Get What to do in an emergency -> Towing Guide for Kia Sportage SUV 2020

What to do in an emergency

TOWING

On AWD vehicles, your vehicle must

be towed with a wheel lift and dollies

or flatbed equipment with all the

wheels off the ground.

Towing service

WARNING - Side and

curtain Air bag

If your vehicle is equipped with

side and curtain air bag, set the

ignition switch to LOCK or ACC

position when the vehicle is

being towed.

The side and curtain air bag

may deploy when the ignition is

ON, and the rollover sensor

detects the situation as

rollover.

CAUTION

The AWD vehicle should never

be towed with the wheels on the

ground. This can cause serious

damage to the transmission or

the AWD system.

dolly

On FWD vehicles, it is acceptable to

tow the vehicle with the rear wheels

on the ground (without dollies) and

the front wheels off the ground.

dolly

OQL065013

If any of the loaded wheels or sus-

pension components are damaged

or the vehicle is being towed with the

front wheels on the ground, use a

towing dolly under the front wheels.

When being towed by a commercial

tow truck and wheel dollies are not

used, the front of the vehicle should

always be lifted, not the rear.

If emergency towing is necessary,

we recommend having it done by an

authorized Kia dealer or a commer-

cial tow-truck service. Proper lifting

and towing procedures are neces-

sary to prevent damage to the vehi-

cle. The use of wheel dollies or

flatbed is recommended.

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What to do in an emergency

When towing your vehicle in an

emergency without wheel dollies :

Removable towing hook

(if equipped)

1. Set the ignition switch in the ACC

position.

■ Front

2. Place the transmission shift lever

in N (Neutral).

3. Release the parking brake.

OQL065016

CAUTION - Towing gear

position

Failure to place the transmis-

sion shift lever in N (Neutral)

may cause internal damage to

the transmission.

OQL068017N

■ Rear

OQL065015

CAUTION - Towing

• Do not tow the vehicle back-

wards with the front wheels on

the ground as this may cause

damage to the vehicle.

• Do not tow with sling-type

equipment. Use wheel lift or

flatbed equipment.

OQL068018N

1. Open the liftgate, and remove the

towing hook from the tool case.

2. Remove the hole cover pressing

the lower part of the cover on the

bumper.

6 34

What to do in an emergency

3. Install the towing hook by turning it

clockwise into the hole until it is

fully secured.

4. Remove the towing hook and

install the cover after use.

If towing service is not available in an

emergency, your vehicle may be

temporarily towed using a cable or

chain secured to the emergency tow-

ing hook under the front (or rear) of

the vehicle. Use extreme caution

when towing the vehicle. A driver

must be in the vehicle to steer it and

operate the brakes.

Emergency towing

■ Front

Towing in this manner may be done

only on hard-surfaced roads for a

short distance and at low speed.

Also, the wheels, axles, power train,

steering and brakes must all be in

good condition.

OQL068019N

■ Rear

• Do not use the tow hooks to pull a

vehicle out of mud, sand or other

conditions from which the vehicle

cannot be driven out under its own

power.

• Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than

the vehicle doing the towing.

OQL068020N

• The drivers of both vehicles should

communicate with each other fre-

quently.

If towing is necessary, we recom-

mend you to have it done by an

authorized Kia dealer or a com-

mercial tow truck service.

6 35

What to do in an emergency

• Fasten the towing cable or chain

securely to the hook.

• Do not jerk the hook. Apply it

steadily and with even force.

• To avoid damaging the hook, do not

pull from the side or at a vertical

angle. Always pull straight ahead.

CAUTION

WARNING - Emergency

Towing Precautions

Use extreme caution when tow-

ing the vehicle.

Using a portion of the vehicle

other than the tow hooks for

towing may damage the body of

your vehicle.

• Avoid sudden starts or erratic

driving maneuvers which

would place excessive stress

on the emergency towing hook

and towing cable or chain. The

hook and towing cable or

chain may break and cause

serious injury or damage.

• If the disabled vehicle is

unable to be moved, do not

forcibly continue the towing.

We recommend that you con-

tact an authorized Kia dealer

or a commercial tow truck

service for assistance.

• Attach a towing strap to the tow

hook.

• Use only a cable or chain specifical-

ly intended for use in towing vehi-

cles. Securely fasten the cable or

chain to the towing hook provided.

• Accelerate or decelerate the vehi-

cle in a slow and gradual manner

while maintaining tension on the

tow rope or chain to start or drive

the vehicle, otherwise tow hooks

and the vehicle may be damaged.

• Before emergency towing, check if

the hook is not broken or damaged.

• Tow the vehicle as straight

ahead as possible.

• Keep away from the vehicle

during towing.

6 36

What to do in an emergency

Emergency towing precautions

• Turn the ignition switch to ACC so

the steering wheel isn’t locked.

• Place the transmission shift lever in

N (Neutral).

• Release the parking brake.

• Press the brake pedal with more

force than normal since you will

have reduced brake performance.

• If the car is being towed with all

four wheels on the ground, it can

be towed only from the front. Be

sure that the transmission is in

neutral. Be sure the steering is

unlocked by placing the ignition

switch in the ACC position. A driver

must be in the towed vehicle to

operate the steering and brakes.

• More steering effort will be

required because the power steer-

ing system will be disabled.

CAUTION - Automatic

transmission

• To avoid serious damage to the

automatic transmission, limit

the vehicle speed to 15 km/h

(10 mph) and drive less than

1.5 km (1 mile) when towing.

• Before towing, check the auto-

matic transmission for fluid

leaks under your vehicle. If the

automatic transmission fluid is

leaking, flatbed equipment or a

towing dolly must be used.

OQL065021

• Use a towing strap less than 5 m

(16 feet) long. Attach a white or red • If you are driving down a long hill,

cloth (about 30 cm (12 inches)

wide) in the middle of the strap for

easy visibility.

the brakes may overheat and brake

performance will be reduced. Stop

often and let the brakes cool off.

• Drive carefully so that the towing • The vehicle should be towed at a

strap is not loosened during tow-

ing.

• The driver must be in the vehicle

for steering and braking operations

when the vehicle is towed and pas-

sengers other than the driver must

not be allowed to be on board.

speed of 25 km/h or less within the

distance of 20 km.

6 37

What to do in an emergency -> Towing for Your Kia Sportage SUV 2020

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