warning KIA FORTE 2017 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
16 5
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
labor. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you need to
increase your speed again. When the
vehicle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
Good driving practices
• Never take the vehicle out of gear
and coast down a hill. This is
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear.
• Don't "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, shift to a
lower gear. When you do this,
engine braking will help slow down
the vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. This will help avoid
over-revving the engine, which can
cause damage.
• Slow down when you encounter
cross winds. This gives you much
better control of your vehicle.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse). The transaxle can
be damaged if you do not.• Exercise extreme caution when
driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.
• Always buckle-up! In a collision, an
unbelted occupant is significantly
more likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belted
occupant.
• Never exceed posted speed limits.
WARNING- Vehicle
handling
Avoid high speeds when cor-
nering or turning. High speed
cornering and turning increas-
es the risk of vehicle rollover
due to loss of vehicle control.
Rollover accidents are extreme-
ly violent and unpredictable.

Driving your vehicle
18 5
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse
gear.When stopped on an upgrade, do not
hold the vehicle with engine power.
Use the service brake or the parking
brake.
Transaxle ranges
The indicator light in the instrument
cluster displays the shift lever posi-
tion when the ignition switch is in the
ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
CAUTION -Transaxle
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on. The transaxle may be
damaged if you shift into P
(Park) while the vehicle is in
motion.
WARNING- Automatic
Transaxle
Before leaving the driver's seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park), set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement may
occur if these precautions are
not followed.
CAUTION -Shifting
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except when “Rocking
the Vehicle” explained in this
section.

521
Driving your vehicle
Paddle shifter (if equipped)
The paddle shifter is available when
the shift lever is in the D position or
the sport mode.With the shift lever in the D position
The paddle shifter can operate when
the vehicle speed is more than 6.2
mph.
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic
mode to manual mode.
If the vehicle speed is lower than 6.2
mph, if you depress the accelerator
pedal for more than 7 seconds or if
you shift the shift lever from D to
sports mode and shift it from sports
mode to D again, the system change
from manual mode to automatic
mode.
With the shift lever in the sports mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle
shifters at the same time, you can't
shift the gear.
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
3.Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-
dition.
WARNING- Shifting from
park
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
24 5
• The Dual Clutch Transmission
gives the driving feel of a manual
transmission, yet provides the
ease of a fully automatic transmis-
sion. Unlike a traditional automatic
transmission, the gear shifting can
be felt (and heard) on the dual
clutch transmission
- Think of it as an automatically
shifting manual transmission.
- Shift into Drive range and get fully
automatic shifting, similar to a con-
ventional automatic transmission.
• Dual clutch transmission adopts
dry-type dual clutch, which is dif-
ferent from the torque converter of
an automatic transmission, and
shows better acceleration perform-
ance during driving. But, initial
launch from a stop might be little
bit slower than with an Automatic
Transmission.
• The dry-type clutch transfers torque
and provides a direct driving feeling
which may feel different from a con-
ventional automatic transmission
with a torque converter. This may be
more noticeable when starting from
a stop or low vehicle speed.• When rapidly accelerating at low
vehicle speed, engine could rev at
higher rpm than with a comparable
Automatic Transmission.
• For smooth launch uphill, press
down the accelerator pedal
smoothly depending on the current
conditions.
• If you release your foot from the
accelerator pedal at a low vehicle
speed, you may feel strong engine
brake, which is similar to a manual
transmission.
• When driving downhill, you may
use Sports Mode and press the
paddle shifters to downshift to a
lower gear in order to control your
speed without using the brake
pedal excessively.
• When you turn the engine on and
off, you may hear clicking sounds
as the system goes through a self
test. This is a normal sound for the
Dual Clutch Transmission.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
• ALWAYS check the surround-
ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle into
D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
• Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (Park)
position, then set the parking
brake, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
• Do not use engine braking
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.

