
533
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
- Kickdown Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pres-
sure point. The automatic transmis-
sion will shift to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Launch Control
Launch Control Operation
When using Launch Control, a
driver should always make sure
that the engine’s cooling water is
warmed up and reaches a recom-
mended temperature.
To operate ESC Off state 2, Press
and hold ESC button for more than
3 seconds in Sports mode. (Status
Display on Cluster Screen)
For launching, stop the vehicle and
keep the steering wheel straight.
Footbrakes, EPB and Auto Hold
must be released for smooth
launching. Press the brake firmly with your left
foot in transmission D mode, while
pressing the accelerator pedal
down fully with your right foot.
Then, the Launch Control Ready
(1) will be in place.
OCK047156L

5105
Driving your vehicle
(Continued)
• If you move the transmission lever
from N to D (manual mode) or R
without depressing the brake
pedal after stopping engine auto-
matically, the engine does not
restart automatically and a warn-
ing chime alarms. When this hap-
pens, press the brake pedal for
auto start.
Auto start
To restart the engine from idle
stop mode
Release the brake pedal.
or
Move the shift gear to the R
(Reverse) position or the manual
mode while depressing the brake
pedal.
The engine will start and the green
AUTO STOP indicator ( ) on the
instrument cluster will go out.
The engine will also restart auto-
matically without any driver
actions if the following occurs:
The brake vacuum pressure is low
The engine has stopped for about
5 minutes
The air conditioning is ON with the
fan speed set to the highest posi-
tion
The front defroster is ON
The battery is weak
The cooling and heating perform-
ance of the climate control system
is unsatisfactory
The vehicle is shifted to P (Park)
when Auto Hold is activated
The door is opened or the seatbelt
is unfastened when Auto Hold is
activated
The EPB switch is pressed when
Auto Hold is activated
OCK057096L
OCK057145

5145
Driving your vehicle
CAUTION- Snow chains
Chains that are the wrong size
or improperly installed can
damage your vehicle's brake
lines, suspension, body and
wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the
chains any time you hear them
hitting the vehicle.
Chain installation
When installing AutoSock (fabric
snow chain), follow the manufactur-
er's instructions and mount them as
tightly as possible. Drive slowly (less
than 20 mph (30 km/h)) with chains
installed. If you hear the chains con-
tacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make con-
tact, slow down until the noise stops.
Remove the AutoSock (fabric snow
chain) as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place a
triangular emergency warning device
behind the vehicle if available.
Always place the vehicle in P (Park),
apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine before installing snow
chains. The use of chains may adversely
affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h)
or the chain manufacturer’s recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel
braking.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.

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 soon
as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P 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.

75
Maintenance
(Continued)
• Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly during the win-
ter and whenever your vehicle has
been exposed to such salts or
chemicals.
• Do a thorough washing of the
undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
• Use professional service techni-
cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for
corrosion.
• Immediately seek an inspection of
your vehicle if you become visual-
ly aware of corrosion flaking or
scaling or if you become aware of
a change in vehicle performance,
such as soft or spongy brakes, flu-
ids leaking, impairment of direc-
tional control, suspension noises
or rattling metal straps.
NHTSA further advises that after
a vehicle is 7 years old, it is essen-
tial that you take these indicated
maintenance steps to ensure that
you protect yourself from unsafe
corrosion conditions.Owner maintenance precau-
tions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section,
several procedures can be done only
by an authorized Kia dealer with spe-
cial tools.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Improper owner maintenance dur-
ing the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read
the separate Warranty & Consumer
Information manual provided with
the vehicle. If you're unsure about
any servicing or maintenance proce-
dure, have it done by an authorized
Kia dealer.
WARNING- Maintenance
work
Do not wear jewelry or loose
clothing while working under
the hood of your vehicle with
the engine running. These could
become entangled in moving
parts. If you must run the
engine while working under the
hood, make certain that you
remove all jewelry (especially
rings, bracelets, watches, and
necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose
clothing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.

Maintenance
12 7
Number of months or driving distance, whichever comes first
Months1224364860728496108120132144156168180
Miles×1,00061218243036424854606672788490
Km×1,000102030405060708090100110120130140150
Suspension mounting boltsIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Air conditioner refrigerantIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Air conditioner compressorIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Propeller shaftIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Exhaust pipe and mufflerIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Intercooler, in/out hose,
air intake hoseTheta II 2.0L T-GDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Lambda II PE 3.3L
T- G D IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Cooling system---I-I-I-I-I-I-
Automatic transmission fluidNo check, No service required
Differential oil (rear) *5, *6Without LSD-----I-----I---
With LSD-----R-----R---
Differential oil (front) (AWD) *5-----I-----I---
MAINTENANCE
INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Normal Maintenance Schedule - Turbo Models (CONT.)
I : Inspect and if necessary, adjust, correct, clean or replace.
R : Replace or change.
*
5: Front/rear differential oil should be changed anytime they have been submerged in water.
*6: When replacing differential oil with LSD, use only specified LSD oil.

717
Maintenance
Air cleaner filter
A Genuine Kia air cleaner filter is rec-
ommended when the filter is replaced.
Spark plugs
Make sure to install new spark plugs
of the correct heat range.
Valve clearance (if equipped)
Inspect excessive valve noise and/or
engine vibration and adjust if neces-
sary. An authorized Kia dealer
should perform the operation.
Cooling system
Check the cooling system compo-
nents, such as the radiator, coolant
reservoir, hoses and connections for
leakage and damage. Replace any
damaged parts.
Coolant
The coolant should be changed at
the intervals specified in the mainte-
nance schedule.
Automatic transmission fluid
Automatic transmission fluid should
not be checked under normal usage
conditions.
But in severe conditions, the fluid
should be changed at an authorized
Kia dealer in accordance to the
scheduled maintenance at the begin-
ning of this chapter.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Automatic transmission fluid color
is basically red.
As the vehicle is driven, the auto-
matic transmission fluid will begin
to look darker.
It is normal condition and you should
not judge the need to replace the fluid
based upon the changed color.
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and
any leakage. Replace any deteriorat-
ed or damaged parts immediately.
CAUTION
Use only specified automatic
transmission fluid. The use of a
non-specified fluid could result
in a transmission malfunction
and failure. (Refer to
"Recommended lubricants and
capacities" in chapter 8.)

Maintenance
22 7
ENGINE COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year: at
the beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder cli-
mate.Checking the coolant level Turn the engine off and wait until it
cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the cool-
ing system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and
continue turning counterclockwise
to remove it.
Even if the engine is not operating,
do not remove the radiator cap or
the drain plug while the engine and
radiator are hot. Hot coolant and
steam may still blow out under
pressure, causing serious injury.
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal injury
from escaping hot coolant or
steam.
CAUTION - Radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the
radiator cap while the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so
might lead to cooling system
and engine damage.