KIA Sportage 2005 JE_ / 2.G Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle8 4
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Transaxle rangesP (park)Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P. This position
locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
(Continued)
 Before leaving the driver’s
seat, 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.
 Never leave a child unattend-
ed in a vehicle.
WARNING
 Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle 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
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while
the vehicle is in motion.
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49
Driving your vehicle
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R (reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.✽ ✽
NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R while
the vehicle is in motion, except as
explained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,
in this manual.
N (neutral)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.
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.
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Driving your vehicle10 4
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Sports modeWhether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the “D”
position into the manual gate. To
return to “D” range operation, push
the shift lever back into the main
gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.Up (+) : Push the lever forward
once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one
gear.
Snow modeWhen taking off from a standstill on a
slippery road, push the shift lever for-
ward into the +(up) position. This
causes the transaxle to shift into the
2nd gear which is better for smooth
driving on a slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the -(down)
side to shift back to the 1st gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Upshifts do not take place auto-
matically in sports mode. The
driver must execute upshifts in
accordance with road conditions,
taking care to keep the engine
speed below the red zone.
• In sports mode, only the four for-
ward gears can be selected. To
reverse or park the vehicle, move
the shift lever to the “R” or “P”
position as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are
made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine
rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
1KMA3020 + (UP)
- (DOWN)Sports mode
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411
Driving your vehicle
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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. Depress the lock release button
and move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-
dition.
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.
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Driving your vehicle12 4
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. Full-time 4WD is useful
when good traction is required, such
as, when driving on slippery, muddy,
wet, or snow-covered roads. These
vehicles, however, are not designed
for challenging off-road use. Full-time
4WD vehicles are designed primarily
to improve traction and performance
on paved roads and highways in wet
and/or slippery conditions.
Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails
is OK. It is always important when
traveling off-highway that the driver
carefully reduce speed to a level that
does not exceed the safe operating
speed for those conditions. In gener-
al, off-road conditions provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions.These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
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WARNING
This vehicle is designed prima-
rily for on road use. Driving the
vehicle in challenging off-road
conditions for which it was not
designed may result in damage
to the vehicle. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle's
intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
1KMA3053 4WD1KMA3054
2WDFront wheel
Front wheel Rear wheel
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413
Driving your vehicle
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) transfer mode selection
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Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
 This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp grades,
off-roads driving, driving on sandy and muddy roads etc. to
maximize traction.
 This mode automatically begins to deactivate at speed above
30 km/h (19 mph) and is shifted to 4WD AUTO mode at
speed above 40 km/h (25 mph). If the vehicle decelerates to
speeds below 30 km/h (19 mph), however, the transfer mode
is shifted into 4WD LOCK mode again.
 When driving in AUTO mode, the vehicle operates similar to
the conventional 2WD vehicles under normal operating.
However, if it is determined that there is a need to drive the
vehicle in 4WD mode, the engine’s driving power is properly
distributed to all front and rear wheels automatically without
driver intervention.
 When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehicle
moves almost similar to the conventional 2WD vehicles and
the mode is used downtown and on highway.
4WD
LOCK
4WD LOCK
4WD AUTO
(4WD LOCK is
deactivated)
4 4W
WD
D
L LO
OC
CK
K
(Indicator light is
not illuminated) (Indicator light is
illuminated)
✽ ✽
NOTICE• When driving on normal roads, be sure to have the 4WD LOCK mode deactivated by pushing the 4WD LOCK
button(the indicator light goes off). When driving on normal roads with 4WD LOCK mode(especially, when cor-
nering), it may cause mechanical noise or vibration. It is not a mechanical failure but a normal phenomenon. The
noise and vibration disappear when the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated. However, some parts in the power train
may be damaged by continuous driving with the noise and vibration.
• When the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt because the drive power delivered to front and
rear wheels is shifted. This shock is not a mechanical failure but a normal phenomenon.
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Driving your vehicle14 4
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For safe four-wheel drive oper-
ation  Do not try to drive in deep standing
water, mud, or over steep hills. When you are driving up or down
hills drive as close to straight up
and down the hill as possible. Use
extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.
WARNING -
Steep hills
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
WARNING -
Four-wheel
driving
The conditions on-road or off-
road that demand four-wheel
drive mean all functions of your
vehicle are exposed to more
extreme stress than under high-
way conditions. Slow down,
look ahead, and be ready for
sudden changes in the compo-
sition and traction of the sur-
face under your tires. If you
have any doubt about the safety
of the conditions you are facing,
stop and consider the best way
to proceed. Do not exceed the
ability of yourself or your vehi-
cle to operate safely.
HILL1
HILL2
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415
Driving your vehicle
 You must learn how to corner in a
4WD vehicle as soon as possible.
Do not rely on your experience in
conventional 2WD vehicles in
choosing safe cornering speed.
You must drive more slowly. Drive off-road carefully because
your vehicle may be damaged by
rocks or roots of trees. Become
familiar with the off-road conditions
you are going to drive before you
start.
 Always hold the steering wheel
firmly when you are driving off-
road.
 Make sure all passengers are
wearing seat belts.
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WARNING -
Turning corners
Reduce speed when you turn
corners. The center of gravity of
4WD vehicles is higher than that
of conventional 2WD vehicles,
making them more likely to roll
over when you turn corners too
fast.
WARNING
Do not grab inside of the steer-
ing wheel when you are driving
off-road. Your arm may be hurt
by a sudden steering maneuver
or from steering wheel rebound
due to impact with objects on
the ground. You could lose con-
trol of the steering wheel.
1KMN4415
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Driving your vehicle16 4
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 If you need to drive in water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to
“4WD LOCK” and drive at less than
8 km/h (5 mph).
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte-
nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see “Maintenance
Services” in the Index). Always
wash you car thoroughly.
• Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the 4WD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip them
with all four tires with same size
and type.
• The full time four wheel drive
vehicle cannot be towed by an
ordinary tow truck. Make sure
that the vehicle is towed with its
four wheels raised off the ground.
WARNING
While the full-time 4WD vehicle
is being raised on a jack, never
start the engine or cause the
tires to rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the
jack and to jump forward.
CAUTION
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow,
etc. the vehicle can sometimes
be driven out by depressing the
accelerator pedal further; how-
ever avoid running the engine
continuously at high rpm
because doing so could dam-
age the 4WD system.
WARNING
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.
WARNING -
Driving
through water
If you are driving too fast in
water, the water spray can get
into the engine compartment
and wet the ignition system,
causing your vehicle to sudden-
ly stall. If this happens and your
vehicle is in a tilted position,
your vehicle may roll over.
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Driving your vehicle
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WARNING
 Avoid high cornering speed.
 Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
 The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at high speeds.
 In a collision, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely
to die compared to a person
wearing a seat belt.
 Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over steers to re-enter the
roadway.
 In the event your vehicle
leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply.
Instead , slow down before
pulling back into the travel
lanes.
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