497
Features of your vehicle
If the engine oil pressure is low:
1.Drive carefully to the nearest safelocation and stop your vehicle.
2.Turn the engine off and check the engine oil level (For more details,
refer to “Engine Oil” in chapter 7). If
the level is low, add oil as required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available,
have the vehicle inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.Low Fuel Level Warning
Light
This warning light illuminates:
When the fuel tank is nearly empty.
If the fuel tank is nearly empty:
Add fuel as soon as possible.
CAUTION - Engine
Overheating
Do not continue driving with theengine overheated. Otherwisethe engine may be damaged.
CAUTION - Engine
damage
If the engine is not stoppedimmediately after the engine oilpressure warning light is illumi-nated and stays on while theengine is running, seriousengine damage may result.CAUTION - Low Fuel
Level
Driving with the Low Fuel Levelwarning light on or with the fuellevel below “E” can cause theengine to misfire and damagethe catalytic converter (ifequipped).
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 7,
“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 driver should
not be used during vehicle
operation.
5109
Driving your vehicle
Various driving situations, which you
may encounter in SMART mode
The drivie mode automaticallychanges to ECO mode after a cer-
tain period of time, when you gen-
tly depress the accelerator pedal
(Your driving is categorized to be
mild.).
The drive mode automatically changes from SMART ECO mode
to SMART COMFORT mode after
a certain period of time, when you
sharply or repetitively depress the
accelerator pedal.
The drive mode automatically changes to SMART COMFORT
mode with the same driving pat-
terns, when the vehicle starts to
drive on an upward slope of a cer-
tain angle. The drive mode auto-
matically returns to SMART ECO
mode, when the vehicle enters a
leveled road. The drive mode automatically
changes to SMART SPORT, when
you abruptly accelerate the vehicle
or repetitively operate the steering
wheel (Your driving is categorized
to be sporty.). In this mode, your
vehicle drives in a lower gear for
abrupt accelerating/decelerating
and increases the engine brake
performance.
You may still sense the engine brake performance, even when you
release the accelerator pedal in
SMART SPORT mode. It is
because your vehicle remains in a
lower gear over a certain period of
time.
The drive mode automatically changes to SMART SPORT mode
only in dynamic driving situations.
In most of the normal driving situa-
tions, the drive mode sets to be
either in SMART ECO mode or in
SMART COMFORT mode. Limitation of SMART mode
The SMART mode may be limited in
following situations. (The OFF indica-
tor illuminates in those situations.)
The driver manually moves the
shift lever : It deactivates SMART
mode.
The cruise control is activated : The cruise system may deactivate
the SMART mode. (SMART mode
is not automatically deactivated
just by activing the cruise system.)
The transmission oil temperature is either extremely low or extremely
high : The SMART mode can be
active in most of the normal driving
situations. However, an extremely
high/ low transmission oil tempera-
ture may temporarily deactivate the
SMART mode, because the trans-
mission condition is out of normal
operation condition.
5143
Driving your vehicle
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 withoutfirst checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
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 7. 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 7. 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 8 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 7 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.
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.
What to do in an emergency
46
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
If engine doesn't turn over or
turns over slowly
1. Be sure the shift lever is in N(Neutral) or P (Park) and the
emergency brake is set.
2. Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3. Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you oper-
ate the starter, the battery is dis-
charged.
4. Check the starter connections to be sure they are securely tight-
ened.
5. Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump
starting".
If engine turns over normally
but does not start
1. Check the fuel level.
2. With the Engine Start/Stop Buttonin the OFF position, check all con-
nectors at the ignition coils and
spark plugs. Reconnect any that
may be disconnected or loose.
3. Check the fuel line in the engine compartment.
4. If the engine still does not start, call an authorized Kia dealer or
seek other qualified assistance.
WARNING - Push/
pull start
Do not push or pull the vehicle
to start it. Push or pull starting
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload and create a
fire hazard.
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 . . . 7-16
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
• Checking the brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
• Checking the parking brake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
35
• Battery replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-39
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-39
• Tire pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
• Flat spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
43
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
• All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Summer tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
7
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 coolantreservoir.
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 transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transaxle 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.
719
Maintenance
Brake discs, pads, calipers
and rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear,
discs for run out and wear, and
calipers for fluid leakage.
Exhaust pipe and muffler
Visually inspect the exhaust pipes,
muffler and hangers for cracks, dete-
rioration, or damage. Start the
engine and listen carefully for any
exhaust gas leakage. Tighten con-
nections or replace parts as neces-
sary.
Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections
for looseness or damage. Retighten
to the specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine
off, check for excessive free-play in
the steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and
clamps for cracks, deterioration, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts and, if necessary, repack the
grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant
Check the air conditioning lines and
connections for leakage and damage.When checking engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid,
always be sure to clean the area
around any filler plug, drain plug, or
dipstick before checking or draining
any lubricant or fluid. This is espe-
cially important in dusty or sandy
areas and when the vehicle is used
on unpaved roads. Cleaning the plug
and dipstick areas will prevent dirt
and grit from entering the engine and
other mechanisms that could be
damaged.
CHECKING FLUID LEVELS