
311
Safety features of your vehicle
Seat warmer (if equipped)
The seat warmers are provided to
warm the front seats during cold
weather. With the ignition switch in
the ON position, push either of the
switches to warm the driver's seat or
the front passenger's seat.
During mild weather or under condi-
tions where the operation of the seat
warmer is not needed, keep the
switches in the OFF position.
With the seat warmer switch in the
ON position, the heating system in
the seat turns off or on automatically
depending on the seat temperature. Each time you push the button, the
temperature setting of the seat is
changed as follows :
When pressing the switch for more than 1.5 seconds with the seat
warmer operating, the seat warmer
will turn OFF.
The seat warmer defaults to the OFF position whenever the engine
start/stop button is turned on.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Be careful not to spill liquid such as
water or beverages on the seat. If you
spill some liquid, wipe the seat with a
dry towel. Before using the seat
warmer, dry the seat completely.
OTF034014
CAUTION - Seat damage
When cleaning the seats, do
not use an organic solventsuch as paint thinner, ben-zene, alcohol and gasoline.Doing so may damage the sur-face of the heater or seats.
To prevent overheating the seat warmer, do not place any-thing on the seats that insu-lates against heat, such asblankets, cushions or seatcovers while the seat warmeris in operation.
Do not place heavy or sharp objects on seats equippedwith seat warmers. Damage tothe seat warming componentscould occur.
OFF → HIGH ( ) → LOW ( )
→

447
Features of your vehicle
Gauges
Speedometer
The speedometer indicates the for-
ward speed of the vehicle.
The speedometer is calibrated in
miles per hour and/or kilometers per
hour.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
This gauge shows the temperature
of the engine coolant when the igni-
tion switch is ON.
Do not continue driving with an over-
heated engine. If your vehicle over-
heats, refer to "If the engine over-
heats" in chapter 6.
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the "H"
position, it indicates overheating that
may damage the engine.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approx-
imate amount of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank. The fuel tank capacity is
given in chapter 8. The fuel gauge is
supplemented by a low fuel warning
light, which will illuminate when the
fuel tank is nearly empty.
On inclines or curves, the fuel gauge
pointer may fluctuate or the low fuel
warning light may come on earlier
than usual due to the movement of
fuel in the tank.OTFH044053C
OTFH044056OTFH044054

475
Features of your vehicle
Charging SystemWarning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON
position.
- It remains on until the engine isstarted.
When there is a malfunction with either the alternator or electrical
charging system.
If there is a malfunction with either
the alternator or electrical charging
system:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and check the alternator drive belt for looseness
or breakage.
If the belt is adjusted properly,
there may be a problem in the
electrical charging system.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
Engine Coolant Temperature WarningLight (if equipped)
This warning light illuminates:
When the engine coolant tempera- ture is above 120°C (248°F). This
means that the engine is overheat-
ed and may be damaged.
If your vehicle is overheated, refer
to "Overheating" in chapter 6.
Engine Oil Pressure
Warning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON
position.
- It remains on until the engine isstarted.
When the engine oil pressure is low.
If the engine oil pressure is low:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and check the engine oil level (For more details,
refer to "Engine Oil" in section 7). If
the level is low, add oil as required.
If the warning light remains on
after adding oil or if oil is not avail-
able, have your vehicle inspected
by an authorized Kia dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION- Engine Overheating
Do not drive the vehicle whenthe Engine Coolant TemperatureWarning Light is illuminated orthe engine is overheated.Continuing to drive the vehiclewhile it is overheated may dam-age the engine.

Features of your vehicle
110
4
Operation Tips
To keep dust or unpleasant fumes
from entering the vehicle through
the ventilation system, temporarily
set the air intake control to the
recirculated air position. Be sure to
return the control to the fresh air
position when the irritation has
passed to keep fresh air in the
vehicle. This will help keep the driv-
er alert and comfortable.
Air for the heating/cooling system is drawn in through the grilles just
ahead of the windshield. Care
should be taken that these are not
blocked by leaves, snow, ice or
other obstructions.
To prevent interior fog on the wind- shield, set the air intake control to
the fresh air position and fan speed
to the desired position, turn on the
air conditioning system, and adjust
the temperature control to desired
temperature.Air conditioning
Kia Air Conditioning Systems are
filled with environmentally friendly R-
134a refrigerant.
1. Start the engine. Press the air con- ditioning button.
2. Set the mode to the position.
3. Set the air intake control to the outside air or recirculated air posi-
tion.
4. Adjust the fan speed control and temperature control to maintain
maximum comfort.
When maximum cooling is desired, set the temperature control to the
extreme left position, then set the
fan speed control to the highest
speed.CAUTION- A/C use
When using the air condition- ing system, monitor the tem-perature gauge closely whiledriving up hills or in heavy traf-fic when outside temperaturesare high. Air conditioning sys-tem operation may causeengine overheating. Continueto use the blower fan but turnthe air conditioning system offif the temperature gauge indi-cates engine overheating.
When opening the windows in humid weather air condition-ing may create water dropletsinside the vehicle. Sinceexcessive water droplets maycause damage to electricalequipment, air conditioningshould only be used with thewindows closed.

55
Driving your vehicle
WARNING - Fire risk
When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on,
be careful not to depress the
accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. It may overheat
the engine or exhaust system
and cause a fire.WARNING - Driving while intoxicated
Do not drive while intoxicated.
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Even a small amount of
alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
as or more dangerous than driv-
ing drunk.
WARNING - Loose object
Securely store items in your
vehicle. When you make a sud-
den stop or turn the steering
wheel rapidly, loose objects
may drop on the floor and it
could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals, possibly
causing an accident.

529
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size as
the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying tire
or wheel sizes may diminish any
supplemental safety benefits of the
VSM system.
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake
is not engaged and that the park-
ing brake indicator light is out
before driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at all
times. If the braking action does not
return to normal, stop as soon as it
is safe to do so and call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed. Don't "ride" the brake pedal.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving can be danger-
ous because the brakes might
overheat and lose their effective-
ness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv- ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place.
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid
creeping forward, keep your foot
firmly on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep
the vehicle from rolling.

543
Driving your vehicle
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 miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) 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 amoderate 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
chapter 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see
chapter 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.

545
Driving your vehicle
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 extradistance 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.
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 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 possible. If you are still
stuck after a few tries, have the vehi-
cle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transaxle.
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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.
CAUTION - Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may cause engine overheating, transaxledamage or failure, and tire dam-age.