brakes KIA NIRO 2021 Owner's Guide

5187
Driving your vehicle
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and
properly aimed. (On vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature.) Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
Avoid staring directly at the head-
lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain: A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping
equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condi-
tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it
easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten
your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.

Driving your vehicle
188 5
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with
the off-road conditions where you
are going to drive before you begin
driving.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both the engine coolant
and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING- Under/over
inflated tires
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving.
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
For proper tire pressures, refer to
“Tires and wheels” in chapter 9.
WARNING- Tire tread
Always check the tire tread
before driving your vehicle.
Worn-out tires can result in loss
of vehicle control. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible. For further information
and tread limits, refer to "Tires
and wheels" in chapter 8.

Driving your vehicle
192 5
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint fin-
ish.
Don’t let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to happen
when there is an accumulation of
snow or ice around or near the rear
brakes or if the brakes are wet. If
there is a risk the parking brake may
freeze, apply it only temporarily while
you put the gear shift lever in P (Park,
Dual clutch transmission) and block
the rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components are not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tow straps or chains, flash-
light, emergency flares, sand, shov-
el, jumper cables, window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, blan-
ket, etc.
TRAILER TOWING
We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.

63
What to do in an emergency
If the engine stalls at a cross-
road or crossing
If the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the
vehicle to a safe place.
If you have a flat tire while
driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driv-
ing:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator
pedal and let the vehicle slow
down while driving straight ahead.
Do not apply the brakes immedi-
ately or attempt to pull off the road
as this may cause a loss of con-
trol. When the vehicle 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 vehicle is stopped, turn
on your emergency hazard flash-
ers, set the parking brake and put
the transmission in P (Park).
3. Have all passengers get out of the
vehicle. Be sure they all get out on
the side of the vehicle that is away
from traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow
the instruction provided later in
this section.
If the engine stalls while driv-
ing
1. Reduce your speed gradually,
keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the hybrid system
again. If your vehicle will not start,
contact an authorized Kia dealer
or seek other qualified assistance.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If there was a check engine light and
loss of power or stall and if safe to do
so, wait at least 10 seconds to restart
the vehicle after it stalls. This may
reset the car so it will no longer run
at low power (limp home) condition.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING

What to do in an emergency
18 6
You may not be able to identify a low
tire by simply looking at it. Always
use a good quality tire pressure
gauge to measure the tire's inflation
pressure. Please note that a tire that
is hot (from being driven) will have a
higher pressure measurement than a
tire that is cold (from sitting station-
ary for at least 3 hours and driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) during that
3 hour period).
Allow the tire to cool before measur-
ing the inflation pressure. Always be
sure the tire is cold before inflating to
the recommended pressure.
A cold tire means the vehicle has
been sitting for 3 hours and driven for
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) in that 3
hour period.
Never use tire sealant if your vehicle
is equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System. The liquid
sealant can damage the tire pres-
sure sensors. The TPMS cannot alert you to
severe and sudden tire damage
caused by external factors such as
nails or road debris.
If you feel any vehicle instability,
immediately take your foot off the
accelerator, apply the brakes grad-
ually and with light force, and slow-
ly move to a safe position off the
road.
✽ ✽
NOTICE - Protecting TPMS
Tampering with, modifying, or dis-
abling the Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) components may
interfere with the system's ability to
warn the driver of low tire pressure
conditions and/or TPMS malfunc-
tions. Tampering with, modifying,
or disabling the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) compo-
nents may void the warranty for
that portion of the vehicle.
This device complies with Part
15 of the FCC rules.
Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harm-
ful interference, and
2. This device must accept any inter-
ference received, including inter-
ference that may cause undesired
operation.
3. Changes or modifications not
expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate
the device.

3. Install the towing hook by turning it
clockwise into the hole until it is
fully secured.
4. Remove the towing hook and
install the cover after use.Emergency towing
If towing is necessary, have it
done by an authorized Kia dealer
or a commercial tow truck service.If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or
chain secured to the emergency tow-
ing 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 distance and at low speed.
Also, the wheels, axles, power train,
steering and brakes must all be in
good condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other
conditions 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 fre-
quently.
ODEP069016
ODEP069017
■Front
■ Rear
What to do in an emergency
41 6

Emergency towing precautions
• Turn the ignition switch to ACC sothe steering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transmission shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
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 steer-
ing system will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off.
To avoid serious damage to the dual clutch transmission, limit the
vehicle speed to 10 mph (15 km/h)
and drive less than 1 mile (1.5 km)
when towing. (for Dual clutch trans-
mission vehicle.) If the car is being towed with all
four wheels on the ground, it can
be towed only from the front. Be
sure that the transmission is in N
(Neutral). Be sure the steering is
unlocked by placing the ignition
switch in the ACC position. A driver
must be in the towed vehicle to
operate the steering and brakes.
CAUTION - Dual clutchtransmission
Before towing, check the dual
clutch transmission for fluidleaks under your vehicle. If thedual clutch transmission fluid isleaking, flatbed equipment or atowing dolly must be used.
What to do in an emergency
43
6

