KIA Sportage 2008 JE_ / 2.G Owner's Manual

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Driving your vehicle
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START
Turn the ignition key to the START
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning lamp
can be checked in this position.
✽
NOTICE
If difficulty is experienced in turn-
ing the ignition key, turn the steer-
ing wheel right and left to release the
tension and then turn the key.
Automatic transaxle
When turning the ignition switch to
the LOCK position, the shift lever
must be in the P (Park) position.
WARNING - Ignition key
• Never turn the ignition switch
to LOCK or ACC while the
vehicle is moving.This would
result in loss of directional
control and braking function,
which could cause an immedi-
ate accident.
• Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is engaged in 1
st
gear for manual transaxle or P
(Park) for automatic transaxle,
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement may occur if
these precautions are not
taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Never reach for the ignition
switch, or any other controls
through the steering wheel
while the vehicle is in motion.
The presence of your hand or
arm in this area could cause a
loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily
injury or death.
• Do not place any movable
objects around the driver’s
seat as they may move while
driving,interfere with the dri-
ver and lead to an accident.

Driving your vehicle
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1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2.Manual Transaxle- Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the
clutch pedal depressed while turn-
ing the ignition switch to the start
position. The starter will not oper-
ate if the clutch pedal is not fully
depressed.
Automatic Transaxle- Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine
when the shift lever is in the N
(Neutral) position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START
and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key.
4. In extremely cold weather (below
-18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle
has not been operated for several
days, let the engine warm up with-
out depressing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm,
it should be started without
depressing the accelerator.
✽
NOTICE
Do not engage the starter for more
than 10 seconds. If the engine stalls
or fails to start, wait 5 to 10 seconds
before re-engaging the starter.
Excessive or improper use of the
starter may damage it.
The starter will not operate if:
•Manual Transaxle- the clutch
pedal is not fully depressed.
•Automatic Transaxle- the shift
lever is NOT in the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position.
STARTING THE ENGINE
CAUTION - Stall
If the engine stalls while you are
in motion, do not attempt to
move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position.If traffic and
road conditions permit, you may
put the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and turn
the ignition switch to the START
position in an attempt to restart
the engine.
CAUTION
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels,
ski boots,etc.) may interfere
with your ability to use the
brake and accelerator pedal,
and the clutch (if equipped).

Manual transaxle operation
The 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 completely
stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
✽
NOTICE
To avoid premature clutch wear and
damage, do not drive with your foot
resting on the clutch pedal. Also,
don’t use the clutch to hold the vehi-
cle stopped on an upgrade, while
waiting for a traffic light, etc.
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)
1KMA3052
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 1
stgear when the
vehicle is parked on a level or
uphill grade, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed in
the order identified.
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Driving your vehicle
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Driving your vehicle
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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
1KMA3019
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.
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode Automatic mode
Lock release button prevents shift lever
movement without first depressing the button.

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Driving your vehicle
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Automatic transaxle operation
All 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 the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse
gear.✽
NOTICE
• To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the brakes
on.
• When stopped on an upgrade, do
not hold the vehicle stationary
with engine power. Use the service
brake or the parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P
(Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
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.
1KMA3019
Automatic
mode

Driving your vehicle
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Transaxle ranges
P (park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P. This position
locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
✽
NOTICE
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.
(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-Automatic
transaxle
•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)

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Driving your vehicle
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R (reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
✽
NOTICE
Always 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.
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.
✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).

Driving your vehicle
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Sports mode
Whether 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.
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 mode
When 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 take place automatically
in sports mode. However, the dri-
ver must execute upshifts in accor-
dance with road conditions, taking
care to keep the engine speed
below the red zone because
upshifts take place at the higher
engine rpm.
• 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.
1KMA3020 + (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode
CAUTION
In the sport mode,if you push
the lever to shift and no shift
occurs, the system is acting to
protect your safety and the vehi-
cle.

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Driving your vehicle
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing start
To 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 ser-
vice brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) while in Sport
mode will help prevent the vehicle
from rolling backwards.
Shift lock system
For 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
ACC or LOCK position, the transaxle
cannot be shifted from P (Park).
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 system
The 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.

Driving your vehicle
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Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. Full-time 4WD is useful
when extra traction is required on
road, such as, when driving on slip-
pery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. These vehicles are not
designed for challenging off-road
use. 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. The dri-
ver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehi-
cle to either side.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 - Off road dri-
ving
This vehicle is designed primar-
ily for on road use although it
can operate effectively off road.
However it was not designed for
driving in challenging off-road
conditions.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 4WD
1KMA3054
2WDFront wheel
Front wheel Rear wheel