525
Driving your vehicle
• To hold the vehicle on a hill use the
foot brake or the parking brake. If
the vehicle is held by applying the
accelerator pedal on a hill the
clutch and transmission will be
overheated resulting in damage.
At this time, a warning message
(“Steep grade! Press brake pedal”)
will appear on the LCD display and
you may feel a vibration.
• If the clutch becomes overheated
by excessive use of the clutch to
hold on a hill, you may notice a
shuddering feeling and a blinking
display on the instrument cluster.
When this occurs, the clutch is dis-
abled until the clutch cools to nor-
mal temperatures. If this occurs,
pull over to a safe location, shift
into P (Park) and apply the foot
brake with the engine for a certain
time until the warning on the LCD
screen disappears.
• If the LCD warning is active, the
foot brake must be applied.• Ignoring the warnings can lead to
damage to the transmission.
• If the display continues to blink, for
your safety, we recommend that you
contact an authorized Kia dealer.
• Under certain conditions such as
repeated launch on steep grades,
the clutch in the transmission could
overheat.
When the clutch is overheated, the
safe protection mode engages. If
the safe protection mode engages,
the gear position indicator on the
cluster blinks with a chime sound.
At this time, a warning message
(“Transmission temp. is high! Stop
safely”), (“Trans Hot! Park with
engine on”), (“Trans Cooling.
Remain parked for 00 min.”), (“Trans
cooled. Resume driving”) will
appear on the LCD display and driv-
ing may not be smooth.
If you ignore this warning, the driv-
ing condition may become worse.
To return the normal driving condi-
tion, stop the vehicle and apply the
foot brake for a few minutes before
driving off.• Gear shifts may be more notice-
able than a conventional automatic
transmission. This is a normal
characteristic of this type of dual
clutch transmission.
• An overheated Dual clutch trans-
mission may change the gear shift-
ing characteristics, and will illumi-
nate a warning message on the
LCD display if the kickdown mech-
anism is excessively used.
• Do not use the kickdown mecha-
nism to return to normal driving.
Also, temporarily stop the vehicle
at a safe location, when the warn-
ing message illuminates on the
LCD display.
• During the first 1,500 km (1,000
miles), you may feel that the vehi-
cle may not be smooth when accel-
erating at low speed. During this
break-in period, the shift quality
and performance of your new vehi-
cle is continuously optimized.

Driving your vehicle
26 5
• Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
• Do not put the shift lever in N
(Neutral) while driving.
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart
a stalled engine, or if it is necessary
to stop with the engine ON. Shift into
P (Park) if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason.
Always depress the brake pedal
when you are shifting from N
(Neutral) to another gear.
CAUTION
- Holding the Vehicle Using
Accelerator Pedal
Do not attempt to hold your
vehicle on a hill by applying the
accelerator pedal. This can
cause your clutch and transmis-
sion to be damaged as a result
of overheating.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
• After the vehicle has stopped,
always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
• Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transmission if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.

527
Driving your vehicle
- Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.
1.After parking your vehicle, step on
the brake pedal and move the shift
lever to [P] with the ignition button in
[ON] or while the engine is running.
2.If the parking brake is applied
unlock the parking brake.
3.While pressing the brake pedal,
turn the ignition button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,
the ignition switch can be moved
to [OFF] only when the shift lever
is in [P].
4.Change the gear shift lever to ?N?
(Neutral) while pressing the brake
pedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting,
pressing down a tool (e.g. flathead
screw-driver) into the [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] access hole at the same
time. Then, the vehicle will move
when external force is applied.
WARNING
Do not shift into gear unless
your foot is firmly on the brake
pedal. Shifting into gear when
the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to
move very rapidly. You could
lose control of the vehicle and
hit people or objects.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work
and may lead to an accident.
CAUTION
• With the exception of parking
in neutral gear, always park
the vehicle in [P] (Park) for
safety and engage the parking
brake.
• Before parking in [N] (Neutral)
gear, first make sure the park-
ing ground is level and flat. Do
not park in [N] gear on any
slopes or gradients.
If parked and left in [N], the
vehicle may move and cause
serious damage and injury.

Driving your vehicle
30 5
Shift lock system
For your safety, the Dual clutch trans-
mission has a shift lock system which
prevents shifting the transaxle from P
(Park) into R (Reverse) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chat-
tering noise & vibration near the shift
lever may be heard. This is a normal
condition.Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:1. Place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov-
ering the shift-lock release access
hole.
4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw-
driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool.
5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock
override access hole then install
the cap.
7. We recommend that the system
be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent movement of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the car.
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Driving your vehicle
32 5
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s
ability to safely slow down; the vehi-
cle may also pull to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this way.To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Parking brake
Avoid applying the parking
brake to stop the vehicle while it
is moving except in an emer-
gency situation. Applying the
parking brake while the vehicle
is moving at normal speeds can
cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use
the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in
applying the brake.
WARNING- Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of
the brakes when descending a
long or steep hill by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application will cause the
brakes to overheat and could
result in a temporary loss of
braking performance.
CAUTION- Brake pedal
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormally high brake
temperatures which can cause
excessive brake lining and pad
wear.

533
Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then without
pressing the release button in, pull
the parking brake lever up as far as
possible. In addition it is recommend-
ed that when parking the vehicle on
a gradient, the shift lever should be
positioned in the appropriate low
gear for manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position for automatic
transaxle vehicles.CAUTION- Replace brake
pads
Do not continue to drive with
worn brake pads. Continuing to
drive with worn brake pads can
damage the braking system and
result in costly brake repairs.
WARNING- Brake wear
Do not ignore high pitched wear
sounds from your brakes. If you
ignore this audible warning, you
will eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
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