Driving your vehicle
5
5-99
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
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.
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engineoil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both the engine coolant
and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
overheat the engine.
Tire tread
Always check the tire tread
before driving your vehicle.
Worn-out tires can result in loss
of vehicle control. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible. For further informa-
tion and tread limits, refer to
"Tires and wheels" in section 7.
WARNING
Under/Over Inflated Tires
Always check the tires for prop-
er inflation before driving.
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
WARNING
KH USA 5:2015 3/25/2015 9:18 AM Page 99
5-100
Driving your vehicle
Severe weather conditions in the
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize the
problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:Snowy or Icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires. If
snow tires are needed, it is neces-
sary to select tires equivalent in size
and type of the original equipment
tires. Failure to do so may adversely
affect the safety and handling of your
car. Furthermore, speeding, rapid
acceleration, sudden brake applica-
tions, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids. You need to
keep sufficient distance between the
vehicle in operation in front and your
vehicle. Also, apply the brake gently.
It should be noted that installing tire
chains on the tire will provide greater
driving force, but will not prevent side
skids.
Tire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before installing tire
chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure they are radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires withoutfirst checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your vehi-
cle may be adversely affected.
WARNING
KH USA 5:2015 3/25/2015 9:18 AM Page 100
Driving your vehicle
5
5-101
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by
mounting some types of snow chains
on them. Therefore, the use of snow
tires is recommended instead of
snow chains. Do not mount tire
chains on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels; snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use the
AutoSock
®(fabric snow chain).
Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper snow chain use is not cov-
ered by your vehicle manufacturers
warranty.
Install the AutoSock
®(fabric snow
chain) only on the rear tires.
✽ NOTICE
Always check the AutoSock®(fabric
snow chain) installation for proper
mounting after driving approximate-
ly 0.3 to 0.6 miles (0.5 to 1 km) to
ensure safe mounting. Retighten or
remount the AutoSock
®(fabric snow
chain) if they are loose.
❈ AutoSock®is a Registered trade-
mark of AutoSock®. Chain installation
When installing the AutoSock
®(fab-
ric snow chain), follow the manufac-
turer's instructions and mount them
as tightly as you can. Drive slowly
with the AutoSock
®(fabric snow
chain) installed. If you hear the
AutoSock
®(fabric snow chain) con-
tacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make con-
tact, slow down until it stops.
Remove the AutoSock
®(fabric snow
chain) as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
When mounting the AutoSock
®(fab-
ric snow chain), park the vehicle on
level ground away from traffic. Turn
on the vehicle Hazard Warning flash-
ers and place a triangular emer-
gency warning device behind the
vehicle if available. Always place the
vehicle in P (Park), apply the parking
brake and turn off the engine before
installing the AutoSock
®(fabric snow
chain).
OKH055098N
Make sure the AutoSock®(fabric
snow chain) are the correct size
and type for your tires. Incorrect
snow chains can cause damage
to the vehicle body and suspen-
sion and may not be covered by
your vehicle manufacturer war-
ranty.
CAUTION
KH USA 5:2015 3/25/2015 9:18 AM Page 101
Driving your vehicle
5
5-103
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
section 8 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
K900 Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni-
tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in section 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized K900 Kia dealer and most
auto parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint fin-
ish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet. If
there is a risk the parking brake may
freeze, apply it only temporarily while
you put the shift lever in P (Park) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
car to be sure the movement of the
front wheels and the steering com-
ponents is not obstructed.
KH USA 5:2015 3/25/2015 9:18 AM Page 103
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
If engine doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly
1.Be sure the shift lever is in N(Neutral) or P (Park) and the emer-
gency brake is set.
2.Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3.Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you operate
the starter, the battery is dis-
charged.
4.Check the starter connections to be sure they are securely tight-
ened.
5.Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump
starting".
If engine turns over normally
but does not start
1.Check fuel level.
2.With the Engine Start/Stop Buttonin the OFF position, check all con-
nectors at ignition coils and spark
plugs. Reconnect any that may be
disconnected or loose.
3.If the engine still does not start, call an authorized K900 Kia dealer or
Kia Roadside Assistance.
6-4
What to do in an emergency
Push/Pull start
Do not push or pull the vehicle
to start it. Push or pull starting
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload and create a
fire hazard.
WARNING
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6-6
What to do in an emergency
Jump starting procedure
✽NOTICE
Your vehicle has a battery in the
trunk compartment, but when you
jump start your vehicle, use the
jumper terminal in the engine com-
partment.
1.Make sure the booster battery is
12-volt and that its negative termi-
nal is grounded.
2.If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehicles to
touch.
3.Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4.Open the engine hood.
Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as
this may cause the battery to
rupture or explode causing seri-
ous injury.
WARNING
Battery
Keep all flames or sparks away
from the battery. The battery
produces hydrogen gas which
will explode if exposed to flame
or sparks.
WARNING
Frozen batteries
Do not attempt to jump start the
vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte
level is low as the battery may
rupture or explode.
WARNING
Sulfuric acid risk
When jump starting your vehi-
cle be careful not to get acid on
yourself, your clothing or on the
vehicle. Automobile batteries
contain sulfuric acid. This is
poisonous and highly corro-
sive.
WARNING
KH USA 6:2015 3/25/2015 3:12 PM Page 6
12. Start the engine of the vehiclewith the booster battery and let it
run at 2,000 rpm, then start the
engine of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
If the cause of your battery discharg-ing is not apparent, have the systemchecked by an authorized K900 Kiadealer.
Push-starting
Vehicles equipped with automatic
transmission cannot be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section
for jump-starting.
6-8
What to do in an emergency
Tow Starting Vehicle
Never tow a vehicle to start it
because the sudden surge for-
ward when the engine starts
could cause a collision with the
tow vehicle.
WARNING
Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper
cable from the negative terminal
of the booster battery to the
negative terminal of the dis-
charged battery. This can cause
the discharged battery to over-
heat and crack, releasing bat-
tery acid.
WARNING
KH USA 6:2015 3/25/2015 3:12 PM Page 8
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you experience a loss
of power, or hear loud pinging or
knocking, the engine is probably too
hot. If this happens, you should:
1.Pull off the road and stop as soonas it is safe to do so.
2.Place the shift lever in P and set the parking brake. If the air condi-
tioning is on, turn it off.
3.If engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming
out from the hood, stop the engine.
Do not open the hood until the
coolant has stopped running or the
steaming has stopped. If there is
no visible loss of engine coolant
and no steam, leave the engine
running and check to be sure the
engine cooling fan is operating. If
the fan is not running, turn the
engine off. 4.Check to see if the water pump
drive belt is missing. If it is not
missing, check to see that it is
tight. If the drive belt seems to be
satisfactory, check for coolant leak-
ing from the radiator, hoses or
under the car. (If the air condition-
ing had been in use, it is normal for
cold water to be draining from it
when you stop.) 5.If the water pump drive belt is bro-
ken or engine coolant is leaking
out, stop the engine immediately
and call the nearest authorized
K900 Kia dealer for assistance.
What to do in an emergency
6
6-9
Under the hood
While the engine is running,
keep hair, hands and clothing
away from moving parts such
as the fan and drive belts to pre-
vent injury.
WARNING
Radiator Cap
Do not remove theradiator cap when the
engine is hot. This
may result in coolant
being blown out of the
opening and cause
serious burns.
WARNING
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