2021 KIA SPORTAGE automatic transmission

Driving your vehicle
1665
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:
• Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
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.

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 example,
the engine lifting bracket) away
from the battery (4). Do not con-
nect it to or near any part that
moves when the engine is
cranked. Do not allow the jumper cables to
contact anything except the correct
battery terminals or the correct
ground. Do not lean over the bat-
tery when making connections.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at
2,000 rpm, then start the engine of
the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
If the cause of your battery discharg-ing is not apparent, you should haveyour vehicle checked by an author-ized Kia dealer.
Push-starting
Vehicles equipped with automatic
transmission lock system cannot be
push-started.
Follow the directions in this section
for jump-starting.
WARNING - Tow starting
vehicle
Never tow a vehicle to start it.
When the engine starts, the
vehicle can suddenly surge for-
ward and could cause a colli-
sion with the tow vehicle.
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 negative
terminal of the booster battery,
and the other end to a metalic
point, far away from the battery.

67
What to do in an emergency
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. If coolant has been lost, care-
fully add coolant to the reservoir 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 open-
ing and cause serious
burns.

6 17
What to do in an emergency
Changing tires
1. Park on a level surface and applythe parking brake firmly.
2. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park) with automatic trans-
mission.
3. Activate the hazard warning flash- ers. 4. Remove the wheel lug nut wrench,
jack and spare tire from the vehi-
cle.
5. Block both the front and rear of the wheel that is diagonally opposite
from the jack position.
WARNING- Jack location
To reduce the possibility of
injury, be sure to use only the
jack provided with the vehicle in
the correct jack position; never
use any other part of the vehicle
for jack support.
WARNING- Changing a tire
• To prevent vehicle movement while changing a tire, always
set the parking brake fully,
and always block the wheel
diagonally opposite the wheel
being changed.
• We recommend that the wheels of the vehicle be
blocked, and that no person
remain in a vehicle that is
being jacked.
1VQA4022
1VQA4023

6 23
What to do in an emergency
Jack label1. Model Name
2. Maximum allowable load
3. When using the jack, set yourparking brake.
4. When using the jack, stop the engine.
5. Do not get under a vehicle that is supported by a jack.
6. The designated locations under the frame
7. When supporting the vehicle, the base plate of jack must be vertical
under the lifting point.
8. Move the shift lever to the P posi- tion on vehicles with automatic
transmission.
9. The jack should be used on firm level ground.
10. Jack manufacturer
11. Production date
12. Representative company and address
OHYK064001
OHYK064005
• Type A■Example
• Type B
❈The actual Jack label in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
For more detailed specifications, refer to the label attached to the jack.

6 37
What to do in an emergency
• Use a towing strap less than 16feet (5 m) long. Attach a white or
red cloth (about 12 inches (30 cm)
wide) in the middle of the strap for
easy visibility.
• Drive carefully so that the towing strap is not loosened during tow-
ing.
• The driver must be in the vehicle for steering and braking operations
when the vehicle is towed and pas-
sengers other than the driver must
not be allowed to be on board.
Emergency towing precautions
• Turn the ignition switch to ACC sothe steering wheel isn’t locked.
• Place the transmission shift lever in N (Neutral).
• Release the parking brake.
• Press the brake pedal with more force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
• More steering effort will be required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
• If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off.
• The vehicle should be towed at a speed of 25 km/h or less within the
distance of 20 km. • If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it can
be towed only from the front. Be
sure that the transmission is in
neutral. Be sure the steering is
unlocked by placing the ignition
switch in the ACC position. A driver
must be in the towed vehicle to
operate the steering and brakes.
CAUTION - Automatic
transmission
• To avoid serious damage to the automatic transmission, limitthe vehicle speed to 10 mph(15 km/h) and drive less than 1mile (1.5 km) when towing.
• Before towing, check the auto- matic transmission for fluidleaks under your vehicle. If theautomatic transmission fluid isleaking, flatbed equipment or atowing dolly must be used.
OQL065021

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
roads.
• 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.

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 for tires
that are worn, show uneven wear,
or are damaged.
• Check for loose wheel lug nuts.
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.
At least once a year :
• Clean the body and door drainholes.
• Lubricate the door hinges and check the hood hinges.
• Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
• Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
• Check the air conditioning system.
• Inspect and lubricate automatic transmission linkage and controls.
• Clean the battery and terminals.
• Check the brake fluid level.