2016 KIA Sportage Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
36
5
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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 and illumi-
nates when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button.
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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.
■ ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or
wheel sizes may cause the ESCsystem to malfunction. Whenreplacing tires, make sure theyare the same size as your origi-nal tires.
WARNING- Operating ESC
Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip
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.

537
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESC is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.
Vehicle stability management
(VSM) (if equipped)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detected changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS). This is only the effect of brake
and EPS control and indicates noth-
ing unusual. The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on bank road such as gra-
dient or incline
Driving rearward
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument
cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster

Driving your vehicle
38
5
VSM operation off
If you press the ESC OFF button to
turn off the ESC, the VSM will also
cancel and the ESC OFF indicator
light ( ) illuminates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light
goes out.
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light
remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• The VSM is designed to function
above approximately 15 km/h (9
mph) on curves.
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 30 km/h (18
mph) when a vehicle is braking on
a split-mu road. The split-mu road
is made of surfaces which have dif-
ferent friction forces.
The Vehicle Stability Management
system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the respon-
sibility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always
follow all the normal precautions
for driving at safe speeds for the
conditions – including driving
inclement weather and on a slip-
pery road.

539
Driving your vehicle
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
(if equipped)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Downhill brake control (DBC)
(if equipped)
The Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
supports the driver driving down a
steep hill without the driver depress-
ing the brake pedal. It slows down
the vehicle under 8 km/h (5mph) and
lets the driver concentrate on steer-
ing the vehicle.
DBC defaults to the OFF position
whenever the ignition is turned on.
The DBC can be turned on or off by
pushing the button.
OSL050016
WARNING- Maintaining
Brake Pressure on Incline
HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped
on an incline. While stopped,
make sure you maintain brake
pressure sufficient to prevent
your vehicle from rolling back-
ward and causing an accident.
Don’t release the brake pedal
until you are ready to accelerate
forward.

Driving your vehicle
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5
The DBC does not turn ON in the P
(Park) position.
The DBC may not activate if the ESC (or BAS) is activated.
In a very steep hill even though the brake pedal or accelerator pedal is
depressed the DBC may not deac-
tivate.
Always turn OFF the DBC on nor- mal roads. The DBC might activate
from the standby mode when
abrupt corning or driving through
speed bumps.
The rear stop light comes on when the DBC is activated.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• Noise or vibration may occur from
the brakes when the DBC is acti-
vated.
• DBC may activate and cause the engine to stop in vehicles with
manual transaxle if you drive in
3rd gear (or above) with DBC on.
Do not turn on DBC when driving
in 3rd gear (or above).
Standby
Press the DBC button when the vehicle speed is under
40 km/h (25 mph). The DBC system will turn ON and
enter the standby mode.
The system does not turn ON if the vehicle speed is
over 40 km/h (25 mph).
In the standby mode, if the vehicle speed is under 35
km/h (22 mph) while driving down a steep hill, the DBC
will activate automatically.
In the activated mode, the DBC will temporarily deacti-
vate under the following conditions:


If the above conditions are gone, the DBC will automat-
ically activate again.
The DBC will turn OFF under the following conditions:


Activated
Temporarily deactivated
OFF
Mode Indicator light Description
blinks
illuminated
not
illuminated
illuminated
✽
✽ NOTICE
If the DBC red indicator light illuminates, the system has overheated or
something is wrong. The DBC will not activate. If the DBC red indicator
light illuminates even though the DBC system has been cooled enough have\
the system checked by an authorized Kia dealer.

541
Driving your vehicle
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Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brakeis not engaged and the parking
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
authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance. 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) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle). If
your vehicle is facing downhill, turn
the front wheels into the curb to
help keep the vehicle from rolling. If
your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels.

Driving your vehicle
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Under some conditions your park-
ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly 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
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the
rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking
brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with the accelerator
pedal. This can cause the transaxle
to overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.

543
Driving your vehicle
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM
1.Cruise indicator
2.Cruise set indicator
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The cruise control system allows you
to program the vehicle to maintain a
constant speed without pressing the
accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25
mph).If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster illuminated) the cruise
control can be switched on acciden-
tally. Keep the cruise control system
off (CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in use,
to avoid inadvertently setting a
speed.
Use the cruise control system only
when traveling on open highways in
good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when
driving in heavy or varying traffic, or
on slippery (rainy, icy or snow-cov-
ered) or winding roads or over 6%
up-hill or down-hill roads.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• During normal cruise control
operation, when the SET switch is
activated or reactivated after
applying the brakes, the cruise
control will energize after approx-
imately 3 seconds. The delay is
normal.
• To activate cruise control, depress the brake pedal at least once after
turning the ignition switch to the
ON position or starting the engine.
This is to check if the brake switch
which is important part to cancel
cruise control is in normal condi-
tion.
OSL010002N/Q
CRUISE SET
WARNING- Misuse of
Cruise Control
Do not use cruise control if the
traffic situation does not allow
you to drive safely at a constant
speed and with sufficient dis-
tance to the vehicle in front.