2018 KIA CARENS RHD Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
102
6
Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you’ll need the right
hitch. Here are some rules to follow:
Do you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, thenbe sure to seal the holes later
when you remove the hitch.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do notattach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
Kia trailer hitch accessary is avail- able at an authorised Kia
dealer/service partner. Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trail-
er. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that thetongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufactur-
er or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recom-
mendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trail-
er. And, never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak-
ing system, make sure it conforms to
your country’s regulations and that it
is properly installed and operating
correctly.
If your trailer weight exceeds the
maximum allowed weight without
trailer brakes, then the trailer will also
require its own brakes as well. Be
sure to read and follow the instruc-
tions for the trailer brakes so you’ll be
able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
Do not tap into or modify your vehi-
cle's brake system.
WARNING - Trailer brakes
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have proper-
ly set up the brake system. This
is not a task for amateurs. Use
an experienced, competent
trailer shop for this work.

6103
Driving your vehicle
Loading the trailer
The weight distribution between the
car and trailer should be balanced.
Make sure that the load in the trailer
is equally distributed and it is not
front-heavy or tail-heavy.
The heavy load in the trailer should
be placed above the axle or as close
as possible to the axle. And, secure
loads properly on the trailer.
Tyre pressure
Follow the trailer manufacturer’s tyre
pressure recommendations for the
trailer tyres.
When towing, inflate tyres in vehicle
to the maximum permissible pres-
sure referring to the tyre pressurelabel.Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get to
know your trailer. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so respon-
sive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tyres
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane.

Driving your vehicle
104
6
Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, just move your
hand to the left. To move the trailer to
the right, move your hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, kerbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or sud-
den manoeuvres. Signal well in
advance.
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 is 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. Have yourself assist-
ed by a professional workshop in
installing the wiring harness. Kia recommends to visit an autho-
rised Kia dealer/service partner.WARNING
Failure to use an approved trail- er wiring harness could result
in damage to the vehicle electri-
cal system and/or personal
injury.

6105
Driving your vehicle
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 70km/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 / dual clutch transmis-
sion, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimise
heat build up and extend the life of
your transaxle.CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steepgrades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not overheat.
If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge movesacross the dial towards “130/H(HOT)”, pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, andallow the engine to idle until itcools down. You may proceedonce the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailerweight and uphill grade toreduce the possibility of engine and transaxle over-heating.
CAUTION - Dual Clutch
Transmission
When towing a trailer on steepgrades, the clutch in the trans-mission could overheat.
When the clutch is overheated,the safe protection mode engages. If the safe protectionmode engages, the gear posi-tion indicator on the cluster blinks with a chime sound.
At this time, a warning messagewill appear on the LCD displayand driving may not be smooth.
If you ignore this warning, thedriving condition may become worse.
To return the normal drivingcondition, stop the vehicle onflat road and apply the footbrake for a few minutes before driving off.

Driving your vehicle
106
6
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 unexpectedly roll
down hill. However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here is how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking
space. Turn the steering wheel in
the direction of the kerb (left if head-
ed down hill, right if headed up hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual transaxle, place the car in neutral.
If the vehicle has an automatic
transaxle / dual clutch transmis-
sion, place the car in P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
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 chocksabsorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the parking brake and shift the vehicle
to R (Reverse) for manual transaxle
or P (Park) for automatic transaxle /
dual clutch transmission.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the
parking brake set.
WARNING - Parking on
a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill
with a trailer attached could
cause serious injury or death,
should the trailer break loose.
WARNING - Parking
brake
It can be dangerous to get out
of your vehicle if the parking
brake is not firmly set.
If you have left the engine run-
ning, the vehicle can move sud-
denly. You or others could be
seriously or fatally injured.

6107
Driving your vehicle
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1.With the manual transaxle inNeutral or automatic transaxle /
dual clutch transmission in P
(Park), apply your brakes and hold
the brake pedal down whilst you:

and

2.Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3.Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4.Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks. Maintenance when trailer tow- ing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particularattention to include engine oil,
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and
cooling system fluid. Brake condition
is another important item to frequent-
ly check. Each item is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you
find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it
is a good idea to review these sec-
tions before you start your trip.
Do not forget to also maintain your
trailer and hitch. Follow the mainte-nance schedule that accompanied
your trailer and check it periodically.
Preferably, conduct the check at the
start of each day’s driving. Most
importantly, all hitch nuts and boltsshould be tight.CAUTION
Due to higher load during
trailer usage, overheatingmight occur in hot days or during uphill driving. If thecoolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the air con- ditioner and stop the vehiclein a safe area to cool down theengine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fanto improve engine perform-ance when towing a trailer.

Driving your vehicle
108
6
If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway control.
Do not do any towing with your car during its first 2,000 km (1,200
miles) in order to allow the engine
to properly break in. Failure to heed
this caution may result in serious
engine or transaxle damage.
When towing a trailer, Kia recom- mends that you consult an autho-
rised Kia dealer/service partner onadditional requirements such as a
towing kit, etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a mod- erate speed (less than 100 km/h(60 mph)).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the
posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower.
The chart contains important con- siderations that have to do with
weight:
Engine
ItemPetrol
2.0L GDI
5-seater 7-seater
Maximum trailer
weight kg (Ibs.)
Without brakesystem
M/T740
(1631) 740
(1631)
A/T740
(1631) 740
(1631)
DCT--
With brake system
M/T1400
(3086) 1400
(3086)
A/T1400
(3086) 1400
(3086)
DCT--
Maximum permissible static verti-
cal load on the coupling device kg (Ibs.)
140 (309)
Recommended distance from rear wheel centre to coupling point mm (inch)
911 (35.9)
For Australia
M/T : Manual transaxle
A/T : Automatic transaxle
DCT : Dual Clutch Transmission

6109
Driving your vehicle
For Europe
M/T : Manual transaxle
A/T : Automatic transaxle
DCT : Dual Clutch Transmission
Engine
ItemPetrol Diesel
1.6L GDI2.0L MPI 2.0L GDI 1.7L (High) 1.7L (Low)
5-seater7-seater5-seater 7-seater 5-seater7-seater 5-seater 7-seater 5-seater 7-seater
Maximum
trailer
weight kg (Ibs.)
Without
brake system
M/T710
(1565)730
(1609)730
(1609) 740
(1631) 730
(1609)750
(1653) 750
(1653) 750
(1653) 750
(1653) 750
(1653)
A/T--740
(1631) 750
(1653) 740
(1631)750
(1653) ----
DCT------750
(1653) 750
(1653) --
With brake system
M/T1300
(2866)1300
(2866)1500
(3307) 1500
(3307) 1500
(3307)1500
(3307) 1500
(3307) 1500
(3307) 1500
(3307) 1500
(3307)
A/T--1500
(3307) 1500
(3307) 1500
(3307)1500
(3307) ----
DCT------1500
(3307) 1500
(3307) --
Maximum permissible static
vertical load on the coupling
device kg (Ibs.)
75 (165)
Recommended distance from rear wheel centre tocoupling point mm (inch)
911 (35.9)