transmission KIA Sorento 2009 2.G Owner's Guide

Driving your vehicle40
4Engine 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.
Charging system
warning This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electrical
charging system.
If the warning light comes on while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera- tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an Authorized
Kia Dealer correct the problem as
soon as possible.
Safety belt warning If the driver's safety belt is not fastened
when the key is turned ON or if it is
unfastened after the key is turned ON,
the safety belt warning light blinks until
the belt fastened.Shift pattern indicators
(if equipped)The individual indicators illuminate to
show the automatic transmission shift
lever selection.
CAUTION
If the engine is not stopped imme-diately, severe damage could result.
P
R
N
D
or

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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 causeengine over-heating, transmissiondamage or failure, and tire damage.

59
Driving tips
Winter driving We recommend that you carry emer-gency equipment, including tire chains,
a window scraper, windshield deicer, a
bag of sand or salt, flares, a small
shovel and jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient ethylene 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.
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 trans-
mission or P (Park) with an automatic
transmission and block the rear
wheels.
Snow tires If you mount snow tires on your Kia,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.Do not install studded tires without firstchecking local, state and municipal regu-lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er 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 several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
WARNING
- Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety and
handling of your vehicle may be
adversely affected.

Driving tips18
5Driving uphillOnce 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 spin-
ning 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 visible to
other drivers.
Stalling while driving uphill
What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or isabout to stall, and I can’t make it up thehill?If your vehicle stalls, or is about to stall
while driving uphill, there are some
things you should do, and there are some
things you must not do. First, here’s what
you should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehi- cle and keep it from rolling backwards.
Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down
the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to restart it. With the brake
pedal depressed and the parking
brake still applied, shift a manual trans-
mission to N (Neutral), or an automatic
transmission to P (Park) and restart
the engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly
back down the hill in reverse.
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering wheel at
the 12 o’clock position. This way, you’ll
be able to tell if your wheels are
straight or turned to the left or right as
you back down.
WARNING -
Driving across
hills
Turning or driving across steep
hills can be dangerous. You could
lose traction, slide sideways, 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.
WARNING
- Driving overhills
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at
full speed can cause an accident
and result in serious or fatal injury.
There could be a drop-off, embank-
ment, cliff, another vehicle or peo-
ple sitting on the ground. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down and
stay alert.

519
Driving tips
Here are some things you must not do if
you stall, or are about to stall, when
going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall bydepressing the clutch or shifting to N
(Neutral) to “rev-up” the engine and
regain forward momentum. This won’t
work. Your vehicle will roll backwards
very quickly and you could go out of
control or roll over.
Instead, apply the brake to stop the vehi-
cle. Then apply the parking brake. Shift
into reverse, release the parking brake,
and slowly back down.
Stalled on a steep uphillIf your vehicle stalls and you can’t back
down the hill, try this: Set the parking
brake, put your transmission in 1 (First)
gear or P (Park), and turn the engine off.
Leave the vehicle and get some help. If
your vehicle is at an angle to the slope of
the hill, exit the vehicle on the uphill side
and stay clear of the path the vehicle
would take if it rolled downhill. Leave it in
1 (First) gear for manual transmission or
P (Park) for automatic transmission.
WARNING
- Stalling
Never attempt to turn around if you
are about to stall when going up a
hill. If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough
to cause you to roll over if you turn
around. If you can’t make it up, you
must back down the hill.
WARNING
- Exiting vehicle
Getting out on the downhill (low)
side of a vehicle stopped across an
incline is dangerous. If the vehicle
rolls over, you could be crushed or
fatally injured. Always get out on
the uphill (high) side of the vehicle
and stay well clear of the rollover
path.
WARNING
- Leaving vehi- cle
If you are going to leave your vehicle,
set the parking brake and shift a
manual transmission to 1 (First), or
an automatic transmission to P
(Park).

