tires KIA Amanti 2008 1.G Owner's Manual

55
Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(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 controls 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 famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.WARNING- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving i s dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexe s,
perceptions and judgement.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink and
drive.
If you are drinking or taking drug s,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
Driving while under the influence of
drugs i s as dangerous or more dan-
gerou s than driving drunk.

Driving tips
65
SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATION
Your 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 possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
• Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once theengine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing. 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 maintenance
schedule. This will increase the life of
all parts and lower your operating
costs. • Do not use the air conditioner unnec-
essarily.
• Slow down when driving on rough roads.
• For longer tire life and better fuel econ- omy, always keep the tires inflated to
the recommended pressures.
• Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden stops. This
will reduce wear on brake linings 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 economy.
• Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel econo-
my. • 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 con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coa st
down hills or anytime the vehicle i s
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function with-
out the engine running. Ins tead,
downshift to an appropriate gear for
engine braking effect.

57
Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
• Avoid sudden movements in braking or steering.
• When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
✽ NOTICE
Do not pump the brake pedal on a vehi-
cle equipped with ABS.
• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly 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 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 possible. If you are still stuck
after a few tries, have the vehicle pulled
out by a tow vehicle to avoid engine
overheating and possible damage to the
transaxle.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downs hifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.

Driving tips
85
✽NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or fail-
ure, and tire damage.
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 distance
between you and other vehicles, 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 headlights.
• Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
• A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
• Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment 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 condition, 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 eas- ier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles 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 oper-
ation returns.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels,e specially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheel s at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystander s.

59
Driving tips
Winter driving
• We recommend that you carry emer-gency 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 ethyl- ene-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 windshield washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift to 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 provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without firstchecking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er 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 several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
WARNING- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle' s stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety and
handling of your vehicle may be
adver sely affected.

Driving tips
145
Compliance label
The compliance label is located on
the driver's door sill.
This label shows the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle. This is called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The
GVWR includes the weight of the
vehicle, all occupants, fuel and
cargo.
This label also tells you the maxi-
mum weight that can be supported
by the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).To find out the actual loads on your
front and rear axles, you need to go
to a weigh station and weigh your
vehicle. Your dealer can help you with
this. Be sure to spread out your load
equally on both sides of the center-
line.
✽
NOTICE
 Overloading your vehicle may
cause damage. Repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Do
not overload your vehicle.
 Using heavier suspension compo- nents to get added durability
might not change your weight rat-
ings. Ask your dealer to help you
load your vehicle the right way.
The label will help you decide how
much cargo and installed equipment
your vehicle can carry.
1JBN5901
WARNING - Over loading
• Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, the GAWR for
either the front or rear axle
and vehicle capacity weight.
Exceeding these ratings can
cause an accident or vehicle
damage. You can calculate the
weight of your load by weigh-
ing the items (or people)
before putting them in the
vehicle. Be careful not to over-
load your vehicle.
• Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR, either
the maximum front or rear
GAWR and vehicle capacity
weight.
(Continued)
(Continued)If you do, parts, including tires
on your vehicle can break, and
it can change the way your
vehicle handles and braking
ability. This could cause you to
lose control and cra sh. Also,
overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle.

517
Driving tips
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the load of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads. This
additional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the pulling
requirements.If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
• Consider using a sway control. You canask a hitch dealer about sway control.
• After your odometer indicates 800 km (500 miles) or more, you can tow a
trailer. For the first 800 km (500 miles)
that you tow a trailer, don’t drive over
80 km/h (50 mph) and don’t make
starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle
“wear” in at the heavier loads.
• Always drive at a safe speed (less than 100 km/h) commensurate with road
conditions.
• The important considerations have to do with weight: Weight of the trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than 908 kg
(2000 lbs.) with trailer brakes. But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your
trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer
are all important. The ideal trailer weight
can also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.

519
Driving tips
Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not
drop to the road if it becomes separated
from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be
provided by the hitch manufacturer or by
the trailer manufacturer. Follow the man-
ufacturer’s recommendation for attaching
safety chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trailer.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 454 kg
(1000 lbs.) loaded, then it needs its own
brakes and they must be adequate. Be
sure to read and follow the instructions
for the trailer brakes so you’ll be able to
install, adjust and maintain them proper-
ly.
• Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake sys-tem.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you must get to know
your trailer. Acquaint yourself with the
feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not
nearly so responsive as your vehicle is
by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector(s), lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake con-
troller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electri-
cal connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still work-
ing.
WARNING
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolutely
certain that you have properly set
up the brake system. This i s not a
task for amateur s.Use an experi-
enced, competent trailer shop for
this work.

In case of an emergency
166
When your vehicle is being towed
by another vehicle other than a
tow truck (In case of an emer-
gency)
• Turn the ignition switch to ACC so thesteering wheel isn’t locked.
• Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
• Release the parking bake.
• Vehicle equipped with automatic transaxles should not exceed 45 km/h
(28 mph) and should not be towed
more than 80 km (50 miles).
• Press the brake pedal with more force than normal since you will have
reduced brake performance.
• More steering effort will be required because the power steering system
will be disabled.
• If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake per-
formance will be reduced. Stop often
and let the brakes cool off.
Tips for towing a stuck vehicle
The following methods are effective
when your vehicle is stuck in mud, sand
or similar substances that prevent the
vehicle from being driven out under its
own power.
• Remove the soil and sand, etc. fromthe front and the back of the tires.
• Place a stone or wood under the tires.CAUTION
To prevent internal damage to the transaxle, never tow your vehiclefrom the rear (backward s) with all
four tires in contact with the sur- face.

In case of an emergency
186
The compact spare should be inflat-
ed to 420 kPa (60 psi).
✽NOTICE
Check the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to
the specified pressure, as necessary.
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
• Under no circumstances should
you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a
higher speed could damage the
tire.
• Ensure that you drive slowly enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
• Any continuous road use of this tire could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible per-
sonal injury.
• Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi- mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire.
• Avoid driving over obstacles. The compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately
25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle. • Do not take the vehicle through an
automatic car wash with a compact
spare.
• Do not use tire chains on this tire. Because of the smaller size, a tire
chain will not fit properly. This could
damage the vehicle and result in
loss of the chain.
• This tire should not be installed on the front axle if the vehicle must be
driven in snow or on ice.
• Do not use the compact spare tire on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
• The compact spare tire’s tread life is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
WARNING - Compact spare
This spare tire should be used
only for VERY short distances.
Compact spares should NEVER
be us ed for long drives or
extended distances.