Features of your vehicle
134
4
If dust or other pollutants accumulate
in the filter over a period of time, the
air flow from the air vents may
decrease, resulting in moisture accu-
mulation on the inside of the wind-
shield even when the outside (fresh)
air position is selected. If this hap-
pens, we recommend that the cli-
mate control air filter be replaced by
an authorized Kia dealer.
✽✽
NOTICE
Replace the filter according to the Maintenance Schedule.
If the car is being driven in severe
conditions such as dusty, rough
roads, more frequent climate con-
trol air filter inspections and
changes are required.
When the air flow rate suddenly decreases, we recommend that the
system be checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
Checking the amount of air
conditioner refrigerant andcompressor lubricant
When the amount of refrigerant is
low, the performance of the air con-
ditioning is reduced. Overfilling alsohas a bad influence on the air condi-tioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, we recommend that the sys-
tem be inspected by an authorized
Kia dealer. *: Your vehicle is filled with R-134a
according to the regulation in your
country at the time of producing.
You can find out which air condi-
tioning refrigerant is applied your
vehicle at the chapter 9, air condi-tioning system.
WARNING - Vehicles
equipped with R-134a*
Because the refriger-
ant is at very high
pressure, the air con-ditioning system
should only be serv-
iced by trained and certified
technicians. It is important thatthe correct type and amount of
oil and refrigerant is used.
Otherwise, it may cause dam-
age to the vehicle and personal
injury.
Driving your vehicle
4
6
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside
mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up. Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 8,“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol, that may lead to an acci-
dent, severe personal injury,
and death. The driver’s primary
responsibility is in the safe and
legal operation of a vehicle, and
use of any handheld devices,
other equipment, or vehicle sys-
tems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a
vehicle or which are not permis-
sible by law should never beused during operation of the
vehicle.
631
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
Do not drive in water if the level is higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance under
severe usage conditions” in chapter
8). Always wash your vehicle thor-
oughly after off road use, especially
cleaning the bottom of the vehicle.
Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the 4WD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip the vehi-
cle with four tires of the same size
and type.
A full time four wheel drive vehi- cle cannot be towed by an ordi-
nary tow truck. Make sure that
the vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle
is defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle
(SUV). SUV’s have higher ground
clearance and a narrower track to
make them capable of performing in a
wide variety of off-road applications.
Specific design characteristics give
them a higher center of gravity than
ordinary vehicles. An advantage of the
higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, which allows you to
anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
vehicles, any more than low-slung
sports vehicles are designed to per-
form satisfactorily in off-road condi-
tions. Due to this risk, driver and pas-sengers are strongly recommended to
buckle their seat belts. In a rollover
crash, an unbelted person is more
likely to die than a person wearing a
seat belt. There are steps that a driver
can make to reduce the risk of a
rollover. If at all possible, avoid sharp
turns or abrupt maneuvers, do not
load your roof rack with heavy cargo,
and never modify your vehicle in any
way.CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow,etc. the vehicle can sometimes be driven out by depressing theaccelerator pedal further; how-ever avoid running the engine continuously at high rpmbecause doing so could dam-age the 4WD system.
649
Driving your vehicle
The Air Leveling System improves
driving stability and riding comfort
with continuous maintenance of vehi-cle height regardless of the load and
number of passengers. The rearheight is controlled automatically and
manually into three modes; Ordinary
driving mode (N), Off road drivingmode (HI) and Loading mode (LO).N (Normal) - Ordinary driving mode
The normal height of the vehicle is maintained. The indicator will illuminate at N
(Normal) on the LCD display.
HI (High) - Off road driving mode
The rear part of the vehicle is lifted to
drive on rough roads such as off-
roads.
With the engine running press the top
part of the switch. The HI (High) mode
activates only when the vehicle is not
moving or the speed is less than 35
km/h (22mph). The indicator blinkswhen the system is adjusting itself to
the HI (High) mode. When the adjust-ment is completed (about 40mm (2
in.) raised) the indicator will illuminate
at HI (High) on the LCD display.
AIR LEVELING SYSTEM (ALS) (IF EQUIPPED)
OHM058025
OHM056026LOHM056027L
651
Driving your vehicle
CAUTION
Always check if there is any-thing under the rear part of thevehicle before adjusting theALS.
There may be noise heard while the ALS is adjusting theheight to a mode.
Do not turn off the engine or press the switch to anothermode while the ALS is adjust-ing to the mode selected.
Do not activate the ALS when the air filter of the compressorhas been submerged.
Inspect or replace the ALS air filter and air spring accordingto the maintenance schedule.
Do not drive the vehicle when the air spring is damaged orairless. Have the vehicle towed with all the wheels liftedfrom the ground.
669
Driving your vehicle
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 kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Do not make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Do not race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you do not 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 toreduce fuel consumption. Do not "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 tirepressures 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 accordancewith the maintenance schedule in
chapter 8. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required (see
chapter 8 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 tocorrosion.
Travel lightly. Do not carry unnec- essary weight in your vehicle.
Weight reduces fuel economy.
Do not 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.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
Driving your vehicle
78
6
Use high quality ethylene gly- col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type ofcoolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolantin accordance with the maintenance
schedule in chapter 8. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in chapter 8. We recommend that the
level of charge in your battery be
checked by an authorized Kia dealer. 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
chapter 9 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 ignition system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in chapter 8 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 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.
What to do in an emergency
10
7
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthlywhen cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehi-
cle manufacturer on the vehicle plac-ard or tire inflation pressure label.
(If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehi- cle has been equipped with a tire pres-
sure monitoring system (TPMS) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltale
when one or more of your tires is sig-
nificantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflat-
ed tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflationalso reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even ifunder-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator toindicate when the system is not oper-
ating properly. The TPMS malfunction
indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the systemdetects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately 1 minute and
then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When theTPMS malfunction indicator remains
illuminated after blinking for approxi-
mately 1 minute, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tirepressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including theinstallation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle
that prevent the TPMS from function-
ing properly. Always check the TPMSmalfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your
vehicle to ensure that the replace-
ment or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to func-
tion properly.