wheel KIA SPORTAGE 2021 Service Manual

5 25
Driving your vehicle
• This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp grades,off-road driving, driving on sandy and muddy roads, etc., to
maximize traction.
• This mode automatically begins to deactivate at speeds above 38 mph (60 km/h) and is shifted to AWD AUTO mode
at speed above 38 mph (60 km/h). If the vehicle decelerates
to speeds below 38 mph (60 km/h), however, the transfer
mode is shifted into AWD LOCK mode again.
AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is deactivated)
(Indicator light isnot illuminated)
✽NOTICE
• When driving on normal roads, deactivate the AWD LOCK mode by pushing the AWD LOCK button (the indi- cator light goes off). Driving on normal roads with AWD LOCK mode(especially, when cornering) may cause
mechanical noise or vibration. The noise and vibration will disappear when the AWD LOCK mode is deactivat-
ed. Some parts of the power train may be damaged by prolonged driving with the noise and vibration.
• When the AWD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power is delivered entirely to the front wheels. This shock is not a mechanical failure.
All Wheel Drive (AWD) transfer mode selection
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
• When driving in AWD AUTO mode, the vehicle operates sim-
ilar to conventional FWD vehicles under normal operating
conditions. However, if the system determines that there is a
need for the AWD mode, the engine’s driving power is distrib-
uted to all four wheels automatically without driver interven-
tion.
• When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehicle moves similar to conventional FWD vehicles.
AWD LOCK
(Indicator light is illuminated)

Driving your vehicle
265
For safe all wheel drive opera-
tion
✽NOTICE- All wheel drive
The road conditions that demand all
wheel drive mean all functions of
your vehicle are exposed to extreme
stress than under normal road con-
ditions. Slow down and be ready for
changes in the composition and trac-
tion of the surface under your tires.
If you have any doubt about the
safety of the conditions you are fac-
ing, stop and consider the best way
to proceed. Do not exceed the ability
of yourself or your vehicle to operate
safely.
• Do not try to drive in deep standingwater or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehicle. • When you are driving up or down
hills drive as straight as possible.
Use extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.
WARNING - Hills
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
HILL1HILL2

5 27
Driving your vehicle
• You must consciously take theeffort to learn how to corner in a
AWD vehicle. Do not rely on your
experience in conventional FWD
vehicles in choosing safe cornering
speed in AWD mode. For starters,
you must drive more slowly in
AW D.
• Drive carefully when driving on unpaved roads because your vehi-
cle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. • Always hold the steering wheel firm-
ly when you are driving off-road.
• Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
WARNING - Steering
wheel
Do not grab the inside of the
steering wheel when you are
driving off-road. You may hurt
your arm by a sudden steering
maneuver or from steering
wheel rebound due to impact
with objects on the ground. You
could also lose control of your
steering wheel while driving on
rough terrain.
WARNING - Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.
OQL058127L
WARNING - AWD
Reduce speed when you turn
corners. The center of gravity of
AWD vehicles is higher than
that of conventional FWD vehi-
cles, making them more likely to
roll over when you turn corners
too fast.

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.

5 29
Driving your vehicle
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles. An
advantage of the higher ground
clearance is a better view of the
road, which allows you to anticipate
problems. They are not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger vehicles,
any more than low-slung sports vehi-
cles are designed to perform satis-
factorily in off-road conditions. There
are steps that a driver can
make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your
roof rack with heavy cargo, and
never modify your vehicle in any way.CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheelsbegins to spin in mud, snow,etc. the vehicle can sometimesbe driven out by depressing theaccelerator pedal further; how-ever, do not run the engine con-tinuously at high rpms to freethe vehicle from snow or mudbecause doing so could dam-age the AWD system
WARNING- Replacement
tires
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in the tire
section of the manual.
Installation of variant tires can
affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle.

Driving your vehicle
305
• Full-time AWD vehicles must betested on a special four wheel
chassis dynamometer.
✽NOTICE
Never engage the parking brake
while performing these tests.
• A full-time AWD vehicle should notbe tested on a FWD roll tester. If a
FWD roll tester must be used, per-
form the following: 1. Check the tire pressures recom-
mended for your vehicle.
2. Place the front wheels on the roll tester for a speedometer test as
shown in the illustration.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Place the rear wheels on the tem- porary free roller as shown in the
illustration.
✽NOTICE
When lifting up the vehicle, do not
operate front and rear wheel sepa-
rately. All four wheels should be
operated.
✽NOTICE
If you need to operate the front
wheel and rear wheel when lifting
up the vehicle, you should release
the parking brake.
WARNING - Jacked
vehicle
While the full-time AWD vehicle
is being raised on a jack, never
start the engine or cause the
tires to rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the
jack and to jump forward.
OQL055051
WARNING- Dynamometer testing
Keep away from the front of the
vehicle while the vehicle is in
gear on the dynamometer. This
is very dangerous as the vehi-
cle can jump forward and cause
serious injury or death.

