tow KIA SPORTAGE 2018 Owner's Guide

Driving your vehicle
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✽
✽
NOTICE
The system may temporarily cancel
due to the strong electric waves.
Pay great caution to the vehicle in
front, when it has heavy loading
extended rearward, or when it has
higher ground clearance.
The sensor only detects pedestri- an, not carts, bicycles, motorcy-
cles, luggage bags, or strollers.
Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
The Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
supports the driver come down a
steep hill without depressing the
brake pedal.
WARNING - Testing the
AEB
The AEB does not operate in
certain situations. Thus, never
test-operate the AEB against a
person or an object. It may
cause a severe injury or even
death.
WARNING - AEB and
Towing
Cancel the AEB in the User
Settings on the LCD display,
before towing another vehicle.
While towing, the brake applica-
tion may adversely affect your
vehicle safety.OQL055117
OQL055116

Driving your vehicle
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The Blind Spot Detection System
(BSD) uses a radar sensor to alert
the driver.
It senses toward the rear sides of the
vehicle and provides and early warn-
ing to the driver. (1) BSD (Blind Spot Detection)
The warning range depends onyour vehicle speed. However, if
your vehicle is about 6 mph (10
km/h) faster than the other vehi-
cle, the system will not warn you.
(2) LCA (Lane Change Assist) When a vehicle approaches youat high speed, the system will
warn you.
(3) RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) When your vehicle moves rear-ward, and the sensor detects an
approaching vehicle in the left or
right side, the system will warn
you.
BLIND SPOT DETECTION SYSTEM (BSD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING- BSD
Limitations
Always check the road condi- tion while driving for unexpect-
ed situations even though the
Blind Spot Detection System
(BSD) is operating.
The Blind Spot Detection System (BSD) is a supplemen-
tal system. Do not solely rely
on the system and always pay
attention to drive safely.
The Blind Spot Detection System may not detect every
object alongside the vehicle
and is not a substitute for
proper and safe lane chang-
ing procedures. Always drive
safely and use caution when
changing lanes.
OQLE055064

Driving your vehicle
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use the second gear. Accelerate
slowly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an Automatic Transaxle. Do not
race the engine, and spin the wheels
as little as possible. If you are still
stuck after a few tries, have the vehi-
cle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transaxle while driving on
slippery surfaces. The sudden
change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid and
result in an accident.
WARNING- Sudden
Vehicle Movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehi-
cle if people or objects are near-
by. The vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backwards as it
becomes unstuck.

693
Driving your vehicle
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint fin-
ish.
Don’t let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to happen
when there is an accumulation of
snow or ice around or near the rear
brakes or if the brakes are wet. If
there is a risk the parking brake may
freeze, apply it only temporarily while
you put the gear shift lever in P
(Park, Automatic Transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components are not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tow straps or chains, flash-
light, emergency flares, sand, shov-
el, jumper cables, window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, blan-
ket, etc.

Driving your vehicle
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If you are considering towing with
your vehicle, you should first check
with your country's Department of
Motor Vehicles to determine their
legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for
towing trailers, cars, or other types of
vehicles or apparatus may differ. Ask
an authorized Kia dealer for further
details before towing.
You may require an additional wiring
harness connector to install a trailer
hitch. Please contact an authorized
Kia dealer for more details. Your vehicle can tow a trailer.* To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in
“Weight of the trailer” that appears
later in this section.Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requires
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
This section contains many time-
tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Please read this
section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, wheel assem-
blies, and tires are forced to work
harder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also adds considerably to
wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements.
TRAILER TOWING
CAUTION - Trailer
installation
Follow instructions in this sec-tion when pulling a trailer.Pulling a trailer improperly candamage your vehicle and resultin costly repairs not covered byyour warranty.
WARNING- Towing a trailer
Always check your towing
equipment to confirm correct
equipment size and installation
before use. Using incompatible
or incorrectly installed trailer
equipment can effect the vehi-
cle operation and endanger you
and your passengers.
WARNING- Weight limits
Before towing, make sure the
total trailer weight, GCW (gross
combination weight), GVW
(gross vehicle weight), GAW
(gross axle weight) and trailer
tongue load are all within the
limits.