521
Driving tips
Stalling downhillStalling is much more likely to happen
going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying thebrakes. Then apply the parking brake.
Move the shift lever to P (Park) in auto- matic transmission or shift to N
(Neutral) in manual transmission and,
while still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, and drive straight down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and seek help. Exit on the uphill side of the
vehicle and stay clear of the path the
vehicle would take if it rolled downhill.
Driving across an inclineSooner or later, an off-road trail will prob-
ably go across the incline of a hill. If this
happens, you have to decide whether or
not to try to drive across the incline. Here
are some things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up ordown may be too steep to drive across.
When you go straight up or down a hill,
the length of the wheel base (the dis-
tance from the front wheels to the rear
wheels) reduces the likelihood the
vehicle will tumble end over end. But
when you drive across an incline, the
much narrower track width (the dis-
tance between the left and right
wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driv-
ing across an incline puts more weight
on the downhill wheels. This could
cause a downhill slide or a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive across a hill. Loose
gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass
can cause your tires to slip sideways. If
the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit
something that will tip it (a rock, a rut,
etc.) and cause it to roll over. Hidden obstacles can make the steep-
ness of the incline even worse. If you
drive across a rock with the uphill
wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop
into a rut or depression, your vehicle
can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to
decide carefully whether or not to try to
drive across an incline. Just because the
trail goes across the incline doesn’t
mean you have to drive it.
WARNING
- Roll over
Driving across an incline that’s too
steep will make your vehicle roll
over. You could be seriously or
fatally injured. If you have any
doubt about the steepness of the
incline, don’t drive across it. Find
another route instead.

Driving tips30
5GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating)
This is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded
trailer - including all cargo and pas-
sengers - that the vehicle can handle
without risking damage. (Important :
The towing vehicle's braking system
is rated for operation at GVWR, not
GCWR. Separate functional brakes
should be used for safe control of
towed vehicles and for trailers weigh-
ing an 750kg (1,653 lbs).) The GCW
must never exceed the GCWR. Maximum Trailer Weight
This is the highest possible weight of
a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can
tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo, and a
driver. The weight of other optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
your vehicle will reduce the maxi-
mum trailer weight your vehicle can
tow.
Calculating the load your vehicle
can tow
1. Use the appropriate maximum
GCWR chart (in the Weight of the
Trailer section in this chapter) for
your type of drive system and
transmission.
2. Weigh your vehicle.
3. Subtract the weight of your vehicle from the maximum GCWR in the
chart. This is the maximum trailer
weight your vehicle can tow. It
must be below the maximum trail-
er weight shown in the chart. Note
that the maximum trailer weight
your vehicle can tow depends on
the total weight of any cargo, pas-
sengers and available equipment
in the vehicle.

Driving tips32
5Remember that trailering is different than
just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering causes major changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requires cor-
rect equipment, and cautious driving.
This section contains many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your
safety and that of your passengers.
Please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transmission, wheel assemblies,
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 additional burden generates extra
heat. The trailer also adds considerably
to wind resistance, increasing the pulling
requirements.
If you do decide to pull a trailerHere 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 state 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 (500 miles) or more, you can tow a
trailer. For the first 800 km (500 miles)
that you tow a trailer, don’t drive over
80 km/h (50 mph) 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 your vehicle at a moder- ate speed (less than 100 km/h (60
mph)).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower.
The important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the trailerHow heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than the maxi-
mum trailer weight with trailer brakes. But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your
trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer
are all important. The ideal trailer weight
can also depend on any special equip-
ment that you have on your vehicle.

Driving tips36
5Do 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%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge to ensure the engine does not over-heat. If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H” (HOT), pullover and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and allow the engine toidle until it cools down. You may proceed once the engine hascooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi- bility of engine and transmissionoverheating.

537
Driving tips
Parking on hills Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the curb (right if headed down hill,
left if headed up hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual transmis- sion, place the car in neutral. If the
vehicle has an automatic transmission,
place the car in P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels. 5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift
to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to R
(Reverse) for manual transmission or
P (Park) for automatic transmission.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
When you are ready to leave afterparking on a hill 1. With the manual transmission in Neutral or automatic transmission in P
(Park), apply your brakes and hold the
brake pedal down while you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
WARNING
- Parking on ahill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause serious
injury or death, should the trailer
break lose.