451
Features of your vehicle
Electric power steering (EPS)
The power steering uses a motor to
assist you in steering the vehicle. If
the engine is off or if the power steer-
ing system becomes inoperative, the
vehicle may still be steered, but it will
require increased steering effort.
The EPS is controlled by a power
steering control unit which senses
the steering wheel torque and vehi-
cle speed to command the motor.
The steering becomes heavier as the
vehicle’s speed increases and
becomes lighter as the vehicle’s
speed decreases for optimum steer-
ing control.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power
steering checked by an authorized
Kia dealer. When you operate the steering
wheel in low temperature, noise
may occur. If temperature rises, the
noise will likely disappear. This is a
normal condition.
When the vehicle is stationary, and the steering wheel is turned all the
way to the left or right continuous-
ly, the steering wheel becomes
harder to turn. The power assist is
limited to protect the motor from
overheating.
As time passes, the steering wheel
will return to its normal condition.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
The following symptoms may occur
during normal vehicle operation:
• The EPS warning light does not
illuminate.
• The steering gets heavy immedi- ately after turning the ignition
switch on. This happens as the sys-
tem performs the EPS system
diagnostics. When the diagnostics
are completed, the steering wheel
will return to its normal condition.
• A click noise may be heard from the EPS relay after the Engine
Start/Stop button is turned to the
ON or OFF position.
• A motor noise may be heard when the vehicle is at a stop or at a low
driving speed.
• If the Electric Power Steering System does not operate normally,
the warning light will illuminate on
the instrument cluster. The power
steering system will not operate
and steering effort can increase.
Take your vehicle to an authorized
Kia dealer and have the vehicle
checked as soon as possible. (Continued)
STEERING WHEEL
Features of your vehicle
70
4
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
This gauge indicates the tempera-
ture of the engine coolant when the
Engine Start/Stop button is ON.
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the “H”
position, it indicates overheating that
may damage the engine.
Do not continue driving with an over-
heated engine. If your vehicle over-
heats, refer to “If the Engine
Overheats” in chapter 6.
Fuel Gauge
This gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• The fuel tank capacity is given in
chapter 8.
• The fuel gauge is supplemented by a low fuel warning light which will
illuminate when the fuel tank is
nearly empty.
• On inclines or curves, the fuel gauge pointer may fluctuate or the
low fuel warning light may come
on earlier than usual due to the
movement of fuel in the tank.
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WARNING - Hot radiator
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The
engine coolant is under pres-
sure and could cause severe
burns. Wait until the engine is
cool before adding coolant to
the reservoir.
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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).
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Features of your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICE
When opening the windows in humid
weather, air conditioning may create
water droplets inside the vehicle.
Since excessive water droplets may
cause damage to electrical equip-
ment, air conditioning should only be
used with the windows closed.
Air conditioning system operation tips
If the vehicle has been parked in
direct sunlight during hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to let the hot air inside the vehicle
escape.
To help reduce moisture inside of the windows on rainy or humid
days, decrease the humidity inside
the vehicle by operating the air
conditioning system.
During air conditioning system operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed as the air conditioning com-
pressor cycles. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.
Use the air conditioning system every month only for a few minutes
to ensure maximum system per-
formance. 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.CAUTION - Excessive A/C
Use
When using the air conditioningsystem, monitor the tempera-ture gauge closely while drivingup hills or in heavy traffic whenoutside temperatures are high.Air conditioning system opera-tion may cause engine over-heating. Continue to use theblower fan but turn the air con-ditioning system off if the tem-perature gauge indicates engineoverheating.
Driving your vehicle
30
5
NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) posi-
tion is engaged.
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Do not move the shift lever to N (Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transmission could be damaged.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. Even light, but
consistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure. Depressing both accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time can
trigger logic for engine power
reduction to assure vehicle decel-
eration. Vehicle acceleration will
resume after the brake pedal is
released.
When driving in Sports Mode, slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.
Always apply the parking brake when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transmis-
sion in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
from moving.
Driving your vehicle
138
5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use the second gear. Accelerate
slowly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
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.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transmission while driv-
ing on slippery surfaces. The
sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid
and result in an accident.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
CAUTION- Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may causeengine overheating, transmis-sion damage or failure, and tiredamage.
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.
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5141
Driving your vehicle
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with
the off-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/overinflated 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.