Get Driving your vehicle -> Automatic transaxle (if equipped) Guide for Kia Sportage SUV Third Generation (2011-2016)

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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)

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Automatic transaxle operation

The automatic transaxle has 6 forward

speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-

vidual speeds are selected automatically,

depending on the position of the shift

lever.

Shift lever

Button

✽

NOTICE

+ (UP)

The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if

the battery has been disconnected, may

be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal

condition, and the shifting sequence will

adjust after shifts are cycled a few times

by the TCM (Transaxle Control

Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control

Module).

- (DOWN)

To shift, depress the brake pedal and press the button when the ignition switch

is in the ON position.

Press the button when shifting.

The shift lever can be shifted freely.

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For smooth operation, depress the brake

pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a

forward or reverse gear.

CAUTION

Transaxle ranges

• To avoid damage to your

transaxle, do not accelerate the

engine in R (Reverse) or any for-

ward gear position with the

brakes on.

The indicator in the instrument cluster

displays the shift lever position when the

ignition switch is in the ON position.

WARNING - Automatic

transaxle

• Always check the surrounding

areas near your vehicle for peo-

ple, especially children, before

shifting the shift lever into D

(Drive) or R (Reverse).

P (Park)

• When stopped on an incline, do

not hold the vehicle with the

engine power. Use the service

brake or the parking brake.

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into P (Park). This position locks

the transaxle and prevents the drive

wheels from rotating.

• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P

• Before leaving the driver’s seat,

always make sure the shift lever

is in the P (Park) position; then

set the parking brake fully and

shut the engine off. Unexpected

and sudden vehicle movement

can occur if these precautions

are not followed in the order iden-

tified.

(Park) into

(Reverse) when the engine is

above idle speed.

D

(Drive), or

R

WARNING

• Shifting into P (Park) while the

vehicle is in motion will cause the

drive wheels to lock which will

cause you to lose control of the

vehicle.

• Do not use the P (Park) position

in place of the parking brake.

Always make sure the shift lever

is latched in the P (Park) position

and set the parking brake fully.

• Never leave a child unattended in

a vehicle.

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N (Neutral)

CAUTION

The transaxle may be damaged if

you shift into P (Park) while the

vehicle is in motion.

The wheels and transaxle are not

engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even

on the slightest incline unless the parking

brake or service brakes are applied.

D (Drive)

R (Reverse)

This is the normal forward driving posi-

tion. The transaxle will automatically shift

through a 6-gear sequence, providing the

best fuel economy and power.

Use this position to drive the vehicle

backward.

Sports

mode

CAUTION

Always come to a complete stop

before shifting into or out of R

(Reverse); you may damage the

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For extra power when passing another

vehicle or climbing grades, depress the

accelerator fully, at which time the

transaxle will automatically downshift to

the next lower gear.

Sports mode

Whether the vehicle is stationary or in

motion, sports mode is selected by push-

ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-

tion into the manual gate. To return to D

(Drive) range operation, push the shift

lever back into the main gate.

transaxle if you shift into

R

(Reverse) while the vehicle is in

motion, except when “Rocking the

vehicle” explained in this section.

✽

NOTICE

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into D (Drive).

In sports mode, moving the shift lever

backwards and forwards will allow you to

make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a

manual transaxle, the sports mode

allows gearshifts with the accelerator

pedal depressed.

Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to

shift up one gear.

Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once

to shift down one gear.

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Shift lock system

✽

NOTICE

For your safety, the automatic transaxle

has a shift lock system which prevents

shifting the transaxle from P (Park) or N

(Neutral) into R (Reverse) unless the

brake pedal is depressed.

To shift the transaxle from P (Park) or N

(Neutral) into R (Reverse):

1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.

2. Start the engine or turn the ignition

switch to the ON position.

3. Depress the lock release button and

move the shift lever.

If the brake pedal is repeatedly

depressed and released with the shift

lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering

noise near the shift lever may be heard. It

is a normal condition.

• In sports mode, the driver must exe-

cute upshifts in accordance with road

conditions, taking care to keep the

engine speed below the red zone.

