warning KIA SORENTO 2010 Owners Manual

541
Driving your vehicle
1. Cruise indicator
2. Cruise set indicator
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-stant speed without pressing the acceler-ator pedal. This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
✽✽NOTICE
During normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. The delay is
normal.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on (Cruise indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated),
the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally. Keep
the cruise control system off(Cruise indicator light OFF) when
the cruise control is not in use, to
avoid inadvertently setting aspeed.
Use the cruise control system only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when it may not be safe to keep
the vehicle at a constant speed,
for instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
Pay particular attention to the driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
OXM059019
CAUTION
During cruise-speed driving of a
manual transaxle vehicle, do notshift into neutral without depress-ing the clutch pedal, since the
engine will be overrevved. If thishappens, depress the clutch pedalor release the cruise control ON- OFF switch.

Driving your vehicle
46
5
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in too
high a gear resulting engine bucking. If
this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized KIA
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury ordeath.

547
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, followthese suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-tance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle isstopped. 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 front wheels. Then, shift
back and forth between 1st (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with a
manual transaxle or R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped with an
automatic transaxle. 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 transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING -
ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slipperysurfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause engine over-heating, transaxle dam-age or failure, and tire damage.

Driving your vehicle
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5
✽✽
NOTICE
The ESP system (if equipped) should be
turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in cor-
ners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration. If you follow
these suggestions, tire wear will be held
to a minimum. 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.
WARNING - Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat
which could result in tire damage
that may injure bystanders.
OUN056051OCM053010
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle free
by moving it forward and backward.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people orobjects.

Driving your vehicle
50
5
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽✽
NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engineoil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tiresshould be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.
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551
Driving your vehicle
More weather conditions of winter result
in greater wear and other problems. To
minimize winter driving problem, you
should follow these suggestions:Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-
cations, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-
cient distance between the vehicle in
operation in front and your vehicle. Also,
apply the brake gently. It should be notedthat installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.
✽✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all countries.
Check the country laws before fitting
tire chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
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 first checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
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.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by mount-
ing some types of snow chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is rec-
ommended instead of snow chains. Do
not mount tire chains on vehicles
equipped with aluminum wheels; snow
chains may cause damage to the wheels.
If snow chains must be used, use wire-
type chains with a thickness of less than
15 mm (0.59 in). Damage to your vehicle
caused by improper snow chain use is
not covered by your vehicle manufactur-
ers warranty. When using tire chains, attach them to
the drive wheels as follows.
2WD : Front wheels
4WD : All four wheels
If a full set of chains is not avail-
able for a 4WD vehicle, chains
may be installed on the front
wheels only. Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the manu-
facturer's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains are
the correct size and type for yourtires. Incorrect snow chains cancause damage to the vehicle body and suspension and may not becovered by your vehicle manufac-
turer warranty. Also, the snowchain connecting hooks may bedamaged from contacting vehicle components causing the snow
chains to come loose from thetire. Make sure the snow chainsare SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installation for proper mounting after drivingapproximately 0.5 to 1 km (0.3 to0.6 miles) to ensure safe mount-ing. Retighten or remount the
chains if they are loose.
WARNING
- Mounting chains
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place
a triangular emergency warning
device behind the vehicle if avail-
able. Always place the vehicle in P
(Park), apply the parking brake and
turn off the engine before installing
snow chains.1VQA3007

553
Driving your vehicle
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling
system. It is the only type of coolant that
should be used because it helps prevent
corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with themaintenance schedule in section 7.
Before winter, have your coolant tested toassure that its freezing point is sufficient
for the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
7. The level of charge in your battery can
be checked by an authorized KIA dealer
or a service station.Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary In some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See section 8
for recommendations. If you aren't sure
what weight oil you should use, consult
an authorized KIA dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in
section 7 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 30 km/h (20 mph) or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other
road hazards, which may cause
the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
CAUTION
Chains that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-pension, body and wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

555
Driving your vehicle
If you are considering towing with your
vehicle, you should first check with your
country's Department of Motor Vehicles
to determine their legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for tow-
ing trailers, cars, or other types of vehi-
cles or apparatus may differ. Ask an
authorized KIA dealer for further details
before towing.✽✽NOTICE - For Europe
 The technically permissible maximum load on the rear axle(s) may be
exceeded by not more than 15% and
the technically permissible maximum
laden mass of the vehicle may be
exceeded by not more than 10% or
100kg (220.4 lbs), whichever value is
lower. In this case, do not exceed 100
km/h (62.1 mph) for vehicle of catego-
ry M1 or 80 km/h (49.7 mph) for vehi-
cle of category N1.
 When a vehicle of category M1 is tow- ing a trailer, the additional load
imposed at the trailer coupling device
may cause the tire maximum load rat-
ings to be exceeded, but not by more
than 15%. In this case, do not exceed
100 km/h (62.1 mph) and increase the
tire inflation pressure by at least 0.2
bar. Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify
what the vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you should read the infor-
mation in “Weight of the trailer” thatappears later in this section.
Remember that trailering is different than
just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling,
durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering requires correct equip-
ment, and it has to be used properly.
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, transaxle, 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 considerably adds wind
resistance, increasing pulling require-
ments.
TRAILER TOWING (FOR EUROPE)
WARNING
- Towing a trailer
If you don't use the correct equip-
ment and drive improperly, you can
lose control when you pull a trailer.
For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well - or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously or
fatally injured. Pull a trailer only if
you have followed all the steps inthis section.
WARNING - Weight limits
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, grossaxle weight and trailer tongue loadare all within the limits.
CAUTION
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result incostly repairs not covered by yourwarranty. To pull a trailer correctly,follow the advice in this section.

557
Driving your vehicle
Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not
drop to the road if it becomes separatedfrom the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be
provided by the hitch manufacturer or by
the trailer manufacturer. Follow the man-
ufacturer’s recommendation for attaching
safety chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trailer.
And, never allow safety chains drag on
the ground.Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to your
country’s regulations and that it is prop-
erly installed and operating correctly.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
loaded, then it needs its own brakes and
they must be adequate. Be sure to read
and follow 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 sys-
tem. 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 responsive 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 mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake con-
troller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electri-
cal connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and trailer brakes are still working.
WARNING
- Trailer brakes
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.