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Driving your vehicle
120
5
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant
and cooling system fluid. Brake con-
dition is another important item to
frequently check. Each item is cov-
ered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you
start your trip.
Don’t 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 bolts
should be tight. When towing check transaxle fluid
more frequently.
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. Youcan ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.
Do not do any towing with your vehicle 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 dam-
age.
When towing a trailer, be sure to consult an authorized Kia dealer
for further information on additional
requirements such as a towing kit,
etc.CAUTION - Air condition
Do not use the A/C while usingyour vehicle to tow uphill. Dueto higher load during trailerusage, overheating might occuron hot days or during uphilldriving.
Page 468 of 593

Maintenance
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-15
Checking fluid levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Power steering fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
. . . . . . . . . . 7-26
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
36
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-39
. . . . . . . 7-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
7
Page 471 of 593
Maintenance
47
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OYP078001N
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Fuse box
6. Positive battery terminal
7. Negative battery terminal
8. Engine oil dipstick
9. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
10. Radiator cap
11. Power steering reservoir*
* if equipped
■ ■3.3L GDI* The actual engine compartment in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
Page 472 of 593

75
Maintenance
MAINTENANCE SERVICES
You should exercise the utmost care
to prevent damage to your vehicle
and injury to yourself whenever per-
forming any maintenance or inspec-
tion procedures.
Should you have any doubts con-
cerning the inspection or servicing of
your vehicle, we strongly recom-
mend that you have an authorized
Kia dealer perform this work.
An authorized Kia dealer has factory
trained technicians and genuine Kia
parts to service your vehicle proper-
ly. For expert advice and quality serv-
ice, see an authorized Kia dealer.
Inadequate, incomplete or insuffi-
cient servicing may result in opera-
tional problems with your vehicle that
could lead to vehicle damage, an
accident, or personal injury.Owner’s responsibility
✽ ✽NOTICE
Maintenance Service and Record
Retention are the owner's responsi-
bility.
You should retain documents that
show proper maintenance has been
performed on your vehicle in accor-
dance with the scheduled mainte-
nance service charts shown on the
following pages. You need this infor-
mation to establish your compliance
with the servicing and maintenance
requirements of your vehicle war-
ranties.
Detailed warranty information is pro-
vided in your Warranty & Consumer
Information manual.
Repairs and adjustments required as
a result of improper maintenance or
a lack of required maintenance are
not covered. We recommend you have your vehi-
cle maintained and repaired by an
authorized Kia dealer. An authorized
Kia dealer meets Kia’s high service
quality standards and receives tech-
nical support from Kia in order to pro-
vide you with a high level of service
satisfaction.
Page 473 of 593

Maintenance
67
Owner maintenance precau-
tions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This chapter gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this chapter,
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 neck-
laces) and all neckties, scarves,
and similar loose clothing
before getting near the engine
or cooling fans.
Page 474 of 593

77
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an author-
ized Kia dealer at the frequencies
indicated to help ensure safe,
dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in thecoolant reservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, level
road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transmission
occurs, check the transmission
fluid level.
Check the automatic transmission P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
WARNING - Hot coolant
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure.
Page 475 of 593

Maintenance
87
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in theengine coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check the radiator, heater and air conditioning hoses for leaks or
damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean
the wiper blades with clean cloth
dampened with washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean the body and door drainholes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks, and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate the automatic transmission linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.
Page 476 of 593

79
Maintenance
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE
Follow the Normal Maintenance
Schedule if the vehicle is usually
operated where none of the following
conditions apply. If any of the follow-
ing conditions apply, follow the
Maintenance Under Severe Usage
Conditions.
Repeated driving short distance ofless than 8 km (5 miles) in normal
temperature or less than 16 km (10
miles) in freezing temperature
Extensive engine idling or low speed driving for long distances
Driving on rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved, graveled or salt-spread
roads
Driving in areas using salt or other corrosive materials or in very cold
weather
Driving in heavy dust condition
Driving in heavy traffic area
Driving on uphill, downhill, or mountain road repeatedly Towing a trailer or using a camper,
or roof rack
Driving as a patrol car, taxi, other commercial use of vehicle towing
Driving over 170 km/h (106 mile/h)
Frequently driving in stop-and-go conditionIf your vehicle is operated in any ofthe prior listed conditions, you shouldinspect, replace or refill more fre-quently, using the severe usage main-tenance schedule instead of the nor-mal usage maintenance schedule.