KIA Spectra 2009 2.G Owner's Manual

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Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operationThe manual transaxle has five for-
ward gears.
Press the clutch pedal down fully
while shifting, then release it slowly.
A special safety feature prevents
inadvertent shifting from 5 (Fifth) to
R (Reverse). The gearshift lever must
be returned to the neutral position
before shifting into R (Reverse).Make sure the vehicle is completelystopped before shifting into R(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone. Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
“labor’’. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OLD046003N
WARNING
- Manual
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
Then make sure the transaxle is
shifted into 1st gear on level or
uphill ground or into R
(Reverse) gear on downhill
ground. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed in the order identi-
fied.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutchpedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped onan upgrade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.

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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OLD036019N
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever. Depress the brake pedal and push the button when shifting.The shift lever can be moved without depressing the lock release button.
Lock release button
Prevents shift lever movement
without first depressing the button.

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Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operationAll normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)
position.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reversegear.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your transaxle, do not acceleratethe engine in R (Reverse) orany forward gear position withthe brakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle sta-tionary with engine power.Use the service brake or theparking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.

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Transaxle rangesP (park)This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotat-
ing. Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into this position.
R (reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (neutral)With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’sseat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (PARK)
position. Set the parking
brake fully, shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while thevehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into Rwhile the vehicle is in motion,except as explained in “Rockingthe Vehicle”, in this manual.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damagedif you shift into P (Park) whilethe vehicle is in motion.

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Driving your vehicle
D (drive)This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.✽ ✽NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
3 (Third Gear)Move shift lever to this position for
towing a trailer during hill climbing.
This position also provides engine
braking when going down hills.2 (Second Gear)Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This
position also helps reduce wheel
spin on slippery surfaces. When the
shift lever is placed in 2 (Second
Gear), the transaxle will automatical-
ly shift from first to second gear.
L (Low)Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climb-
ing steep grades.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommend-
ed maximum speeds in 2(Second Gear) or L (Low).Operating the vehicle at speedsabove the maximum recom-mended, for 2 (Second Gear) orL (Low) may cause excessiveheat to develop which couldresult in damage to or failure ofthe automatic transaxle.

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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing startTo move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
Shift lock systemFor your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle cannot
be shifted from P (Park).
Ignition key interlock systemThe ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in or
around the car.

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Driving your vehicle
Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle. If you must use the parking
brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING -
Brakes
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)

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Disc brakes wear indicator Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and
it's time for new pads, you will hear a
high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs serv-
ice. If you ignore this audible
warning, you will eventually lose
braking performance, which
could lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads as complete front or rear axle sets.
(Continued)
Wet brakes may result in the vehicle not slowing down at
the usual rate and pulling to
one side when the brakes are
applied. Applying the brakes
lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this
way. Always test your brakes
in this fashion after driving
through deep water. To dry the
brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe for-
ward speed until brake per-
formance returns to normal.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, donot continue to drive with wornbrake pads.

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Driving your vehicle
Parking brake To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then without
pressing the release button in, pull
the parking brake lever up as far as
possible. In addition it is recommend-
ed that when parking the vehicle on
a gradient, the shift lever should be
positioned in the appropriate low
gear on manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position on automatic
transaxle vehicles.To release the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and pull up the
parking brake lever slightly.
Secondly, depress the release button
and lower the parking brake lever
while holding the button.
✽ ✽
NOTICEIf you depress the release button
without pulling up the parking
brake lever, you will not be able to
release the parking brake.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To prevent unintentional movement when stopped and
leaving the vehicle, do not use
the gearshift lever in place of
the parking brake. Set the
parking brake AND make sure
the gearshift lever is securely
positioned in 1st (First) gear
or R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle equipped vehicles
and in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow a person who is unfamiliar with the vehicle or
children to touch the parking
brake. If the parking brake is
released unintentionally, seri-
ous injury may occur.
OLD036031
OLD036030
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessivebrake pad and brake rotor wear.

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Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off. If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
Parking on curbed streets When parking your vehicle on an
uphill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels away from the curb so that
the front wheels will contact the
curb if the vehicle moves back-
ward.
When parking your vehicle on a downhill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels toward the curb so that the
front wheels will contact the curb if
the vehicle moves forward.
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