stop start KIA RIO HATCHBACK 2008 Owners Manual

Introduction
2 1
We want to help you get the greatest
possible driving pleasure from your vehi-
cle. Your Owner’s Manual can assist you
in many ways. We strongly recommend
that you read the entire manual.
Especially, in order to minimize the
chance of death or injury, you must read
the WARNING and CAUTION sections
spread throughout the manual.
Illustrations complement the words in this
manual to best explain how to enjoy your
vehicle. By reading your manual, you
learn about features, important safety
information, and driving tips under vari-
ous road conditions.
The general layout of the manual is pro-
vided in the Table of Contents. A good
place to start is the index; it has an alpha-
betical listing of all information in your
manual.
Sections: This manual has eight sections
plus an index. Each section begins with a
brief list of contents so you can tell at a
glance if that section has the information
you want.You’ll find various WARNING’s,
CAUTION’s, and NOTICE’s in this manu-
al. These were prepared to enhance your
personal safety. You should carefully read
and follow ALL procedures and recom-
mendations provided in these
WARNING’s, CAUTION’s and NOTICE’s.
✽
NOTICE
A NOTICE indicates a situation in
which damage to your vehicle could
result if the notice is ignored.
No special break-in period is needed. By
following a few simple precautions for the
first 1,000 km (600 miles) you may add to
the performance, economy and life of
your vehicle.
• Do not race the engine.
• Do not maintain a single speed for long
periods of time, either fast or slow.
Varying engine speed is needed to
properly break-in the engine.
• Avoid hard stops, except in emergen-
cies, to allow the brakes to seat prop-
erly.
• Avoid full-throttle starts.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious bodily injury or death
could result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which personal injury, perhaps
severe, could result if the caution is
ignored.
VEHICLE BREAK-IN PROCESS

37
Knowing your vehicle
Your vehicle is equipped with an elec-
tronic engine immobilizer system to
reduce the risk of unauthorized vehicle
use.
Your immobilizer system is comprised of
a small transponder in the ignition key,
and antenna coil in the key cylinder and
Immobilizer Control Unit (or Smartra
Unit).
With this system, whenever you insert
your ignition key into the ignition switch
and turn it to ON, the antenna coil in the
ignition switch receives a signal from the
transponder in the ignition key and then
sends the signal to the ECU (Engine
Control Unit).
The ECU checks the signal whether the
ignition key is valid.
If the key is determined to be valid, the
engine will start.
If the key is determined to be invalid, the
engine will not start.
To deactivate the immobilizer
system:
Insert the ignition key into the key cylin-
der and turn it to the ON position.
To activate the immobilizer sys-
tem:
Turn the ignition key to the OFF position.
The immobilizer system activates auto-
matically. Without a valid ignition key for
your vehicle, the engine will not start.
✽
NOTICE
When starting the engine, do not use the
key with other immobilizer keys around.
Otherwise the engine may not start or
may stop soon after it starts. Keep each
key separately not to have any malfunc-
tion after you receive your new vehicle.
Limp home (override) procedure
When you turn the ignition key to the ON
position, if the IMMO indicator goes off
after blinking 5 times, your transponder
equipped in the ignition key is out of order.
You cannot start the engine without the
lime home procedure. To start the engine,
you have to input your password by using
the ignition switch.
The following procedure is how to input
your password of “2345” as an example.
1. Turn the ignition key to the ON position.
The IMMO indicator ( ) will blink 5
times and go off indicating the begin-
ning of the limp home procedure.
2. Turn the ignition key to the ACC posi-
tion.
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
CAUTION
Do not put metal accessories near
the key or ignition key.
The engine may not start for the
metal accessories may interrupt the
transponder signal from normally
transmitting.
WARNING
In order to prevent theft of your
vehicle, do not leave spare keys
anywhere in your vehicle. Your
Immobilizer password is a cus-
tomer unique password and should
be kept confidential. Do not leave
this number anywhere in your vehi-
cle.

45
Driving your vehicle
✽
NOTICE
To avoid premature clutch wear and
damage, do not drive with your foot
resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don’t
use the clutch to hold the vehicle
stopped on an uphill grade, while wait-
ing for a traffic light, etc..
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
WARNING- Manual
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then make
sure the transaxle is shifted into 1
st
gear when the vehicle is parked on
a level or uphill grade, and shifted
into R (Reverse) on a downhill
grade. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.

49
Driving your vehicle
Shift lock system
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 out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition to
the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and
move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
sound near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position. If the ignition switch is in any
other position, the key cannot be
removed.
BRAKE SYSTEM
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 nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, 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 neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
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 distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
WARNING- Parking brake
Pulling 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 - Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
• When descending a long or steep
hill,shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
(Continued)

411
Driving your vehicle
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull up the parking
brake lever slightly. Secondly, depress
the release button and lower the parking
brake lever while holding the button.Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switch in the START or ON
position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
WARNING- Parking brake
• To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle
equipped vehicles and in P (Park)
for automatic transaxle equipped
vehicles.
• Never allow a person who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle or children
to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released unin-
tentionally,serious injury may
occur.
W-751JBA4006

413
Driving your vehicle
✽
NOTICE
• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS. In this case, however,
your regular brakes will work nor-
mally.
• The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the
ignition switch is ON. During that
time, the ABS will go through self-
diagnosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the light stays
on, you may have a problem with your
ABS. Contact an authorized Kia deal-
er as soon as possible.
✽
NOTICE
• When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road, and
operate your brakes continuously, the
ABS will be active continuously and
the ABS warning light may illuminate.
Pull your car over to a safe place and
stop the engine.
• Restart the engine. If the ABS warn-
ing light is off, then your ABS is nor-
mal. Otherwise, you may have a prob-
lem with the ABS. Contact an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possible.
✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
ABS
W-78

