KIA Forte (2018 year). Instruction — part 24

• The Dual Clutch Transmission gives

the driving feel of a manual transmis‐

sion, yet provides the ease of a fully

automatic transmission. Unlike a tra‐

ditional automatic transmission, the

gear shifting can be felt (and heard)

on the dual clutch transmission

- Think of it as an automatically

shifting manual transmission.

- Shift into Drive range and get fully

automatic shifting, similar to a

conventional automatic transmis‐

sion.

• Dual clutch transmission adopts dry-

type dual clutch, which is different

from torque converter of automatic

transmission, and shows better ac‐

celeration performance during driv‐

ing. But, initial launch might be little

bit slower than Automatic Transmis‐

sion.

• The dry-type clutch transfers torque

and provides a direct driving feeling

which may feel different from a con‐

ventional automatic transmission

with a torque converter. This may be

more noticeable when starting from

a stop or low vehicle speed.

• When rapidly accelerating at low ve‐

hicle speed, engine could rev at high

rpm depending on vehicle drive condi‐

tion.

• For smooth launch uphill, press down

the accelerator pedal smoothly de‐

pending on the current conditions.

• If you release your foot from the ac‐

celerator pedal at low vehicle speed,

you may feel strong engine brake,

which is similar to manual transmis‐

sion.

• When driving downhill, you may use

Sports Mode and press the paddle

shifters to downshift to a lower gear

in order to control your speed with‐

out using the brake pedal excessively.

• When you turn the engine on and off,

you may hear clicking sounds as the

system goes through a self test. This

is a normal sound for the Dual Clutch

Transmission.

WARNING

Due to transmission failure, the ve‐

hicle may not move and the position

indicator (D,R) will blink on the clus‐

ter. In this case, have the system
(Continued)

(Continued)

checked by a professional workshop.

Kia recommends to visit an author‐

ized Kia dealer/service partner.

CAUTION

n Using brakes on a steep grade

To hold the vehicle on a hill use the

foot or parking brake. If the vehicle

is held by applying the accelerator

pedal on a hill, the clutch and trans‐

mission will be overheated resulting

in damage. Then a time, a warning

message "Steep grade! Press brake

pedal" will appear on the LCD win‐

dow and you may feel a some vibra‐

tion.

CAUTION

n Overheated Dual clutch trans‐

mission

If a vehicle on a steep grade is held

by using the accelerator pedal or re‐

peated kick down driving mecha‐
(Continued)

Driving your vehicle

6-28

(Continued)

nism, the transmission clutch could

overheat. This overuse of transmis‐

sion leads to vibration or shudder

and a shift indicator on LCD will blink

and LCD warning message "Trans‐

mission temp. is high! Stop Safely"

will appear also.

Then, clutch protection mode will ac‐

tivate and the clutch will be disabled

until the temperature returns to

normal. Quickly pull over to a safe

level ground, shift to Park and apply

the foot brake with engine ON until

the LCD warning messages disap‐

pears. If you ignore the warning, the

transmission may be damaged.

Gear shifts may be more recogniza‐

ble than conventional automatic

transmission. This is normal for dual

clutch transmission.

If the shift indicator continues to

blink, have your vehicle inspected by

a professional workshop. Kia recom‐

mends to contact an authorized Kia

dealer/service partner.

CAUTION

n Dual Clutch Transmission Kick‐

down

The overheated Dual clutch trans‐

mission may change the gear shift‐

ing characteristics, and illuminate

the warning message on the LCD

window when kickdown mechanism

is repetitively used.

Do not use the kickdown mechanism

to return to normal driving condition.

Also, temporarily stop the vehicle at

a safe location, when the LCD warn‐

ing illuminates.

CAUTION

n Usage of the shift lever during

Break-in period

(Continued)

(Continued)

• During the first 1,500 km

(1,000) miles of driving this vehi‐

cle, when accelerating from low

speed, the performance may not

feel smooth. It is because during

this break-in period, the shift

quality and performance of your

new vehicle is continuously opti‐

mized.

