Kia Forte Owner's Manual page 352

• During cold weather, shifting may
be difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant is warmed up. This is normal
and not harmful to the transaxle.
• If you've come to a complete stop
and it's hard to shift into 1st or R
(Reverse), leave the shift lever at
neutral position and release the
clutch. Depress the clutch pedal
and then shift into 1st or R
(Reverse) gear position.
CAUTION
- Premature
wear
Do not use the shift lever as a
handrest during driving, as this
can result in premature wear of
the transaxle shift forks.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver's seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Do not use
the P position in place of the
parking brake.
Always make sure the shift
lever is latched in the P position
and set the parking brake fully.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed.
Driving your vehicle
Using the clutch
The clutch should be depressed all
the way to the floor before shifting,
then released slowly. The clutch
pedal should always
released while driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal while
driving. This can cause unnecessary
wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an
incline. This causes unnecessary
wear. Use the foot brake or parking
brake to hold the vehicle on an
incline. Do not operate the clutch
pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
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 need to
increase your speed again. When the
vehicle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
be fully
5 15