Driving your vehicle
14 4
Power steering (if equipped)
Power steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the vehi-
cle. If the engine is off or if the power
steering system becomes inoperative,
the vehicle may still be steered, but it will
require increased steering effort.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power steer-
ing checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
✽
NOTICE
• Never hold the steering wheel against
a stop (extreme right or left turn) for
more than 5 seconds with the engine
running. Holding the steering wheel
for more than 5 seconds in either posi-
tion may cause damage to the power
steering pump.
• If the power steering drive belt breaks
or if the power steering pump mal-
functions, the steering effort will
greatly increase.
✽
NOTICE
If the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather (below -
10 °C /14 °F), the power steering may
require increased effort when the engine
is first started. This is caused by
increased fluid viscosity due to the cold
weather and does not indicate a mal-
function.
When this happens, increase the engine
RPM by depressing the accelerator until
the RPM reaches 1,500 rpm then release
or let the engine idle for two or three
minutes to warm up the fluid.
Tilt steering (if equipped)
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust
the steering wheel before you drive. You
can also raise it to the highest level to
give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
The steering wheel should be positioned
so that it is comfortable for you to drive,
while permitting you to see the instru-
ment panel warning lights and gauges.
STEERING WHEEL
WARNING - Steering wheel
• Never adjust the angle of steering
wheel while driving. You may lose
your steering control and cause
severe personal injury or acci-
dents.
• After adjusting, push the steering
wheel both up and down to be
certain it is locked in position.

419
Driving your vehicle
Warning lights / audible indicators
Checking operation
All warning lights are checked by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). Any light that does not illuminate
should be checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.
After starting the engine, check to make
sure that all warning lights are off. If any
are still on, this indicates a situation that
needs attention. When releasing the
parking brake, the brake system warning
light should go off. The fuel warning light
will stay on if the fuel level is low.
Anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light (if
equipped)
This light illuminates if the key is turned
to ON and goes off in approximately 3
seconds if the system is operating nor-
mally.
If the light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS. Contact an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as possi-
ble.
Electronic brake force
distribution (EBD) sys-
tem warning
(if equipped)
If ABS and BRAKE warning lights illumi-
nate at the same time while driving, your
vehicle has a problem with ABS and EBD
system.
In this case, your ABS and regular brake
system may not work normally. Have the
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
Engine 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.
✽
NOTICE
If the engine is not stopped immediately,
severe damage could result.
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
ABS
ABS
WARNING-Brake indica-
tors
If the both ABS and Brake warning
lights are ON and stay ON, your
vehicle’s brake system will not work
normally. You may experience an
unexpected and dangerous situa-
tion during sudden braking. In this
case, avoid high speed driving and
abrupt braking. Have your vehicle
checked by authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.

53
Driving tips
• Carbon monoxide can be present with
other exhaust fumes. Therefore, if you
smell exhaust fumes of any kind inside
your vehicle, have it inspected and
repaired immediately. If you ever sus-
pect exhaust fumes are coming into
your vehicle, drive it only with all the
windows fully open. Have your vehicle
checked and repaired immediately.
• Do not operate the engine in confined
or closed areas (such as garages) any
more than what is necessary to move
the vehicle in or out of the area.
• When the vehicle is stopped in an
open area for more than a short time
with the engine running, adjust the
ventilation system (as needed) to draw
outside air into the vehicle.
• Never sit in a parked or stopped vehi-
cle for any extended time with the
engine running.
• When the engine stalls or fails to start,
excessive attempts to re-start the
engine may cause damage to the
emission control system.Operating precautions for catalytic
converters
Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic
converter emission control device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
• Use only UNLEADED FUEL for gaso-
line engine (unleaded).
• Do not operate the vehicle when there
are signs of engine malfunction, such
as misfire or a noticeable loss of per-
formance.
• Do not misuse or abuse the engine.
Examples of misuse are coasting with
the ignition off and descending steep
grades in gear with the ignition off.• Do not operate the engine at high idle
speed for extended periods (5 minutes
or more).
• Do not modify or tamper with any part
of the engine or emission control sys-
tem. All inspections and adjustments
must be made by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Failure to observe these precautions
could result in damage to the catalytic
converter and to your vehicle.
Additionally, such actions could void your
warranties.
WARNING- Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite
flammable items under your vehi-
cle. Do not park the vehicle over or
near flammable objects,such as
grass, vegetation, paper, leaves,
etc..

57
Driving tips
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 distance
between you and other vehicles, 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 headlights.
• Keep your headlights clean and prop-
erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the headlights
of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared 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 distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
• Keep your windshield wiping equip-
ment 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 condition,
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 eas-
ier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles
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 oper-
ation returns.
Winter driving
• We recommend that you carry emer-
gency equipment, including tire chains,
a window scraper, windshield de-icer,
a bag of sand or salt, flares, a small
shovel and jumper cables.
• Make sure you have sufficient ethyl-
ene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
• Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce the
output capability of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to pro-
vide enough winter starting power.
• Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for cold weather.
• Check the ignition system for loose
connections and damage.
• Use antifreeze-formulated windshield
washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it might
freeze. When parking, shift to 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) with a manual transaxle
or P (Park) with an automatic transaxle
and block the rear wheels.