Driving your vehicle
100
5
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.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, 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.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change intire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on
a vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause engine over-heating, transaxledamage or failure, and tire dam-age.
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, we recommend that you
consult an authorized Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni- tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in section 7 and replace them if neces-
sary. 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 Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint finish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to happen
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 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
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, shovel, jumper cables, window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.
5108
Driving your vehicle
627
What to do in an emergency
3. Install the towing hook by turning itclockwise into the hole until it is fully secured.
4. Remove the towing hook and install the cover after use. Emergency towing
If towing is necessary, we recom-
mend you to have it done by an
authorized Kia dealer or a com-
mercial tow truck service. If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing
hook under the rear of the vehicle.
Use extreme caution when towing the
vehicle. A driver must be in the vehi-
cle to steer it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done
only on hard-surfaced roads for a
short distance and at low speeds.
Also, the wheels, axles, power train,
steering and brakes must all be ingood condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other
conditions from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other fre-
quently.
OKH065020K
OKH065021K
■Front (if equipped)
■Rear
629
What to do in an emergency
Emergency towing precautions
Place the Engine Start/Stop buttonin ACC so the steering wheel isn’t
locked.
Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
More steering effort will be required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off.CAUTION - Automatic transaxle
If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, itcan be towed only from the front. Be sure that the transaxleis in neutral. Engine Start/Stopbutton a driver must be in the towed vehicle to operate thesteering and brakes.
To avoid serious damage to the automatic transaxle, limitthe vehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph) and drive less than1.5 km (1 mile) when towing.
Before towing, check the auto- matic transaxle for fluid leaksunder your vehicle. If the auto- matic transaxle fluid is leak-ing, a flatbed equipment ortowing dolly must be used.
Maintenance
7
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Scheduled maintenance service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-21
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Power steering fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31 . . . . . . . . . 7-31
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33 Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
. . . . . . . . . . 7-43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
. . . . . . 7-45
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
73
Maintenance
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
1. Engine oil dipstick
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Engine coolant reservoir
4. Radiator cap
5. Brake fluid reservoir
6. Power steering fluid reservoir
7. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
8. Air cleaner
9. Fuse box
10. Jumper terminal ❈The actual engine compartment in the vehicle
may differ from the illustration.
❈ The battery is in the trunk.
OKH012007/OKH012006
■■Gasoline Engine (Lambda II 3.8L) - MPI
■■Gasoline Engine (Lambda II 3.8L) - GDI
Maintenance
4
7
1. Engine oil dipstick
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Engine coolant reservoir
4. Radiator cap
5. Brake fluid reservoir
6. Power steering fluid reservoir
7. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
8. Air cleaner
9. Fuse box
10. Jumper terminal
OKH015006K
❈The actual engine compartment in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
❈ The battery is in the trunk.
■
■
Gasoline Engine (Tau 5.0)
77
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks and inspections that should be per-
formed at the frequencies indicated
to help ensure safe, dependable
operation of your vehicle.
If you have any question, we recom-
mend that you consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used. Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
• Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant
reservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, levelroad.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow out
under pressure. This could cause
burns or other serious injury.