KIA Spectra 2006 2.G Owner's Manual

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Driving tips
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMThe emission control system of your
vehicle is covered by a written limited
warranty. Please see the warranty
information contained in the
Warranty & Consumer Information
Manual in your vehicle.Vehicle modifications This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification of your Kia could affect
its performance, safety or durability
and may even violate governmental
safety and emissions regulations.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from any modifi-
cation may not be covered under
warranty.
Engine exhaust gas precau-
tions (carbon monoxide)  Carbon monoxide can be presentwith other exhaust fumes.
Therefore, if you smell exhaust
fumes of any kind inside your vehi-
cle, have it inspected and repaired
immediately by an authorized Kia
dealer. If you ever suspect exhaust
fumes are coming into your vehi-
cle, drive it only with all the win-
dows fully open. Have your vehicle
checked and repaired immediately.  Do not operate the engine in con-
fined or closed areas (such as
garages) any more than what is
necessary to move the vehicle in or
out of the area.
 When the vehicle is stopped in an open area for more than a short
time with the engine running,
adjust the ventilation system (as
needed) to draw outside air into the
vehicle.
 Never sit in a parked or stopped vehicle for any extended time with
the engine running.
 When the engine stalls or fails to start, excessive attempts to re-
start the engine may cause dam-
age to the emission control sys-
tem.
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WARNING
Engine exhaust gases contain
carbon monoxide (CO). Though
colorless and odorless, it is
dangerous and could be lethal if
inhaled. Follow the instructions
following to avoid CO poison-
ing.
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Driving tips45Operating precautions for cat-
alytic converters Your vehicle is equipped with a cat-
alytic converter emission control
device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
 Use only UNLEADED FUEL forgasoline engine (unleaded).
 Do not operate the vehicle when there are signs of engine malfunc-
tion, such as misfire or a noticeable
loss of performance.
 Do not misuse or abuse the engine. Examples of misuse are
coasting with the ignition off and
descending steep grades in gear
with the ignition off.  Do not operate the engine at high
idle speed for extended periods (5
minutes or more).
 Do not modify or tamper with any part of the engine or emission con-
trol system. All inspections and
adjustments must be made by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Failure to observe these precautions
could result in damage to the catalyt-
ic converter and to your vehicle.
Additionally, such actions could void
your warranties.
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WARNING
- Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite
flammable items under your
vehicle. Do not park the vehicle
over or near flammable objects,
such as dry grass, paper,
leaves, etc.
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55
Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING Before entering vehicle: Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
 Check the condition of the tires.
 Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
 Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.Necessary inspections Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance.
Before starting  Close and lock all doors.
 Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
 Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
 Be sure that all lights work.
 Check all gauges.
 Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
 Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
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WARNING
- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even a
small amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ride
with a driver who has been
drinking or taking drugs.
Choose a designated driver or
call a cab.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than driving
drunk.
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Driving tips65SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATIONYour vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
 Avoid lengthy warm-up idling.Once the engine is running
smoothly, begin driving.
Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
 Save fuel by accelerating slowly after stopping.
 Keep the engine in tune and follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule. This will increase
the life of all parts and lower your
operating costs.  Do not use the air conditioner
unnecessarily.
 Slow down when driving on rough roads.
 For longer tire life and better fuel economy, always keep the tires
inflated to the recommended pres-
sures.
 Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden stops.
This will reduce wear on brake lin-
ings and pads. Driving in such a
way will also save fuel because
extra fuel is required to accelerate
back to driving speed.
 Do not carry unnecessary weight in the vehicle.
 Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage
to the brakes, and poor fuel econo-
my.
 Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel
economy.  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
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
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WARNING
- Engine off
during 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 without the engine
running. Instead, downshift to
an appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.
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57
Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS Hazardous driving conditions When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
 Drive cautiously and allow extradistance for braking.
 Avoid sudden movements in brak- ing or steering.
 When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down
motion until the vehicle is stopped.✽ ✽ NOTICEDo not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
 If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly 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 1 (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 pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.✽ ✽ NOTICEProlonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
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WARNING
- Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
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Driving tips85
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 dis-tance between you and other vehi-
cles, 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 head-
lights.
 Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed on vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. 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 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 harderto see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
 Keep your windshield wiping equipment 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.
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WARNING
- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56
km/h (35 mph). 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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59
Driving tips
 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 you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Winter driving We recommend that you carryemergency equipment, including a
window scraper, windshield 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.  Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield 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 transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.
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Driving tips10
5Snow 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 provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local and provincial
regulations for possible restrictions
against their use.
Driving in flooded areas Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher 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 sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
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WARNING
- Snow tire
size
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
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511
Driving tips
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TRAILER TOWING✽ ✽NOTICE
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this section.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in
“Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section. Remember that
trailering is different than just driving
your vehicle by itself. Trailering
means changes in handling, durabil-
ity, 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.
WARNING
- Towing a
trailer
If you don't use the correct
equipment and drive properly,
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 in
this section.
Item Specification
Maximum trailer Without trailer brakes 453 (1000)
weight kg (lbs.) With trailer brakes 907 (2000)
Maximum permissible static vertical load on
the coupling device kg (lbs.) 72 (159)
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Driving tips12
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Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, 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, increasing the
pulling requirements.
If you do decide to pull a trailerHere are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
 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 throt-
tle. 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.
 The important considerations have to do with weight: Weight of the trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than 907
kg (2000 lbs.) with trailer brakes. But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use
your trailer. For example, speed, alti-
tude, road grades, outside tempera-
ture and how much your vehicle is
used to pull a trailer are all important.
The ideal trailer weight can also
depend on any special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
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