• In sports mode, only the 6 forward

gears can be selected. To reverse or

park the vehicle, move the shift lever

to the R (Reverse) or P (Park) position

as required.

• In sports mode, downshifts are made

automatically when the vehicle slows

down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear

is automatically selected.

• In sports mode, when the engine rpm

approaches the red zone shift points

are varied to upshift automatically.

• To maintain the required levels of

vehicle performance and safety, the

system may not execute certain

gearshifts when the shift lever is oper-

ated.

• When driving on a slippery road,

push the shift lever forward into the

+(up) position. This causes the

transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear

which is better for smooth driving on

a slippery road. Push the shift lever to

the -(down) side to shift back to the 1st

gear.

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Shift-lock override

If the shift lever cannot be moved from

the P (Park) or N (Neutral) position into R

(Reverse) position with the brake pedal

depressed, continue depressing the

brake, then do the following:

1. Carefully remove the cap covering the

shift-lock access hole (1).

2. Insert a key (or screwdriver) into the

access hole and press down on the

key (or screwdriver).

3. Depress the lock release button (2)

and move the shift lever.

WARNING

Always fully depress the brake

pedal before and while shifting out

of the P (Park) position into anoth-

er position to avoid inadvertent

motion of the vehicle which could

injure persons in or around the

vehicle.

4. Have your vehicle inspected by an

authorized Kia dealer immediately.

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• Always use the parking brake. Do not

depend on placing the transaxle in P

(Park) to keep the vehicle from moving.

• Exercise extreme caution when driving

on a slippery surface. Be especially

careful when braking, accelerating or

shifting gears. On a slippery surface,

an abrupt change in vehicle speed can

cause the drive wheels to lose traction

and the vehicle to go out of control.

Ignition key interlock system

Good driving practices

The ignition key cannot be removed

unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)

position. Even if the ignition switch is in

the LOCK position, the key also cannot

be removed.

If your vehicle is equipped with ENGINE

START/STOP button, the button will not

change to the OFF position unless the

shift lever is in the P (Park) position.

• Never move the gear shift lever from P

(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-

tion with the accelerator pedal

depressed.

• Never move the gear shift lever into P

(Park) when the vehicle is in motion.

• Be sure the vehicle is completely

stopped before you attempt to shift into

R (Reverse) or D (Drive).

• Never take the vehicle out of gear and

coast down

extremely hazardous. Always leave the

car in gear when moving.

• Optimum vehicle performance and

economy is obtained by smoothly

depressing and releasing the accelera-

tor pedal.

a

hill. This may be

• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can

cause them to overheat and malfunc-

tion. Instead, when you are driving

down a long hill, slow down and shift to

a lower gear. When you do this, engine

braking will help slow down the car.

• Slow down before shifting to a lower

gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may

not be engaged.

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Moving up a steep grade from a stand-

ing start

WARNING

• Always buckle-up! In a collision,

an unbelted occupant is signifi-

cantly more likely to be seriously

injured or killed than a properly

belted occupant.

If your vehicle becomes stuck in

snow, mud, sand, etc., then you

may attempt to rock the vehicle free

by moving it forward and backward.

Do not attempt this procedure if

people or objects are anywhere

near the vehicle. During the rocking

operation the vehicle may suddenly

move forward of backward as it

becomes unstuck, causing injury

or damage to nearby people or

objects.

To move up a steep grade from a stand-

ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift

the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the

appropriate gear depending on load

weight and steepness of the grade, and

release the parking brake. Depress the

accelerator gradually while releasing the

service brakes.

When accelerating from a stop on a

steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-

dency to roll backwards. Shifting the

shift lever into 2 (Second Gear) will

help prevent the vehicle from rolling

backwards.

• Avoid high speeds when corner-

ing or turning.

• 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 highway speeds.

• Loss of control often occurs if

two or more wheels drop off the

roadway and the driver over-

steers to reenter the roadway.

• In the event your vehicle leaves

the roadway, do not steer sharply.

Instead, slow down before pulling

back into the travel lanes.

• Never exceed posted speed lim-

its.

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Driving your vehicle -> Automatic transaxle (if equipped) for Your Kia Sportage SUV Third Generation (2011-2016)

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