KIA Sportage 2005 - Manual (Page 128)

Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has five for-
ward gears.
Press the clutch pedal down fully
while shifting, then release it slowly.
A special safety feature prevents
inadvertent shifting from 5 (Fifth) to
R (Reverse). The gearshift lever must
be returned to the neutral position
before shifting into R (Reverse).
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
To avoid premature clutch wear and
damage, do not drive with your foot
resting on the clutch pedal. Also,
don’t use the clutch to hold the vehi-
cle stopped on an upgrade, while
waiting for a traffic light, etc.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
labor. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
1KMA3052
WARNING - Manual
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
Then make sure the transaxle is
shifted into 1
st gear when the
vehicle is parked on a level or
uphill grade, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed in
the order identified.
4 5
Driving your vehicle
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KM CAN (ENG) 4.qxd 9/13/2004 4:48 PM Page 5