wheel alignment KIA Sportage 2011 SL / 3.G Owner's Manual

521
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all front
and rear wheels for maximum traction.
4WD is useful when extra traction is
required on road, such as, when driving
on slippery, 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 are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-high-
way that the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed the
safe operating speed for those condi-
tions. In general, off-road conditions pro-
vide less traction and braking effective-
ness than normal road conditions. The
driver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehicle to
either side.
These factors must be carefully consid-
ered when driving off-road. Keeping the
vehicle in contact with the driving surface
and under control in these conditions is
always the driver's responsibility for the
safety of him/herself and his or her pas-
sengers.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of four-wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation at
the four wheels and the zero-degree
alignment of the front wheels and sus-
pension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be car-
ried out with caution.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING- Off road driving
This vehicle is designed primarily
for on road use although it can oper-
ate effectively off road. However, it
was not designed to drive in chal-
lenging off-road conditions. Driving
in conditions that exceed the vehi-
cle's intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
WARNING
If the 4WD system warning light
( ) illuminates, this indicates that
there is a malfunction in the 4WD
system.
If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized KIA deal-
er as soon as possible.
CAUTION - 4WD
When turning sharply on a pavedroad at low speed while in four-wheel drive, steering control will be difficult.

Driving your vehicle
44
5
E100000AHM-EU
Your 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 possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed,
especially on the highway, is one of the
most effective ways to reduce fuel con-
sumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your vehi-
cle in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule in section 7. If you
drive your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required
(see section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the vehicle. This
extra weight can result in increased
fuel consumption and also contribute
to corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

75
Maintenance
G030102AAM
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of theexhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
G030103AHM
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
G030104AHM
At least twice a year (i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check the radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean the wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened with
washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
G030105AHM-C1
At least once a year:
Clean the body and door drain holes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate the automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.

Maintenance
87
Chassis and body (Continued)
Kilometers or time in months, whichever comes first
× 1,000 km 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96 104 112 120 128
# Months 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64
Automatic transaxle fluid* (1) R
Chassis & underbody bolts & nuts I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Tire condition & inflation pressure I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Wheel alignment (4)
Tire rotation
Steering operation & linkage I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Driveshaft dust boots I I I I I
Seat belts, buckles & anchors I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Lock, hinges & hood latch L L L L L L LLLLLLL LLL
MAINTENANCE
INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Inspect when abnormal condition noted
Rotate the tires every 12,000 km
* if equipped

731
Maintenance
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge 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 gauge. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.G200400AUN
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 if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to “Tire and wheels” in section
8.WARNING
Inspect your tires frequentlyfor proper inflation as well as
wear and damage. Always use
a tire pressure gauge.
Tires with too much or too little pressure wear unevenly caus-
ing poor handling, loss of vehi-
cle control, and sudden tire
failure leading to accidents,
injuries, and even death. The
recommended cold tire pres-
sure for your vehicle can be
found in this manual and on
the tire label located on the dri-
ver's side center pillar.
Worn tires can cause acci- dents. Replace tires that are
worn, show uneven wear, or
are damaged.
Remember to check the pres- sure of your spare tire. KIA
recommends that you check
the spare every time you
check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.

Maintenance
32
7
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
✽
✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
G200500AUN
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.
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)
WARNING
Do not use the compact spare
tire (if equipped) for tire rota-
tion.
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights candamage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.

Maintenance
34
7
G200601AUN
Compact spare tire replacement
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 vehicle 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.
G200700BUN
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.
G200800AHM
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. Slow down whenever there
is rain, snow or ice on the road to
reduce the possibility of losing con-
trol of the vehicle.
G200900AUN
Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.
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 and odometer cal-
ibration, headlight aim and
bumper height.

