Get Driving your vehicle -> Trailer Towing Guide for Kia Sportage SUV 2020

Driving your vehicle

TRAILER TOWING

If you are considering towing with

your vehicle, you should first check

with your state's Department of

Motor Vehicles to determine the legal

requirements.

Since laws vary the requirements for

towing trailers, cars, or other types of

vehicles or apparatus may differ. Ask

an authorized Kia dealer for further

details before towing.

Remember that trailering is different

than just driving your vehicle by itself.

Trailering means changes in han-

dling, durability, and fuel economy.

Successful, safe trailering requires

correct equipment, and it has to be

used properly.

WARNING - Weight

limits

Before towing, make sure the

total trailer weight, GCW (gross

combination weight), GVW

(gross vehicle weight), GAW

(gross axle weight) and trailer

tongue load are all within 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.

WARNING - Towing a

trailer

CAUTION - Trailer

installation

Always check your towing

equipment to confirm correct

equipment size and installation

before use. Using incompatible

or incorrectly installed trailer

equipment can affect the vehi-

cle operation and endanger you

and your passengers.

Follow instructions in this sec-

tion when pulling a trailer.

Pulling a trailer improperly can

damage your vehicle and result

in costly repairs not covered by

your warranty.

Load-pulling components such as

the engine, transmission, 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 addi-

tional 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 information in

“Weight of the trailer” that appears

later in this section.

You may require an additional wiring

harness connector to install a trailer

hitch. Please contact an authorized

Kia dealer for more details.

5 152

Driving your vehicle

Hitches

Safety chains

Trailer brakes

It's important to have the correct You should always attach chains If your trailer is equipped with a brak-

hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large between your vehicle and your trail- ing system, make sure it conforms to

trucks going by, and rough roads are er. Cross the safety chains under the your state’s regulations and that it is

a few reasons why you’ll need the tongue of the trailer so that the properly installed and operating cor-

right hitch. Here are some rules to tongue will not drop to the road if it rectly.

follow:

becomes separated from the hitch.

If your trailer weight exceeds the

• Will you have to make any holes in Instructions about safety chains may maximum allowed weight without

the body of your vehicle when you be provided by the hitch manufactur- trailer brakes, then the trailer will also

install a trailer hitch? If you do, then er or by the trailer manufacturer. require its own brakes as well. Be

be sure to seal the holes later Follow the manufacturer’s recom- sure to read and follow the instruc-

when you remove the hitch.

mendation for attaching safety tions for the trailer brakes so you’ll be

chains. Always leave just enough able to install, adjust and maintain

slack so you can turn with your trail- them properly.

If you don’t seal them, deadly car-

bon monoxide (CO) from your

exhaust can get into your vehicle,

as well as dirt and water.

er. And, never allow safety chains to

• Don’t tap into or modify your vehi-

drag on the ground.

cle'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 absolute-

ly certain that you have proper-

ly set up the brake system. This

is not a task for amateurs. Use

an experienced, competent

trailer shop for this work.

• Kia trailer hitch accessory is avail-

able at an authorized Kia dealer.

5 153

Driving your vehicle

Following distance

Making turns

Driving with a trailer

Stay at least twice as far behind the When you’re turning with a trailer,

vehicle ahead as you would when make wider turns than normal. Do

driving your vehicle without a trailer. this so your trailer won’t strike soft

This can help you avoid situations shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,

that require heavy braking and sud- or other objects near the edge of the

Towing a trailer requires a certain

amount of experience. Before setting

out for the open road, you must get

to know your trailer. Acquaint your-

self 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 moving and then apply the

trailer brake controller by hand to be

sure the brakes are working.This lets

you check your electrical connection

at the same time.

den turns.

road. Avoid jerky or sudden maneu-

vers. Signal well in advance before

turning or lane changes.

Passing

You’ll need more passing distance

up ahead when you’re towing a trail-

er. 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.

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.

During your trip, check occasionally

to be sure that the load is secure,

and that the lights and any trailer

brakes are still working.

5 154

Driving your vehicle

Turn signals when towing a trailer

Driving on grades

CAUTION

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 trailer

bulbs are still working.You must also

check the lights every time you dis-

connect 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 possi-

bility of engine and transmission

overheating.

If your trailer weighs more than the

maximum trailer weight without trail-

er brakes and you have an automat-

ic transmission, you should drive in D

(Drive) when towing a trailer.

Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)

when towing a trailer will minimize

heat build up and extend the life of

your transmission.

Always use an approved trailer

wiring harness. Failure to use

an approved trailer wiring har-

ness could result in damage to

the vehicle electrical system.

Do not connect a trailer lighting sys-

tem directly to your vehicle’s lighting

system. Use only an approved trailer

wiring harness.

An authorized Kia dealer can assist

you in installing the wiring harness.

5 155

Driving your vehicle

Towing up hill

Parking on hills

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.

• When towing a trailer on steep Generally, if you have a trailer

grades (in excess of 6%) pay close attached to your vehicle, you should

attention to the engine coolant not park your vehicle on a hill. People

temperature gauge to ensure the can be seriously or fatally injured,

engine does not overheat.

and both your vehicle and the trailer 6.Reapply the brakes, reapply the

can be damaged if they unexpected-

ly roll downhill.

towards “H” (HOT), pull over and However, if you ever have to park

parking brake and shift the vehicle

to P (Park) for automatic transmis-

sion.

If the needle of the coolant temper-

ature gauge moves across the dial

stop as soon as it is safe to do so, your trailer on a hill, here's how to do 7.Shut off the vehicle and release the

and allow the engine to idle until it it:

cools down.You may proceed once

the engine has cooled sufficiently.

vehicle brakes but leave the park-

ing brake set.

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).

• You must decide driving speed

depending on trailer weight and

uphill grade to reduce the possibil-

ity of engine and transmission

overheating.

2.If the vehicle has an automatic

transmission, place the vehicle in P

(Park).

3.Set the parking brake and shut off

the engine.

4.Place chocks under the trailer

wheels on the down hill side of the

wheels.

5 156

Driving your vehicle

When you are ready to leave after

parking on a hill

1. With the automatic transmission in

P (Park), apply your brakes and

hold the brake pedal down while

you:

Maintenance when trailer tow-

ing

CAUTION - Air condition

Do not use the A/C while using

your vehicle to tow uphill. Due

to higher load during trailer

usage, overheating might occur

on hot days or during uphill

driving.

Your vehicle will need service more

often when you regularly pull a trail-

er. Important items to pay particular

attention to include engine oil, auto-

matic transmission fluid, axle lubri-

cant and cooling system fluid. Brake

condition is another important item to

frequently check. Each item is cov-

ered 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 mainte-

nance schedule that accompanied

your trailer and check it periodically.

Preferably, conduct 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 transmission

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.

5 157

Driving your vehicle

If you do decide to pull a trailer

For North America

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.

Theta II 2.0L

T-GDI

Theta II 2.4L

GDI

Item

Without brake

System

748 kg

(1,650 lbs)

748 kg

(1,650 lbs)

Maximum

• Do not do any towing with your

vehicle during 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 transmission

damage.

• When towing a trailer, be sure to

consult an authorized Kia dealer

for further information on additional

requirements such as a towing kit,

etc.

trailer weight

With brake

System

907 kg

(2,000 lbs)

907 kg

(2,000 lbs)

100 kg

(220 lbs)

100 kg

(220 lbs)

Maximum tongue weight

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

read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this sec-

tion.

• Always drive your vehicle at a mod-

erate speed (less than 100 km/h

(60 mph)).

• 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 con-

siderations that have to do with

weight:

5 158

Driving your vehicle

Weight of the trailer

Weight of the trailer tongue

After you've loaded your trailer,

weigh the trailer 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 mov-

ing some items around in the trailer.

WARNING - Trailer

Always follow the loading

instructions provided with your

trailer. Improper loading can

affect vehicle operation and

result in an accident.

Tongue Load

Total Trailer Weight

Gross Axle Weight Gross Vehicle Weight

C190E02JM

C190E01JM

What is the maximum safe weight of The tongue load of any trailer is an

a trailer? It should never weigh more important weight to measure

than the maximum trailer weight with because it affects the total gross

trailer brakes. But even that can be vehicle weight (GVW) of your vehi-

too heavy.

cle. 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.

It depends on how you plan to use

your trailer. For example, speed, alti-

tude, road grades, outside tempera-

ture and how often your vehicle is

used to pull a trailer are all important.

The ideal trailer weight can also

depend on any special equipment

that you have on your vehicle.

5 159

Driving your vehicle -> Trailer Towing for Your Kia Sportage SUV 2020

Popular Manuals