KIA Sorento 2006 1.G Owner's Manual

Maintenance
For optimal battery performance:
Keep the battery securely mounted.
Keep the battery top clean and dry.
Keep the terminals and connections
clean, tight, and coated with petro-
leum jelly or terminal grease.Rinse any spilled electrolyte from
the battery immediately with a solu-
tion of water and baking soda.
If the vehicle is not going to be used
for an extended time, disconnect
the battery cables.
Items to be reset after the battery
has been replaced or the battery
cables have been disconnected
and reinstalled.
Sunroof (See page 3-83)
Clock (See page 4-67)
Multi-Meter (See page 4-52)
Climate control system (See pages
4-71 and 4-79)Battery Recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
If the battery becomes discharged
in a short time (because, for exam-
ple, the headlights or interior lights
were left on while the vehicle was
not in use), recharge it by slow
charging (trickle) for 10 hours.
If the battery gradually discharges
because of high electric load while
the vehicle is being used, recharge
it at 20-30A for two hours.MAINTENANCE7-24
S2BLA721
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MAINTENANCE
7-25
(Continued)
Disconnect the battery charg-
er in the following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger
main switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp
from the negative battery
terminal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp
from the positive battery
terminal.
✽ ✽
NOTICE Before performing maintenance
or recharging the battery, turn
off all accessories and stop the
engine.
 The negative battery cable must
be removed first and installed last
when the battery is disconnected.
WARNING - Recharging Battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precau-
tions:
The battery must be removed
from the vehicle and placed in
an area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes,
sparks, or flame near the bat-
tery.
Watch the battery during
charging, and stop or reduce
the charging rate if the battery
cells begin gassing (boiling)
violently or if the temperature
of the electrolyte of any cell
exceeds 120°F (49°C).
Wear eye protection when
checking the battery during
charging.
(Continued)
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TIRES AND WHEELSTire Care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain the recommended
tire inflation pressures and stay with-
in the load limits and weight distribu-
tion recommended for your vehicle.
Inflation Pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked monthly
when the tires are cold.“Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been driv-
en for at least three hours or driven
less than one mile (1.6 km).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for optimum vehicle han-
dling, and minimum tire wear.
The front and rear tires should be 30
psi (2.1 kg/cm²). The full-size spare
should be inflated to 30 psi (2.1
kg/cm²).MAINTENANCE7-26
S2BLD502A
WARNING
Severe underinflation (10 psi or
more) can lead to severe heat
build-up, especially on hot days
and when driving at high speed.
This can potentially cause tread
separation and other tire irregu-
larities to appear that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death.
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Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace tires show-
ing fabric or cord. After rotation, be
sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications.
MAINTENANCE
7-27
WARNING
- Tire Inflation
Over inflation or under inflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure. You
could lose control and have a
serious accident. Follow all the
guidelines about proper tire
maintenance.
Warm tires normally exceed
recommended cold tire pres-
sures by 4 to 6 psi (28 to 41
kPa). Do not release air from
warm tires to adjust the pres-
sure. The tires will be underin-
flated.
Underinflation results in
excessive wear, poor han-
dling, reduced fuel economy,
and possibility of blowouts
from overheated tires. Also,
low tire pressure can cause
poor seating of the tire bead.
If the tire pressure is exces-
sively low, wheel deformation
and/or tire separation is pos-
sible.
(Continued)
(Continued)
So keep you tire pressures at
the proper levels. If a tire fre-
quently needs refilling, have it
checked by an authorized Kia
dealer or a competent tire
shop.
Overinflation produces a
harsh ride, handling prob-
lems, excessive wear at the
center of the tire tread, pro-
longed braking distance and a
greater possibility of damage
from road hazards.
Be sure to reinstall the tire
inflation valve caps. Without
the valve cap, dirt or moisture
could get into the valve core
and cause air leakage. If the
cap have been lost, install
new one as soon as possible.
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Disc brake pads and rear brake
shoes should be inspected for wear
whenever tires are rotated.Tire Replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
12.7mm wide (1/2 inch) across the
the tread. This shows there is less
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 need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.MAINTENANCE7-28
✽ ✽
NOTICEImproper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle’s aluminum
wheels. Use only approved wheel
weights.
