KIA Sportage 2005 JE_ / 2.G Owner's Manual

Driving tips4 5Operating precautions for cat-
alytic converters Your vehicle is equipped with a cat-
alytic converter emission control
device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
 Use only UNLEADED FUEL for
gasoline engine (unleaded).
 Do not operate the vehicle when
there are signs of engine malfunc-
tion, such as misfire or a noticeable
loss of performance.
 Do not misuse or abuse the
engine. Examples of misuse are
coasting with the ignition off and
descending steep grades in gear
with the ignition off. Do not operate the engine at high
idle speed for extended periods (5
minutes or more).
 Do not modify or tamper with any
part of the engine or emission con-
trol system. All inspections and
adjustments must be made by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Failure to observe these precautions
could result in damage to the catalyt-
ic converter and to your vehicle.
Additionally, such actions could void
your warranties.
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WARNING
- Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite
flammable items under your
vehicle. Do not park the vehicle
over or near flammable objects,
such as dry grass, paper,
leaves, etc.
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Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING Before entering vehicle: Be sure that all windows, outside
mirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
 Check the condition of the tires.
 Check under the vehicle for any
sign of leaks.
 Be sure there are no obstacles
behind you if you intend to back up.Necessary inspections Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance.
Before starting  Close and lock all doors.
 Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
 Adjust the inside and outside
rearview mirrors.
 Be sure that all lights work.
 Check all gauges.
 Check the operation of warning
lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
 Release the parking brake and
make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
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WARNING
- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even a
small amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ride
with a driver who has been
drinking or taking drugs.
Choose a designated driver or
call a cab.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than driving
drunk.
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Driving tips6 5SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATIONYour vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
 Avoid lengthy warm-up idling.
Once the engine is running
smoothly, begin driving.
Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
 Save fuel by accelerating slowly
after stopping.
 Keep the engine in tune and follow
the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule. This will increase
the life of all parts and lower your
operating costs. Do not use the air conditioner
unnecessarily.
 Slow down when driving on rough
roads.
 For longer tire life and better fuel
economy, always keep the tires
inflated to the recommended pres-
sures.
 Maintain a safe distance from other
vehicles to avoid sudden stops.
This will reduce wear on brake lin-
ings and pads. Driving in such a
way will also save fuel because
extra fuel is required to accelerate
back to driving speed.
 Do not carry unnecessary weight
in the vehicle.
 Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage
to the brakes, and poor fuel econo-
my.
 Improper wheel alignment results
in faster tire wear and lower fuel
economy. Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
 Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
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WARNING
- Engine off
during motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not function without the engine
running. Instead, keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.
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Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS Hazardous driving conditions When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
 Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
 Avoid sudden movements in brak-
ing or steering.
 When braking, pump the brake
pedal with a light up-and-down
motion until the vehicle is stopped.✽ ✽
NOTICEDo not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
 If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
 Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or
other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between 1 (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with
a manual transaxle or R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehicles
equipped with an automatic
transaxle. Do not race the engine,
and spin the wheels as little as pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.✽ ✽
NOTICEProlonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
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WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
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Driving tips8 5
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 dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, 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 head-
lights.
 Keep your headlights clean and
properly aimed on vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
 Avoid staring directly at the head-
lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared 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 dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
 Keep your windshield wiping
equipment 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 condi-
tion, 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
easier for others to see you.
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WARNING
- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56
km/h (35 mph). Spinning the
wheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat, explode
and injure bystanders.
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Driving tips
 Driving too fast through large pud-
dles 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
operation returns.
Winter driving We recommend that you carry
emergency 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 eth-
ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
 Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide 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 wind-
shield 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.
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Driving tips10 5Snow tires If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without
first checking local, state and munic-
ipal regulations for possible restric-
tions against their use.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Reducing the risk of a rolloverThis multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance
is a better view of the road, which
allows you to anticipate problems.
They are not designed for cornering
at the same speeds as conventional
passenger drive vehicles, any more
than low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily in
off-road conditions. Due to this risk,
driver and passengers are strongly
recommended to buckle their seat-
belts. In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed person is more likely to die than a
person wearing a seatbelt. There
are steps that a driver can make to
reduce the risk of a rollover. If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never
modify your vehicle in any way.
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WARNING
- Snow tire
size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
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Driving tips
Rollover warning labelTo remind you of the danger of the
rollover, a rollover warning label
which is now required by the Federal
Safety regulations is adhered to the
driver’s sunvisor.
To remind you of the danger of the
rollover, the rollover warning label is
adhered to the driver’s sunvisor. If
you close the driver’s sunvisor, you
can see the rollover warning label
which is located at the side of the air
bag warning label.
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WARNING
- Rollover
As with other Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV), failure to operate
this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control, an accident or
vehicle rollover.
 Specific design characteris-
tics (higher ground clearance,
narrower track, etc.) give this
vehicle a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars.
 A SUV is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional 2-wheel drive
vehicles.
 Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
 In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed person is significantly
more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a safety belt.
Make sure everyone in the
vehicle is properly buckled up.
1KMN5513
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Driving tips12 5
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USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVEDriving on snow- or Ice-cov-
ered roads (“4WD LOCK” for
full-time 4WD operation)  Use snow tires. See “Tires” in this
section for more information.
 Keep an adequate distance
between yourself and other vehi-
cles.
 Avoid sudden braking, acceleration
or steering. These actions can
cause your vehicle to lose traction.
Driving in sand or mud (“4WD
LOCK” for full-time 4WD opera-
tion)  Avoid sudden braking, acceleration
or steering. These actions can
cause your vehicle to get stuck in
the sand or mud.
 Drive at low speeds whenever pos-
sible.
 You may need to get out of your
vehicle at times to check road con-
ditions.
 If you get stuck in the sand or mud,
try placing stones, wood or other
similar materials under the tires to
get traction, or move forward and
backward repeatedly to get
unstuck.
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NOTICEProlonged rocking may cause engine
damage, overheating, transaxle dif-
ferential or transfer case damage or
failure and tire damage.
WARNING
- Traction
Make sure that no one stands in
front of or behind the tires when
materials are placed under the
tires to get more traction. The
tires may cause loose materials
to fly out from under the vehicle,
potentially causing serious bod-
ily injury or death.
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Driving tips
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Driving on a hill (“4WD LOCK”
for full-time 4WD operation) Use low gear when going uphill or
downhill and avoid sudden braking.
 Do not shift gears or use your
clutch when going downhill. Do not
coast downhill in Neutral.
Crossing a ditch (“4WD LOCK”
for full-time 4WD operation)  Avoid driving through ditches if
possible, especially if there is
water in the ditch. Your vehicle may
stall if the electrical system gets
wet. If you must cross a ditch,
select 4WD LOCK mode.
 Avoid driving where the water level
is higher than the bottom of the
wheel hub. If the water level rises
above this mark, your vehicle will
need to be serviced.
 Tap lightly on the brake pedal dur-
ing and after driving through water.
This will help keep the brakes dry
and in proper working order.
 Do not shift gears while crossing a
ditch.
Tight corner brake effectThis is called tight corner brake
effect. Tight corner brake effect is a
unique characteristic of four-wheel
drive vehicles caused by the differ-
ence in tire rotation at the four
wheels and the zero-degree align-
ment of the front wheels and sus-
pension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.
CAUTION
When turning sharply on a
paved road at low speed while
in four-wheel drive, steering
control will be difficult.
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