• Always come to a complete stop

before shifting into Drive or Re‐

verse.

• Do not put the shift lever in Neu‐

tral while driving.

The indicator in the instrument cluster

displays the shift lever position when

the ignition switch is in the ON position.

P (Park)

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into P (Park).

To shift from P (Park), you must de‐

press firmly on the brake pedal and

make sure your foot is off the acceler‐

ator pedal.

The shift lever must be in P (Park) be‐

fore turning the engine off.

6-29

6

Driving your v

ehicle

WARNING

• Shifting into P (Park) while the ve‐

hicle is in motion may cause you to

lose control of the vehicle.

• After the vehicle has stopped, al‐

ways make sure the shift lever is

in P (Park), apply the parking

brake, and turn the engine off.

• Do not use the P (Park) position in

place of the parking brake.

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle

backward.

CAUTION

Always come to a complete stop be‐

fore shifting into or out of R (Re‐

verse); you may damage the trans‐

mission if you shift into R (Reverse)

while the vehicle is in motion.

N (Neutral)

The wheels and transmission are not

engaged.

Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart a

stalled engine, or if it is necessary to

stop with the engine ON. Shift into P

(Park) if you need to leave your vehicle

for any reason.

Always depress the brake pedal when

you are shifting from N (Neutral) to an‐

other gear.

WARNING

Do not shift into gear unless your

foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

Shifting into gear when the engine is

running at high speed can cause the

vehicle to move very rapidly. You

could lose control of the vehicle and

hit people or objects.

WARNING

Do not drive with the shift lever in N

(Neutral).

The engine brake will not work and

lead to an accident.

-Parking in N (Neutral) gear

Follow below steps when parking and

you want the vehicle to move when

pushed.

1. After parking your vehicle, step on

the brake pedal and move the shift

lever to "P" with the ignition button

in "ON" or while the engine is run‐

ning.

2. If the parking brake is applied un‐

lock the parking brake.

3. While pressing the brake pedal,

turn the ignition button "OFF".

- For smart key equipped vehicles,

the ignition switch can be moved

to "OFF" only when the shift lev‐

er is in "P".

4. Change the gear shift lever to "N"

(Neutral) while pressing the brake

pedal and pushing "SHIFT LOCK RE‐

LEASE" button or inserting, press‐

ing down a tool (e.g. flathead

screw-driver) into the "SHIFT LOCK

RELEASE" access hole at the same

time. Then, the vehicle will move

when external force is applied.

Driving your vehicle

6-30

CAUTION

• With the exception of parking in

neutral gear, always park the vehi‐

cle in "P" (Park) for safety and en‐

gage the parking brake.

• Before parking in "N" (Neutral)

gear, first make sure the parking

ground is level and flat. Do not

park in "N" gear on any slopes or

gradients.

If parked and left in "N", the vehi‐

cle may move and cause serious

damage and injury

D (Drive)

This is the normal driving position. The

transmission will automatically shift

through a seven-gear sequence, pro‐

viding the best fuel economy and pow‐

er.

For extra power when passing another

vehicle or driving uphill depress the ac‐

celerator pedal further until you feel

the transmission downshift to a lower

gear.

Manual mode

Whether the vehicle is stationary or in

motion, manual mode is selected by

pushing the shift lever from the D

(Drive) position into the manual gate.

To return to D (Drive) range operation,

push the shift lever back into the main

gate.

In manual mode, moving the shift lever

backwards and forwards will allow you

to select the desired range of gears for

the current driving conditions.

+ (Up) :

Push the lever forward

once to shift up one gear.

- (Down) :

Pull the lever backwards

once to shift down one

gear.

NOTICE

• Only the seven 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.

• Downshifts are made automatical‐

ly when the vehicle slows down.

When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is

automatically selected.

• When the engine rpm approaches

the red zone the transmission will

upshift automatically.