Index
8I
Spare tireCompact spare tire ··················\
··················\
···············6-13
Compact spare tire replacement ··················\
·············7-34
Removing and storing the spare tire ··················\
········6-8
Special driving conditions ··················\
··················\
·········5-46 Driving at night ··················\
··················\
··················\
··5-48
Driving in flooded areas ··················\
··················\
·······5-49
Driving in the rain ··················\
··················\
················5-49
Hazardous driving conditions ··················\
················5-46
Highway driving ··················\
··················\
··················\
·5-50
Rocking the vehicle ··················\
··················\
··············5-47
Smooth cornering ··················\
··················\
·················5-48\
Speedometer ···············\
··················\
··················\
················4-46
Sports mode ··················\
··················\
··················\
·············5-17
Starting difficulties, see engine will not start ··················\
6-3
Starting the engine ··················\
··················\
················5-5, 5-9
Steering wheel ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········4-35 Horn ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···4-36
Power steering ··················\
··················\
··················\
····4-35
Tilt steering ··················\
··················\
··················\
········4-36
Steering wheel audio control ··················\
··················\
···4-109
Storage compartment ··················\
··················\
·················4-98\
Center console storage ··················\
··················\
·········4-98
Glove box ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········4-98
Sunglass holder ··················\
··················\
··················\
··4-99
Sunroof, see panoramic sunroof ··················\
··················\
4-31
Sunvisor ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
4-101 Tachometer ················\
··················\
··················\
·················4-46\
Tailgate ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·····4-20
Emergency tailgate safety release ··················\
··········4-21
Tether anchor system ··················\
··················\
·················3-38\
Theft-alarm system ··················\
··················\
··················\
··4-13
Tie-down hook ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········6-19
Tilt steering ··················\
··················\
··················\
··············4-36
Tire specification and pressure label ··················\
·············8-7
Tires and wheels ··················\
··················\
·················7-29\
, 8-3 Checking tire inflation pressure ··················\
·············7-30
Compact spare tire replacement ··················\
·············7-34
Recommended cold tire inflation pressures ·············7-29
Tire care ··················\
··················\
··················\
·············7-29
Tire maintenance ··················\
··················\
··················\
7-34
Tire replacement ··················\
··················\
··················\
·7-33
Tire rotation ··················\
··················\
··················\
········7-31
Tire sidewall labeling ··················\
··················\
···········7-35
Tire traction ··················\
··················\
··················\
········7-34
Wheel alignment and tire balance ··················\
··········7-32
Wheel replacement ··················\
··················\
···············7-34
Towing ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
····6-15 Emergency towing ··················\
··················\
················6-17
Removable towing hook ················\
··················\
·········6-16
Tie-down hook (for flatbed towing) ··················\
·······6-19T

I9
Index
TransaxleAutomatic transaxle ··················\
··················\
·············5-15
Manual transaxle ··················\
··················\
··················\
5-12
Trip computer ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········4-48
Tripmeter ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
··4-48
Vehicle break-in process ··················\
··················\
··············1-5
Vehicle certification label ··················\
··················\
············8-6
Vehicle handling instructions··················\
··················\
········1-5
Vehicle identification number (VIN) ··················\
·············8-6
Vehicle weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········5-68 Base curb weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
5-68
Cargo weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
······5-68
GAW (Gross axle weight) ··················\
··················\
····5-68
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ··················\
·········5-68
GVW (Gross vehicle weight) ··················\
·················5-68\
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ··················\
···5-68 Washer fluid ··················\
··················\
··················\
·············7-18
Warnings and indicators ··················\
··················\
············4-52
Weight ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·····5-68
Base curb weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
5-68
Cargo weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
······5-68
GAW (Gross axle weight) ··················\
··················\
····5-68
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ··················\
·········5-68
GVW (Gross vehicle weight) ··················\
·················5-68\
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ··················\
···5-68
Wheel alignment and tire balance ··················\
···············7-32
Wheel replacement ··················\
··················\
··················\
··7-34
Windows ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
4-22 Auto down window ··················\
··················\
··············4-23
Auto up/down window ··················\
··················\
·········4-24
Power window lock button ··················\
··················\
···4-25
Windshield defrosting and defogging ··················\
··········4-95 Defogging logic ··················\
··················\
··················\
··4-97
Winter driving ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········5-51 Snow tires ··················\
··················\
··················\
···········5-51
Wiper blades ··················\
··················\
··················\
············7-23
Wipers and washers ··················\
··················\
··················\
·4-72
V
W