maintenance KIA SPORTAGE 2021 User Guide

55
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
• Check the condition of the tires.
• Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
• Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 7,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
• Close and lock all doors.
• Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
• Buckle your seat belt.
• Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
• Be sure that all lights work.
• Check all gauges.
• Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
• Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the drive should
not be used during vehicle
operation.

Driving your vehicle
285
• If you need to drive in the water,stop your vehicle, set your transfer
to the AWD LOCK mode and drive
at less than 5 mph (8 km/h).✽NOTICE
• Do not drive in water if the level ishigher 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 under
severe usage conditions” in section
8). Always wash your vehicle thor-
oughly after off-road use, especially
cleaning the bottom of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the AWD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip the vehi-
cle with four tires of the same size
and type.
• A full time all wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary
tow truck. Make sure that the
vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.
WARNING - Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving
too fast in water, the water can
get into the engine compart-
ment and wet the ignition sys-
tem, causing your vehicle to
suddenly stop. If this happens
and your vehicle is in a tilted
position, your vehicle may roll
over.
WARNING - AWD driving
• 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 speed.
• 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.

Driving your vehicle
1485
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 miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
• Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary 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 consumption. • Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
• Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
• Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. • Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
chapter 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see
chapter 7 for details).
• Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum 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 unneces- sary 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

Driving your vehicle
1585
Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and tighten
them. If they still make contact, slow
down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place a
triangular emergency warning device
behind the vehicle if available.
Always place the vehicle in P (Park),
apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine before installing snow
chains.• The use of chains may adversely
affect vehicle handling.
• Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer’s recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
• Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
• Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel braking.Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in chapter 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in chapter 7. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer or a service
station.
CAUTION- Snow chains
• Chains that are the wrong size or improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
• Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

Driving your vehicle
1665
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the automatic transmission inP (Park), apply your brakes and
hold the brake pedal down while
you:
• Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
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 transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition 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 transmission
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.

69
What to do in an emergency
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehi-
cle manufacturer on the vehicle plac-
ard or tire inflation pressure label. (If
your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pres-
sure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and
may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS mal-
function indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When
the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximate-
ly one minute and then remain con-
tinuously illuminated. This sequence
will continue upon subsequent vehi-
cle start-ups as long as the malfunc-
tion exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function proper-
l y.

Maintenance
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
• Owner maintenance schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-21
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
• Checking the brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
• Checking the parking brake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
43
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
• Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-46
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 7-46
• Tire pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
• All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
• Summer tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
• Snow tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
58
• Tire chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58\
7

73
Maintenance
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OQLE075095/OQLA075109
■Theta II 2.4L GDI
❈ The actual engine compartment in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
■Theta II 2.0L T-GDI 1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Fuse box
6. Negative battery terminal
7. Positive battery terminal
8. Engine oil dipstick
9.Windshield washer fluid reservoir

Maintenance
47
MAINTENANCE SERVICES
You should exercise the utmost care
to prevent damage to your vehicle
and injury to yourself whenever per-
forming any maintenance or inspec-
tion procedures.
Should you have any doubts con-
cerning the inspection or servicing of
your vehicle, we strongly recom-
mend that you have an authorized
Kia dealer perform this work.
An authorized Kia dealer has factory-
trained technicians and genuine Kia
parts to service your vehicle proper-
ly. For expert advice and quality serv-
ice, see an authorized Kia dealer.
Inadequate, incomplete or insuffi-
cient servicing may result in opera-
tional problems with your vehicle that
could lead to vehicle damage, an
accident, or bodily injury.Owner’s responsibility
✽NOTICE
Maintenance Service and Record
Retention are the owner's responsi-
bility.
You should retain documents that
show proper maintenance has been
performed on your vehicle in accor-
dance with the scheduled mainte-
nance service charts shown on the
following pages. You need this infor-
mation to establish your compliance
with the servicing and maintenance
requirements of your vehicle war-
ranties.
Detailed warranty information is
provided in your Warranty &
Consumer Information manual.
Repairs and adjustments required as
a result of improper maintenance or
a lack of required maintenance are
not covered.
We recommend you have your vehi-
cle maintained and repaired by an
authorized Kia dealer. An authorized
Kia dealer meets Kia’s high service
quality standards and receives tech-
nical support from Kia in order to pro-
vide you with a high level of service
satisfaction.

75
Maintenance
✽NOTICE- NHTSA Safety
Corrosion Alert
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
issued a general warning to all vehi-
cle owners of all brands regarding
the risks associated with vehicle
underbody corrosion. From your
initial purchase, take the following
steps to prevent unsafe corrosion
damage to your vehicle:
• Wash the undercarriage of your vehicle regularly during the winter
and whenever your vehicle has been
exposed to salts or chemicals.
• Do a thorough washing of the undercarriage at the end of the
winter.
• Use professional service techni- cians or governmental inspection
stations to annually inspect for
corrosion. (Continued)(Continued)
• Immediately seek an inspection of
your vehicle if you become visually
aware of corrosion flaking or scal-
ing or if you become aware of a
change in vehicle performance, such
as soft or spongey brakes, fluids
leaking, impairment of directional
control, suspension noises or rat-
tling metal straps. NHTSA further
advises that after a vehicle is 7 years
old, it is essential that you take these
indicated maintenance steps to
ensure that you protect yourself
from unsafe corrosion conditions.
Owner maintenance precau-
tions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section,
several procedures can be done only
by an authorized Kia dealer with spe-
cial tools.
✽NOTICE
Improper owner maintenance dur-
ing the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read
the separate Warranty & Consumer
Information manual provided with
the vehicle. If you're unsure about
any servicing or maintenance proce-
dure, have it done by an authorized
Kia dealer.