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

Maintenance
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TIRES AND WHEELS
Tires care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Inflation pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked every day
when the tires are cold. “Cold Tires”
means the vehicle has not been dri-
ven for at least three hours or driven
less than 1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the front driver’s door sill.
✽
NOTICE
• Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handling and
reduced fuel economy. Wheel
deformation also is possible. Keep
your tire pressures at the proper
levels. If a tire frequently needs
refilling, have it checked by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.
• Overinflation produces a harsh
ride, excessive wear at the center
of the tire tread, and a greater pos-
sibility of damage from road haz-
ards.
1KMN5045
WARNING - Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation (10 psi (70
kPa) or more) can lead to severe
heat build-up, causing blowouts,
tread separation and other tire
failures that can result in the
loss of vehicle control leading
to severe injury or death.This
risk is much higher on hot days
and when driving for protracted
periods at high speeds.

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✽
NOTICE
• Warm tires normally exceed rec-
ommended cold tire pressures by
28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6 psi). Do not
release air from warm tires to
adjust the pressure or the tires will
be underinflated.
• Be sure to reinstall the tire infla-
tion valve caps. Without the valve
cap, dirt or moisture could get into
the valve core and cause air leak-
age. If the cap have been lost,
install new one as soon as possible.
Checking tire inflation pres-
sure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to check
Use a good quality gage to check tire
pressure. You can not tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by look-
ing at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're
underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile).
WARNING- Tire Inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and lead
to sudden tire failure.This could
result in loss of vehicle control
and potential injury.
CAUTION - Tire pressure
Always observe the following:
• Check tire pressure when the
tires are cold.(After vehicle
has been parked for at least
three hours or hasn't been dri-
ven more than 1.6 km (one
mile) since startup.)
• Check the pressure of your
spare tire each time you check
the pressure of other tires.
• Never overload your vehicle.
Be careful not to overload a
vehicle luggage rack if your
vehicle is equipped with one.
• Worn, old tires can cause acci-
dents.If your tread is badly
worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.

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Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire
also if you can see fabric or cord.
After rotation, be sure to bring the
front and rear tire pressures to spec-
ification and check lug nut tightness.
Refer to Section 8, Specifications.
CBGQ0707
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)

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Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only
from front to rear and not from
right to left.
Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
Compact spare tire replace-
ment (if equipped)
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new Kia and should be mounted on
the same compact spare tire wheel.
The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.
1KMA5026
Tread wear indicator
CAUTION
Do not mix bias-ply and radial-
ply under any circumstances.
This may cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics.

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Wheel alignment and tire
balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
✽
NOTICE
Improper wheel weights can dam-
age your vehicle's aluminum wheels.
Use only approved wheel weights.
WARNING - Replacing
tires
•Driving on worn-out tires is
very hazardous and will
reduce braking effectiveness,
steering accuracy, and trac-
tion.
• Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide for
safe ride and handling capa-
bility.Do not use a size and
type of tire and wheel that is
different from the one that is
originally installed on your
vehicle.It can affect the safety
and performance of your vehi-
cle, whi
ch could lead to han-
dling failure or rollover and
serious injury.When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all
four tires with the tire and
wheel of the same size, type,
tread, brand and load-carrying
capacity.If you nevertheless
decide to equip your vehicle
with any tire/wheel combina-
tion not recommended by Kia
for off road driving, you
should not use these tires for
highway driving.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• The use of any other tire size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance,stopping distance, body
to tire clearance,snow tire
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
• It is best to replace all four
tires at the same time.If that is
not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling.

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Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.
Tire sidewall labeling
Federal law requires tire manufactur-
ers to place standardized information
on the sidewall of all tires. This infor-
mation identifies and describes the
fundamental characteristics of the
tire and also provides the tire identifi-
cation number (TIN) for safety stan-
dard certification. The TIN can be
used to identify the tire in case of a
recall.
1.Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or Brand name is
shown.
2.Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance,
snow chain clearance,
speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.
I030B04JM
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Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
P215/65R16 96T
P - Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’ are
intended for use on passenger
cars or light trucks; however, not
all tires have this marking).
215 - Tire width in millimeters.
65 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section
height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
96 - Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
T - Speed Rating Symbol. See the
speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
6.5 J×16
6.5 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
16 - Rim diameter in inches.Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger cars. The speed
rating is part of the tire size designa-
tion on the sidewall of the tire. This
symbol corresponds to that tire's
designed maximum safe operating
speed.
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph)
V 240 km/h (149 mph)
Z Above 240 km/h (149 mph)
Maximum Speed Speed
Rating
Symbol

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3.Checking tire life (TIN : Tire
Identification Number)
Any tires that are over 6 years, based
on the manufacturing date, tire
strength and performance, decline
with age naturally (even unused
spare tires). Therefore, the tires
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of the
wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of num-
bers on a tire consisting of numbers
and English letters. The manufactur-
ing date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1602 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2002.
4.Tire ply composition and mate-
rial
The number of layers or plies of rub-
bercoated fabric in the tire. Tire man-
ufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
WARNING - Tire age
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread,it is recommended that
tires generally be replaced after
six (6) years of normal service.
Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading condi-
tions can accelerate the aging
process.Failure to follow this
warning can result in sudden
tire failure, which could lead to a
loss of control and an accident
involving serious i
njury or
death.

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5.Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6.Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7.Uniform tire quality grading
The following information relates to
the tire grading system developed by
the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) for grading tires
by tread wear, traction and tempera-
ture performance.

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Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use. However, performance
may differ from the norm because of
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
These grades are molded on the
side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.
The tires available as standard or
optional equipment on Kia vehicles
may vary with respect to grade.Traction - AA, A, B & C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. The
grades represent the tires ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spec-
ified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Temperature -A, B & C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C. The grades repre-
sent the tire’s resistance to the gener-
ation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor labo-
ratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tires to
degenerate and reduce tires life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tires failure. Grades A and B
represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by the law.
WARNING- Tire
temperature
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded.Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible sudden
tires failure.This can cause loss
of vehicle control and serious
injury or death.