2008 Kia Magentis Owners Manual

Driving tips
Driving with a trailer
Passing
Turn signals when towing a trailer
Towing a trailer  requires experience. You
must  gain  that   experience  slowly  and
You’ll  need  more  passing  distance   up
ahead when you’re  towing a trailer. And,
because of the increased  vehicle length,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle  before you can  return to
your lane.
When you tow  a trailer, your vehicle  has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra  wiring. The  green arrows  on  your
instrument panel will flash whenever  you
signal  a  turn  or  lane change.  Properly
connected, the trailer lights will also flash
to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing  a trailer,  the green arrows
on  your  instrument  panel  will  flash  for
turns even  if the bulbs  on the trailer  are
burned out. Thus,  you may  think drivers
behind   you  are   seeing   your   signals
when, in fact,  they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trail-
er bulbs  are still working. You  must also
check the  lights  every time  you discon-
nect and then reconnect the wires.
carefully
which
practicing
with
an
unloaded or  lightly loaded trailer.  Before
setting out  for the  open road,  you must
get to know your trailer. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking with
the trailer. And always  keep in mind  that
the vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before  you start,  check  the trailer  hitch
and  platform,   safety  chains,   electrical
connector(s),   lights,   tires   and   mirror
adjustment. If the  trailer has  brakes, fol-
low the trailer manufacturer’s instructions
as to how to check the brakes before you
start driving.
Backing up
The trailer  will go  in the  opposite direc-
tion  of  the  rear   of  your  vehicle  when
backing  up. This  is  very  difficult for  an
inexperienced  trailer driver  to  get  used
to. To help  you avoid  mistakes, hold the
bottom  of  the  steering  wheel with  one
hand.Then, to move the trailer to the left,
just  hold the  steering  wheel  firmly  and
move your  hand to the  left. To move the
trailer to the right, move your hand to the
right. Always back  up slowly and, if  pos-
sible, have someone guide you.
Do not  connect a  trailer lighting  system
directly to your  vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only  an approved trailer  wiring har-
ness.
Your  Authorized  Kia  Dealer  can  assist
you in installing the wiring harness.
During your trip, stop every hour  or so to
be sure that  the load is secure,  and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are work-
ing.
Making turns
When you’re  turning with a  trailer, make
wider turns than  normal. Do this so your
trailer won’t  strike soft shoulders,  curbs,
road signs, trees, or  other objects. Avoid
jerky or  sudden  maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-
cle  ahead  as  you  would  when  driving
your  vehicle  without  a  trailer. This  can
help  you   avoid  situations  that   require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
WARNING - Trailer wiring
harness
Failure  to  use  an approved  trailer
wiring  harness  could  result  in  an
accident  due  to  the  failure  of the
trailer lights to operate.
5
11
Product Specification
CategoriesKia Magentis Manuals, Kia Manuals
Model Year2008
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