2015 KIA Sportage Owner's Manual

733
Maintenance
Warm tires normally exceed rec-ommended cold tire pressures by
28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6 psi ). Do not
release air from warm tires to
adjust the pressure or the tires will
be underinflated.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation valve caps. Without the valve cap,
dirt or moisture could get into the
valve core and cause air leakage. If
a valve cap is missing, install a
new one as soon as possible. Always observe the following:
Check tire pressure when the tires
are cold. (After vehicle has been
parked for at least three hours or
hasn't been driven more than 1.6
km (one mile) since startup.)
Check the pressure of your spare tire each time you check the pres-
sure of other tires.
Never overload your vehicle. Be careful not to overload a vehicle
luggage rack if your vehicle is
equipped with one.
Worn, old tires can cause acci- dents. If your tread is badly worn,
or if your tires have been dam-
aged, replace them.G200300AUN
Checking tire inflation pres-
sure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
G200301AUN
How to check
Use a good quality gauge to check
tire pressure. You can not tell if your
tires are properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they're underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile).

Maintenance
34
7
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 inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure 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
center 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 mois-
ture. Inspect your tires frequently for
proper inflation as well as wear and
damage. Always use a tire pres-
sure gauge.
Tires with too much or too little pressure wear unevenly causing
poor handling, loss of vehicle con-
trol, and sudden tire failure leading
to accidents, injuries, and even
death. The recommended cold tire
pressure for your vehicle can be
found in this manual and on the tire
label located on the driver's side
center pillar.
Remember to check the pressure of your spare tire. Kia recommends
that you check the spare every
time you check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.G200400AUN
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.

735
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to left.
Do not use the compact spare tire for
tire rotation.
G200500AUN
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 need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)
CAUTION- Wheel weight
Improper wheel weights candamage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
WARNING- Mixing tire types
Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause unusu-
al handling characteristics.

Maintenance
36
7
G200600AHM-EU
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire. 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 vehi-
cle. Using tires of a different size can
cause the ABS(Anti-lock Brake
System) and ESC(Electronic
Stability Control) to work irregularly.
G200601AUN
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
OEN076053
Tread wear indicator
CAUTION- Wheel
Wheels that do not meet Kia's
specifications may fit poorlyand result in damage to thevehicle or unusual handling andpoor vehicle control.

737
Maintenance
G200700BUN
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 width
and offset.
A wheel that is not the correct size
may adversely affect wheel and
bearing life, braking and stopping
abilities, handling characteristics,
ground clearance, body-to-tire clear-
ance, snow chain clearance,
speedometer and odometer calibra-
tion, headlight aim and bumper
height.
G200800AHM
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 to
reduce the possibility of losing con-
trol of the vehicle.
G200900AUN
Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
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 removed
from the wheel.
G201000AUN
Tire sidewall labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental charac-
teristics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The
TIN can be used to identify the tire in
case of a recall.
I030B04JM
1
1
23
4
5,6
7

Maintenance
38
7
G201001AUN
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or Brand name is
shown.
G201002AHM
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your vehicle. The fol-
lowing explains what the letters and
numbers in the tire size designation
mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
P235/55R18 98H P - Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’ are
intended for use on passenger
vehicles or light trucks; however,
not all tires have this marking).
235 - Tire width in millimeters.
55 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
18 - Rim diameter in inches.
98 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information. Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
7.0JX18
7.0 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
18 - Rim diameter in inches.

739
Maintenance
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger car tires. The
speed rating is part of the tire size
designation on the sidewall of the
tire. This symbol corresponds to that
tire's designed maximum safe oper-
ating speed.G201003AHM
3. Checking tire life (TIN : TireIdentification Number)
Any tires that are over 6 years old,
based on the manufacturing date,
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of the
wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of num-
bers on a tire consisting of numbers
and English letters. The manufactur-
ing date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1614 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2014.
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph) V 240 km/h (149 mph)Z 240 km/h (Above 149 mph)
Maximum Speed
Speed
Rating
Symbol
WARNING- Tire age
Replace tires within the recom-
mended time frame. Failure to
replace tires as recommended
can result in sudden tire failure,
which could lead to a loss of
control and an accident.

Maintenance
40
7
G201004AEN
4. Tire ply composition and mate-
rial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
G201005AUN
5. Maximum permissible inflationpressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
G201006AUN
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
G2010007AEN-EU
7. Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width.
For example:
TREADWEAR 200
TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used. Regardless
of the remaining tread, we recom-
mend that tires be replaced after
approximately six (6) years of normal
service. Heat caused by hot climates
or frequent high loading conditions
can accelerate the aging process.