Get Driving tips -> Special driving conditions Guide for Kia Ceed SUV First Generation (2006-2012)

ED English 5.qxp 6/27/2007 6:46 PM Page 8

Driving tips

SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS

• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,

Hazardous driving conditions

Rocking the vehicle

use second gear. Accelerate slow-

ly to avoid spinning the drive

wheels.

When hazardous driving conditions

are encountered such as water,

snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-

ards, follow these suggestions:

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 1 (First) and R

(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with

a manual transaxle or 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 pos-

sible. If you are still stuck after a few

tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a

tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-

ing and possible damage to the

transaxle.

• Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or

other non-slip material under the

drive wheels to provide traction

when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.

• Drive cautiously and allow extra

distance for braking.

• Avoid sudden movements in brak-

ing or steering.

WARNING - Downshifting

• When braking, pump the brake

pedal with a light up-and-down

motion until the vehicle is stopped.

Downshifting with an automatic

transaxle, while driving on slip-

pery surfaces can cause an

accident. The sudden change in

tire speed could cause the tires

to skid. Be careful when down-

shifting on slippery surfaces.

✽

NOTICE

Do not pump the brake pedal on a

vehicle equipped with ABS.

CAUTION

Prolonged rocking may cause

engine over-heating, transaxle

damage or failure, and tire dam-

age.

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Driving tips

Smooth cornering

Driving at night

WARNING - Spinning tires

Avoid braking or gear changing in Because night driving presents more

corners, especially when roads are hazards than driving in the daylight,

wet. Ideally, corners should always here are some important tips to

be taken under gentle acceleration. If remember:

you follow these suggestions, tire

wear will be held to a minimum.

tance between you and other vehi-

Do not spin the wheels, espe-

cially at speeds more than 56

km/h (35 mph). Spinning the

wheels at high speeds when the

vehicle is stationary could

cause a tire to overheat, explode

and injure bystanders.

• Slow down and keep more dis-

cles, as it may be more difficult to

see at night, especially in areas

where there may not be any street

lights.

✽

NOTICE

• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the

glare from other driver's head-

lights.

The ESP system (if equipped) should

be turned OFF prior to rocking the

vehicle.

• Keep your headlights clean and

properly aimed on vehicles not

equipped with the automatic head-

light aiming feature. Dirty or

improperly aimed headlights will

make it much more difficult to see

at night.

• Avoid staring directly at the head-

lights of oncoming vehicles. You

could be temporarily blinded, and it

will take several seconds for your

eyes to readjust to the darkness.

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Driving tips

• Driving too fast through large pud-

dles can affect your brakes. If you

must go through puddles, try to

drive through them slowly.

Driving in the rain

Driving in flooded areas

Rain and wet roads can make driving

dangerous, especially if you’re not

prepared for the slick pavement.

Here are a few things to consider

when driving in the rain:

Avoid driving through flooded areas

unless you are sure the water is no

higher than the bottom of the wheel

hub. Drive through any water slowly.

Allow adequate stopping distance

because brake performance may be

affected.

• If you believe you may have gotten

your brakes wet, apply them lightly

while driving until normal braking

operation returns.

• A heavy rainfall will make it harder

to see and will increase the dis-

tance needed to stop your vehicle,

so slow down.

After driving through water, dry the

brakes by gently applying them sev-

eral times while the vehicle is moving

slowly.

• Keep your windshield wiping

equipment in good shape. Replace

your windshield wiper blades when

they show signs of streaking or

missing areas on the windshield.

• If your tires are not in good condi-

tion, making a quick stop on wet

pavement can cause a skid and

possibly lead to an accident. Be

sure your tires are in good shape.

• Turn on your headlights to make it

easier for others to see you.

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Driving tips

Fuel, engine coolant and engine

oil

Highway driving

Tires

WARNING

• Underinflated or overinflated

tires can cause poor handling,

loss of vehicle control, and

sudden tire failure leading to

accidents, injuries, and even

death. Always check tires for

proper inflation before driving.

For proper tire pressures,

refer to “Tires and wheels” in

chapter 8.

High speed travel consumes more

fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-

get to check both engine coolant and

engine oil.

Adjust the tire inflation pressures to

specification. Low tire inflation pres-

sures will result in overheating and

possible failure of the tires.

Avoid using worn or damaged tires

which may result in reduced traction

or tire failure.

Drive belt

A loose or damaged drive belt may

result in overheating of the engine.

✽

NOTICE

• Driving on tires with no or

insufficient tread is danger-

ous. Worn-out tires can result

in loss of vehicle control, col-

lisions, injury, and even death.

Worn-out tires should be

replaced as soon as possible

and should never be used for

driving. Always check the tire

tread before driving your car.

For further information and

tread limits, refer to “Tires and

wheels” in chapter 7.

Never exceed the maximum tire

inflation pressure shown on the

tires.

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Driving tips

• Use antifreeze-formulated wind- Snow tires

shield washer fluid. (Do not use

engine coolant antifreeze.)

Winter driving

If you mount snow tires on your Kia,

make sure they are radial tires of the

• We recommend that you carry

emergency equipment, including

tire chains, a window scraper,

windshield de-icer, a bag of sand

or salt, flares, a small shovel and

jumper cables.