• If the driver presses the lever to +

(Up) or - (Down) position, the

transmission may not make the

requested gear change if the next

gear is outside of the allowable

engine rpm range. The driver must

execute upshifts in accordance

with road conditions, taking care

to keep the engine rpms below the

red zone.

6-31

6

Driving your v

ehicle

Paddle shifter (if equipped)

The paddle shifter is available when the

shift lever is in the D (Drive) position or

the manual mode.

With the shift lever in the D

position

The paddle shifter will operate when

the vehicle speed is more than 10km/h.

Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once to

shift up or down one gear and the sys‐

tem changes from automatic mode to

manual mode.

When the vehicle speed is lower than

10km/h, if you depress the accelerator

pedal for more than 5 seconds or if you

shift the shift lever from D (Drive) to

manual mode and shift it from manual

mode to D (Drive) again, the system

changes from manual mode to auto‐

matic mode.

With the shift lever in the manual

mode

Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once to

shift up or down one gear.

NOTICE

If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle

shifters at the same time, you can‐

not shift the gear.

Shift lock system

For your safety, the Dual clutch trans‐

mission has a shift lock system which

prevents shifting the transaxle from P

(Park) into R (Reverse) unless the brake

pedal is depressed.

To shift the transaxle from P (Park) in‐

to R (Reverse):

1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.

2. Start the engine or turn the ignition

switch to the ON position.

3. Move the shift lever.

If the brake pedal is repeatedly de‐

pressed and released with the shift lev‐

er in the P (Park) position, a chattering

noise & vibration near the shift lever

may be heard. This is a normal condi‐

tion.

WARNING

Always fully depress the brake pedal

before and while shifting out of the

P (Park) position into another posi‐

tion to avoid inadvertent motion of

the vehicle which could injure per‐

sons in or around the car.

Driving your vehicle

6-32

Shift-lock override

If the shift lever cannot be moved from

the P (Park) position into R (Reverse)

position with the brake pedal de‐

pressed, continue depressing the brake,

then do the following:

1. Place the ignition switch in the

LOCK/OFF position.

2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cover‐

ing the shift-lock release access

hole.

4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw‐

driver) into the access hole and

press down on the tool.

5. Move the shift lever.

6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock

override access hole then install the

cap.

7. Have the system inspected by a

professional workshop. Kia recom‐

mends to visit an authorized Kia

dealer/service partner.

Ignition key interlock system (if

equipped)

The ignition key cannot be removed un‐

less the shift lever is in the P (Park) po‐

sition.

Good driving practices

• Never move the shift lever from P

(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other po‐

sition with the accelerator pedal de‐

pressed.

• Never move the shift lever into P

(Park) when the vehicle is in motion.

• Be sure the car is completely stopped

before you attempt to shift into R

(Reverse) or D (Drive).

• Never take the car out of gear and

coast down a hill. This may be ex‐

tremely hazardous. Always leave the

car in gear when moving.

• 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 the car.

• Slow down before shifting to a lower

gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may

not be engaged.

• Always use the parking brake. Do not

depend on placing the transaxle in P

(Park) to keep the car from moving.

• Exercise extreme caution when driv‐

ing on a slippery surface. Be especial‐

ly careful when braking, accelerating

or shifting gears. On a slippery sur‐

face, an abrupt change in vehicle

speed can cause the drive wheels to

lose traction and the vehicle to go out

of control.

• Optimum vehicle performance and

economy is obtained by smoothly de‐

pressing and releasing the accelera‐

tor pedal.

6-33

6

Driving your v

ehicle

WARNING

• Always buckle-up! In a collision, an

unbelted occupant is significantly

more likely to be seriously injured

or killed than a properly belted oc‐

cupant.

• Avoid high speeds when cornering

or turning.

• Do not make quick steering wheel

movements, such as sharp lane

changes or fast, sharp turns.

• The risk of rollover is greatly in‐

creased if you lose control of your

vehicle at highway speeds.

• Loss of control often occurs if two

or more wheels drop off the road‐

way and the driver oversteers 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 limits.

