Get Driving your vehicle -> Trailer towing Guide for Kia Sportage SUV Third Generation (2011-2016)

Driving your vehicle

TRAILER TOWING

E140000AFD

Remember that trailering is different than

just driving your vehicle by itself.

Trailering means changes in handling,

durability, and fuel economy. Successful,

safe trailering requires correct equip-

ment, and it has to be used properly.

If you are considering towing with your

vehicle, you should first check with your

country's Department of Motor Vehicles

to determine their legal requirements.

Since laws vary the requirements for tow-

ing trailers, cars, or other types of vehi-

cles or apparatus may differ. Ask an

authorized Kia dealer for further details

before towing.

WARNING - Weight limits

Before towing, make sure the total

trailer weight, GCW (gross combi-

nation weight), GVW (gross vehicle

weight), GAW (gross axle weight)

and trailer tongue load are all with-

in the limits.

This section contains many time-tested,

important trailering tips and safety rules.

Many of these are important for your

safety and that of your passengers.

Please read this section carefully before

you pull a trailer.

CAUTION

WARNING - Towing a trail-

er

Pulling a trailer improperly can

damage your vehicle and result in

costly repairs not covered by your

warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,

follow the advice in this section.

If you don't use the correct equip-

ment and/or drive improperly, you

can lose control when you pull a

trailer. For example, if the trailer is

too heavy, the brakes may not work

well - or even at all. You and your

passengers could be seriously or

fatally injured. Pull a trailer only if

you have followed all the steps in

this section.

Load-pulling components such as the

engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and

tires are forced to work harder against

the load of the added weight. The engine

is required to operate at relatively higher

speeds and under greater loads. This

additional burden generates extra heat.

The trailer also adds considerably to

wind resistance, increasing the pulling

requirements.

Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify

what the vehicle trailering capacity is for

your vehicle, you should read the infor-

mation in “Weight of the trailer” that

appears later in this section.

5 54

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

E140100AUN

E140200AUN

E140300AUN

Hitches

Safety chains

Trailer brakes

It's important to have the correct hitch

equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks

going by, and rough roads are a few rea-

sons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here

are some rules to follow:

• Will you have to make any holes in the

body of your vehicle when you install a

trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to

seal the holes later when you remove

the hitch.

You should always attach chains

between your vehicle and your trailer.

Cross the safety chains under the tongue

of the trailer so that the tongue will not

drop to the road if it becomes separated

from the hitch.

Instructions about safety chains may be

provided by the hitch manufacturer or by

the trailer manufacturer. Follow the man-

ufacturer’s recommendation for attaching

safety chains. Always leave just enough

slack so you can turn with your trailer.

And, never allow safety chains to drag on

the ground.

If your trailer is equipped with a braking

system, make sure it conforms to your

state’s regulations and that it is properly

installed and operating correctly.

If your trailer weight exceeds the maxi-

mum allowed weight without trailer

brakes, then the trailer will also require its

own brakes as well. Be sure to read and

follow the instructions for the trailer

brakes so you’ll be able to install, adjust

and maintain them properly.

If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon

monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can

get into your vehicle, as well as dirt and

water.

• Don’t tap into or modify your vehicle's

brake system.

• The bumpers on your vehicle are not

intended for hitches. Do not attach

rental hitches or other bumper-type

hitches to them. Use only a frame-

mounted hitch that does not attach to

the bumper.

WARNING - Trailer brakes

Do not use a trailer with its own

brakes unless you are absolutely

certain that you have properly set

up the brake system. This is not a

task for amateurs. Use an experi-

enced, competent trailer shop for

this work.

• Kia trailer hitch accessory is available

at an authorized Kia dealer.

5 55

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

E140400AUN

E140401AUN

E140404AUN

Following distance

Making turns

Driving with a trailer

Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-

cle ahead as you would when driving

your vehicle without a trailer. This can

help you avoid situations that require

heavy braking and sudden turns.

When you’re turning with a trailer, make

wider turns than normal. Do this so your

trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,

road signs, trees, or other objects near

the edge of the road. Avoid jerky or sud-

den maneuvers. Signal well in advance

before turning or lane changes.

