tow KIA AMANTI 2009 Owner's Guide

Driving tips24
5However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift into
gear.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your park- ing brake, and then shift to P (Park) for
an automatic transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.
When you are ready to leave after parking on a hill 1. With the automatic transaxle in P (Park), apply your brakes and hold the
brake pedal down while you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when trailer towing Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailerusage, overheating might occur inhot days or during uphill driving. Ifthe coolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/C and stop the vehicle in a safe area to cooldown the engine.

6
Road warning / 6-2
In case of an emergency while driving / 6-2
Overheating / 6-3
Emergency starting / 6-4
Electrical circuit protection / 6-6
Towing / 6-13
Tires pressure monitoring system (TPMS) / 6-17
If you have a flat tire / 6-22
In case of an emergency

In case of an emergency26ROAD WARNING Hazard warning flasher The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle. It
should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
The turn signals do not work when the hazard flasher is on.
Care must be taken when using the hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.
If the engine stalls at a crossroad
or crossingIf the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehi-
cle to a safe place.If you have a flat tire while drivingIf a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and let the car slow down while driving
straight ahead. Do not apply the
brakes immediately or attempt to pull
off the road as this may cause a loss of
control. When the car has slowed to
such a speed that it is safe to do so,
brake carefully and pull off the road.
Drive off the road as far as possible
and park on firm, level ground. If you
are on a divided highway, do not park
in the median area between the two
traffic lanes.
2. When the car is stopped, turn on your emergency hazard flashers, set the
parking brake and put the transaxle in
P.
OGH026040
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
WHILE DRIVING

In case of an emergency46EMERGENCY STARTING Jump starting Jump starting can be dangerous if done
incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to
yourself or damage to your vehicle or
battery, follow the jump starting proce-
dures listed on page 6-5. If in doubt, we
strongly recommend that you have a
competent technician or towing service
jump start your vehicle.✽ ✽NOTICEUse only a 12-volt jumper system. You
can damage a 12-volt starting motor,
ignition system, and other electrical
parts beyond repair by use of a 24-volt
power supply (either two 12-volt batter-
ies in series or a 24-volt motor generator
set).
WARNING
- Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as this
may cause the battery to rupture or
explode causing serious injury.
WARNING
- Battery
• Keep all flames or sparks away
from the battery. The battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which may
explode if exposed to flame or
sparks.
Do not attempt to jump start the vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte level
is low; the battery may rupture or
explode.

In case of an emergency66Do not allow the jumper cables to con-
tact anything except the correct bat-
tery terminals or the correct ground.
Do not lean over the battery when
making connections.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at 2,000
rpm, then start the engine of the vehi-
cle with the discharged battery.If the cause of your battery discharging isnot apparent, you should have your vehi-cle checked by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Refer to illustration on page 6-5.
Push-starting Vehicles equipped with automatic
transaxle cannot be push-started.
Follow the directions in this section for
jump-starting.
Fuses A vehicle’s electrical system is protected
from electrical overload damage by
fuses.
WARNING
Never tow a vehicle to start it
because the sudden surge forward
when the engine starts could cause
a collision with the tow vehicle.
ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT
PROTECTION
1VQA4037
Normal
Normal
Blown
Blown
Normal Blown

In case of an emergency86If you do not have a spare, use a fuse ofthe same rating from a circuit you maynot need for operating the vehicle, suchas the radio or room lamp fuse.If the headlights or other electrical com-
ponents do not work and the fuses are
OK, check the fuse block in the engine
compartment. If a fuse is blown, it must
be replaced. To check the fuse or relay in the engine
compartment, remove the engine com-
partment shroud.
1. Turn the ignition switch and all other
switches off.
2. Remove the fuse box cover by remov- ing the bolt on the cover and unhook-
ing the tab on one end and tilting the
cover back toward the other end.
3. Check the fuses. If one is blown, replace it with a new one of the same
rating.
✽ ✽NOTICEAfter checking the fuse box in the engine
compartment, securely install the fuse
box cover. If not, electrical failures may
occur from water leaking in.
1GHA403A
1GHA404
OGH056001
Engine compartment➀
➁
➀
Junction Box
➁ Main Fuse

613
In case of an emergency
TOWING If emergency towing is necessary, we
recommend having it done by an author-
ized Kia dealer or a commercial tow-truck
service. Proper lifting and towing proce-
dures are necessary to prevent damage
to the vehicle. The use of wheel dollies or
flatbed is recommended.For trailer towing guidelines information,refer to section 5 “Driving Tips”.
It is acceptable to tow the vehicle with the
rear wheels on the ground (without dol-
lies) and the front wheels off the ground.
When being towed by a commercial tow
truck and wheel dollies are not used, the
front of the vehicle should always be lift-
ed, not the rear.
2GHA4107 2GHA4106
2GHA4108
2GHA4109
CAUTION
Do not tow the vehicle backwards with the front wheels on theground as this may cause dam- age to the vehicle.
Do not tow with sling-type equip- ment. Use wheel lift or flatbedequipment.

In case of an emergency14
6When towing your vehicle in an emer-
gency without wheel dollies :
1. Set the ignition switch in the ACC posi-
tion.
2. Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
3. Release the parking brake.
Tie-down hook
(for flatbed towing)
Towing with a vehicle other than
a tow truck
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by an Authorized Kia
dealer or a commercial tow truck service.
OGH046012A
Tie-down hook
WARNING
Do not use the hooks under the
front of the vehicle for towing pur-
poses. These hooks are designed
ONLY for transport tie-down. If the
tie-down hooks are used for towing,
the tie-down hooks will be damaged
and this could lead to serious
injury.
CAUTION
Failure to place the transaxle shift
lever in N (Neutral) may cause inter-nal damage to the transaxle.
OGH046012
OGH046013

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.