WARNING

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 ve‐

hicle. During the rocking operation

the vehicle may suddenly move for‐

ward of backward as it becomes un‐

stuck, causing injury or damage to

nearby people or objects.

Moving up a steep grade from a

standing start

To move up a steep grade from a

standing 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.

Driving your vehicle

6-34

BRAKE SYSTEM

Power brakes

Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes

that adjust automatically through nor‐

mal usage.

In the event that the power-assisted

brakes lose power because of a stalled

engine or some other reason, you can

still stop your vehicle by applying

greater force to the brake pedal than

you normally would. The stopping dis‐

tance, however, will be longer.

When the engine is not running, the re‐

serve brake power is partially depleted

each time the brake pedal is applied. Do

not pump the brake pedal when the

power assist has been interrupted.

Pump the brake pedal only when nec‐

essary to maintain steering control on

slippery surfaces.

WARNING

n Brakes

(Continued)

(Continued)

• Do not drive with your foot resting

on the brake pedal. This will create

abnormal high brake tempera‐

tures, excessive brake lining and

pad wear, and increased stopping

distances.

• When descending a long or steep

hill, shift to a lower gear and avoid

continuous application of the

brakes. Continuous brake applica‐

tion will cause the brakes to over‐

heat and could result in a tempo‐

rary loss of braking performance.

• Wet brakes may impair the vehi‐

cle’s ability to safely slow down;

the vehicle may also pull to one

side when the brakes are applied.

Applying the brakes lightly will in‐

dicate whether they have been af‐

fected in this way.

Always test your brakes in this

fashion after driving through deep

water. To dry the brakes, apply

them lightly while maintaining a

safe forward speed until brake

performance returns to normal.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• Always, confirm the position of

the brake and accelerator pedal

before driving. If you don’t check

the position of the accelerator and

brake pedal before driving, you

may depress the accelerator in‐

stead of the brake pedal. It may

cause a serious accident.

In the event of brake failure

If service brakes fail to operate while

the vehicle is in motion, you can make

an emergency stop with the parking

brake. The stopping distance, however,

will be much greater than normal.

WARNING

n Parking brake

Applying the parking brake while the

vehicle is moving at normal speeds

can cause a sudden loss of control of

the vehicle. If you must use the

parking brake to stop the vehicle,

use great caution in applying the

brake.

6-35

6

Driving your v

ehicle

CAUTION

Do not operate the parking brake

while the vehicle is moving except in

an emergency situation. It could

damage the vehicle system and

make endanger driving safety.

Disc brakes wear indicator

When your brake pads are worn and

new pads are required, you will hear a

high-pitched warning sound from your

front brakes or rear brakes (if equip‐

ped). You may hear this sound come

and go or it may occur whenever you

depress the brake pedal.

Please remember that some driving

conditions or climates may cause a

brake squeal when you first apply (or

lightly apply) the brakes. This is normal

and does not indicate a problem with

your brakes.

CAUTION

• To avoid costly brake repairs, do

not continue to drive with worn

brake pads.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• Always replace the front or rear

brake pads as pairs.

WARNING

n Brake wear

This brake wear warning sound

means your vehicle needs service. If

you ignore this audible warning, you

will eventually lose braking perform‐

ance, which could lead to a serious

accident.

Parking brake

Applying the parking brake

Hand type
To engage the parking brake, first apply

the foot brake and then pull up the

parking brake lever as far as possible.

In addition it is recommended that

when parking the vehicle on an incline,

the shift lever should be in a low gear

on manual transaxle vehicles or in the P

(Park) position on automatic transaxle /

dual clutch transmission vehicles.

Driving your vehicle

6-36

CAUTION

Driving with the parking brake ap‐

plied will cause excessive brake pad

and brake rotor wear.

Releasing the parking brake

Hand type
To release the parking brake, first apply

the foot brake and pull up the parking

brake lever slightly. Secondly depress

the release button (1) and lower the

parking brake lever (2) while holding

the button.