Towing a trailer requires a certain

amount of experience. Before setting out

for the open road, you must get to know

your trailer. Acquaint yourself with the

feel of handling and braking with the

added weight of the trailer. And always

keep in mind that the vehicle you are

driving is now a good deal longer and not

nearly so responsive as your vehicle is

by itself.

Before you start, check the trailer hitch

and platform, safety chains, electrical

connector(s), lights, tires and mirror

adjustment. If the trailer has electric

brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-

ing and then apply the trailer brake con-

troller by hand to be sure the brakes are

working. This lets you check your electri-

cal connection at the same time.

E140402AUN

Passing

You’ll need more passing distance up

ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,

because of the increased vehicle length,

you’ll need to go much farther beyond the

passed vehicle before you can return to

your lane. Due to the added load to the

engine when going uphill the vehicle may

also take longer to pass than it would on

flat ground.

E140403AUN

During your trip, check occasionally to be

sure that the load is secure, and that the

lights and any trailer brakes are still work-

ing.

Backing up

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel

with one hand. Then, to move the trailer

to the left, just move your hand to the left.

To move the trailer to the right, move your

hand to the right. Always back up slowly

and, if possible, have someone guide

you.

5 56

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

E140405AFD

E140406AFD

Turn signals when towing a trailer

Driving on grades

WARNING

When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has

to have a different turn signal flasher and

extra wiring. The green arrows on your

instrument panel will flash whenever you

signal a turn or lane change. Properly

connected, the trailer lights will also flash

to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,

change lanes, or stop.

When towing a trailer, the green arrows

on your instrument panel will flash for

turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are

burned out. Thus, you may think drivers

behind you are seeing your signals

when, in fact, they are not. It’s important

to check occasionally to be sure the trail-

er bulbs are still working. You must also

check the lights every time you discon-

nect and then reconnect the wires.

Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear

before you start down a long or steep

downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you

might have to use your brakes so much

that they would get hot and no longer

operate efficiently.

On a long uphill grade, shift down and

reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45

mph) to reduce the possibility of engine

and transaxle overheating.

If your trailer weighs more than the max-

imum trailer weight without trailer brakes

and you have an automatic transaxle,

you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-

ing a trailer.

Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when

towing a trailer will minimize heat build up

and extend the life of your transaxle.

Failure to use an approved trailer

wiring harness could result in dam-

age to the vehicle electrical system

and/or personal injury.

Do not connect a trailer lighting system

directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.

Use only an approved trailer wiring har-

ness.

An authorized Kia dealer can assist you

in installing the wiring harness.

5 57

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

E140407AUN-EA

4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels

on the down hill side of the wheels.

CAUTION

Parking on hills

• When towing a trailer on steep

grades (in excess of 6%) pay

close attention to the engine

coolant temperature gauge to

ensure the engine does not over-

heat.

Generally, if you have a trailer attached to

your vehicle, you should not park your

vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously

or fatally injured, and both your vehicle

and the trailer can be damaged if they

unexpectedly roll downhill.

5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift

to neutral, release the parking brake

and slowly release the brakes until the

trailer chocks absorb the load.

6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park-

ing brake and shift the vehicle to R

(Reverse) for manual transaxle or P

(Park) for automatic transaxle.

If the needle of the coolant tem-

perature gauge moves across the

dial towards “H” (HOT), pull over

and stop as soon as it is safe to

do so, and allow the engine to idle

until it cools down. You may pro-

ceed once the engine has cooled

sufficiently.

• You must decide driving speed

depending on trailer weight and

uphill grade to reduce the possi-

bility of engine and transaxle

overheating.

WARNING - Parking on a

hill

Parking your vehicle on a hill with a

trailer attached could cause seri-

ous injury or death, should the trail-

er break loose or brake stops work-

ing.

7. Shut off the vehicle and release the

vehicle brakes but leave the parking

brake set.

WARNING - Parking brake

It can be dangerous to get out of

your vehicle if the parking brake is

not firmly set.

If you have left the engine running,

the vehicle can move suddenly.You

or others could be seriously or

fatally injured.

However, if you ever have to park your

trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:

1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.

Turn the steering wheel in the direction

of the curb (right if headed downhill,

left if headed up hill).

2. If the vehicle has a manual transaxle,

place the car in neutral. If the vehicle

has an automatic transaxle, place the

car in P (Park).

3. Set the parking brake and shut off the

vehicle.

5 58

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

E140500AUN

When you are ready to leave after park-

ing on a hill

1. With the manual transaxle in Neutral

or automatic transaxle in P (Park),

apply your brakes and hold the brake

pedal down while you:

CAUTION

Maintenance when trailer towing

Your vehicle will need service more often

when you regularly pull

• Due to higher load during trailer

usage, overheating might occur

in hot days or during uphill driv-

ing. If the coolant gauge indicates

over-heating, switch off the A/C

and stop the vehicle in a safe area

to cool down the engine.

a

trailer.

Important items to pay particular atten-

tion to include engine oil, automatic

transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling

system fluid. Brake condition is another

important item to frequently check. Each

item is covered 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 maintenance

schedule that accompanied your trailer

and check it periodically. Preferably, con-

duct the check at the start of each day’s

driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts

and bolts should be tight.

• Start your engine;

• Shift into gear; and

• Release the parking brake.

• When towing check transaxle

fluid more frequently.

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.

5 59

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

kg (lbs.)

2.4L Gasoline Engine

E140600BFD

Engine

If you do decide to pull a trailer

Here are some important points if you

decide to pull a trailer:

• Consider using a sway control.You can

ask a hitch dealer about sway control.

• Do not do any towing with your car dur-

ing its first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) in

order to allow the engine to properly

break in. Failure to heed this caution

may result in serious engine or

transaxle damage.

• When towing a trailer, be sure to con-

sult an authorized Kia dealer for further

information on additional requirements

such as a towing kit, etc.

2WD

4WD

Item

454

(1000)

454

(1000)

Without brake system

With brake system

Maximum trailer

weight

907

(2000)

907

(2000)

91

(200)

91

(200)

Maximum tongue weight

2WD : 2-Wheel drive

4WD : 4-Wheel drive

• Always drive your vehicle at a moder-

ate speed (less than 100 km/h (60

mph)).

To identify what the vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read the informa-

tion in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this section.

• On a long uphill grade, do not exceed

70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing

speed limit, whichever is lower.

• The chart contains important consider-

ations that have to do with weight:

5 60

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

The trailer tongue should weigh a maxi-

mum of 10% of the total loaded trailer

weight, within the limits of the maximum

permissible trailer tongue load. After

you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trail-

er and then the tongue, separately, to

see if the weights are proper. If they

aren’t, you may be able to correct them

simply by moving some items around in

the trailer.

Tongue Load

Total Trailer Weight

C190E01JM

Gross Axle Weight Gross Vehicle Weight

C190E02JM

E140602AEN

E140601AUN

Weight of the trailer

Weight of the trailer tongue

What is the maximum safe weight of a

trailer? It should never weigh more than

the maximum trailer weight with trailer

brakes. But even that can be too heavy.

It depends on how you plan to use your

trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road

grades, outside temperature and how

often your vehicle is used to pull a trailer

are all important. The ideal trailer weight

can also depend on any special equip-

ment that you have on your vehicle.

The tongue load of any trailer is an

important weight to measure because it

affects the total gross vehicle weight

(GVW) of your vehicle. This weight

includes the curb weight of the vehicle,

any cargo you may carry in it, and the

people who will be riding in the vehicle.

And if you will tow a trailer, you must add

the tongue load to the GVW because

your vehicle will also be carrying that

weight.

5 61

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle

WARNING - Trailer

• Never load a trailer with more

weight in the rear than in the

front. The front should be loaded

with approximately 60% of the

total trailer load; the rear should

be loaded with approximately

40% of the total trailer load.

• Never exceed the maximum

weight limits of the trailer or trail-

er towing equipment. Improper

loading can result in damage to

your vehicle and/or personal

injury. Check weights and loading

at a commercial scale or highway

patrol office equipped with

scales.

• An improperly loaded trailer can

cause loss of vehicle control.

5 62

Downloaded from manuals search engine

Driving your vehicle -> Trailer towing for Your Kia Sportage SUV Third Generation (2011-2016)

Related Topics

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals