
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow
the manufacturer’s recommendation
for attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack so you can turn
with your trailer. And, never allow safe‐
ty chains drag on the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to your
country’s regulations and that it is properly installed and operating cor‐
rectly.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer brakes loaded, then it needs its own
brakes and they must be adequate. Be
sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so you’ll be able
to install, adjust and maintain them
properly. • Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake system.
WARNING
nTrailer brakes
(Continued)
(Continued)
Do not use a trailer with its ownbrakes unless you are absolutelycertain that you have properly setup the brake system. This is not atask for amateurs. Use an experi‐enced, competent trailer shop forthis work.
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 vehi‐
cle you are driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly so responsive as
your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical connector(s), lights, tires 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 trailer brakes are
still working.
Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when driv‐ ing your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that re‐
quire heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. 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.
Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trail‐ er to the left, just move your hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right. Al‐ ways back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Driving your vehicle
6-88

Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft should‐
ers, curbs, road signs, trees, or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneu‐ vers. 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 ar‐
rows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly connected, the
trailer lights will also flash to alert oth‐
er drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green ar‐
rows 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 occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still work‐
ing. You must also check the lights ev‐ ery time you disconnect and then re‐
connect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting sys‐ tem. Use only an approved trailer wir‐
ing harness. Have yourself assisted by a professio‐
nal workshop in installing the wiring harness.
Kia recommends to visit an authorized
Kia dealer/service partner.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailerwiring harness could result in dam‐age to the vehicle electrical systemand/or personal injury.
Driving on grades
Reduce the 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 possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trailer
brakes and you have an automatic 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
•When towing a trailer on steepgrades (in excess of 6%) pay closeattention to the engine coolanttemperature gauge to ensure theengine does not overheat. If theneedle of the coolant temperaturegauge moves across the dial to‐wards L

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 se‐
riously or fatally injured, and both your
vehicle and the trailer can be damaged if unexpectedly roll down hill.
WARNING
nParking on a hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with atrailer attached could cause seriousinjury or death, should the trailerbreak loose.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it: 1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space. Turn the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb (right if
headed down hill, left if headed up
hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual trans‐ axle, place the car in neutral. If the
vehicle has an automatic transaxle,
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 chocks absorb the
load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the parking brake and shift the vehicleto R (Reverse) for manual transaxle
or P (Park) for automatic transaxle.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.WARNING
nParking brake
It can be dangerous to get out ofyour vehicle if the parking brake isnot firmly set.If you have left the engine running,the vehicle can move suddenly. Youor others could be seriously or fatal‐ly injured.
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in Neu‐ tral or automatic transaxle in P
(Park), apply your brakes and hold
the brake pedal down while you: • Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
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.
Driving your vehicle
6-90

Item1.0L T-GDI1.2L MPI1.4L MPI1.6L Diesel
6M/T5M/T6M/T6M/T
kg (Ibs.) With brake System 1,110 (2,447) 910 (2,006) 1,000 (2,204) 1,110
(2,447)
Maximum permissible static vertical
load on the coupling device 75 (165)
kg (Ibs.)
Recommended distance from rear
wheel center to coupling point 805 (32)
mm (inch)
Weight of the trailer
A : Tongue Load
B : Total Trailer Weight What is the maximum safe weight of a
trailer? It should never weigh more than the maximum trailer weight with
trailer brakes. But even that can be too
heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your trailer. For example, speed, altitude,
road grades, outside temperature and
how often your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all important. The ideal trail‐
er weight can also depend on any spe‐
cial equipment that you have on your vehicle.
Weight of the trailer tongue
A : Gross Axle Weight
B : Gross Vehicle Weight
Driving your vehicle
6-92

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING
If the engine stalls at a
crossroad or crossing
• If the engine stalls at a crossroad orcrossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehicle to a safe place.
• If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a ignition lock
switch, the vehicle can move forward
by shifting to the 2 (second) or 3
(third) gear and then turning the starter without depressing the clutch
pedal.
If you have a flat tire while
driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving: 1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and let the vehicle slow down
while driving straight ahead. Do not
apply the brakes immediately or
attempt to pull off the road as this
may cause a loss of control. When
the vehicle has slowed down to
such a speed that it is safe to do so, brake carefully and pull off the
road. Drive off the road as far as
possible and park on a firm level
ground. If you are on a divided
highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes. 2. When the vehicle is stopped, turn
on your emergency hazard flash‐
ers, set the parking brake and put
the transaxle in P (automatic
transaxle) or reverse (manual transaxle).
3. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle. Be sure they all get out on
the side of the vehicle that is away
from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided L