KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owner's Manual

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• 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.Snow 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.
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 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 rollover
This 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.
Rollover warning label
To 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.

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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.
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 vehicles.
•Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
• In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed per
son 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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USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
Driving 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.
✽
NOTICE
Prolonged 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 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 effect
This 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 - 4WD
When turning sharply on a
paved road at low speed while
in four-wheel drive,steering
control will be difficult.

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Off-road driving with your
four-wheel drive vehicle
Off-road driving can be great fun. But
it has definite hazards. The greatest
of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the
paved road system behind. Traffic
lanes are not marked. Curves are not
banked.
There are no carefully engineered
road signs to warn you of dangerous
conditions or to advise you of a safe
speed. You have to assess the envi-
ronment yourself. Surfaces can be
slippery, rough, uphill or downhill.
Off-road driving involves learning
new skills. That’s why it’s important
that you read and understand this
section. You’ll find useful driving
information and suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving
safer and more enjoyable.
Before you go off-roading
There are some things to do before
you leave the paved roads. Be sure
to have all necessary maintenance
and service work done beforehand.
Be sure to read all the information
about your four-wheel drive vehicle
in this manual. Is there enough fuel?
Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the
fluid levels at the proper levels? What
are the local laws that apply to off-
roading where you’ll be driving? If
you don’t know, you should check
with law enforcement people in the
area. Will you be on someone’s pri-
vate land? If so, be sure to get the
necessary permission.
Loading your vehicle for off-road
driving
There are some important items to
remember about how to properly
load your vehicle.
• The heaviest things should be in
the cargo area and forward of your
rear axle. Place heavier items as
far forward as you can.
• Be sure the load is properly
secured, so driving over off-road
terrain doesn’t shift your load or
throw items toward the driver or
passengers.

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Traveling to remote areas
It makes sense to plan your trip,
especially when going to a remote
area. Know the terrain and plan your
route. You are much less likely to
encounter unwanted surprises. Get
accurate maps of trails.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at
least one other vehicle. If something
happens to one of them, the other
can quickly help.WARNING - Cargo
• Cargo piled close to the height
of (or higher than) the seat
backs can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop or on
downhill slopes.You or your
passengers could be severely
injured.Keep cargo below the
top of the seat backs and,if
possible, do not pile separate
items.
•Unsecured cargo in the cargo
area can be tossed about
when driving on the highways
or over rough terrain.You or
your passengers can be
struck by flying objects and
severely injured.
Secure the
cargo properly.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Cargo should not be carried
on the roof without a proper
roof rack installed.The roof
rack will hold a maximum of
45 kg (100 lbs.).Heavy loads
in a roof rack raise the vehi-
cle’s center of gravity, making
it more likely to roll over.Yo u
can be seriously or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls
over.Do not load cargo on the
roof while driving off-road,if
at all possible.Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area,
not on the roof or in a roof
rack.Keep cargo in the cargo
area as far forward and low as
po
ssible.

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Getting familiar with off-road driv-
ing
It’s necessary for you to practice in
an area that’s safe and close to
home before you begin serious off-
road driving. Off-road driving
requires new and different driving
skills.
You need to tune your senses to dif-
ferent kinds of signals. For example,
constantly sweep the terrain with
your eyes looking for unexpected
obstacles. Listen for unusual tire,
gear, or engine sounds. Feel and
respond to the vibrations of the vehi-
cle with your hands, feet, and body
while still carefully controlling your
vehicle. You’ll also need to adjust
your expectations and greatly lower
the number of miles you expect to
cover in an hour or a day.Controlling your vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your vehicle
is to control your speed. Here are
some things to keep in mind when
traveling at higher speeds:
• You approach things faster and you
have less time to scan the terrain
for obstacles.
• You have less time to react.
• You have much more vehicle
bounce when you drive over obsta-
cles, giving you less vehicle con-
trol.
• You’ll need more distance for brak-
ing, especially since you’re on an
unpaved surface. Such terrain will
always be more “slippery” than a
paved road.
WARNING - Off road driv-
ing
When you’re driving off-road,
bouncing and quick changes in
direction can easily throw you
out of position in your seat.This
could cause you to lose control
of the vehicle and crash.
Whether you are driving on or
off the road, you and your pas-
sengers should always wear
safety belts.

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Scanning the terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain. You
need to be familiar with the terrain
and its many different features. Here
are some things to consider.
Surface conditions
Off-roading can take you over hard-
packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass,
sand, mud, snow or ice. Each of
these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration, and braking of your
vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface
you are on, you may experience slip-
ping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction,
and longer braking distances.
Surface obstacles
Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or
bump can startle you if you’re not
prepared. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or
even the rise and fall of the terrain
itself. Here are some things to con-
stantly evaluate:
• Is the path ahead clear?
• Will the surface texture change
ahead?
• Does the path take you uphill or
downhill?
• Might you have to stop suddenly or
change direction quickly?
When you drive over obstacles or
rough terrain, it is critical that you
keep a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other sur-
face features can force the wheel out
of your hands if you’re not prepared.When you drive over bumps, rocks,
or other obstacles, your wheels can
leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you
can’t control the vehicle as well or
perhaps at all. Because you will be
on an unpaved surface, it’s especial-
ly important to avoid sudden acceler-
ation, sudden turns, or sudden brak-
ing. Any of these actions could cause
the center of gravity of the vehicle to
shift and destabilize the vehicle,
leading to a collision or rollover acci-
dent.
Off-road driving requires a different
kind of alertness from driving on
paved roads and highways. There
are no road signs, posted speed lim-
its or signal lights. You have to use
your own judgment about what is
safe and what isn’t. Bad judgment in
this uncontrolled environment can be
fatal.

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Driving on off-road hills
Off-road driving often takes you up,
down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires excellent judgment
and an understanding of what your
vehicle can and can’t do. There are
some hills that simply should not be
driven.WARNING - Drinking &
driving
Drinking and driving, or drug
use and driving can be very
dangerous on any road.This
certainly remains true for off-
road driving.At the very time
you need special alertness and
driving skills, your reflexes, per-
ceptions and judgement can be
affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs.You could
have a serious - or even fatal -
accident if you drink or take
drugs and drive or ri
de with a
driver who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
WARNING - Driving on
hills
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle.If you drive up
them, you will stall.If you drive
down them, you can’t control
your speed.In either case, you
could flip over.If you drive
across them, you will roll over.
You could be seriously or fatally
injured.If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don’t drive
up or down the hill, even if it
means that you have to turn
around and find another route.
Re-tracking is a normal part of
safe off-roading.