Following distance

Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking and sudden turns.

Passing

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.

Backing up

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left, just 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 possible, have someone guide you.

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.

Turn signals when towing a trailer

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 trailer bulbs are still working. You must also check the lights every time you disconnect and then reconnect the wires.

Do not connect a trailer lighting system directly to your vehicle’s lighting system. Use only an approved trailer wiring harness.

Have yourself assisted by a professional workshop in installing the wiring harness. Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

WARNING

Failure to use an approved trailer wiring harness could result in damage to the vehicle electrical system and/or personal injury.

Detection of trailer light connection

This functionality is only given with genuine accessories (tow bar and wiring harness) that recognize when a trailer is connected and consequently inform the vehicle systems.

Trailer recognition works as follows: when a trailer socket is plugged in, either the brake pedal shall be pushed or turn signal lamps activated; the electronic control unit will then detect the trailer because of the power consumption by the trailer lighting and inform the vehicle systems. When the trailer is disconnected, the brake pedal shall be pushed again or turn signal lamps activated for the control unit to be able to detect that there is no power consumption anymore by trailer lighting; the assistance systems that were turned off will automatically turn on again.

It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that all electrical connections are working and all trailer lights are operating before and during towing. You must perform manual checks.

CAUTION

Use only genuine electrical connections. Do not attempt to arbitrarily splice or directly connect the trailer wiring using any other methods. Doing so may damage the vehicle's electrical system, resulting in malfunctions.

Driving on grades

Reduce the speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your brakes so much that they would get hot and no longer operate efficiently.

On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45 mph) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.

If your trailer weighs more than the maximum trailer weight without trailer brakes and you have an Automatic Transmission/Dual Clutch Transmission, you should drive in D (Drive) when towing a trailer.

Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when towing a trailer will minimize heat build up and extend the life of your transmission.

CAUTION

• When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) pay close attention to the engine coolant temperature gauge to ensure the engine does not overheat. If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H (HOT) (or 130°C / 260°F)”, pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and allow the engine to idle until it cools down. You may proceed once the engine has cooled sufficiently.

• You must decide the driving speed depending on trailer weight and uphill grade to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.

• When the engine is overheated (including the case that the engine coolant temperature gauge is no in “H”), the safe protection mode engages. In that case, driving speed can be limited automatically to protect the engine which means that driving speed would be decreased even if the acceleration pedal is pushed.

• For vehicles equipped with a Dual Clutch Transmission when towing a trailer on steep grades, the clutch in the transmission could overheat.

  When the clutch is overheated, the safe protection mode engages. If the safe protection mode engages, the gear position indicator on the cluster blinks with a chime sound.

  At this time, a warning message will appear on the LCD display and driving may not be smooth. If you ignore this warning, the driving condition may become worse.

  To return to normal driving condition, stop the vehicle on a flat road and apply the foot brake for a few minutes before driving off.

Parking on hills

Generally, if you have a trailer attached to your vehicle, you should not park your vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously or fatally injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged if unexpectedly roll down hill.

WARNING

Parking on a hill

Parking your vehicle on a hill with a trailer attached could cause serious injury or death, should the trailer break loose.

However, if you ever have to park your trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:

1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space. Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the curb (right if headed down hill, left if headed up hill).

2. If the vehicle has a Manual Transmission, place the car in neutral. If the vehicle has an Automatic Transmission/Dual Clutch Transmission, place the car in P (Park).

3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.

4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels.

5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift to neutral, release the parking brake and slowly release the brakes until the trailer chocks absorb the load.

6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the parking brake and shift the vehicle to R (Reverse) for Manual Transmission or P (Park) for Automatic Transmission/Dual Clutch Transmission.

7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking brake set.

WARNING

Parking brake

It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the parking brake is not firmly set.

If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be seriously or fatally injured.