If the parking brake does not release or

does not release all the way, have the

system checked by a professional

workshop. Kia recommends to visit an

authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

WARNING

• To prevent unintentional move‐

ment when stopped and leaving

the vehicle, do not use the shift

lever instead of the parking brake.

Set the parking brake AND make

sure the shift lever is securely

positioned in 1st (First) gear or R

(Reverse) for manual transaxle

equipped vehicles and in P (Park)

for automatic transaxle / dual

clutch transmission equipped vehi‐

cles.

• Never allow anyone who is unfa‐

miliar with the vehicle to touch the

parking brake. If the parking brake

is released unintentionally, serious

injury may occur.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• All vehicles should always have the

parking brake fully engaged when

parking to avoid inadvertent

movement of the vehicle which

can injure occupants or pedes‐

trians.

Check the brake warning light by turn‐

ing the ignition switch ON (do not start

the engine). This light will be illumina‐

ted when the parking brake is applied

with the ignition switch in the START or

ON position.

Before driving, be sure the parking

brake is fully released and the brake

warning light is off.

6-37

6

Driving your v

ehicle

If the brake warning light remains on

after the parking brake is released

while the engine is running, there may

be a malfunction in the brake system.

Immediate attention is necessary.

If at all possible, cease driving the vehi‐

cle immediately. If that is not possible,

use extreme caution while operating

the vehicle and only continue to drive

the vehicle until you can reach a safe

location or repair shop.

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)

WARNING

ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci‐

dents due to improper or dangerous

driving maneuvers. Even though ve‐

hicle control is improved during

emergency braking, always maintain

a safe distance between you and ob‐

jects ahead. Vehicle speeds should

always be reduced during extreme

road conditions.

The braking distance for vehicle

equipped with an anti-lock braking

system (or Electronic Stability con‐

trol) may be longer than for those
(Continued)

(Continued)

without it in the following road con‐

ditions.

During these conditions the vehicle

should be driven at reduced speeds:

• Rough, gravel or snow-covered

roads.

• With tire chains installed.
• On roads where the road surface is

pitted or has different surface

height.

The safety features of an ABS (or

ESC) equipped vehicle should not be

tested by high speed driving or cor‐

nering. This could endanger the

safety of yourself or others.

The ABS continuously senses the speed

of the wheels. If the wheels are going

to lock, the ABS system repeatedly

modulates the hydraulic brake pressure

to the wheels.

When you apply your brakes under

conditions which may lock the wheels,

you may hear a tik-tik sound from

the brakes, or feel a corresponding sen‐

sation in the brake pedal. This is normal

and it means your ABS is active.

In order to obtain the maximum benefit

from your ABS in an emergency situa‐

tion, do not attempt to modulate your

brake pressure and do not try to pump

your brakes. Press your brake pedal as

hard as possible or as hard as the sit‐

uation allows the ABS to control the

force being delivered to the brakes.

NOTICE

A click sound may be heard in the

engine compartment when the vehi‐

cle begins to move after the engine

is started. These conditions are nor‐

mal and indicate that the anti-lock

brake system is functioning proper‐

ly.

• Even with the anti-lock brake sys‐

tem, your vehicle still requires suffi‐

cient stopping distance. Always main‐

tain a safe distance from the vehicle

in front of you.

• Always slow down when cornering.

The anti-lock brake system cannot

prevent accidents resulting from ex‐

cessive speeds.

Driving your vehicle

6-38

• On loose or uneven road surfaces, op‐

eration of the anti-lock brake system

may result in a longer stopping dis‐

tance than for vehicles equipped with

a conventional brake system.

CAUTION

• If the ABS warning light is on and

stays on, you may have a problem

with the ABS. In this case, howev‐

er, your regular brakes will work

normally.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• The ABS warning light will stay on

for approximately 3 seconds after

the ignition switch is ON. During

that time, the ABS will go through

self-diagnosis and the light will go

off if everything is normal. If the

light stays on, you may have a

problem with your ABS. In this

case, have your vehicle inspected

by a professional workshop. Kia

recommends to contact an author‐

ized Kia dealer/service partner.

