KIA CERATO 2008 Owners Manual

Maintenance
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Changing the engine oil and filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by
an authorized KIA dealer accordingto the Maintenance Schedule at thebeginning of this section. 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 week, atthe beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder cli-
mate.
Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Used engine oil may cause irri- tation or cancer of the skin if left
in contact with the skin for pro-
longed periods of time. Used
engine oil contains chemicals
that have caused cancer in lab-
oratory animals. Always protect
your skin by washing your
hands thoroughly with soap and
warm water as soon as possibleafter handling used oil.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
WARNING - Removing
radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap while the engine
is operating or hot. Doing somight lead to cooling system
and engine damage and could
result in serious personal
injury from escaping hotcoolant or steam.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Turn the engine off and waituntil it cools down. Even then,
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 cooling sys-
tem. When you are sure all thepressure 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 oper- ating, do not remove the radi-ator cap or the drain plugwhile the engine and radiator
are hot. Hot coolant and steam
may still blow out under pres-
sure, causing serious injury.

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Maintenance
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Check the condition and connections of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses.The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side
of the coolant reservoir when theengine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protec-tion against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to F, but do not over-
fill. If frequent additions are required,
see an Authorized Kia Dealer for acooling system inspection.
Recommended engine coolant
Use only soft (de-mineralized)
water in the coolant mixture.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol-
based coolant to prevent corrosionand freezing. DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol
coolant or mix them with the spec-ified coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less
than 35% antifreeze, which would
reduce the effectiveness of thesolution.
For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.
-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
Temperature Mixture Percentage
(volume)
Antifreeze Water
OLD056008
OLD056011
2.0 Gasoline Engine
Diesel Engine
Full
OK
Low

Maintenance
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Changing the coolant
Have coolant changed by an author-
ized KIA dealer according to theMaintenance Schedule at the begin-ning of this section.
OLD056009
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause seri-
ous injury.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabric around the radiator cap beforerefilling the coolant in order toprevent the coolant from over- flowing into engine parts suchas generator.

721
Maintenance
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BRAKES AND CLUTCH (IF EQUIPPED)
Checking brake/clutch fluid
level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake/clutch fluid, clean
the area around the reservoir cap
thoroughly to prevent brake/clutchfluid contamination. If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings. If the fluid
level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch
fluid. (Refer to “Recommended Lubricants” in section 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.WARNING
When changing and adding
brake/clutch fluid, handle it
carefully. Do not let it come in
contact with your eyes. If
brake/clutch fluid should come
in contact with your eyes, imme-
diately flush them with a large
quantity of fresh tap water. Have
your eyes examined by a doctor
as soon as possible.
WARNING
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of
fluid, the vehicle should be
inspected by an Authorized Kia
Dealer.
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Maintenance
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Checking the parking brake
Check the stroke of the parking
brake by counting the number of
“clicks’’ heard while fully applying it
from the released position. Also, the
parking brake alone should securely
hold the vehicle on a fairly steep
grade. If the stroke is more or less
than specified, have the parking
brake adjusted by an Authorized Kia
Dealer.
Stroke : 7~8 “clicks’’ at a force of
20 kg (44 lbs, 196 N). Checking the power steering
fluid level
With the vehicle on level ground,
check the fluid level in the power
steering reservoir periodically. The
fluid should be between MAX and
MIN marks on the side of the reser-
voir at the normal temperature.
Before adding power steering fluid, thoroughly clean the area around the
reservoir cap to prevent power steer-ing fluid contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level.
OLD036030
PARKING BRAKE 1LDA5018
POWER STEERING
CAUTION
Do not allow brake/clutch fluid
to contact the vehicle's bodypaint, as paint damage will result. Brake/clutch fluid, whichhas been exposed to open airfor an extended time shouldnever be used as its quality can- not be guaranteed. It should bethrown out. Don't put in thewrong kind of fluid. For exam- ple, just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, inyour brake clutch system can damage brake clutch systemparts.

