Kia Sportage 2023 Owner's Manual page 397

Driving your vehicle
sion and may not be covered by your
vehicle manufacturer warranty. Also,
the snow chain connecting hooks may
be damaged from contacting vehicle
components causing the snow chains
to come loose from the tire. Make sure
the snow chains are SAE class "S" cer-
tified.
僅 Always check chain installation for
proper mounting after driving approx-
imately 0.3 to 0.6 miles (0.5 to 1 km)
to ensure safe mounting. Retighten or
remount the chains if they are loose.
僅 Fabric-type chains must be used on
the vehicle with 18/19 inch (235/
60R18, 235/55R19) tires.
Use high quality ethylene glycol
coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high qual-
ity 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 cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with the
maintenance schedule in section 8.
Before winter, have your coolant tested
to assure that its freezing point is suffi-
cient for the temperatures anticipated
during the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
8. Have the level of charge in your bat-
tery checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary
In some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See "Recom-
mended lubricants and capacities" on
page 8-9. 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
"Scheduled maintenance service" on
page 7-8 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
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. Han-
dle the heated key with care to avoid
injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer 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
finish.
Winter driving
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