KIA CERATO 2006 Owners Manual

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Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
All normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)position.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be depressed.For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a forward or reversegear.✽✽
NOTICE

Driving your vehicle
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Transaxle ranges
P (park)
This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotat-
ing. Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into this position.
✽✽
NOTICE
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while thevehicle is in motion.
(Continued)  Before leaving the driver ’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (PARK)
position. Set the parking
brake fully, shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
 Never leave a child unattend-
ed in a vehicle.WARNING
 Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
 Do not use the P (Park) posi-tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)

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Driving your vehicle
R (reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
✽✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R whilethe vehicle is in motion, except as
explained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,in this manual.
N (neutral)
With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakesare applied.
D (drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.

Driving your vehicle
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3 (Third Gear, if equipped)
Move the shift lever to this position
for towing a trailer during hill climb-ing.
This position also provides engine
braking when going down hills.
2 (Second Gear)
Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. Thisposition also helps reduce wheel
spin on slippery surfaces. When the
shift lever is placed in 2 (Second
Gear), the transaxle will automatical-
ly shift from first to second gear.
L (Low)
Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climb-
ing steep grades.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommend-
ed maximum speeds in 2(Second Gear) or L (Low).Operating the vehicle at speeds above the maximum recom-mended, for 2 (Second Gear) orL (Low) may cause excessive heat to develop which couldresult in damage to or failure ofthe automatic transaxle.

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Driving your vehicle
O/D (Over Drive) system (if equipped)
Pressing the O/D system button can-
cels and engages the overdrive sys-
tem. When the O/D system is can-celled, the O/D OFF indicator illumi-
nates and the transaxle gear range is
limited to 1st through 3rd. The
transaxle will not shift to 4th gear
until the O/D system button is
pressed again to release the switch.When driving down a sloping road
with the transaxle in O/D (4th), you
can decrease the vehicle speed with-
out using the brakes by pressing the
O/D button.
When the ignition is switched OFF, O/D OFF mode is automatically can-celled.
O/D OFF Indicator
This indicator light illuminates in the
instrument panel when the O/Dmode is cancelled.
✽✽

NOTICE
If the O/D OFF indicator flashes, it
indicates an electrical problem with
the transaxle. Should this occur,have the vehicle checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer as soon aspossible, except as explained in
“Rocking the Vehicle”.
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Driving your vehicle
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing start
To 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. Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brakepedal is depressed. 
Type A
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
 Type B (If the ignition key inter-
lock system is equipped)
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 interlock system (if equipped)
The 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 astalled 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.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.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
Pulling the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden
loss of control of the vehicle. 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 stoppingdistances.
 When descending a long or
steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuousbrake 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 (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever 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.✽✽
NOTICE
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not continue to drive with worn brakepads.
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, whichcould 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 atthe usual rate and pulling toone side when the brakes are
applied. Applying the brakes
lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this
way. Always test your brakesin 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 apply the parking brake, pull the
parking brake handle fully and firmly
upward while applying the service
brake.To release the parking brake, pull thehandle up slightly and push the
release button, then lower the handleto the released position while holding
the button in.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessive brake pad and brake rotor wear.
1LDA50291LDA3021
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 theparking brake AND make sure
the gearshift lever is securely
positioned in 1st (First) gear
or R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle equipped vehicles
and in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
 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 thatthe 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 thefront wheels will contact the curb if
the vehicle moves forward.
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