steering KIA AMANTI 2009 Owner's Manual

Driving tips65SUGGESTIONS 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 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 coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function with-
out the engine running. Instead,
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.✽ ✽ NOTICEDo 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
Downshifting 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 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 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 first
checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use. Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are thin-
ner, they can be damaged by mounting
some types of snow chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is recom-
mended instead of snow chains. Do not
mount tire chains on vehicles equipped
with aluminum wheels, snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use wire-type
chains with a thickness of less than 0.47
(12 mm) for tire treads and sidewall. Do
not fully turn the steering wheel (turning
the steering wheel one way to the end)
with your snow chains installed. In case,
you fully turn your steering wheel, you
must drive at the speed less than 10km/h. Damage to your vehicle caused by
improper snow chain use is not covered
by your vehicle manufacturers warranty.
Install them only on the front tires.
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
adversely affected.
1GHN2135

Driving tips22
5Following distance Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-
cle ahead as you would when driving
your vehicle without a trailer. This can
help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.Passing You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,
because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll
need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.
Backing up Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move your hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly
and, if possible, have someone guide
you.Making turns When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn signals when towing a trailer When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
connected, the trailer lights will also flash
to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signals
when, in fact, they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trail-
er bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you discon-
nect and then reconnect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring har-
ness.
Your Authorized Kia Dealer can assist
you in installing the wiring harness.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer
wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.

611
In case of an emergency
Driver-side knee bolster
Description Fuse rating Protected component
B/ALARM10A Burglar alarm
A/BAG 15A Air bag
C/LIGHTER 20A Cigar lighter
S/WARMER 10A Seat warmer
P/WDW(RH) 20A Power window (right)
P/HANDLE 15A Power steering wheel
T/SIG LP 15A Turn signal light
HTD GLASS 30A Defroster
TRUNK OPEN 15A Trunk lid opener
CLUSTER 10A Cluster
A/BAG IND 10A Air bag indicator
P/OUTLET 25A Electrical power socket
LAN UNIT 10A Lan unit
CURTAIN(RR) 15A Electric curtain (rear)
FOG LP(RR), PIC 15A Fog light (rear), Personal identifi- cation card
F/LID OPEN 15A Fuel filler lid opener
P/SEAT(RR) 30A Power seat (rear)
B/ALARM 10A Burglar alarm
STOP LP 15A Stop light
TRIP COMPUTER 10A Trip computer
B/UP LP 10A Back-up light
AV 10A Audio
H/LP 10A Headlight
91117-3F060
Driver-side knee bolster

In case of an emergency12
6
Power connectorYour vehicle is equipped with a power connector to prevent bat-
tery discharge if your vehicle is parked without being operated
for prolonged periods. Use the following procedures before
parking the vehicle for prolonged period.
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Turn off the headlights and tail lights.
3. Open the driver-side knee bolster cover and pull up the
“POWER/CONN”.✽ ✽NOTICE• If the power connector is pulled up from the fuse panel, the
warning chime, AV system, clock and intetrior lamps, etc.,
will not operate. Some items must be reset after replace-
ment.
• Even though the power connector is pulled up, the battery can still be discharged by operation of the headlights or
other electrical devices.
Description Fuse rating Protected component
A/CON 10A Air-conditioning system
P/WDW(LH) 20A Power window (left)
TAIL LP(RH) 10A Taillight (right)
BACK WARN’G 10A Back warning
DR LP 10A Door courtesy lamp
MIRROR HTD 15A Outside review mirror defroster
ENG SNSR 10A
Power train control system sensors
T/REDUCER10A Seat belt tension reducer
CLOCK 10A Clock
WIPER(FR) 25A Wiper (front)
EPS 10A Electronic power steering
TAIL LP(LH) 10A Tail light (left)
ROOM LP 10A Room lamp
AV, CLOCK 15A Audio, Clock
LAN UNIT 10A Lan unit
TPMS 15A Tire pressure monitoring system
H/LP WASHER 20A Headlight washer
SHUNT CONN - Switch illumination
POWER/CONN - Power connector
1GHA403
Power
connector

615
In case of an emergency
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing hook
under the front or rear of the vehicle. Use
extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull avehicle out of mud, sand or other con-
ditions from which the vehicle cannot
be driven out under its own power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other frequent-
ly. Before emergency towing, check that
the hook is not broken or damaged.
Fasten the towing cable or chain securely to the hook.
Do not jerk the hook. Apply steady and even force.
To avoid damaging the hook, do not pull from the side or at a vertical angle.
Always pull straight ahead.
CAUTION
Attach a towing strap to the tow hook.
Using a portion of the vehicle other than the tow hooks for tow-ing may damage the body of yourvehicle.
Use only a cable or chain specifi- cally intended for use in towingvehicles. Securely fasten the cable or chain to the towing hookprovided.
WARNING
Use extreme caution when towing
the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and tow-
ing cable or chain. The hook and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
If the towing vehicle can hardly move, do not forcibly continue
the towing. Contact an Authorized
Kia dealer or a commercial tow
truck service for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle dur- ing towing.

In case of an emergency16
6 Use a towing strap less than 16 feet (5
m) long. Attach a white or red cloth
(about 12 inches (30 cm) wide) in the
middle of the strap for easy visibility.
Drive carefully so that the towing strap is not loosened during towing.
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 28 mph
(45 km/h) and should not be towed
more than 50 miles (80 km).
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 vehicleThe 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.
1GHA4107
CAUTION
To prevent internal damage to the transaxle, never tow your vehiclefrom the rear (backwards) with allfour tires in contact with the sur- face.

7
Maintenance services / 7-2
Normal maintenance schedule / 7-3
Severe maintenance schedule / 7-6
Owner maintenance / 7-9
Engine compartment / 7-12
Engine oil and oil filter / 7-13
Engine cooling system / 7-14
Brakes / 7-16
Power steering / 7-17
Automatic transaxle / 7-18
Lubricants and fluids / 7-20
Air cleaner / 7-21
Climate control air filter / 7-22
Wiper blades / 7-24
Battery / 7-26
Tires and wheels / 7-29
Bulb replacement / 7-41
Lubricant specifications / 7-46
Exterior care / 7-48
Interior care / 7-51
California perchlorate notice / 7-52
Maintenance

75
Maintenance
SCHEDULE 1 - NORMAL MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED)
MAINTENANCEINTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Number of Months or Miles (kilometers), whichever comes first
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72 78 84
Miles x 1,000 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60 67.5 75 82.5 90 97.5 105
(km x 1,000)
(12) (24) (36) (48) (60) (72) (84) (96) (108) (120) (132) (144) (156) (168)
Power steering fluid I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Steering operation, linkage and hoses I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Front suspension ball joints L L L
Drive shaft and boots Inspect every 12 months or 15,000 miles
Tire Please refer to section “Tires and wheels” on Chapter 7 II I III II II I III
Chassis/body nuts and bolts I I I
All locks and hinges L L L L L L L L L L L L L L
Air conditioner refrigerant Inspect refrigerant amount annually
Air conditioner compressor Inspect operation annually
Climate control air filter Replace every 10,000 miles
I: Inspect and, if necessary, adjust, correct, clean or replace.
R: Replace or change.
L: Lubricate
Pressure
Tread wear