light KIA Sorento 2006 1.G Manual Online

Rocking the Vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first
turn the steering wheel right and left
to clear the area around your front
wheels. Then, shift back and forth
between 1 (First) and R (Reverse) in
vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission or R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transmission. Do
not race the engine, and spin the
wheels as little as possible. If you are
still stuck after a few tries, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transmission,
transfer case (if equipped), or differ-
ential.Driving at Night
Because night driving presents many
more hazards than driving in the day-
light, 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
properly aimed. 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 TIPS
5-9
✽ ✽
NOTICEProlonged rocking may cause
engine over-heating, transmission
or transfer case (if equipped) dam-
age or failure, and tire damage.
WARNING- Spinning Tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 35
mph (56 km/h). Spinning the
wheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystanders.
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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 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 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 your brakes may have
become wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.Winter Driving
 We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment, including
tire chains, a window scraper, wind-
shield de-icer, a bag of sand or salt,
flares, a small shovel and jumper
cables.
 Make sure you have sufficient eth-
ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
 Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide enough winter starting
power.
 Make sure the engine oil viscosity
is suitable for cold weather.
 Check the ignition system for loose
connections and damage.DRIVING TIPS5-10
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Driving on a Hill (“4LO” for Part-
time 4WD Operation or “LOW” for
Full-time 4WD operation)
 Use low gear when going uphill or
downhill and avoid sudden braking.
 Do not shift gears or use your
clutch when going downhill. Do not
coast downhill in Neutral.Crossing a Ditch (“4LO” for Part-
time 4WD Operation or “LOW” for
Full-time 4WD operation)
 Avoid driving through ditches if pos-
sible, especially if there is water in
the ditch. Your vehicle may stall if
the electrical system gets wet. If
you must cross a ditch, shift the
transfer knob to 4LO or LOW.
 Avoid driving where the water level
is higher than the bottom of the
wheel hub. If the water level rises
above this mark, your vehicle will
need to be serviced.
 Tap lightly on the brake pedal dur-
ing and after driving through water.
This will help keep the brakes dry
and in proper working order.
 Do not shift gears while crossing a
ditch.Tight Corner Brake Effect
This is called tight corner brake
effect. Tight corner brake effect is a
unique characteristic of four-wheel
drive vehicles caused by the differ-
ence in tire rotation at the four wheels
and the zero-degree alignment of the
front wheels and suspension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.
DRIVING TIPS
5-15
CAUTION
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in four-
wheel drive, steering control will be
difficult.
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When you drive over bumps, rocks,
or other obstacles, your wheels can
leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you
can’t control the vehicle as well or
perhaps at all. Because you will be on
an unpaved surface, it’s especially
important to avoid sudden accelera-
tion, sudden turns, or sudden brak-
ing. Any of these actions could cause
the center of gravity of the vehicle to
shift and destabilize the vehicle, lead-
ing to a collision or rollover accident.
Off-road driving requires a different
kind of alertness from driving on
paved roads and highways. There are
no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights. You have to use your
own judgment about what is safe and
what isn’t. Bad judgment in this
uncontrolled environment can be
fatal.Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up,
down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires excellent judgment
and an understanding of what your
vehicle can and can’t do. There are
some hills that simply should not be
driven.DRIVING TIPS5-20
WARNING- Drinking & Driving
Drinking and driving, or drug
use and driving can be very
dangerous on any road. This
certainly remains true for off-
road driving. At the very time
you need special alertness and
driving skills, your reflexes, per-
ceptions and judgement can be
affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs. You could
have a serious - or even fatal -
accident if you drink or take
drugs and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
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Driving uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive
up the hill, you need to take some
special steps.
 Use a low gear and get a firm grip
on the steering wheel.
 Get a smooth start up the hill and
try to maintain your speed. Don’t
use more power than you need,
because you don’t want your
wheels to start spinning or sliding.
 Try to drive straight up the hill, if at
all possible. If the path twists and
turns, you may have to find another
route. Slow down as you approach the top
of the hill.
 Attach a flag to the vehicle to make
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
 Sound the horn as you approach
the top of the hill to let opposing
traffic know you’re there.
 Use your headlights even during
the day. They make you more visi-
ble to other drivers.DRIVING TIPS5-22
WARNING- Driving Across Hills
Turning or driving across steep
hills can be dangerous. You
could lose traction, slide side-
ways, or just reach an area too
steep to traverse. In any case, it
could cause you to roll over. You
could be seriously or fatally
injured. When driving up hills,
always try to go as straight up
as possible.