5 45
Driving your vehicle
AUTO HOLD conditions not met.
Close door, hood, and liftgate
When you press the [AUTO HOLD]
switch, if the driver’s door, engine
hood are not closed or the driver’s
seat belt is unfastened, a warning
will sound and a message will
appear on the LCD display. At this
moment, press the [AUTO HOLD]
button after closing the driver’s door,
engine hood and liftgate.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or dangerous
driving maneuvers. Even though
vehicle control is improved during
emergency braking, always maintain
a safe distance between you and
objects ahead. Vehicle speeds
should always be reduced during
extreme road conditions. The vehicle
should be driven at reduced speeds
in the following circumstances:
• When driving on rough, gravel orsnow-covered roads
• When driving with tire chains installed
• When driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or has differ-
ent surface heights.
Driving in these conditions increases
the stopping distance for your vehicle. The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the sit-
uation allows the ABS to control the
force being delivered to the brakes.
✽NOTICE
A click/clunk type sound may be
heard once per ignition cycle in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.
OQL058371N

5 47
Driving your vehicle
Electronic stability control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes at individual wheels and inter-
venes with engine management sys-
tem to stabilize the vehicle.The Electronic stability control (ESC)
system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse condi-
tions. It is not a substitute for safe
driving practices. Factors including
speed, road conditions and driver
steering input can all affect whether
ESC will be effective in preventing a
loss of control. It is still your respon-
sibility to drive and corner at reason-
able speeds and to leave a sufficient
margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ESC is active.
✽NOTICE
A click/clunk type sound may be
heard once per ignition cycle in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that Electronic stabili-
ty control (ESC) System is function-
ing properly.
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when
cornering. Electronic stability
control (ESC) will not prevent
accidents. Excessive speed in
turns, abrupt maneuvers and
hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious acci-
dents. Only a safe and attentive
driver can prevent accidents by
avoiding maneuvers that cause
the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESC installed, always
follow all the normal precautions
for driving - including driving at
safe speeds for the conditions.

Driving your vehicle
505
ESC OFF usage
When driving
• ESC should be turned on for dailydriving whenever possible.
• To turn ESC off while driving, select the ESC OFF/ESC
OFF(TCS OFF) in the LCD display
while driving on a flat road surface.
✽NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on adynamometer, ensure that you
select the LCD display 
ESC
ESC OFF/ESC OFF (TCS OFF)
(ESC OFF light illuminated). If
the ESC is left on, it may prevent
the vehicle speed from increasing,
and result in false diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC systemto malfunction. When replacingtires, make sure they are thesame size as your original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control
system is only a driving aid that
can only assist you in maintain-
ing control under certain cir-
cumstances. Use precautions
for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever
the ESC indicator light is blink-
ing, or when the road surface is
slippery.WARNING
Never select the ESC OFF/ ESC
OFF(TCS OFF) in the LCD dis-
play while ESC is operating
(ESC indicator light blinks).

5 53
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
Wet brakes can be dangerous! The
brakes may get wet if the vehicle is
driven through standing water or if it
is washed. Your vehicle will not stop
as quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet
brakes may cause the vehicle to pull
to one side.To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns
to normal, taking care to keep the
vehicle under control at all times. If
the braking action does not return to
normal, stop as soon as it is safe to
do so and we recommend that you
call an authorized Kia dealer for
assistance.
DO NOT drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
constant pedal pressure can result in
the brakes overheating, brake wear,
and possibly even brake failure.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv-
ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe location.
Keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped to
prevent the vehicle from rolling for-
ward.
Vehicle stability management
(VSM)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detects changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
WARNING
Whenever leaving the vehicle or
parking, always come to a com-
plete stop and continue to
depress the brake pedal. Move
the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, then apply the parking
brake, and place the Engine
Start/Stop button in the OFF
position.
Vehicles with the parking brake
not fully engaged are at risk for
moving inadvertently and caus-
ing injury to yourself or others.WARNING- Tire/
Wheel size
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size
as the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying
tire or wheel sizes may diminish
any supplemental safety benefits
of the VSM system.