heating KIA Sorento 2008 1.G User Guide

Driving your vehicle
74 4
Air conditioning system opera-
tion tips
• If the vehicle has been parked in direct
sunlight during hot weather, open the
windows for a short time to let the hot
air inside the vehicle escape.
• To help reduce moisture inside of win-
dows on rainy humid days, decrease
the humidity inside the vehicle by oper-
ating the air conditioning system.
• During air conditioning system opera-
tion, you may occasionally notice a
slight change in engine speed at idle
as the air conditioning compressor
cycles on. This is a normal system
operating characteristic.
• Use the air conditioning system every
month if only for a few minutes to
ensure maximum system perform-
ance.
• When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, you may notice clear water drip-
ping (or even puddling) on the ground
under the passenger side of the vehi-
cle. This is a normal system operating
characteristic.
• Operating the air conditioning system
in the recirculated air position does
provide maximum cooling, however,
continual operation in this mode may
cause the air inside the vehicle to
become stale.
Checking the amount of air con-
ditioner refrigerant and compres-
sor lubricant
When the amount of refrigerant is low,
the performance of the air conditioning is
reduced. Overfilling also has a bad influ-
ence on the air conditioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.
CAUTION
When using the air conditioning
system, monitor the temperature
gauge closely while driving up hills
or in heavy traffic when outside tem-
peratures are high. Air conditioning
system operation may cause engine
overheating. Continue to use the
blower fan but turn the air condi-
tioning system off if the temperature
gauge indicates engine overheat-
ing.
CAUTION
The air conditioner refrigerant con-
tainer is highly pressurized.
Therefore it should be serviced by
an authorized Kia dealer. Improper
service may cause serious injury.
CAUTION
When the performance of the air
conditioning system is reduced it is
important that the correct type and
amount of oil and refrigerant is
used. Otherwise, damage to the
compressor and abnormal system
operation may occur.

57
Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
• Avoid sudden movements in braking or
steering.
• When braking with non-ABS brakes
pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped.• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
• Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or
other non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when stalled
in ice, snow, or mud.
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 drive 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 possible damage to the transmis-
sion.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transmission, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an acci-
dent. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid.
Be careful when downshifting on
slippery surfaces.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine over-heating, transmission
damage or failure, and tire damage.

511
Driving tips
USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
Driving on snow- or ice-covered
roads ("4HI, 4LO" for part-time
4WD operation or "AUTO" for full-
time 4WD operation)
• Use snow tires. See “Tires” in this sec-
tion for more information.
• Keep an adequate distance between
yourself and other vehicles.
• Avoid sudden braking, acceleration or
steering. These actions can cause your
vehicle to lose traction.
Driving in sand or mud ("4HI,
4LO" for part-time 4WD operation
or "AUTO" for full-time 4WD oper-
ation)
• Avoid sudden braking, acceleration or
steering. These actions can cause your
vehicle to get stuck in the sand or mud.
• Drive at low speeds whenever possi-
ble.
• You may need to get out of your vehi-
cle at times to check road conditions.
• If you get stuck in the sand or mud, try
placing stones, wood or other similar
materials under the tires to get traction,
or move forward and backward repeat-
edly to get unstuck.
WARNING- Traction
Make sure that no one stands in
front of or behind the tires when
materials are placed under the tires
to get more traction. The tires may
cause loose materials to fly out
from under the vehicle, potentially
causing serious bodily injury or
death.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine damage, overheating, trans-
mission differential or transfer case
damage or failure and tire damage.

Driving tips
36 5
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring har-
ness.
Your Authorized Kia Dealer can assist
you in installing the wiring harness.Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45
mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transmission overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transmission,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transmission.
If you have a manual transmission, drive
in fourth gear (or, as you need to, a lower
gear).
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer
wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.
CAUTION
• When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine
coolant temperature gauge to
ensure the engine does not over-
heat. If the needle of the coolant
temperature gauge moves across
the dial towards “H” (HOT), pull
over and stop as soon as it is safe
to do so, and allow the engine to
idle until it cools down. You may
proceed once the engine has
cooled sufficiently.
• You must decide driving speed
depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transmission
overheating.