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Maintenance
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In the event the power steering sys- tem requires frequent addition of
fluid, the vehicle should be inspected
by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
✽✽NOTICE

Maintenance
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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
Checking the automatic
transaxle fluid level
The automatic transaxle fluid level
should be checked regularly.
Keep the vehicle on the level ground
with the parking brake applied and
check the fluid level according to the
following procedure.
1. Place the selector lever in N (Neutral) position and confirm the
engine is running at idle speed. 2. After the transaxle is warmed up
sufficiently (fluid temperature
70~80°C (158~176°F), for exam-
ple by 10 minutes usual driving,
shift the selector lever through allpositions then place the selector
lever in “N (Neutral) or P (Park)”position.
3. Confirm that the fluid level is in“HOT” range on the level gauge. If
the fluid level is lower, add the
specified fluid from the fill hole. If
the fluid level is higher, drain the
fluid from the drain hole.
4. If the fluid level is checked in cold condition (fluid temperature20~30°C (68~86°F) add the fluid
to “COLD” line and then recheck
the fluid level according to the
above step 2.
1LDA5008OHD076045N

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✽✽NOTICE
“COLD (C)” scale is for reference
only and should NOT be used todetermine transaxle fluid level. ✽
✽
NOTICE
New automatic transaxle fluid
should be red. The red dye is addedso the assembly plant can identify itas automatic transaxle fluid and dis-
tinguish it from engine oil or
antifreeze. The red dye, which is not
an indicator of fluid quality, is not
permanent. As the vehicle is driven,the automatic transaxle fluid will
begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an Authorized Kia
dealer change the automatictransaxle fluid according to theScheduled Maintenance at thebeginning of this section.
Changing the automatic transaxle fluid
Have automatic transaxle fluid
changed by an authorized KIA deal-er according to the MaintenanceSchedule at the beginning of thissection.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle slippage. Overfillingcan cause foaming, loss offluid and transaxle malfunc-tion.
The use of a non-specified fluid could result in transaxlemalfunction and failure.
WARNING - Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of
the vehicle, apply parking brakeand depress the brake pedal
before moving the shift lever.
WARNING - Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should
be checked when the engine isat normal operating tempera-
ture. This means that the
engine, radiator, radiator hose
and exhaust system etc., are
very hot. Exercise great care not
to burn yourself during this pro-
cedure.

Maintenance
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LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS
Checking the washer fluid
level
The reservoir is translucent so that
you can check the level with a quickvisual inspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir and add fluid if neces-
sary. Plain water may be used if
washer fluid is not available.
However, use washer solvent with
antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing. Body lubrication
All moving points of the body, such
as door hinges, hood hinges, and
locks, should be lubricated each time
the engine oil is changed. Use a non-
freezing lubricant on locks during
cold weather.
Make sure the engine hood second-
ary latch keeps the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch isreleased.
1LDA5021
WARNING
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when
sprayed on the windshield
and may cause loss of vehicle
control or damage to paint
and body trim.
Windshield washer fluid agents contain some amountsof alcohol and can be flamma-
ble under certain circum-
stances. Do not allow sparksor flame to contact the washerfluid or the washer fluid reser-
voir. Damage to the vehicle or
it's occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poisonous to humans and ani-
mals. Do not drink and avoidcontacting windshield washer
fluid. Serious injury or death
could occur.

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Maintenance
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FUEL FILTER (FOR DIESEL)
Draining water from the fuel filter
The fuel filter for diesel engine plays
an important role of separating water
from fuel and accumulating the waterin its bottom.
If water accumulates in the fuel filter,
the warning light comes on when the
ignition key is in the “ON” position.
Have water drained from fuel filter by
authorized KIA dealer when the
warning light comes on. Fuel filter cartridge replace- ment
Have fuel filter cartridge replaced by
an authorized KIA dealer accordingto the Maintenance Schedule at thebeginning of this section.
✽✽
NOTICE
When replacing the fuel filter cartridge,
use KIA genuine parts.
Extracting air in the fuel filter
If you drove until you have no fuel left
or if you replaced the fuel filter, be
sure to extract air in the fuel system
as it makes you difficult to start the
engine.
1. Remove the air extract nozzle cap on the fuel filter.
2. Pump up and down until the fuel flows out of the plug opening.
✽✽NOTICE