597
Driving your vehicle
Remember, your vehicle does notrequire extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing the vehicle in gear.
In very cold weather, however, give
your engine a slightly longer warm-
up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a
very high gear resulting in engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a
lower gear. Over-revving is racing
the engine beyond its safe limit.
This can be avoided by shifting at
the recommended speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy is reduced when you
use it.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING - Engine off
during motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not function properly without
the engine running. In addition,
turning off the ignition while
driving could engage the steer-
ing wheel lock resulting in loss
of vehicle steering. Keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.
Driving your vehicle
98
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.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics 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 vehi-
cles are designed to perform satis-
factorily in off-road conditions. Utility
vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehi-
cles. 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.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transaxle while driving on
slippery surfaces. The sudden
change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid and
result in an accident.
599
Driving your vehicle
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.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.The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.CAUTION- Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may causeengine overheating, transaxledamage or failure, and tire dam-age.
CAUTION- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-cially at speeds more than 56km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when thevehicle is stationary couldcause a tire to overheat whichcould result in tire damage thatmay injure bystanders.
WARNING- Sudden
Vehicle Movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehi-
cle if people or objects are near-
by. The vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backwards as it
becomes unstuck.
Driving your vehicle
102
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
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING- Under/over inflated tires
Always check the tires for proper
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.
For proper tire pressures, refer to
“Tires and wheels” in section 8.
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 section 7.
5103
Driving your vehicle
Severe weather conditions in the
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize the
problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
on your tires. If snow tires are need-
ed, it is necessary to select tires
equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do
so may adversely affect the safety
and handling of your vehicle.
Furthermore, speeding, rapid accel-
eration, sudden brake applications,
and sharp turns are potentially very
hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids to occur. You
need to keep sufficient distance
between the vehicle in operation in
front of your vehicle. Also, apply the
brake gently.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure they are radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires withoutfirst checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
Driving your vehicle
106
5
If you are considering towing with
your vehicle, you should first check
with your country's Department of
Motor Vehicles to determine their
legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for
towing trailers, cars, or other types of
vehicles or apparatus may differ. Ask
an authorized Kia dealer for further
details before towing.
You may require an additional wiring
harness connector to install a trailer
hitch. Please contact an authorized
Kia dealer for more details. Your vehicle can tow a trailer.* To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in
“Weight of the trailer” that appears
later in this section.Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requires
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
This section contains many time-
tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Please read this
section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements.
TRAILER TOWING
CAUTION - Trailer
installation
Follow instructions in this sec-tion when pulling a trailer.Pulling a trailer improperly candamage your vehicle and resultin costly repairs not covered byyour warranty.
WARNING- Towing a trailer
Always check your towing
equipment to confirm correct
equipment size and installation
before use. Using incompatible
or incorrectly installed trailer
equipment can effect the vehi-
cle operation and endanger you
and your passengers.
WARNING- Weight limits
Before towing, make sure the
total trailer weight, GCW (gross
combination weight), GVW
(gross vehicle weight), GAW
(gross axle weight) and trailer
tongue load are all within the
limits.
5109
Driving your vehicle
Turn signals when towing a trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly connected,
the trailer lights will also flash to alert
other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on the
trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers behind you are seeing
your signals when, in fact, they are
not. It’s important to check occasion-
ally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working. You must also check the
lights every time you disconnect and
then reconnect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-
tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting
system. Use only an approved trailer
wiring harness.
An authorized Kia dealer can assist
you in installing the wiring harness.
Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 70
km/h (45 mph) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transaxle, you should drive in D
(Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat build up and extend the life of
your transaxle.CAUTION
Always use an approved trailerwiring harness. Failure to usean approved trailer wiring har-ness could result in damage tothe vehicle electrical system.
Driving your vehicle
110
5
Towing up hill
When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay close
attention to the engine coolant
temperature gauge to ensure the
engine does not overheat.
If the needle of the coolant temper-
ature gauge moves across the dial
towards “H” (HOT), pull over and
stop as soon as it is safe to do so,
and allow the engine to idle until it
cools down. You may proceed once
the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer
attached to your vehicle, you should
not park your vehicle on a hill. People
can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged if they unexpected-
ly roll downhill.
However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here's how to do
it:
1.Pull the vehicle into the parkingspace. Turn the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb (right if
headed downhill, left if headed up
hill).
2.If the vehicle has an automatic transaxle, place the vehicle in P
(Park).
3.Set the parking brake and shut off the engine.
4.Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the
wheels. 5.Start the vehicle, hold the brakes,
shift to neutral, release the parking
brake and slowly release the
brakes until the trailer chocks
absorb the load.
6.Reapply the brakes, reapply the parking brake and shift the vehicle
to P (Park) for automatic transaxle.
7.Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the park-
ing brake set.