Driving tips
38 5
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion to include engine oil, automatic
transmission fluid, axle lubricant and
cooling system fluid. Brake condition is
another important item to frequently
check. Each item is covered in this man-
ual, and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.CAUTION
• Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
in hot days or during uphill driv-
ing. If the coolant gauge indicates
over-heating, switch off the A/C
and stop the vehicle in a safe area
to cool down the engine.
• When towing check transmission
fluid more frequently.
• If your vehicle is not equipped
with the air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan to
improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.

6
Road warning / 6-2
Overheating / 6-3
Emergency starting / 6-4
Electrical circuit protection / 6-7
Towing / 6-14
If you have a flat tire / 6-19
In case of an emergency

63
In case of an emergency
OVERHEATING
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these symp-
toms occur, use the following procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flasher,
then drive to the nearest safe location
and stop your vehicle; set the automat-
ic transmission in P (Park), or shift the
manual transmission to N (Neutral)
and apply the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator, stop the engine and call an
Authorized Kia Dealer for assistance.If coolant is not boiling out, allow the
engine to idle and open the hood to
permit the engine to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the engine
and allow sufficient time for it to cool.
4. The coolant level should then be
checked. If the level in the reservoir is
low, look for leaks at the radiator hoses
and connections, heater hoses and
connections, radiator, and water
pump. If you find a major leak or anoth-
er problem that may have caused the
engine to overheat, do not operate the
engine until it has been corrected. Call
an Authorized Kia Dealer for assis-
tance. If you do not find a leak or other
problem, carefully add coolant to the
reservoir.
If the engine frequently overheats, have
the cooling system checked and repaired
by an Authorized Kia Dealer.
WARNING- Removing
radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and steam
may blow out under pressure. This
could cause serious injury.

Maintenance
20 7
CLIMATE CONTROL AIR FILTER (IF EQUIPPED)
The climate control air filter installed
behind the glove box filters the dust or
other pollutants that come into the vehi-
cle from the outside through the heating
and air conditioning system. If dust or
other pollutants accumulate in the filter
over a period of time, the air flow from the
air vents may decrease, resulting in
moisture accumulation on the inside of
the windshield even when the outside
(fresh) are position is selected. If this
happens, have the climate control air fil-
ter replaced by an Authorized Kia Dealer.The air filter should be replaced every
15,000 km (10,000 miles). If the vehicle
is operated in the severely air-polluted
cities or on dusty rough roads for a long
period, it should be inspected more fre-
quently and replaced earlier. When you
try to replace the air filter by owner main-
tenance, replace it performing the follow-
ing procedure, and in this case, be care-
ful to avoid damaging other components.
Wiper blade maintenance
Commercial hot waxes applied by
automatic car washes have been
known to make the windshield diffi-
cult to clean.
Contamination of either the windshield or
the wiper blades with foreign matter can
reduce the effectiveness of the wind-
shield wipers. Common sources of con-
tamination are insects, tree sap, and hot
wax treatments used by some commer-
cial car washes. If the blades are not wip-
ing properly, clean both the window and
the blades with a good cleaner or mild
detergent, and rinse thoroughly with
clean water.
6BLA523
Outside air
Recirculated
air
Blower
Evaporator core
Heater coreClimate control air filter
WIPER BLADES
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, do not use gasoline,
kerosene, paint thinner, or other
solvents on or near them.

93
Index
If you have a flat tire ···················································6-19
Ignition switch ································································4-2
Immobilizer system ························································3-5
Instrument cluster ·······················································4-36
Instrument panel overview ···········································2-2
Interior care··································································7-42
Interior features ···························································3-86
Interior lights ·······························································3-82
Keys ·················································································3-2
Label information ························································5-39
Lighting·········································································4-51
Limited slip differential···············································4-19
Lubricant specifications ··············································7-37
Lubricants and fluids ··················································7-18
Luggage center box ······················································3-96
Luggage net ··································································3-94
Maintenance schedule Owner maintenance ················7-7
Maintenance services ·····················································7-2
Manual climate control system···································4-59
Mirrors ··········································································3-74Multi-meter···································································4-45
Overheating····································································6-3
Power steering······························································7-15
Rear parking assist system··········································4-33
Remote keyless entry ·····················································3-3
Road warning·································································6-2
Roof rack ······································································3-96
Safety belts····································································3-25
Seat ················································································3-15
Special driving conditions ·············································5-7
Specifications ··································································8-2
Starting the engine ·························································4-4
Steering wheel·······························································4-25
Storage compartment ··················································3-83
Suggestions for economical operation··························5-6
Sunroof ··········································································3-91
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