2020 KIA SPORTAGE maintenance

Features of your vehicle
164
4
When using the air conditioning
system, you may notice clear water
dripping (or even puddling) on the
ground under the passenger side
of the vehicle. This is a normal sys-
tem operation characteristic.
Operating the air conditioning sys- tem in the recirculated air position
provides maximum cooling, how-
ever, continual operation in this
mode may cause the air inside the
vehicle to become stale.
During cooling operation, you may occasionally notice a misty air flow
because of rapid cooling and
humid air intake. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.Climate control air filter
The climate control air filter installed
behind the glove box filters the dust or
other pollutants that come into the
vehicle from the outside through the
heating and air conditioning system. If
dust or other pollutants accumulate in
the filter over a period of time, the air
flow from the air vents may decrease,
resulting in moisture accumulation on
the inside of the windshield even
when the outside (fresh) air position is
selected. If this happens, have the cli-
mate control air filter replaced by an
authorized Kia dealer.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• Replace the filter according to the
maintenance schedule.
If the vehicle is being driven in
severe conditions such as dusty or
rough roads, more frequent air
conditioner filter inspections and
changes are required.
• When the air flow rate suddenly decreases, the system should be
checked at an authorized Kia
dealer.
1LDA5047
Outside air
Recirculatedair
Climate control
air filter Blower
Evaporator
coreHeater core

55
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 8,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the drive should
not be used during vehicle
operation.

Driving your vehicle
28
5
If you need to drive in the water,
stop your vehicle, set your transfer
to the AWD LOCK mode and drive
at less than 8 km/h (5 mph).✽ ✽ NOTICE
• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance under
severe usage conditions” in section
8). Always wash your vehicle thor-
oughly after off-road use, especially
cleaning the bottom of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the AWD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip the vehi-
cle with four tires of the same size
and type.
• A full time all wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary
tow truck. Make sure that the
vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.
WARNING - Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving
too fast in water, the water can
get into the engine compart-
ment and wet the ignition sys-
tem, causing your vehicle to
suddenly stop. If this happens
and your vehicle is in a tilted
position, your vehicle may roll
over.
WARNING - AWD driving
Avoid high cornering speed.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at high speed.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over-steers to re-enter the
roadway. In the event your
vehicle leaves the roadway, do
not steer sharply. Instead,
slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.

5141
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
chapter 8. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see
chapter 8 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

Driving your vehicle
150
5
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in chapter 8. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures 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 chapter 8. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized 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
chapter 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 chapter 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.

5157
Driving your vehicle
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the automatic transmission inP (Park), apply your brakes and
hold the brake pedal down while
you:

and

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.Maintenance when trailer tow-
ing
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.
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.

69
What to do in an emergency
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehi-
cle manufacturer on the vehicle plac-
ard or tire inflation pressure label. (If
your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pres-
sure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and
may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS mal-
function indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When
the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximate-
ly one minute and then remain con-
tinuously illuminated. This sequence
will continue upon subsequent vehi-
cle start-ups as long as the malfunc-
tion exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function proper-
ly.

Maintenance
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
• Owner maintenance schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-21
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
• Checking the brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• Checking the parking brake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
43
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
• Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-46
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-46
• Tire pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
• Summer tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
• Snow tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
58
7