Get Driving your vehicle -> Winter driving Guide for Kia Rio 4 Door Third Generation (2011-2016)

Driving your vehicle

525

Severe weather conditions in the

winter result in greater wear and

other problems. To minimize the

problems of winter driving, you

should follow these suggestions:

Snowy or Icy conditions

To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it

may be necessary to use snow tires

or to install tire chains on your tires.

If snow tires are needed, it is neces-

sary to select tires equivalent in size

and type of the original equipment

tires. Failure to do so may adversely

affect the safety and handling of your

car. Furthermore, speeding, rapid

acceleration, sudden brake applica-

tions, and sharp turns are potentially

very hazardous practices.

During deceleration, use engine

braking to the fullest extent. Sudden

brake applications on snowy or icy

roads may cause skids. You need to

keep sufficient distance between the

vehicle in operation in front and your

vehicle. Also, apply the brake gently.

It should be noted that installing tire

chains on the tire will provide greater

driving force, but will not prevent side

skids.

Tire chains are not legal in all states.

Check state laws before fitting tire

chains.

Snow tires

If you mount snow tires on your vehi-

cle, make sure they are radial tires of

the same size and load range as the

original tires. Mount snow tires on all

four wheels to balance your vehicle’s

handling in all weather conditions.

Keep in mind that the traction provid-

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.

Do not install studded tires without

first checking local, state and munic-

ipal regulations for possible restric-

tions against their use.

WINTER DRIVING

OBH058040

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Driving your vehicle

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

0.59 in (15 mm). Damage to your

vehicle caused by improper snow

chain use is not covered by your

vehicle manufacturers warranty.

Install tire chains only on the front

tires.

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.

Always check chain installation for

proper mounting after driving

approximately 0.3 to 0.6 miles (0.5 to

1 km) to ensure safe mounting.

Retighten or remount the chains if

they are loose.

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.

CAUTION - Snow chains

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 suspension

and may not be covered by your

vehicle manufacturer warranty.

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Driving your vehicle

545

• 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 section 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 section 7. The level of charge in

your battery can be checked by an

authorized Kia dealer or a service

station.

Change to "winter weight" oil

if necessary

In some climates it is recommended

that a lower viscosity "winter weight"

oil be used during cold weather. See

section 8 for recommendations. If

you aren't sure what weight oil you

should use, consult an authorized

Kia dealer.

Check spark plugs and igni-

tion system

Inspect your spark plugs as

described in section 7 and replace

them if necessary. Also check all

ignition wiring and components to be

sure they are not cracked, worn or

damaged in any way.

CAUTION - Snow chains

• Chains that are the wrong size

or improperly installed can

damage your vehicle's brake

lines, suspension, body and

wheels.

• Stop driving and retighten the

chains any time you hear them

hitting the vehicle.

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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 hap-

pen 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 shift lever in P

(automatic transaxle) or in first or

reverse gear (manual 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

car to be sure the movement of the

front wheels and the steering com-

ponents is 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 tire chains, tow straps or

chains, flashlight, emergency flares,

sand, a shovel, jumper cables, a win-

dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth,

coveralls, a blanket, etc.

TRAILER TOWING

We do not recommend using this

vehicle for trailer towing.

Driving your vehicle -> Winter driving for Your Kia Rio 4 Door Third Generation (2011-2016)

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