KIA FORTE 2017 Owners Manual

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.

519
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.D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.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 parking 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
20 5
Manual mode
Whether the vehicle is stopped or in
motion, manual mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.
In manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
manual mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.Up (+) : Push the lever forward
once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one
gear.
• In manual mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
• In manual mode, only the 6 forward
gears can be selected. To reverse
or park the vehicle, move the shift
lever to the R (Reverse) or P (Park)
position as required.
• In manual mode, downshifts are
made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.
• In manual mode, when the engine
rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
• When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving
on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the -(down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.
OYD056057
+ +
( (
U U
P P
) )
+ +
( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )manual
mode

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.
OYDDDR2111

Driving your vehicle
22 5
Shift-lock override
(with smart key system)
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into the R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering
the shift-lock access hole (1).
2. Insert screwdriver into the access
hold and press down on the
screwdriver.
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer immediately.
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
• Slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.
• Always use the parking brake. Do
not depend on placing the
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.
• Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
OYD056060L

523
Driving your vehicle
Dual clutch transmission oper-
ation
The dual clutch transmission has
seven forward speeds and one
reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.
DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT) (IF EQUIPPED)
OYD056058N
+ +
( (
U U
P P
) )
- -
( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )
The shift lever can be shifted freely .(Depress the brake pedal when shift lever is
shifted to avoid inadvertent movement of the vehicle.) Press the lock release button when shifting. To shift, depress the brake pedal and press the button when the ignition switch is
in the ON position.

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.