tires KIA CERATO 2004 User Guide

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In case of an emergency
Tire pressure gauge (If equipped)
Tires normally lose some air in day-
to-day use, and you may have to add
a few pounds of air periodically and it
is not usually a sign of a leaking tire,
but of normal wear. Always check tirepressure when the tires are coldbecause tire pressure increases with
temperature.To check the tire pressure, take the
following steps;
1. Unscrew the inflation valve cap
that is located on the rim of the
tire.
2. Press and hold the gauge against the tire valve. Some air will escape
as you begin and more will escape
if you don't press the gauge in
firmly.
3. A firm non-leaking push will acti- vate the gauge.
4. Read the tire pressure on the gauge to know whether the tire
pressure is low or high.
5. Adjust the tire pressures to the specified pressure. Refer to“Recommended Inflation Pressure”on the page 8-2.
6. Reinstall the inflation valve cap.
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1 23456789Battery / 7-39
Tires and wheels / 7-42
Bulb replacement / 7-49
Lubricant specifications / 7-56 Exterior care / 7-58Interior care / 7-62
Maintenance
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Maintenance
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OWNER MAINTENANCE
Owner maintenance schedule
The following lists are vehicle checks and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an
Authorized Kia Dealer at the fre-quencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your
vehicle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties 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 reservoir.
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 steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, levelroad.
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 operation 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 conditioning 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.

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At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the coolantrecovery reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall) :
Check radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or da-
mage.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened
with washer fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year :
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system before the warm weather season.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.

Maintenance
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TIRES AND WHEELS
Tires care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle. Inflation pressures All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or drivenless than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the front driver’s door sill.
✽✽
NOTICE

Maintenance
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Disc brake pads and rear brake
shoes should be inspected for wearwhenever tires are rotated.
✽✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right toleft.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there isless than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire. Wheel alignment and tire balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
✽✽
NOTICE
Improper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use only approved wheel weights.
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Tread wear indicator

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Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset.WARNING
When replacing tires, never mix radial, bias-belted, and
bias-type tires. All four tires
should be of the same size,
design and construction. Use
only the tire sizes listed on the
Tire Label found below the
door striker on the driver’s
side. Make sure that all tires
and wheels are the same size
and have the same load-carry-
ing capacity. Use only tire andwheel combinations recom-
mended on the Tire Label or
by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
Failure to follow these precau-
tions can adversely affect the
safety and handling of your
vehicle.
(Continued)(Continued)
The use of any other tire sizeor type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, tire clearance, andspeedometer calibration.
Driving on worn-out tires is very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-tion.
It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’shandling.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.

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Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designationmean.
Example tire size designation: 195/60 R15 88H
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.) 195 - Tire width in millimeters.
60 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
15 - Rim diameter in inches.
88 - Load Index, a numerical code associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-tion mean. Example wheel size designation: 6.0 J x 15
6.0 - Rim width in inches. J - Rim contour designation.
15 - Rim diameter in inches. Tire speed ratings
The chart below shows many of the
different speed ratings currently
being used for passenger car. The
speed rating symbol is part of the tire
size designation on the sidewall of
the tire. This symbol corresponds to
that tire's designed maximum safe
operating speed.
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph) V 240 km/h (149 mph)
Z Above 240 km/h (149 mph)
Maximum Speed
Speed
Rating
Symbol
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Uniform tire quality grading
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate ofthe tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.The relative performance of tiresdepends upon the actual conditions
of their use. However, performance
may differ from the norm because of
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on Kia vehicles
may vary with respect to grade.
Traction - A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are A, B and C. The gradesrepresent the tires ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured undercontrolled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Temperature -A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C. The grades repre-
sent the tire’s resistance to the gener-ation of heat and its ability to dissipateheat when tested under controlledconditions on a specified indoor labo-
ratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tires to
degenerate and reduce tires life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tires failure. Grades A and B
represent higher levels of perform-
ance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by the
law.
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Checking a tire life
Tire strength and performance
decline with age. Any tires that are
over 6 year old, including the spare
(determined by the tire manufacturedate), should be replaced regardless
of mileage. You can find the tire man-
ufacture date on the tire sidewall(either on the inside or outside of the
wheel). The date is a Department Of
Transportation (DOT) number con-
sisting of letters and numbers. You
can determine the tire manufacture
date by the last four numbers of the
DOT code. DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The first letters/numbers of the DOT
indicate the manufacturing plant, tire
size and tread pattern, last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 0803 represents
that the tire was produced in the 8th
week of 2003.
WARNING
A tire more than 6 years old may
cause separation of the cord
layers inside the tire leading to
loss of vehicle or a serious
injury. Therefore, make sure to
check the manufacturing dateand replace the old tire in 6
years after the tire manufactur-
ing date.
WARNING - Tire
temperature
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tires failure. This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury or death.
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