5103
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your
vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
section 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see sec-
tion 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces- sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
5107
Driving your vehicle
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 R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an Automatic Transmission. Do
not race the engine, and spin the
wheels as little 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 possi-
ble damage to the transmission.The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.CAUTION- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when thevehicle is stationary couldcause a tire to overheat whichcould result in tire damage thatmay injure bystanders.
CAUTION- Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may causeengine overheating, transmis-sion damage or failure, and tiredamage.
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
5
Driving on unpaved roads
Drive carefully on unpaved roads
because your vehicle may be dam-
aged by rocks or roots of trees.
Become familiar with the unpaved
road conditions where you are going
to drive before you begin driving.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine
oil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both the engine coolant
and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING- Under/over inflated tires
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving.
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
For proper tire pressures, refer to
"Tires and wheels" in chapter 8.
WARNING- Tire tread
Always check the tire tread
before driving your vehicle.
Worn-out tires can result in loss
of vehicle control. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible. For further information
and tread limits, refer to "Tires
and wheels" in chapter 7.
Driving your vehicle
118
5
Driving on grades
Reduce 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 possi-
bility of engine and transmission
overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transmission, 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 transmission.
Towing up hill
When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay close
attention to the engine coolant
temperature gauge to ensure the
engine does not overheat.
If the needle of the coolant temper-
ature gauge moves across the dial
towards “H” (HOT), pull over and
stop as soon as it is safe to do so,
and allow the engine to idle until it
cools down. You may proceed once
the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transmission
overheating.CAUTION
Always use an approved trailerwiring harness. Failure to usean approved trailer wiring har-ness could result in damage tothe vehicle electrical system.
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 transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition 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 transmission
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 transmission
damage.
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-
ing
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.
What to do in an emergency
Road warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
• Hazard warning flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
In case of an emergency while driving . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
• If the engine stalls at a crossroad or crossing. . . . . . . 6-3
• If you have a flat tire while driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
• If the engine stalls while driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
If the engine will not start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
• If engine doesn't turn over or turns over slowly . . . . 6-4
• If engine turns over normally but does not start . . . . 6-4
Emergency starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
• Jump starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
• Push-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
If the engine overheats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
If you have a flat tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
• Jack and tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
• Removing the spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
• Storing the spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
• A flat tire indoor storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
• Changing tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-\
21
• Towing service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
• Removable towing hook (front) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
• Emergency towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
6
What to do in an emergency
66
Jump starting procedure
1. Make sure the booster battery is12-volt and that its negative termi-
nal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehicles
to come in contact.
3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the illus-
tration. First connect one end of a
jumper cable to the positive termi-
nal of the discharged battery (1),
then connect the other end to the
positive terminal of the booster
battery (2).
Proceed to connect one end of the
other jumper cable to the negative
terminal of the booster battery (3),
then the other end to a solid, sta-
tionary, metallic point (for exam-
ple, the engine lifting bracket)
away from the battery (4). Do not
connect it to or near any part that
moves when the engine is
cranked. Do not allow the jumper cables to
contact anything except the cor-
rect battery terminals or the cor-
rect ground. Do not lean over the
battery when making connections.
WARNING- Sulfuric acid
risk
When jump starting your vehicle
be careful not to get acid on
yourself, your clothing or on the
vehicle. Automobile batteries
contain sulfuric acid. This is poi-
sonous and highly corrosive.
WARNING- Battery
Keep all flames or sparks away
from the battery. The battery
produces hydrogen gas which
will explode if exposed to flame
or sparks.
WARNING - Battery cables
Do not connect the jumper cable
from the negative terminal of the
booster battery to the negative
terminal of the discharged bat-
tery. This can cause the dis-
charged battery to overheat and
crack, releasing battery acid.
Make sure to connect one end
of the jumper cable to the nega-
tive terminal of the booster bat-
tery, and the other end to a
metallic point, far away from the
battery.
What to do in an emergency
86
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you experience a loss
of power, or hear loud pinging or
knocking, the engine will probably be
too hot. If this happens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soonas it is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (for Automatic transmission) and set
the parking brake. If the air condi-
tioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the vehicle or steam is com-
ing out from underneath the hood,
stop the engine. Do not open the
hood until the coolant has stopped
running or the steaming has
stopped. If there is no visible loss
of engine coolant and no steam,
leave the engine running and
check to be sure the engine cool-
ing fan is operating. If the fan is not
running, turn the engine off. 4. Check to see if the water pump
drive belt is missing. If it is not
missing, check to see that it is
tight. If the drive belt seems to be
satisfactory, check for coolant
leaking from the radiator, hoses or
under the vehicle. (If the air condi-
tioning had been in use, it is nor-
mal for cold water to be draining
from it when you stop).
5. If the water pump drive belt is bro- ken or engine coolant is leaking
out, stop the engine immediately
and call the nearest authorized
Kia dealer for assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to nor-
mal. Then, if coolant has been lost,
carefully add coolant to the reser-
voir to bring the fluid level in the
reservoir up to the halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheat-
ing. If overheating happens again,
call an authorized Kia dealer for
assistance.
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling system
and this should be checked as soon
as possible by an authorized Kia
dealer.
WARNING - Under the hood
While the engine is running,
keep hair, hands and clothing
away from moving parts such
as the fan and drive belts to pre-
vent injury.
WARNING - Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This
may result in coolant being
blown out of the opening and
cause serious burns.