Driving your vehicle
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Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now a
good deal longer and not nearly so
responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane. Due to the added load to the
engine when going uphill the vehicle
may also take longer to pass than it
would on flat ground.
Backing up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. Then, to move
the trailer to the left, just move your
hand to the left. To move the trailer to
the right, move your hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects near the edge of the
road. Avoid jerky or sudden maneu-
vers. Signal well in advance before
turning or lane changes.

697
Driving your vehicle
Turn signals when towing a trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly connected,
the trailer lights will also flash to alert
other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are
seeing your signals when, in fact,
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you dis-
connect and then reconnect the
wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-
tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting
system. Use only an approved trailer
wiring harness.
An authorized Kia dealer can assist
you in installing the wiring harness.
Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transaxle, you should drive in D
(Drive) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimize
heat build up and extend the life of
your transaxle.CAUTION
Always use an approved trailerwiring harness. Failure to usean approved trailer wiring har-ness could result in damage tothe vehicle electrical system.

Driving your vehicle
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Towing up hill
When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay close
attention to the engine coolant
temperature gauge to ensure the
engine does not overheat.
If the needle of the coolant temper-
ature gauge moves across the dial
towards “H” (HOT), pull over and
stop as soon as it is safe to do so,
and allow the engine to idle until it
cools down. You may proceed once
the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight and
uphill grade to reduce the possibil-
ity of engine and transaxle over-
heating.
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer
attached to your vehicle, you should
not park your vehicle on a hill. People
can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged if they unexpected-
ly roll downhill.
However, if you ever have to park
your trailer on a hill, here's how to do
it:
1.Pull the vehicle into the parkingspace. Turn the steering wheel in
the direction of the curb (right if
headed downhill, left if headed up
hill).
2.If the vehicle has an automatic transaxle, place the vehicle in P
(Park).
3.Set the parking brake and shut off the engine.
4.Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the
wheels. 5.Start the vehicle, hold the brakes,
shift to neutral, release the parking
brake and slowly release the
brakes until the trailer chocks
absorb the load.
6.Reapply the brakes, reapply the parking brake and shift the vehicle
to P (Park) for automatic transaxle.
7.Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the park-
ing brake set.

699
Driving your vehicle
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the automatic transaxle in P(Park), apply your brakes and hold
the brake pedal down while you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.Maintenance when trailer tow-
ing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transaxle fluid, axle lubricant
and cooling system fluid. Brake con-
dition is another important item to
frequently check. Each item is cov-
ered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you
start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your
trailer and hitch. Follow the mainte-
nance schedule that accompanied
your trailer and check it periodically.
Preferably, conduct the check at the
start of each day’s driving. Most
importantly, all hitch nuts and bolts
should be tight. When towing check transaxle fluid
more frequently.
CAUTION - Air condition
Do not use the A/C while usingyour vehicle to tow uphill. Dueto higher load during trailerusage, overheating might occuron hot days or during uphilldriving.

Driving your vehicle
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If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if
you decide to pull a trailer:
Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.
Do not do any towing with your vehicle during its first 1,200 miles
(2,000 km) in order to allow the
engine to properly break in. Failure
to heed this caution may result in
serious engine or transaxle dam-
age.
When towing a trailer, be sure to consult an authorized Kia dealer
for further information on additional
requirements such as a towing kit,
etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a mod- erate speed (less than 60 mph
(100 km/h)).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 45 mph (70 km/h) or the
posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower.
The chart contains important con- siderations that have to do with
weight: ItemTheta II 2.0L
T-GDI Theta II 2.4L
GDI
Maximum
trailer weight Without brake
System
748 kg
(1,650 lbs) 748 kg
(1,650 lbs)
With brake System
907 kg
(2,000 lbs) 907 kg
(2,000 lbs)
Maximum tongue weight
100 kg
(220 lbs) 100 kg
(220 lbs)
To identify what the vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should
read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this sec-
tion. For North America