
Driving your vehicle
26
5
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.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button. Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size as
your original tires.
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.
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating (ESC indica-
tor light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip out of
control.■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light
WARNING - Operating ESC
Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating.
If the ESC is turned off while
ESC is operating, the vehicle
may go 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.

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.

Driving your vehicle
48
5
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 engine
oil
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.
WARNING - 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
information and tread limits,
refer to "Tires and wheels" in
chapter 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.

What to do in an emergency
Road warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
• Hazard warning flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
In case of an emergency while driving . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
If the engine will not start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
. . . . 6-4
. . . . 6-4
Emergency starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
If the engine overheats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
If you have a flat tire (with Spare Tire) . . . . . . . . . 6-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
. . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
If you have a flat tire (with Tire Mobility Kit) . . 6-17
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17
. . . . . 6-18
. . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-\
23
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
6

63
What to do in an emergency
If the engine stalls at a cross-
road or crossing
If the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the
vehicle to a safe place.
If you have a flat tire while
driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driv-
ing:
1.Take your foot off the acceleratorpedal and let the vehicle slow
down while driving straight ahead.
Do not apply the brakes immedi-
ately or attempt to pull off the road
as this may cause a loss of control.
When the vehicle has slowed down
to such a speed that it is safe to do
so, brake carefully and pull off the
road. Drive off the road as far as
possible and park on a firm level
ground. If you are on a divided
highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes. 2.When the vehicle is stopped, turn
on your emergency hazard flash-
ers, set the parking brake and put
the transaxle in P (automatic
transaxle).
3.Have all passengers get out of the vehicle. Be sure they all get out on
the side of the vehicle that is away
from traffic.
4.When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this
chapter.
If engine stalls while driving
If the Hybrid System stops operating
while driving:
1.Reduce your speed gradually,keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place,
then place the shifter in Park.
2.Turn on your emergency flashers.
3.Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized Kia dealer or seek other
qualified assistance.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING

What to do in an emergency
86
IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE
Jack and tools
The spare tire, jack, jack handle and
wheel lug nut wrench are stored in
the luggage compartment.
Remove the luggage under tray out
of the way to reach the equipment.
(1) Jack handle
(2) Jack
(3) Wheel lug nut wrench
Jacking instructions
The jack is provided for emergency
tire changing only.
To prevent the jack from “rattling”
while the vehicle is in motion, store it
properly.
Follow jacking instructions to reduce
the possibility of personal injury.Always move the vehicle completely
off the road and onto the shoulder
before trying to change a tire. The
jack should be used on firm level
ground. If you cannot find a firm level
place off the road, call a towing serv-
ice company for assistance.
Be sure to use the correct front and
rear jacking positions on the vehicle;
never use the bumpers or any other
part of the vehicle for jack support.
WARNING - Tire Jack
Do not place any portion of your
body under a vehicle that is
only supported by a jack since
the vehicle can easily roll off the
jack. Use vehicle support
stands.
WARNING- Changing tires
Never attempt vehicle repairs in
the traffic lanes of a public road
or highway.
OTF060002

What to do in an emergency
12
6
9.Loosen the wheel nuts and remove
them with your fingers. Slide the
wheel off the studs and lay it flat so
it cannot roll away. To put the
wheel on the hub, pick up the
spare tire, line up the holes with
the studs and slide the wheel onto
them. If this is difficult, tip the wheel
slightly and get the top hole in the
wheel lined up with the top stud.
Then jiggle the wheel back and
forth until the wheel can be slid
over the other studs. Wheels and wheel covers may have
sharp edges. Handle them carefully
to avoid possible injury. Before put-
ting the wheel into place, be sure
that there is nothing on the hub or
wheel (such as mud, tar, gravel, etc.)
that prevents the wheel from fitting
solidly against the hub.
10. To install the wheel, hold it on the
studs, put the wheel nuts on the
studs and tighten them finger
tight. Jiggle the tire to be sure it is
completely seated, then tighten
the nuts as much as possible
with your fingers again.
11. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the wheel nut wrench
counterclockwise.
WARNING- Installing a
wheel
Make sure the wheel makes
good contact with the hub when
installed. If the contact of the
mounting surface between the
wheel and hub is not good, the
wheel nuts could come loose
and cause the loss of a wheel.
Loss of a wheel may result in
loss of control of the vehicle.