehi-
cle control, and sudden tirefailure leading to accidents,
injuries, and even death. Therecommended cold tire pres-
sure for your vehicle can be
found in this manual and onthe tire label located on the dri-
ver's side center pillar.
Worn tires can cause acci- dents. Replace tires that are
worn, show uneven wear, or
are damaged.
Remember to check the pres- sure of your spare tire. Kia
recommends that you check
the spare every time you
check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.
Maintenance
46
7
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
✽✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
Wheel alignment and tire bal- ance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
S2BLA790
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
With a full-size spare tire (if equipped) Directional tires (if equipped)
WARNING
Do not use the compact spare tire for tire rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
Maintenance
48
7
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset. Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. Slow down whenever there
is rain, snow or ice on the road toreduce the possibility of losing con-
trol of the vehicle. Tire maintenance In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, we recommend that the
wheel alignment be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removedfrom the wheel.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling char-
acteristics, ground clearance,
body-to-tire clearance, snow
chain clearance, speedometer
and odometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.
(Continued)
Using tires and wheels other than the recommended sizes
could cause unusual handling
characteristics and poor vehi-
cle control, resulting in a seri-ous accident.
Wheels that do not meet Kia’s specifications may fit poorly
and result in damage to the
vehicle or unusual handling
and poor vehicle control.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. The
tire size affects wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the
ABS(Anti-lock Brake System)
and ESP(Electronic Stability
Program) to work irregularly.