2018 KIA NIRO PHEV brakes

What to do in an emergency
30
7
3. Install the towing hook by turning it
clockwise into the hole until it is
fully secured.
4. Remove the towing hook and install the cover after use.Emergency towing
If towing is necessary, have it
done by an authorized Kia dealer
or a commercial tow truck service. If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or
chain secured to the emergency tow-
ing hook under the front (or rear) of
the vehicle. Use extreme caution
when towing the vehicle. A driver
must be in the vehicle to steer it and
operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done
only on hard-surfaced roads for a
short distance and at low speed.
Also, the wheels, axles, power train,
steering and brakes must all be in
good condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other
conditions from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other fre-
quently.
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■Front
■ Rear

What to do in an emergency
32
7
Emergency towing precautions
Turn the ignition switch to ACC so
the steering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
More steering effort will be required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off. If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it can
be towed only from the front. Be
sure that the transaxle is in neutral.
Be sure the steering is unlocked by
placing the ignition switch in the
ACC position. A driver must be in
the towed vehicle to operate the
steering and brakes.
CAUTION - Dual clutchtransmission
To avoid serious damage to the
dual clutch transmission, limitthe vehicle speed to 10 mph(15 km/h) and drive less than 1mile (1.5 km) when towing.
Before towing, check the dual clutch transmission for fluidleaks under your vehicle. If thedual clutch transmission fluidis leaking, flatbed equipmentor a towing dolly must beused.

Maintenance
68
(Continued)
• Wash the undercarriage of yourvehicle regularly during the win-
ter and whenever your vehicle has
been exposed to such salts or
chemicals.
• Do a thorough washing of the undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
• Use professional service techni- cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for
corrosion.
• Immediately seek an inspection of your vehicle if you become visual-
ly aware of corrosion flaking or
scaling or if you become aware of
a change in vehicle performance,
such as soft or spongy brakes, flu-
ids leaking, impairment of direc-
tional control, suspension noises
or rattling metal straps.
NHTSA further advises that after
a vehicle is 7 years old, it is essen-
tial that you take these indicated
maintenance steps to ensure that
you protect yourself from unsafe
corrosion conditions.Owner maintenance precau-
tions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section,
several procedures can be done only
by an authorized Kia dealer with spe-
cial tools.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Improper owner maintenance dur-
ing the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read
the separate Warranty & Consumer
Information manual provided with
the vehicle. If you're unsure about
any servicing or maintenance proce-
dure, have it done by an authorized
Kia dealer.
WARNING- Maintenance
work
Do not wear jewelry or loose
clothing while working under
the hood of your vehicle with
the engine running. These can
become entangled in moving
parts, if you must run the
engine while working under the
hood, make certain that you
remove all jewelry (especially
rings, bracelets, watches, and
necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose
clothing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.

833
Maintenance
BRAKE FLUID
Checking the brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX (Maximum) and MIN
(Minimum) marks on the side of the
reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake fluid, clean the
area around the reservoir cap thor-
oughly to prevent brake fluid contam-
ination.If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX (Maximum) level. The level will
fall with accumulated mileage. This is
a normal condition associated with
the wear of brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid.
(Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in chapter 9.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
Brake fluid, which has been exposed
to open air for an extended time
should never be used as its quality
cannot be guaranteed. It should be
disposed of properly.
CAUTION - Brake fluid
Do not allow brake fluid to con-tact the vehicle's body paint, aspaint damage will result.
CAUTION - Proper fluid
Only use brake fluid in brakesystem. Small amounts ofimproper fluids (such as engineoil) can cause damage to thebrake system.
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859
Maintenance
Production options weight:The
combined weight of installed regular
production options weighing over 5
lb.(2.3 kg) in excess of the standard
items which they replace, not previ-
ously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy
duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Recommended Inflation Pressure:
Vehicle manufacturer's recommend-
ed tire inflation pressure and shown
on the tire placard.
Radial Ply Tire: A pneumatic tire in
which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
Rim: A metal support for a tire and
upon which the tire beads are seat-
ed.
Sidewall: The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead. Speed Rating:
An alphanumeric
code assigned to a tire indicating the
maximum speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction: The friction between the
tire and the road surface. The
amount of grip provided.
Tread: The portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators: Narrow
bands, sometimes called "wear
bars," that show across the tread of a
tire when only 1/16 inch of tread
remains.
UTQGS: Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards, a tire information
system that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction, tempera-
ture and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing proce-
dures. The ratings are molded into
the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle Capacity Weight: The num-
ber of designated seating positions
multiplied by 150 lbs. (68kg) plus the
rated cargo and luggage load. Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire:
Load on an individual tire due
to curb and accessory weight plus
maximum occupant and cargo
weight.
Vehicle Normal Load on the Tire:
Load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each
axle its share of the curb weight,
accessory weight, and normal occu-
pant weight and driving by 2.
Vehicle Placard: A label permanent-
ly attached to a vehicle showing the
original equipment tire size and rec-
ommended inflation pressure.

