KIA AMANTI 2006 Owners Manual

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Driving your vehicle
Sports modeWhether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the “D”
position into the sports mode. To
return to “D” range operation, push
the shift lever back into the automat-
ic mode.
In sports mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.Up (+) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.
Snow modeWhen driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving on
a slippery road. Push the shift lever
to the -(down) side to shift back to
the 1st gear.
✽ ✽

NOTICE• Upshifts do not take place auto-
matically in sports mode. The
driver must execute upshifts in
accordance with road conditions,
taking care to keep the engine
speed below the red zone.
• In sports mode, only the five for- ward gears can be selected. To
reverse or park the vehicle, move
the shift lever to the “R” or “P”
position as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.
• To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
1GHA3002
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Automatic
modeSports mode

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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing startTo move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) while in Sport
mode will help prevent the vehi-
cle from rolling backwards.
Shift lock systemFor your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering sound near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-
dition.
Ignition key inter lock systemThe ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.

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Driving your vehicle
Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Depressing the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle. If you must use the parking
brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING -
Brakes
 Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
 When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)

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Disc brakes wear indicator Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and
it's time for new pads, you will hear a
high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes. You
may hear this sound come and go or
it may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
✽ ✽
NOTICETo avoid costly brake repairs, do not
continue to drive with worn brake
pads.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs serv-
ice. If you ignore this audible
warning, you will eventually lose
braking performance, which
could lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads as complete front or rear axle sets.
(Continued)
 Wet brakes may result in the vehicle not slowing down at
the usual rate and pulling to
one side when the brakes are
applied. Applying the brakes
lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this
way. Always test your brakes
in this fashion after driving
through deep water. To dry the
brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe for-
ward speed until brake per-
formance returns to normal.

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Driving your vehicle
Parking brake To set the parking brake, depress the
parking brake pedal fully and firmly
downward while applying the service
brake.
Manual releaseTo release the parking brake, pull the
parking brake release lever while
applying the service brake. The
pedal will automatically extend to the
fully released position. If the parking
brake pedal does not release or does
not release all the way, have the sys-
tem checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessivebrake pad and brake rotor wear.
1GHA3011
1GHA3012
WARNING
- Parking brake
 To prevent unintentional movement when stopped and
leaving the vehicle, do not use
the gearshift lever in place of
the parking brake. Set the
parking brake AND make sure
the gearshift lever is securely
positioned in P (Park).
 Never allow a person who is unfamiliar with the vehicle or
children to touch the parking
brake. If the parking brake is
released unintentionally, seri-
ous injury may occur.

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Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off. If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
Parking on curbed streets  When parking your vehicle on an
uphill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels away from the curb so that
the front wheels will contact the
curb if the vehicle moves back-
ward.
 When parking your vehicle on a downhill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels toward the curb so that the
front wheels will contact the curb if
the vehicle moves forward.
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Driving your vehicle
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
The ABS system continuously sens-
es the speed of the wheels. If the
wheels are going to lock, the ABS
system repeatedly modulates the
hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS system is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS system in an
emergency situation, do not attempt
to modulate your brake pressure and
do not try to pump your brakes.
Press your brake pedal as hard as
possible or as hard as the situation
warrants and allow the ABS system
to control the force being delivered to
the brakes.
WARNING
- ABS Brakes
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement. You
can still have an accident. In
fact, your ABS system will prob-
ably not be able to prevent an
accident in the following driving
conditions:
 Dangerous driving, such as neglecting safety precautions,
speeding, or driving too close
to the vehicle in front of you.
 Driving at high speed in situa- tions providing considerably
less traction, such as wet con-
ditions where hydroplaning
could occur.
(Continued)
(Continued)
 Driving too fast on poor roadsurfaces. The ABS is
designed to improve maxi-
mum braking effectiveness on
typical highways and roads in
good condition. On poor road
surfaces in poor condition,
the ABS may actually reduce
braking effectiveness.

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 Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
 Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
 On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.
✽ ✽ NOTICE• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS system. In this case,
however, your regular brakes will
work normally.
• The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds after
the ignition switch is ON. During
that time, the ABS will go through
self-diagnosis and the light will go
off if everything is normal. If the
light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS system.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
✽ ✽ NOTICE• When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop the
engine.
• Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your ABS
system is normal. Otherwise, you
may have a problem with the ABS.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
ABS
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Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICEWhen you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on
at the same time. This happens
because of the low battery voltage. It
does not mean your ABS is malfunc-
tioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.

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Power steeringPower Steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the
vehicle. If the engine is off or if the
power steering system becomes
inoperative, the vehicle may still be
steered, but it will require increased
steering effort.
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.
Electronic power steering The wheel speed sensor controls
steering power according to the vehi-
cle’s speed.
The steering wheel becomes heavier
as the vehicle’s speed increases and
becomes lighter as the vehicle’s
speed decreases for the better con-
trol of the steering wheel.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Never hold the steering wheel
against a stop (extreme right or
left turn) for more than 5 seconds
with the engine running. Holding
the steering wheel for more than 5
seconds in either position may
cause damage to the power steer-
ing pump.
• If the power steering drive belt breaks or if the power steering
pump malfunctions, the steering
effort will greatly increase.
STEERING WHEEL