2015 KIA Sportage tires

Your vehicle at a glance
22
EXTERIOR OVERVIEW I
1. Hood ......................................................4-32
2. Headlamp ..............................................8-2
3. Fog light ................................................8-2
4. Tires and wheels ....................................7-325. Outside rearview mirror..........................4-54
6. Sunroof ..................................................4-37
7. Wiper blade ............................................7-26
8. Windows ................................................4-27
OSL012003N
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Front

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Driving your vehicle
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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.
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Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in section 7,
“Maintenance”.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol, that may lead to an acci-
dent, 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
vehicle or which are not permis-
sible by law should never be
used during operation of the
vehicle.
WARNING - Distracted
driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the drive should
not be used during vehicle
operation.

Driving your vehicle
26
5
Full-time 4WD vehicles must be
tested on a special four wheel
chassis dynamometer.
A full-time 4WD vehicle should not be tested on a 2WD roll tester. If a
2WD roll tester must be used, per-
form the following: 1.Check the tire pressures recom-
mended for your vehicle.
2.Place the front wheels on the roll tester for a speedometer test as
shown in the illustration.
3.Release the parking brake.
4.Place the rear wheels on the tem- porary free roller as shown in the
illustration.
WARNING - Jackedvehicle
While the full-time 4WD vehicle
is being raised on a jack, never
start the engine or cause the
tires to rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the
jack and to jump forward.
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Roll tester (speedometer)
Temporary free roller

Driving your vehicle
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5
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Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned
ON, the indicator light illuminates,
then goes off if ESC system is oper-
ating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating and illumi-
nates when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button.
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ESC OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESC
turned on for daily driving whenev-
er possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
■ ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or
wheel sizes may cause the ESCsystem to malfunction. Whenreplacing tires, make sure theyare the same size as your origi-nal tires.
WARNING- Operating ESC
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.
WARNING- Electronic
stability control
Drive carefully even though
your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control. It can only
assist you in maintaining con-
trol under certain circum-
stances.

Driving your vehicle
48
5
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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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 both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
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 to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "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 tire
pressures 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 accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
section 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance 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 to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces- sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't 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
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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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.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
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Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle
is defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle
(SUV). SUV’s have higher ground
clearance and a narrower track to make
them capable of performing in a wide
variety of off-road applications. Specific
design characteristics give them a high-
er center of gravity than ordinary vehi-
cles. An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view of the
road, which allows you to anticipate
problems. They are not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as con-
ventional passenger vehicles, any
more than low-slung sports vehicles
are designed to perform satisfactorily in
off-road conditions. Due to this risk,
driver and passengers are strongly rec-
ommended to buckle their seat belts. In
a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
more likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seat belt. There are steps that a
driver can make to reduce the risk of a
rollover. If at all possible, avoid sharp
turns or abrupt maneuvers, do not load
your roof rack with heavy cargo, and
never modify your vehicle in any way.
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transaxle while driving on
slippery surfaces. The sudden
change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid and
result in an accident.

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Driving your vehicle
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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 1st (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with
a manual transaxle or 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 pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.
CAUTION- Vehicle rock-
ing
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine overheating, transaxledamage or failure, and tire dam-age.WARNING - Replacement tires
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in the tire
section of the manual.
Installation of variant tires can
affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle. properly
buckled up.

Driving your vehicle
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5
The ESC system (if equipped)
should be turned OFF prior to rock-
ing the vehicle.E110300AUN
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.
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CAUTION- Spinning
tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when thevehicle is stationary couldcause a tire to overheat whichcould result in tire damage thatmay injure bystanders.
WARNING- Sudden
vehicle movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehi-
cle if people or objects are near-
by. The vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backwards as
it becomes unstuck.