617
Driving your vehicle
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 unnecessary
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
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift 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.
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gearand coast 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 mal-
function. 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 control 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 turning increases the risk of
vehicle rollover due to loss of vehi-
cle control. Rollover accidents are
extremely violent and unpre-
dictable.
619
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reversegear.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
cluster displays the shift lever posi-
tion 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 pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle. R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
CAUTION - Transaxle
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on. The transaxle may bedamaged if you shift into P(Park) while the vehicle is inmotion.
WARNING- Automatic
Transaxle
Before leaving the driver's seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park), set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement may
occur if these precautions are
not followed.
CAUTION - Shifting
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except when “Rockingthe Vehicle” explained in thissection.
Driving your vehicle
26
6
If your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid
cleeping forward, keep your foot
firmly on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped. Be cautious when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or revers
gear (manual transaxle). If your
vehicle is facing downhill, turn the
front wheels into the curb to help
keep the vehicle from rolling. If
your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels.
Under some conditions your park- ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice aroud
or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the
rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking
brake. Do not hold the vehicle on the
upgrade with the accelerator
pedal. This can cause the transaxle
to overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
WARNING- Parking brake
use
Never allow a passenger to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully
engaged when parking to
avoid inadvertent movement
of the vehicle which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.
Driving your vehicle
28
6
The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure and do not try to
pump your brakes. Press your brake
pedal as hard as possible or as hard
as the situation allows the ABS to
control the force being delivered to
the brakes.✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system. The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the
ignition switch is ON. During that
time, the ABS will go through self-
diagnosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the light stays
on, you may have a problem with
your ABS but your regular brakes will
work normally. Contact an authorized
Kia dealer as soon as possible.
W-78
629
Driving your vehicle
When you drive on a road withpoor traction, such as an icy road,
and operated your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your vehi-
cle over to a safe place and stop
the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your ABS
is normal. Otherwise, you may
have a problem with the ABS.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on
at the same time. This happens
because of the low battery voltage. It
does not mean your ABS has mal-
functioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
Electronic stability control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes on individual wheels and
intervenes with the engine manage-
ment system to stabilize the vehicle. Electronic stability control (ESC) will
not prevent accidents. Excessive
speed in turns, abrupt maneuvers
and hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious accidents.
Only a safe and attentive driver can
prevent accidents by avoiding
maneuvers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the normal
precautions for driving - including
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions.
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is an electronic sys-
tem designed to help the driver main-
tain vehicle control under adverse
conditions. It is not a substitute for
safe driving practices. Factors includ-
ing speed, road conditions and driv-
er steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in pre-
venting a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
OYB056062
Driving your vehicle
30
6
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system, no
matter how advanced, can compen-
sate for all driver error and/or driv-
ing conditions. Always drive respon-
sibly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
ON, ESC and ESC OFF
indicator lights illuminate
for approximately 3 sec-
onds, then ESC is turned
on.
ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion ON to turn ESC off.
(ESC OFF indicator will
illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC
OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).
you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and
does not indicate a prob-
lem. When operating
When the ESC is in opera-
tion, ESC indicator light
blinks.
Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
mud or slippery road,
pressing the accelerator
pedal may not cause the
engine rpm (revolutions
per minute) to increase.
-
Driving your vehicle
32
6
Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned
ON, the indicator light illuminates,
then goes off if ESC system is oper-
ating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button. Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size as
your original tires.
ESC OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESC
turned on for daily driving whenev-
er possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating (ESC indica-
tor light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip out of
control.
WARNING- Electronic sta- bility control
Drive carefully even though
your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control. It can only
assist you in maintaining con-
trol under certain circum-
stances.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light
Driving your vehicle
34
6
Vehicle stability management
(VSM)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detected changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS). This is only the effect of brake
and EPS control and indicates noth-
ing unusual. The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on bank roads such as gra-
dient or incline
Driving rearward
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
VSM operation off
If you press the ESC OFF button to
turn off the ESC, the VSM will also
cancel and the ESC OFF indicator
light ( ) illuminates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light
goes out.
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light
remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked.
The VSM is designed to functionabove approximately 15 km/h (9
mph) on curves.