8105
Maintenance
APPEARANCE CARE
Exterior care
Exterior general caution
It is very important to follow the label
directions when using any chemical
cleaner or polish. Read all warning
and caution statements that appear
on the label.
Finish maintenance
Washing
To help protect your vehicle’s finish
from rust and deterioration, wash it
thoroughly and frequently at least
once a month with lukewarm or cold
water.
If you use your vehicle for off-road
driving, you should wash it after each
off-road trip. Pay special attention to
the removal of any accumulation of
salt, dirt, mud, and other foreign mate-
rials. Make sure the drain holes in the
lower edges of the doors and rocker
panels are kept clear and clean.
Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial pollution and similar
deposits can damage your vehicle’s
finish if not removed immediately.
Even prompt washing with plain water
may not completely remove all these
deposits. A mild soap, safe for use on
painted surfaces, may be used.
After washing, rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water.
Do not allow soap to dry on the finish.After washing the vehicle, test the
brakes while driving slowly to see if
they have been affected by water. If
braking performance is impaired, dry
the brakes by applying them lightly
while maintaining a slow forward
speed.

8107
Maintenance
Finish damage repair
Deep scratches or stone chips in the
painted surface must be repaired
promptly. Exposed metal will quickly
rust and may develop into a major
repair expense.
If your vehicle is damaged and
requires any metal repair or replace-
ment, be sure the body shop applies
anti-corrosion materials to the parts
repaired or replaced.
Bright-metal maintenance
To remove road tar and insects,use a tar remover, not a scraper or
other sharp object.
To protect the surfaces of bright- metal parts from corrosion, apply a
coating of wax or chrome preser-
vative and rub to a high luster.
During winter weather or in coastal areas, cover the bright metal parts
with a heavier coating of wax or
preservative. If necessary, coat the
parts with non-corrosive petroleum
jelly or other protective compound.
Underbody maintenance
Road salt and other corrosive chemi-
cals are used in cold weather states to
melt snow and prevent ice accumula-
tion. If these chemicals are not regu-
larly removed, they will corrode the
vehicle underbody and over time dam-
age fuel lines, the fuel tank retention
system, the vehicle suspension, the
exhaust system, and even the body
frame. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration has warned all
vehicle owners of all brands of the
need to take the following steps: Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly during the winter
and whenever your vehicle has
been exposed to such salts or
chemicals.
Do a thorough washing of the undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
Use professional service techni- cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for cor-
rosion.
Immediately seek an inspection of your vehicle if you become visually
aware of corrosion flaking or scal-
ing or if you become aware of a
change in vehicle performance,
such as soft or spongey brakes,
fluids leaking, impairment of direc-
tional control, suspension noises
or rattling metal straps.
CAUTION - Drying vehicle
Wiping dust or dirt off the body with a dry cloth willscratch the finish.
Do not use steel wool, abra- sive cleaners, acid detergentsor strong detergents contain-ing high alkaline or causticagents on chrome-plated oranodized aluminum parts.This may result in damage tothe protective coating andcause discoloration or paintdeterioration.

Maintenance
108
8
Aluminum wheel maintenance
The aluminum wheels are coated with
a clear protective finish.
Do not use any abrasive cleaner,
polishing compound, solvent, or wire
brushes on aluminum wheels. They
may scratch the finish.
Clean the wheel when it has cooled.
Use only a mild soap or neutral detergent, and rinse thoroughly with
water. Also, be sure to clean the
wheels after driving on salted roads.
This helps prevent corrosion.
Avoid washing the wheels with high- speed vehicle wash brushes.
Do not use any alkaline or acid detergents It may damage and cor-
rode the aluminum wheels coated
with a clear protective finish.
Corrosion protection
Protecting your vehicle from corrosion
By using the most advanced design
and construction practices to combat
corrosion, we produce vehicles of
the highest quality. However, this is
only part of the job. To achieve the
long-term corrosion resistance your
vehicle can deliver, the owner's
cooperation and assistance is also
required.
Common causes of corrosion
The most common causes of corro-
sion on your vehicle are:
Road salt, dirt and moisture that isallowed to accumulate underneath
the vehicle.
Removal of paint or protective coatings by stones, gravel, abra-
sion or minor scrapes and dents
which leave unprotected metal
exposed to corrosion. High-corrosion areas
If you live in an area where your vehi-
cle is regularly exposed to corrosive
materials, corrosion protection is
particularly important. Some of the
common causes of accelerated cor-
rosion are road salts, dust control
chemicals, ocean air and industrial
pollution.
Moisture breeds corrosion
Moisture creates the conditions in
which corrosion is most likely to
occur. For example, corrosion is
accelerated by high humidity, partic-
ularly when temperatures are just
above freezing. In such conditions,
the corrosive material is kept in con-
tact with the vehicle’s surface by
moisture that evaporates slowly.
Mud is particularly corrosive
because it dries slowly and holds
moisture in contact with the vehicle.
Although the mud appears to be dry,
it can still retain the moisture and
promote corrosion.
WARNING
After washing the vehicle, test
the brakes while driving slowly
to see if they have been affected
by water. If braking performance
is impaired, dry the brakes by
applying them lightly while main-
taining a slow forward speed.