coolant temperature KIA Rio 2008 2.G Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
18 4
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 45 liters
(11.9 gallons)
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a low
fuel warning light, which will illuminate
when the fuel level has dropped to about
5.5~6.5 liters (1.5~1.7 gallons).
Engine temperature
gauge
This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “Overheating”in the Index.
✽
NOTICE
If the gauge pointer moves beyond the
normal range area toward the “H” posi-
tion, it indicates overheating that may
damage the engine.
Instrument panel illumination
(if equipped)
When the vehicle’s parking lights or head-
lights are on, rotate the illumination con-
trol knob to adjust the instrument panel
illumination intensity.
1JBN4055WARNING - Fuel gauge
Running out of fuel can expose
vehicle occupants to danger, both
in vehicle operation and by stop-
ping in high neighborhoods.
You must stop and obtain addition-
al fuel as soon as possible after the
warning light comes on or when the
gauge indicator comes close to the
E level.

Driving your vehicle
36 4
Air conditioning system opera-
tion 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 win-
dows on rainy or humid days, decrease
the humidity inside the vehicle by oper-
ating the air conditioning system.
• During air conditioning system opera-
tion, you may occasionally notice a
slight change in engine speed at idle
as the air conditioning compressor
cycles. This is a normal system opera-
tion characteristic.
• Use the air conditioning system every
month if only for a few minutes to
ensure maximum system perform-
ance.
• When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, you may notice clear water drip-
ping (or even pudding) on the ground
under the passenger side of the vehi-
cle. This is a normal system operation
characteristic.• The air conditioning system includes a
function that automatically turns the air
conditioning compressor off if engine
coolant temperature approaches an
over heating level. The air conditioning
compressor operation will resume
once engine coolant temperature
returns to the normal range. Also, the
air conditioning compressor is auto-
matically turned off for a few seconds
when the accelerator is fully depressed
(wide open throttle).
• When operating the air conditioning
system use the outside (fresh) air posi-
tion.
• Operating the air conditioning system
in the recirculated air position does
provide maximum cooling, however,
continual operation in this mode may
cause the air inside the vehicle to
become stale.
Checking the amount of air con-
ditioner refrigerant and compres-
sor lubricant
When the amount of refrigerant is low,
the performance of the air conditioning is
reduced. Overfilling also has a bad influ-
ence on the air conditioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.
✽
NOTICE
When the performance of the air condi-
tioning system is reduced it is important
that the correct type and amount of oil
and refrigerant is used. Otherwise,
damage to the compressor and abnor-
mal system operation may occur.
CAUTION
The air conditioning system should
be serviced by an authorized Kia
dealer. Improper service may cause
serious injury.

57
Driving tips
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 distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
• Keep your headlights clean and prop-
erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the headlights
of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
• A heavy rainfall will make it harder to
see and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
• Keep your windshield wiping equip-
ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield.
• If your tires are not in good condition,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
• Turn on your headlights to make it eas-
ier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles
can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
• If you believe you may have gotten
your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking oper-
ation returns.
Winter driving
• We recommend that you carry emer-
gency equipment, including tire chains,
a window scraper, windshield de-icer,
a bag of sand or salt, flares, a small
shovel and jumper cables.
• Make sure you have sufficient ethyl-
ene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
• Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce the
output capability of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to pro-
vide enough winter starting power.
• Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for cold weather.
• Check the ignition system for loose
connections and damage.
• Use antifreeze-formulated windshield
washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it might
freeze. When parking, shift to 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) with a manual transaxle
or P (Park) with an automatic transaxle
and block the rear wheels.

In case of an emergency
2 6
ROAD WARNING
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle. It
should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.
Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
• The turn signals do not work when the
hazard flasher is on.
• Care must be taken when using the
hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these symp-
toms occur, use the following procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flasher,
then drive to the nearest safe location
and stop your vehicle; set the automat-
ic transaxle in P (Park), or shift the
manual transaxle to N (Neutral) and
apply the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator, stop the engine and call an
authorized Kia dealer for assistance.
If coolant is not boiling out, allow the
engine to idle and open the hood to
permit the engine to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the engine
and allow sufficient time for it to cool.
1JBN6001
OVERHEATING

Maintenance
12 7
Engine coolant
Have coolant changed by an authorized
Kia dealer according to the Maintenance
Schedule at the beginning of this section.
• Use only soft (de-mineralized) water in
the coolant mixture.
• The engine in your vehicle has alu-
minum engine parts and must be pro-
tected by an ethylene-glycol-based
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-
ing.
• DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol
coolant or mix them with the specified
coolant.
• Do not use a solution that contains
more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution.For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
1JBA7003
WARNING - Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and steam
may blow out under pressure caus-
ing serious injury.
-15°C (5°F) 35 65
-25°C (-13°F) 40 60
-35°C (-31°F) 50 50
-45°C (-49°F) 60 40
Ambient
TemperatureMixture Percentage (volume)
Coolant
SolutionWater