Maintenance
6 7
(Continued)
• Wash the undercarriage of your
vehicle regularly during the win-
ter and whenever your vehicle has
been exposed to such salts or
chemicals.
• Do a thorough washing of the
undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
• Use professional service techni-
cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for
corrosion.
• Immediately seek an inspection of
your vehicle if you become visual-
ly aware of corrosion flaking or
scaling or if you become aware of
a change in vehicle performance,
such as soft or spongy brakes, flu-
ids leaking, impairment of direc-
tional control, suspension noises
or rattling metal straps.
NHTSA further advises that after
a vehicle is 7 years old, it is essen-
tial that you take these indicated
maintenance steps to ensure that
you protect yourself from unsafe
corrosion conditions.Owner maintenance precau-
tions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section,
several procedures can be done only
by an authorized Kia dealer with spe-
cial tools.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Improper owner maintenance dur-
ing the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read
the separate Warranty & Consumer
Information manual provided with
the vehicle. If you're unsure about
any servicing or maintenance proce-
dure, have it done by an authorized
Kia dealer.
WARNING- Maintenance
work
Do not wear jewelry or loose
clothing while working under
the hood of your vehicle with
the engine running. These can
become entangled in moving
parts, if you must run the
engine while working under the
hood, make certain that you
remove all jewelry (especially
rings, bracelets, watches, and
necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose
clothing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.
WARNING- Touching
metal parts
Do not touch metal parts
(including strut bars) while the
engine is operating or hot.
Doing so could result in serious
bodily injury. Turn the engine off
and wait until the metal parts
cool down to perform any main-
tenance work on the vehicle.

753
Maintenance
Occupant Distribution:Designated
seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall:The side
of a asymmetrical tire that has a par-
ticular side that faces outward when
mounted on a vehicle. The outward
facing sidewall bears white lettering
or bears manufacturer, brand, and/or
model name molding that is higher or
deeper than the same moldings on
the inner facing sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:A tire
used on passenger cars and some
light duty trucks and multipurpose
vehicles.
Ply:A layer of rubber-coated parallel
cords
Pneumatic tire:A mechanical
device made of rubber, chemicals,
fabric and steel or other materials,
that, when mounted on an automo-
tive wheel, provides the traction and
contains the gas or fluid that sustains
the load.Production options weight:The
combined weight of installed regular
production options weighing over 5
lb.(2.3 kg) in excess of the standard
items which they replace, not previ-
ously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy
duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Recommended Inflation Pressure:
Vehicle manufacturer's recommend-
ed tire inflation pressure and shown
on the tire placard.
Radial Ply Tire:A pneumatic tire in
which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
Rim:A metal support for a tire and
upon which the tire beads are seat-
ed.
Sidewall:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead.Speed Rating:An alphanumeric
code assigned to a tire indicating the
maximum speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction:The friction between the
tire and the road surface. The
amount of grip provided.
Tread:The portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Treadwear Indicators:Narrow
bands, sometimes called "wear
bars," that show across the tread of a
tire when only 1/16 inch of tread
remains.
UTQGS:Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards, a tire information
system that provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction, tempera-
ture and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing proce-
dures. The ratings are molded into
the sidewall of the tire.
Vehicle Capacity Weight:The num-
ber of designated seating positions
multiplied by 150 lbs. (68kg) plus the
rated cargo and luggage load.

Maintenance
104 7
APPEARANCE CARE
Exterior care
Exterior general caution
It is very important to follow the label
directions when using any chemical
cleaner or polish. Read all warning
and caution statements that appear
on the label.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If you park the vehicle around a
stainless signboard or windshield
building etc., the plastic exterior
trim (bumper, spoiler, garnish,
lamp, outside mirror etc.) may be
damaged by reflected sunlight from
the external structure. To avoid
damaging the plastic exterior trim,
park the vehicle away from the
areas where the reflected light may
occur or use a vehicle cover
(Depending on the vehicle, the type
of exterior trim applied such as
spoiler may differ).
Finish maintenance
Washing
To help protect your vehicle’s finish
from rust and deterioration, wash it
thoroughly and frequently at least
once a month with lukewarm or cold
water.
If you use your vehicle for off-road
driving, you should wash it after each
off-road trip. Pay special attention to
the removal of any accumulation of
salt, dirt, mud, and other foreign mate-
rials. Make sure the drain holes in the
lower edges of the doors and rocker
panels are kept clear and clean.
Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial pollution and similar
deposits can damage your vehicle’s
finish if not removed immediately.
Even prompt washing with plain water
may not completely remove all these
deposits. A mild soap, safe for use on
painted surfaces, may be used.
After washing, rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with lukewarm or cold water.
Do not allow soap to dry on the finish.After washing the vehicle, test the
brakes while driving slowly to see if
they have been affected by water. If
braking performance is impaired, dry
the brakes by applying them lightly
while maintaining a slow forward
speed.