oil level KIA AMANTI 2009 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle32
4Engine oil pressure
warning This warning light indicates the engine oil
pressure is low.
If the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
stop.
2. With the engine off, check the engine oil level. If the level is low, add oil as
required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available, call an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
Charging system
warning This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electrical
charging system.
If the warning light comes on while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera- tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an Authorized
Kia Dealer correct the problem as
soon as possible.
Safety belt warning If the driver’s lap/shoulder belt is not fas-
tened when the key is turned ON or if it is
unfastened after the key is ON, the safe-
ty belt warning light blinks until the belt is
fastened.
If the system does not operate as
described, see an Authorized Kia Dealer
for assistance.
CAUTION
If the engine is not stopped imme-diately, severe damage could result.

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 areeasily 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 is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway 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 driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
Driving while under the influence of
drugs is as dangerous or more dan-
gerous than driving drunk.

63
In case of an emergency
3. Have all passengers get out of the car.Be sure they all get out on the side of
the car that is away from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.If engine stalls while driving1. Reduce your speed gradually, keepinga straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an
authorized KIA dealer or seek other
qualified assistance. If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these symp-
toms occur, use the following procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flasher,
then drive to the nearest safe location
and stop your vehicle; set the automat-
ic transaxle in P (Park) and apply the
parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator, stop the engine and call an
Authorized Kia Dealer for assistance.
If coolant is not boiling out, allow the
engine to idle and open the hood to
permit the engine to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the engine
and allow sufficient time for it to cool. 4. The coolant level should then be
checked. If the level in the reservoir is
low, look for leaks at the radiator hoses
and connections, heater hoses and
connections, radiator, and water
pump. If you find a major leak or anoth-
er problem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operate the
engine until it has been corrected. Call
an Authorized Kia Dealer for assis-
tance. If you do not find a leak or other
problem, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir.
If the engine frequently overheats, havethe cooling system checked and repaired by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
WARNING
- Removing
radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and steam
may blow out under pressure. This
could cause serious injury.
OVERHEATING

73
Maintenance
MAINTENANCEINTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
SCHEDULE 1 - NORMAL MAINTENANCE
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)
Drive belts (1) I I I
Engine oil and engine oil filter
Auto transaxle fluid I I I I I I R
Air cleaner element I I I R I I I R I I I R I I
Spark plugs
Valve clearance (2) I
Engine coolant (3) (4)
I: Inspect and, if necessary, adjust, correct, clean or replace.
R: Replace or change.
(1) The drive belt should be replaced when cracks occur or tension is reduced excessively.
(2) Inspect for excessive valve noise and/or engine vibration and adjust if necessary. A qualified technician should perform the operation.
(3) Coolant level adjustment and leak : Inspect regularly.
(4) When adding coolant, use only a qualified coolant additive for your vehicle and never mix hard water in the coolant filled at the factory. An improper coolant mixture can result in serious malfunction or engine damage.
At first, replace at 60,000 miles or 60 months ;
after that, replace every 30,000 miles or 24 months Replace every 100,000 miles or 10 yearsReplace every 7,500 miles or 12 months

Maintenance67SCHEDULE 2 - SEVERE MAINTENANCE
MAINTENANCEINTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Number of Months or Miles (kilometers), whichever comes first
Months 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42
Miles x 1,000 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42
(km x 1,000)
(5) (10) (15) (20) (25) (30) (35) (40) (45) (50) (55) (60) (65) (70)
Drive belts (1) I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
Engine oil and engine oil filter R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Auto transaxle fluid I R
Air cleaner element Inspect more frequently depending on the condition and if necessary, replace
Spark plugs Inspect more frequently depending on the condition and if necessary, replace
Valve clearance (2) Inspect every 60,000 miles or 48 months
Engine coolant (3) (4)
I: Inspect and, if necessary, adjust, correct, clean or replace.
R: Replace or change.
(1) The drive belt should be replaced when cracks occur or tension is reduced excessively.
(2) Inspect for excessive valve noise and/or engine vibration and adjust if necessary. A qualified technician should perform the operation.
(3) Coolant level adjustment and leak : Inspect regularly.
(4) When adding coolant, use only a qualified coolant additive for your vehicle and never mix hard water in the coolant filled at the factory. An improper coolant mixture can result in serious malfunction or engine damage.
At first, replace at 60,000 miles or 60 months ;
after that, replace every 30,000 miles or 24 months

79
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE Owner maintenance schedule The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or qualified service technician
at the frequencies indicated to help
ensure safe, dependable operation of
your vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
qualified service technician or service
advisor as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.
When you stop for fuel: Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolant reser-voir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle: Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for strange sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system after use is normal).
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause serious
injury.

713
Maintenance
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTERChecking the engine oil level 1. Be sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reachnormal operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few minutes (about 5 minutes) for the oil to
return to the oil pan.
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and re-insert it fully.
5. Pull the dipstick out again and check the level. The level should be between
F and L.
If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring
the level to F. Do not overfill.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer
to “Recommended Lubricants” later inthis section.)
Changing the engine oil and filterChange engine oil and filter according to
the Scheduled Maintenance at the begin-
ning of this section.
OGH057003
OGH057005

Maintenance16
7BRAKESChecking brake fluid level Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake fluid, clean the area around
the reservoir cap thoroughly to prevent
brake fluid contamination. If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake pads. If
the fluid level is excessively low, have the
brake system checked by an Authorized
Kia Dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid. (Refer
to “Recommended Lubricants” later inthis section.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
WARNING
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
OGH057013
CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to contactthe vehicle's body paint, as paintdamage will result. Brake fluid,which has been exposed to open airfor an extended time should never be used as its quality cannot beguaranteed. It should be thrown out. Don't put in the wrong kind offluid. For example, just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such asengine oil, in your brake system candamage brake system parts.

717
Maintenance
POWER STEERING Checking the power steering fluid
level With the vehicle on level ground, check
the fluid level in the power steering reser-
voir periodically. The fluid should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
level gauge attached to the cap.
Before adding power steering fluid, thor-
oughly clean the area around the reser-
voir cap to prevent power steering fluid
contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level.In the event the power steering system
requires frequent addition of fluid, the
vehicle should be inspected by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• To avoid damage to the power steer-
ing pump, do not operate the vehicle
for prolonged periods with a low
power steering fluid level.
• Never start the engine when the reser- voir tank is empty.
• When adding fluid, be careful that dirt does not get into the tank.
• Too little fluid can make the steering wheel heavier or strange noise can be
generated.
• The use of the non-specified fluid could reduce the effectiveness of the
power steering wheel and cause dam-
age to it.Use only the specified power steering
fluid. (Refer to "RecommendedLubricants" later in this section.)
Power steering hoseCheck the connections for oil leaks,
severe damage and the twists in the
power steering hose before driving.
OGH076421N

719
Maintenance
✽
✽NOTICE“COLD” scale is for reference only and
should NOT be used to determine
transaxle fluid level.New automatic transaxle fluid should
be red. The red dye is added so the
assembly plant can identify it as auto-
matic transaxle fluid and distinguish it
from engine oil or antifreeze. The red
dye, which is not an indicator of fluid
quality, is not permanent. As the vehi-
cle is driven, the automatic transaxle
fluid will begin to look darker. The
color may eventually appear light
brown.✽ ✽NOTICEHave an Authorized Kia dealer inspect
or change the automatic transaxle fluid
according to the Scheduled
Maintenance at the beginning of this
section.