CAUTION

• When you drive on a road having

poor traction, such as an icy road,

and have operated your brakes

continuously, the ABS will be ac‐

tive continuously and the ABS

warning light may illuminate. Pull

your vehicle over to a safe place

and stop the engine.

(Continued)

(Continued)

• Restart the engine. If the ABS

warning light goes off, then your

ABS system is normal. Otherwise,

you may have a problem with the

ABS. In this case, have your vehicle

inspected by a professional work‐

shop. Kia recommends to contact

an authorized Kia dealer/service

partner.

NOTICE

When you jump start your vehicle

because of a drained battery, the

engine may not run as smoothly and

the ABS warning light may turn on

at the same time. This happens be‐

cause of low battery voltage. It does

not mean your ABS has malfunc‐

tioned.

• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before

driving the vehicle.

6-39

6

Driving your v

ehicle

Electronic stability control (ESC)

(if equipped)

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

system is designed to stabilize the ve‐

hicle during cornering maneuvers. ESC

checks where you are steering and

where the vehicle is actually going. ESC

applies the brakes on individual wheels

and intervenes with the engine man‐

agement system to stabilize the vehi‐

cle.

WARNING

Never drive too fast according to the

road conditions or too quickly when

cornering. Electronic Stability Control

(ESC) will not prevent accidents. Ex‐

cessive speed in turns, abrupt ma‐

neuvers and hydroplaning on wet

surfaces can still result in serious ac‐

cidents. Only a safe and attentive

driver can prevent accidents by

avoiding maneuvers that cause the

vehicle to lose traction. Even with

ESC installed, always follow all the

normal precautions for driving - in‐

cluding driving at safe speeds for the

conditions.

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

system is an electronic system de‐

signed to help the driver maintain vehi‐

cle control under adverse conditions. It

is not a substitute for safe driving

practices. Factors including speed, road

conditions and driver steering input can

all affect whether ESC will be effective

in preventing a loss of control. It is still

your responsibility to drive and corner

at reasonable speeds and to leave a

sufficient margin of safety.

When you apply your brakes under

conditions which may lock the wheels,

you may hear a tik-tik sound from

the brakes, or feel a corresponding sen‐

sation in the brake pedal. This is normal

and it means your ESC is active.

NOTICE

A click sound may be heard in the

engine compartment when the vehi‐

cle begins to move after the engine

is started. These conditions are nor‐

mal and indicate that the Electronic

Stability Control System is function‐

ing properly.

ESC operation

ESC ON condition

• When the ignition is

turned ON, ESC and ESC

OFF indicator lights illu‐

minate for approxi‐

mately 3 seconds, then

ESC is turned on.

Driving your vehicle

6-40

• Press the ESC OFF but‐

ton for at least half a

second after turning the

ignition ON to turn ESC

off. (ESC OFF indicator

will illuminate). To turn

the ESC on, press the

ESC OFF button (ESC

OFF indicator light will

go off).

• When starting the en‐

gine, you may hear a

slight ticking sound. This

is the ESC performing

an automatic system

self-check and does not

indicate a problem.

When operating

When the ESC is in opera‐

tion, the ESC indicator light

blinks.

When the Electronic Stabili‐

ty Control is operating

properly, you can feel a

slight pulsation in the vehi‐

cle. This is only the effect

of brake control and indi‐

cates nothing unusual.

When moving out of the

mud or slippery road,

pressing the accelerator

pedal may not cause the

engine rpm (revolutions per

minute) to increase.

ESC operation off

ESC OFF state

This car has 2 kinds of ESC

off states.

If the engine stops when ESC

is off, ESC remains off. Upon

restarting the engine, the ESC

will automatically turn on

again.

• ESC off state 1

To cancel the ESC operation, press

the ESC OFF button (ESC OFF

)

once. Then, the ESC OFF indicator

light (ESC OFF ) will illuminate and

the warning message "Traction Con‐

trol disabled" will appear in the LCD

window. At this state, the engine

control function does not operate. It

means the traction control function

does not operate. Brake control func‐

tion only operates.

