2017 KIA RIO Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
10
5
Starting the engine with an igni-
tion key (if equipped)
1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2. Manual Transaxle - Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the clutch
pedal and brake pedal depressed
while turning the ignition switch to the
start position.
Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when the shift lever is in the N (Neutral) position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START and hold it there until the engine starts (a
maximum of 10 seconds), then
release the key.
It should be started without depress-ing the accelerator.
4. Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains stationary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and decel-
erating should be avoided.) If the engine stalls while the vehicle is in
motion, do not attempt to move the shift
lever to the P (Park) position. If traffic and
road conditions permit, you may put the
shift lever in the N (Neutral) position
while the vehicle is still moving and turn
the ignition switch to the START position
in an attempt to restart the engine.
STARTING THE ENGINE
WARNING- Proper
footwear
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots, sandals, etc.) may interfere
with your ability to use the brake
and accelerator pedal.
CAUTION - Starter
Do not engage the starter for more
than 10 seconds. If the engine stallsor fails to start, wait 5 to 10 seconds before re-engaging the starter.Improper use of the starter may damage it.

511
Driving your vehicle
Starting the engine with a smart
key (if equipped)
1. Carry the smart key or leave it insidethe vehicle.
2. Make sure the parking brake is firmly applied
3. Place the transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
4. Press the ENGINE START/STOP but- ton while depressing the brake pedal.
It should be started without depress-ing the accelerator.
5. Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains stationary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and decel-
erating should be avoided.)
Even if the smart key is in the vehicle, if it is far away from you, the engine
may not start.
When the ENGINE START/STOP but- ton is in the ACC position or above, if
any door is opened, the system checks
for the smart key. If the smart key is not
in the vehicle,the “ ” or “” indi-
cator will blink or the warning "Key not
in vehicle" will illuminate on the LCD
display. And if all doors are closed, the
chime will sound for 5 seconds. The
indicator or warning will turn off while
the vehicle is moving. Always have the
smart key with you.
The engine will start, only when the
smart key is in the vehicle.
KEY
OUTOUB055069
WARNING - Unintended
vehicle movement
Never leave the smart key in the
vehicle with children or vehicle
occupants who are unfamiliar with
the vehicle operation. Pushing the
ENGINE START/STOP button while
the smart key is in the vehicle may
result in unintended engine activa-
tion and/or unintended vehicle
movement.

Driving your vehicle
12
5
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• If the battery is weak or the smart key
does not work correctly, you can start
the engine by pressing the engine
start/stop button with the smart key.
• When the stop lamp fuse is blown, you can't start the engine normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If it
is not possible, you can start the
engine by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button for 10 seconds
while it is in the ACC position. The
engine can start without depressing
the brake pedal. But for your safety
always depress the brake pedal before
starting the engine.
Do not press the ENGINE START/ STOP
button for more than 10 seconds except
when the stop lamp fuse is blown.
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513
Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 6 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-
plished.
Depress the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an igni-
tion lock switch, the engine will not start
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal.
The shift lever must be returned to the
neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse). The button (1) located below
the shift knob must be pulled upward
while moving the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) position.
Make sure the vehicle is completelystopped before shifting into R (Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
CAUTION - Downshifting
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear when theengine is running at high speed (5,000 RPM or higher). Such adownshifting may damage theengine, clutch and the transaxle.
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The shift lever can be moved without-
pressing the button.
The button (1) should be pressed when
moving the shift lever into reverse.

Driving your vehicle
14
5
During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R (Reverse),
leave the shift lever at neutral position
and release the clutch. Depress the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R (Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be depressed all the
way to the floor before shifting, then
released slowly. The clutch pedal should
always be fully released while driving. Do
not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This can cause unneces-
sary wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an incline.
This causes unnecessary wear. Use the
foot brake or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an incline. Do not operate the
clutch pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you need to increase your speed
again. When the vehicle is traveling down
steep hills, downshifting helps maintain
safe speed and prolongs brake life.
CAUTION
• To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutchpedal. Also, do not use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on anuphill grade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe transaxle shift forks.
If you don't press the clutch pedalfully, the clutch may be damaged or noise may occur.
WARNING - Incline parking
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then make
sure the transaxle is shifted into 1st
gear when the vehicle is parked on
a level or uphill grade, and shifted
into R (Reverse) on a downhill
grade. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.

515
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
Instead, when you are driving down a
long hill, shift to a lower gear. When
you do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your vehicle.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
R (Reverse). The transaxle can be
damaged if you do not. Exercise extreme caution when driving
on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured or killed
than a properly belted occupant.
Never exceed posted speed limits.
Avoid high speeds when cornering or turning. High speed cornering and turn-
ing increases the risk of vehicle rollover
due to loss of vehicle control. Rollover
accidents are extremely violent and
unpredictable.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 6 forward
speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-
vidual speeds are selected automatically,
depending on the position of the shift
lever.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if
the battery has been disconnected, may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and the shifting sequence will
adjust after shifts are cycled a few times
by the TCM (Transaxle Control
Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control
Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)BRAKE SYSTEM
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+ (UP)
Button
Shift lever
- (DOWN)
To shift, depress the brake pedal and press the button.
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the button when shifting.

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Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress the brakepedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not
hold the vehicle with engine power. Use
the service brake or the parking brake.
Transaxle ranges
The indicator light in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position when
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the front
wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is
in motion will cause the drive wheels to
lock which will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
WARNING- Automatic transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever is
in the P (Park) position; then set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Do not use the P posi-
tion in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever is
latched in the P position and set the
parking brake fully. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are not
followed.
CAUTION - Transaxle
To avoid damage to your transaxle,
do not accelerate the engine in R(Reverse) or any forward gear posi-tion with the brakes on. Thetransaxle may be damaged if you shift into P (Park) while the vehicleis in motion.