2015 KIA Sportage wheel alignment

521
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. 4WD is useful when extra
traction is required on road, such as,
when driving on slippery, muddy, wet,
or snow-covered roads. These vehi-
cles are not designed for challenging
off-road use. Occasional off-road use
such as established unpaved roads
and trails are OK. It is always impor-
tant when traveling off-highway that
the driver carefully reduces the speed
to a level that does not exceed the
safe operating speed for those condi-
tions. In general, off-road conditions
provide less traction and braking effec-
tiveness than normal road conditions.
The driver must be especially alert to
avoid driving on slopes which tilt the
vehicle to either side.
These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road. Keeping
the vehicle in contact with the driving
surface and under control in these
conditions is always the driver's
responsibility for the safety of him/her-
self and his or her passengers.If the 4WD system warning light ( )
illuminates, this indicates that there
is a malfunction in the 4WD system.
If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of four-wheel drive
vehicles caused by the difference in
tire rotation at the four wheels and
the zero-degree alignment of the
front wheels and suspension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING - Off road
driving
Do no attempt to operate you
vehicle under extreme or chal-
lenging off road driving condi-
tion. Although this vehicle has
off-road capability, it was not
designed to be driven off road.

Driving your vehicle
48
5
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
E100000AHM-EU
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.

Maintenance
67
G030103AHM
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in theengine coolant 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.
G030104AHM
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check the radiator, heater and air conditioning hoses for leaks or
damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean
the wiper blades with clean cloth
dampened with washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
G030105AHM-C1
At least once a year:
Clean the body and door drainholes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks, and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate the automat- ic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.

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.

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

Index
6I
Driving in flooded areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Driving in the rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53
Driving off-road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Hazardous driving conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Highway driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
Reducing the risk of a rollover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Rocking the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Smooth cornering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52
Steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41 Electronic power steering (EPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
FLEX Steer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45
Heated steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. 4-44
Tilt and telescoping steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-119 Center console storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-119
Glove box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-119
Glove box cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-120
Luggage box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-121
Sunglass holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-120
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. 4-24
Theft-alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Tire specification and pressure label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32 All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44 Checking tire inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Low aspect ratio tire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
Radial-ply tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-32
Snow tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Summer tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32\
Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Tire terminology and definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. 6-17 Emergency towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Removable towing hook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17
Tie-down hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Towing service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-59
Vehicle break-in process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Vehicle certification label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Vehicle handling instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
T
V