• ESC off state 2

To cancel the ESC operation, press

the ESC OFF button (ESC OFF

)

once. Then, the ESC OFF indicator

light (ESC OFF

) will illuminate ,

warning chime will sound and the

warning message "Traction & Stabili‐

ty Control disabled" will appear in the

LCD window.

At this state, the engine control func‐

tion and brake control function do not

operate. It means the car stability

control function does not operate any

more.

6-41

6

Driving your v

ehicle

Indicator light

When ignition switch is turned to the

ON position, the indicator light illumi‐

nates, then goes off if the ESC system

is operating normally.

The ESC indicator light blinks whenever

ESC is operating or illuminates when

ESC fails to operate.

ESC OFF indicator light comes on when

the ESC is turned off with the button.

CAUTION

Driving with varying tire or wheel

sizes may cause the ESC system to

malfunction. When replacing tires,
(Continued)

(Continued)

make sure they are the same size as

your original tires.

WARNING

The Electronic Stability Control is on‐

ly a driving aid; use precautions for

safe driving by slowing down on

curved, snowy, or icy roads. Drive

slowly and don’t attempt to acceler‐

ate whenever the ESC indicator light

is blinking, or when the road surface

is slippery.

ESC OFF usage

When driving

• ESC should be turned on for daily

driving whenever possible.

• To turn ESC off while driving, press

the ESC OFF button while driving on a

flat road surface.

WARNING

Never press the ESC OFF button

while ESC is operating (ESC indicator

light blinks).

If ESC is turned off while ESC is op‐

erating, the vehicle may slip out of

control.

NOTICE

• When operating the vehicle on a

dynamometer, ensure that the

ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light il‐

luminated). If the ESC is left on, it

may prevent the vehicle speed

from increasing, and result in false

diagnosis.

• Turning the ESC off does not af‐

fect ABS or brake system opera‐

tion.

Driving your vehicle

6-42

Vehicle stability management

(VSM)

This system provides further enhance‐

ments to vehicle stability and steering

responses when a vehicle is driving on a

slippery road or a vehicle detected

changes in coefficient of friction be‐

tween right wheels and left wheels

when braking.

VSM operation

When the VSM is operating:

• ESC (Electronic Stability Control) ( )

light will blink.

• The steering wheel may be control‐

led.

When the vehicle stability management

is operating properly, you can feel a

slight pulsation in the vehicle. This is

only the effect of brake control and in‐

dicates nothing unusual.

The VSM does not operate when:

• Driving on bank road such as gradient

or incline

• Driving rearward
• ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains

on the instrument cluster

• EPS (Electronic Power Steering) indi‐

cator light remains on the instrument

cluster

VSM operation off

If you press the ESC OFF button to turn

off the ESC, the VSM will also cancel

and the ESC OFF indicator light ( ) illu‐

minates.

To turn on the VSM, press the button

again. The ESC OFF indicator light goes

out.

Malfunction indicator

The VSM can be deactivated even if you

don t cancel the VSM operation by

pressing the ESC OFF button. It indi‐

cates that a malfunction has been de‐

tected somewhere in the EPS (Elec‐

tronic Power Steering) system or VSM

system. If the ESC indicator light ( ) or

EPS warning light remains on, have the

system checked by a professional

workshop. Kia recommends to visit an

authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

NOTICE

• The VSM is designed to function

above approximately 15 km/h

(9 mph) on curves.

• The VSM is designed to function

above approximately 30 km/h

(18 mph) when a vehicle is braking

on a split-mu road. The split-mu

road is made of surfaces which

have different friction forces.

WARNING

• The Vehicle Stability Management

system is not a substitute for safe

driving practices but a supplemen‐

tary function only. It is the respon‐

sibility of the driver to always

check the speed and the distance

to the vehicle ahead. Always hold

the steering wheel firmly while

driving.

(Continued)

6-43

6

Driving your v

ehicle