Following distance

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

Passing

You need more passing distance ahead while towing a trailer. Because of the increased vehicle length, you need to drive much farther beyond the vehicle you pass before you can return to your lane.

Backing up

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. To move the trailer to the left, 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 turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. This prevents your trailer from striking 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 trailer must have its own turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on the instrument cluster flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. When properly connected, the trailer lights also flash to alert other drivers that you are about to turn, change lanes, or stop.

When you tow a trailer, the green arrows on the instrument cluster flash for turns, even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. You may think drivers behind you are seeing your signals when they are not. It is important to occasionally check to make sure the trailer bulbs are working. You must also check the lights every time you disconnect and reconnect the wires.

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

Have the wiring harness installed by an authorized Kia dealer.

Detection of trailer light connection

Your vehicle can only detect when a trailer light is connected when you use genuine accessories (tow bar and wiring harness) that recognize when a trailer is connected and consequently inform your vehicle’s systems. When you plug in a trailer socket, either engage the brake pedal or activate the turn signal lights activated. The electronic control unit detects the trailer because of the power consumption by the trailer lighting and informs your vehicle’s systems. When you disconnect the trailer, engage the brake pedal again or activate the turn signal lights so that the control unit can detect that there is no more power consumption anymore by the trailer lighting. The assistance systems that were turned off automatically turn back on.

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

Driving on grades

Reduce your speed and shift to a lower gear before you start driving down a long or steep hill downgrade. If you do not shift to a lower gear, you might have to use your brakes so much that they get hot and no longer operate efficiently.

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

Parking on hills

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

If you must park your vehicle on a hill when you have a trailer attached, follow these instructions:

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

2. Apply the parking brake and turn off your vehicle.

3. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the downhill side of the wheels.

4. Start your vehicle, engage the brake, shift to N (Neutral), release the parking brake, and slowly release the brake until the trailer chocks absorb the load.

5. Engage the brake and apply the parking brake again.

6. Turn your vehicle off and release the brake, but leave the parking brake applied.