Driving your vehicle -> Winter driving for Your Kia Sportage SUV 2020

Driving your vehicle  
WINTER DRIVING  
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:  
Snow tires  
Snowy or icy conditions  
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.  
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it  
may be necessary to use snow tires  
on your tires. If snow tires are need-  
ed, it is necessary 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 vehicle.  
Furthermore, speeding, rapid accel-  
eration, sudden brake applications,  
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 to occur. You  
need to keep sufficient distance  
between the vehicle in operation in  
front of your vehicle. Also, apply the  
brake gently.  
Do not install studded tires without  
first checking local, state and munic-  
ipal regulations for possible restric-  
tions against their use.  
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Driving your vehicle  
Use high quality ethylene gly-  
col coolant  
Check battery and cables  
Change to "winter weight" oil  
if necessary  
Winter puts additional burdens on  
the battery system. Visually inspect  
the battery and cables as described  
in chapter 8. The level of charge in  
your battery can be checked by an  
authorized Kia dealer or a service  
station.  
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 chapter 8. Before winter,  
have your coolant tested to assure  
that its freezing point is sufficient for  
the temperatures anticipated during  
the winter.  
In some climates it is recommended  
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"  
oil be used during cold weather. See  
chapter 9 for recommendations. If  
you aren't sure what weight oil you  
should use, consult an authorized  
Kia dealer.  
Check spark plugs and ignition  
system  
Inspect your spark plugs as  
described in chapter 8 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.  
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Driving your vehicle  
To keep locks from freezing  
Don’t let your parking brake  
freeze  
Carry emergency equipment  
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.  
Depending on the severity of the  
weather, you should carry appropri-  
ate emergency equipment. Some of  
the items you may want to carry  
include tow straps or chains, flash-  
light, emergency flares, sand, shov-  
el, jumper cables, window scraper,  
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, blan-  
ket, etc.  
Under some conditions your parking  
brake can freeze in the engaged  
position.This is most likely to happen  
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 gear shift lever in P  
(Park, Automatic Transmission) and  
block the rear wheels so the vehicle  
cannot roll. Then release the parking  
Use approved window washer  
anti-freeze in system  
To keep the water in the window brake.  
washer system from freezing, add an  
approved window washer anti-freeze  
Don't let ice and snow accu-  
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.  
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  
vehicle to be sure the movement of  
the front wheels and the steering  
components are not obstructed.  
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