• Do not use the parking brake if it same size and load range as the

might freeze. When parking, shift original tires. Mount snow tires on all

to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a four wheels to balance your vehicle’s

manual transaxle or P (Park) with handling in all weather conditions.

an automatic transaxle and block Keep in mind that the traction provid-

• Make sure you have sufficient eth-

ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.

the rear wheels.

ed by snow tires on dry roads may

not be as high as your vehicle's orig-

inal equipment tires.You should drive

cautiously even when the roads are

clear. Check with the tire dealer for

maximum speed recommendations.

• Check the battery condition and

cables. Cold temperatures reduce

the capacity of any battery, so it

must be in excellent condition to

provide enough winter starting

power.

• Make sure the engine oil viscosity

is suitable for cold weather.

• Check the ignition system for loose

connections and damage.

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Driving tips

CAUTION

WARNING - Snow tire

size

• If your vehicle is equipped

with 225/45R17 tires, do not

use tire chains.

Snow tires should be equivalent

in size and type to the vehicle's

standard tires. Otherwise, the

safety and handling of your

vehicle may be adversely affect-

ed.

• Make sure the snow chains

are the correct size and type

for your tires. Incorrect snow

chains can cause damage to

the vehicle body and suspen-

sion and may not be covered

by your vehicle manufacturer

warranty. Also, the snow chain

connecting hooks may be

damaged from contacting

vehicle components causing

the snow chains to come

loose from the tire. Make sure

the snow chains are SAE

class “S” certified.

Do not install studded tires without

first checking local, state and munic-

ipal regulations for possible restric-

tions against their use.

1JBA4068

Tire chains

Since the sidewalls of radial tires are

thinner, they can be damaged by

mounting some types of snow chains

on them. Therefore, the use of snow

tires is recommended instead of

snow chains. Do not mount tire

chains on vehicles equipped with

aluminum wheels, snow chains may

cause damage to the wheels. If snow

chains must be used, use wire-type

chains with a thickness of less than

15 mm (0.59 in). Damage to your

vehicle caused by improper snow

chain use is not covered by your

vehicle manufacturers warranty.

• Always check chain installa-

tion for proper mounting after

driving approximately 0.5 to 1

km (0.3 to 0.6 miles) to ensure

safe mounting. Retighten or

remount the chains if they are

loose.

Install them only on the front tires.

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Driving tips

Chain installation

CAUTION

WARNING - Tire chains

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.

• Chains that are the wrong size

or improperly installed can

damage your vehicle's brake

lines, suspension, body and

wheels.

• The use of chains may

adversely affect vehicle han-

dling.

• Do not exceed 30 km/h (20

mph) or the chain manufactur-

er’s recommended speed

limit, whichever is lower.

• Stop driving and retighten the

chains any time you hear them

hitting the vehicle.

• Drive carefully and avoid

bumps, holes, sharp turns,

and other road hazards, which

may cause the vehicle to

bounce.

WARNING - Mounting

chains

When mounting snow chains,

park the vehicle on level ground

away from traffic. Turn on the

vehicle Hazard Warning flashers

and place a triangular emer-

gency warning device behind

the vehicle if available. Always

place the vehicle in park (P),

apply the parking brake and

turn off the engine before

installing snow chains.

• Avoid sharp turns or locked-

wheel braking.

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Driving tips

Use high quality ethylene glycol

coolant

Change to "winter weight" oil if

necessary

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.

Your vehicle is delivered with high In some climates it is recommended

quality ethylene glycol coolant in the that a lower viscosity "winter weight"

cooling system. It is the only type of oil be used during cold weather. See

coolant that should be used because chapter 8 for recommendations. If

it helps prevent corrosion in the cool- you aren't sure what weight oil you

ing system, lubricates the water should use, consult an authorized

pump and prevents freezing. Be sure KIA dealer.

to replace or replenish your coolant

in accordance with the maintenance

Check spark plugs and ignition

system

schedule in chapter 7. Before winter,

have your coolant tested to assure

Use approved window washer

anti-freeze in system

Inspect your spark plugs as

that its freezing point is sufficient for

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.

described in chapter 7 and replace

the temperatures anticipated during

them if necessary. Also check all

the winter.

ignition wiring and components to be

sure they are not cracked, worn or

damaged in any way.

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.

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Driving tips

Don't let your parking brake

freeze

Don't let ice and snow accumu-

late underneath

Under some conditions your parking Under some conditions, snow and

brake can freeze in the engaged ice can build up under the fenders

position. This is most likely to hap- and interfere with the steering. When

pen when there is an accumulation driving in severe winter conditions

of snow or ice around or near the where this may happen, you should

rear brakes or if the brakes are wet. periodically check underneath the

If there is a risk the parking brake car to be sure the movement of the

may freeze, apply it only temporarily front wheels and the steering com-

while you put the gear selector lever ponents is not obstructed.

in P (automatic transaxle) or in first

or reverse gear (manual transaxle)

and block the rear wheels so the car

cannot roll. Then release the parking

brake.

Carry emergency equipment

Depending on the severity of the

weather where you drive your car,

you should carry appropriate emer-

gency equipment. Some of the items

you may want to carry include tire

chains, tow straps or chains, flash-

light, emergency flares, sand, a

shovel, jumper cables, a window

scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-

alls, a blanket, etc.

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Driving tips -> Special driving conditions for Your Kia Ceed SUV First Generation (2006-2012)

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