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Avoid turns that take you across the
incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep
to drive across. You could roll over if
you don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the clutch
pedal depressed. This is called “free-
wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do
all the work and could overheat and
fade.If your wheels lock up during downhill
braking, you may feel the vehicle
starting to slide sideways. To regain
your direction, just ease off the
brakes and steer to keep the front of
the vehicle pointing straight downhill.
DRIVING TIPS5-26
CAUTION
Before beginning to go down-
hill, it is critical that you ensure
that no cargo can shift forward
while you are heading downhill.
Such shifting could either
endanger you and your occu-
pants, or interfere with your
ability to control the vehicle.
WARNING
- Braking
Heavy braking when going
down a hill can cause your
brakes to overheat and fade.
This could cause loss of control
and a serious accident. Apply
the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
CAUTION
Avoid braking so hard that you
lock the wheels when going
downhill. If your front wheels
are locked, you can’t steer your
vehicle.
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Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, sand, snow,
or ice, your wheels won’t get good
traction. You can’t accelerate as
quickly, turning is more difficult, and
you’ll need longer braking distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when
you’re in mud, the deeper the mud,
the lower the gear. In extremely deep
mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle
moving so you don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense
a change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on beaches or sand dunes) your tires
will tend to sink into the sand.This has an effect on steering, accel-
erating, and braking. You may want to
reduce the air pressure in your tires
slightly when driving on sand. This
will improve traction. Remember to
re-inflate them the first chance that
you have after you leave the loosely
packed sand.Hard-packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is so
poor that you will even have difficulty
accelerating. And if you do get mov-
ing, poor steering and difficult braking
can easily cause you to slide out of
control.
DRIVING TIPS
5-29
✽ ✽
NOTICE In case of loss of traction in mud,
loose soil, or sand, turn the steer-
ing wheel rapidly from side-to-
side. This can help generate addi-
tional traction.
 Do not gun the engine. This will
cause the tires to spin and dig
down, not forward, and could
bury the vehicle to the frame.
Smooth, easy power is better than
too much power.
WARNING- Frozen Surfaces
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds
or rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle
could fall through the ice and
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on
safe surfaces only.
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Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road
driving problems. However, heavy
rain can cause flash flooding, and
flood waters demand extreme cau-
tion.
Find out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep
enough to cover your wheel bearing
hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe, don’t try
it. You probably won’t get through.
Also, water that deep can damage
your axle and other vehicle parts.If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through slowly. At fast speeds, water
can splash on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling
can also occur if your tailpipe goes
underwater. As long as your tailpipe
is underwater, you will not be able to
start your engine. When you go
through water, remember that it may
take you longer to stop when your
brakes are wet.
If you have driven through water that
was deep enough to cover your
wheel bearing hubs, it may be a good
idea to have an authorized Kia dealer
repack your front wheel bearings and
examine your rear-end fluid for evi-
dence of water.After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis
or under the hood. These accumula-
tions can be a fire hazard.
After driving in mud or sand, clean
and check the brake linings.
Accumulation of mud or sand can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage. Also,
check the fuel lines and cooling sys-
tem for any leakage. Your vehicle will
also require more frequent service
due to off-road use.DRIVING TIPS5-30
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TRAILER TOWINGYour vehicle can tow a trailer. To iden-
tify what the vehicle trailering capaci-
ty is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight of the
Trailer’’ that appears later in this sec-
tion. Remember that trailering is dif-
ferent than just driving your vehicle
by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel econo-
my. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.This section contains many time-test-
ed, important trailering tips and safe-
ty rules. Many of these are important
for your safety and that of your pas-
sengers. Please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transmission, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, further increasing
the pulling requirements.If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
 State, provincial, county and
municipal government have varying
trailering laws. Make sure your
hitch, mirrors, lights and wiring
arrangements are legal, not only
where you live, but also where
you’ll be driving. A good source for
this information is provincial or local
law enforcement agencies.
 Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.
 After your odometer indicates 800
km or more, you can tow a trailer.
For the first 800 km that you tow a
trailer, don’t drive over 80 km/h and
don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other
parts of your vehicle “wear” in at the
heavier loads.
 Always drive at a safe speed (less
than 100 km/h) commensurate with
road conditions.
 Three important considerations
have to do with weight:DRIVING TIPS5-34✽ ✽
NOTICEPulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correct-
ly, follow the advice in this section.
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Trailer brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 750
kg (1,650 pounds) loaded, then it
needs its own brakes – and they must
be adequate. Be sure to read and fol-
low the instructions for the trailer
brakes so you’ll be able to install,
adjust and maintain them properly.
 Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake
system.
 Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolutely
certain that you have properly set
up the brake system. This is not a
task for amateurs. Use an experi-
enced, competent trailer shop for
this work.Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get to
know your trailer. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so respon-
sive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes
are still working.Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.DRIVING TIPS5-38
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