Driving your vehicle
44
6
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for daily
driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESC is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or
wheel sizes may cause the ESCsystem to malfunction. Whenreplacing tires, make sure theyare the same size as your origi-nal tires.
WARNING- Operating
ESC
Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator 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.
Driving your vehicle
106
6
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 1st (First) and R (Reverse)
in vehicles equipped with a manual
transaxle or R (Reverse) and any for-
ward gear in vehicles equipped with
an automatic transaxle. Do not race
the engine, and spin the wheels as lit-
tle as possible. If you are still stuck
after a few tries, have the vehicle
pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid
engine overheating and possible
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.
WARNING- Replacement
tires
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in the tire
section of the manual.
Installation of variant tires can
affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle.
CAUTION- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe- cially at speeds more than 35mph (56 km/h). 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
110
6
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
or to install tire chains on your tires.
If snow tires are needed, it is neces-
sary 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 acceleration, 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. It should be noted that
installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but
will not prevent side skids.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before fitting tire
chains.
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 without
first checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
1VQA3005
WARNING- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your vehi-
cle may be adversely affected.
6111
Driving your vehicle
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by
mounting some types of snow chains
on them. Therefore, the use of snow
tires is recommended instead of
snow chains. Do not mount tire
chains on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels; snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use wire-type
chains with a thickness of less than
0.59 in (15 mm). Damage to your
vehicle caused by improper snow
chain use is not covered by your
vehicle manufacturers warranty.Install tire chains only in pair and
only on the front tires.
Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and tighten
them. If they still make contact, slow
down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away from
traffic. Turn on the vehicle Hazard
Warning flashers and place a triangu-
lar emergency warning device behind
the vehicle if available. Always place
the vehicle in P (Park), apply the
parking brake and turn off the engine
before installing snow chains.
The use of chains may adversely
affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer’s recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel braking.
1VQA3007
CAUTION- Snow chains
Make sure the snow chains arethe correct size and type foryour tires. Incorrect snowchains can cause damage to thevehicle body and suspensionand may not be covered by yourvehicle manufacturer warranty.
Driving your vehicle
112
6
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high qual-
ity ethylene glycol coolant in the cool-
ing system. It is the only type of coolant
that should be used because it helps
prevent corrosion in the cooling sys-
tem, lubricates the water pump and
prevents freezing. Be sure to replace
or replenish your coolant in accor-
dance with the maintenance schedule
in section 8. Before winter, have your
coolant tested to assure that its freez-
ing point is sufficient for the tempera-
tures anticipated during the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the
battery and cables as described in
section 8. The level of charge in your
battery can be checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer or a service station.
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
section 9 for recommendations. If you
aren't sure what weight oil you should
use, consult an authorized Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition
system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in section 8 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint finish.
CAUTION- Snow chains
Chains that are the wrong size
or improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.
What to do in an emergency
22
7
Avoid driving over obstacles. The
compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately 1
inch (25 mm), which could result in
damage to the vehicle.
Do not take this vehicle through an automatic vehicle wash while the
compact spare tire is installed.
Do not use tire chains on the com- pact spare tire. Because of the
smaller size, a tire chain will not fit
properly. This could damage the
vehicle and result in loss of the
chain.
Do not use the compact spare tire on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
The compact spare tire’s tread life is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel. The compact spare tire should not
be used on any other wheels, nor
should standard tires, snow tires,
wheel covers or trim rings be used
with the compact spare wheel. If
such use is attempted, damage to
these items or other vehicle com-
ponents may occur.
Do not use more than one compact spare tire at a time.
Do not tow a trailer while the com- pact spare tire is installed.
859
Maintenance
TIRES AND WHEELS
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Recommended cold tire infla-
tion pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold Tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than
one mile (1.6 km).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, vehicle
handling, and minimum tire wear.
For recommended inflation pressure,
refer to “Tire and wheels” in chapter
9.All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the driver’s side center
pillar.OXM079101L
WARNING- Tire under
inflation
Inflate your tire consistent with
the instructions provided in this
manual. Severe under inflation
can lead to severe heat build-
up, causing blowouts, tread
separation and other tire fail-
ures that can result in the loss
of vehicle control. This risk is
much higher on hot days and
when driving for long periods at
high speeds.
863
Maintenance
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator (A) will appear as a solid
band across the tread. This shows
there is less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
of tread left on the tire. Replace the
tire when this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.The ABS works by comparing the
speed of the wheels. The tire size
affects wheel speed. When replacing
tires, all 4 tires must use the same
size originally supplied with the vehi-
cle. Using tires of a different size can
cause the ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) and ESC (Electronic
Stability Control) to work irregularly.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
We recommend that when replacing
tires, use the same originally sup-
plied with the vehicles. If not, that
affects driving performance.
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
OUM076204L