S2BLA790A
With a full-size spare tireWithout a spare tire
Tread wear indicator
2GHA5032
S2BLA790CBGQ0707A
Directional tires (if equipped)
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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 width
and offset.
MAINTENANCE
7-29
WARNING
- Tire Inflation
Driving on worn-out tires or
mis-matched tires is very haz-
ardous. Worn-out tires reduce
braking effectiveness, steer-
ing accuracy, and traction.
You are also more likely to
have a blowout on a worn-out
tire. Replace any tire showing
signs of being worn out.
Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility. Do not use a size and
type of tire and wheel that is
different from the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, which could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury.
(Continued)
(Continued)
When replacing the tires, be
sure to equip all four tires with
the tire and wheel of the same
size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you
nevertheless decide to equip
your vehicle with any
tire/wheel combination not
recommended by Kia for off
road driving, you should not
use these tires for highway
driving.
The use of any other tire size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, tire clearance, and
speedometer calibration.
Replace all four tires at the
same time. Replacing tires in
part can seriously affect your
vehicle’s handling.
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 designation mean.
Example tire size designation:
P245/70R16 106H (these numbers
are provided as an example only;
your tire size designator could vary
depending on your vehicle.)
P– Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’are
intended for use on passenger
cars or light trucks; however, not
all tires have this marking).
245– Tire width in millimeters.
70 – Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R – Tire construction code (Radial).
16– Rim diameter in inches.106– 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:
7.0JJ x 16
7.0– Rim width in inches.
J– Rim contour designation.
16– Rim diameter in inches.Tire Speed Ratings
The chart below shows many of the
different speed ratings currently
being used for passenger car and
light truck tires. The speed rating
symbol is part of the tire size desig-
nation on the sidewall of the tire. This
symbol corresponds to that tire’s
designed maximum safe operating
speed.MAINTENANCE7-30
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
The following information relates to
the tire grading system developed by
the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) for grading tires
by tread wear, traction and tempera-
ture performance.Tread Wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government
test course. For example, a tire grad-
ed 150 would wear one-and-a-half
times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends 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 grades
represent the tire’s ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under
controlled 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 represent the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. Grades A and B
represent higher levels of perform-
ance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by the
law.
MAINTENANCE
7-31
S2BLD306 Tread wear XXX Traction X
Temperature X
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Checking a tire life
If any tires that are over 6 years
based on the manufacturing date, tire
strength and performance decline
with age naturally (even if the tires
are not used like a spare tire).
Therefore, the tires should be
replaced by new ones including the
spare tire. You can find the manufac-
turing date on the tire sidewall (possi-
bly only on the inside of the wheel),
which has DOT marking. DOT is seri-
al numbers on tires, which consist of
a combination of numbers and
English letters. You can check the
manufacturing date to the last four
position of the DOT.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example ;
DOT XXXX XXXX 1602 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2002.
MAINTENANCE7-32
WARNING- Tire Temperature
The temperature grade for the
tire on your vehicle is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combina-
tion, can cause heat build-up
and possible sudden tire fail-
ure. This can cause loss of vehi-
cle control and serious injury or
death.
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 date
and replace the old tire in 6
years after the tire manufactur-
ing date.
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BULB REPLACEMENT
Headlight Replacement
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the light assembly from
the body of the vehicle loosening
the bolts.
MAINTENANCE
7-33
S2BLA725A Headlight
Headlight
 Front turn signal light


WARNING- Working on the lights
Prior to working on the light,
firmly apply the parking brake
and ensure that the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK”
position to avoid sudden move-
ment of the vehicle and burning
your fingers or receiving an
electric shock.
WARNING- Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs contain pres-
surized gas that will produce
flying pieces of glass if bro-
ken.
Always handle them carefully,
and avoid scratches and abra-
sions. If the bulbs are lit, avoid
contact with liquids. Never
touch the glass with bare
hands. Residual oil may cause
the bulb to overheat and burst
when lit. A bulb should be
operated only when installed
in a headlight.
If a bulb becomes damaged or
cracked, replace it immediate-
ly and carefully dispose of it.
Wear eye protection when
changing a bulb. Allow the
bulb to cool before handling
it.
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