Trailer Towing with a KIA Sedona

TRAILER TOWING This Blog Post contains many time-tested, important KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety and that of your passengers. .Driving with a trailer Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. 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 added weight of the trailer. And always keep in mind that the KIA Sedona you are driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly so responsive as your KIA Sedona is by itself. KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver

Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains, electrical connector(s), lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric brakes, start your KIA Sedona and trailer moving and then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This lets you check your electrical connection at the same time. During your KIA Sedona trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure, and that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working. Load-pulling components such as the KIA Sedona engine, KIA Sedona transaxle, KIA Sedona wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder against the load of the added weight. The KIA Sedona engine is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under greater loads. This additional burden generates extra heat. The trailer also adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements. WARNING - KIA Sedona Towing a trailer If you don't use the correct KIA Sedona equipment and drive improperly, you can lose KIA Sedona control when you pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not work well - or even at all. You and your passengers could be seriously or fatally injured. Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the steps in this section. KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver WARNING - KIA Sedona Weight limits Before towing, make sure the total trailer weight, gross combination weight, gross KIA Sedona weight, gross axle weight and trailer tongue load are all within the limits. Following distance Stay at least twice as far behind the KIA Sedona ahead as you would when driving your KIA Sedona 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 KIA Sedona length, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the passed KIA Sedona before you can return to your lane. Backing up Hold the bottom of the KIA Sedona 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 KIA Sedona 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 KIA Sedona 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 KIA Sedona’s lighting system. Use only an approved trailer wiring harness. KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver Your Authorized Kia Dealer can assist you in installing the KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver wiring harness. Driving on grades Reduce 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 KIA Sedona engine and transaxle overheating. If your trailer weighs more than the maximum trailer weight without trailer brakes and you have an automatic transaxle, you should drive in D (Drive) when towing a trailer. Operating your KIA Sedona in D (Drive) when towing a trailer will minimize heat build up and extend the life of your transaxle. CAUTION When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) pay close attention to the KIA Sedona engine coolant temperature gauge to ensure the KIA Sedona engine does not overheat. If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H” (HOT), pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and allow the KIA Sedona engine to idle until it cools down. You may proceed once the KIA Sedona engine has cooled sufficiently. You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight and uphill grade to reduce the possibility of KIA Sedona engine and transaxle overheating. Parking on hills Generally, you should not park your KIA Sedona, with a trailer attached, on a hill. People can be seriously or fatally injured, and both your KIA Sedona and the trailer can be damaged if they begin a downhill trajectory WARNING - Parking KIA Sedona on a hill Parking your KIA Sedona on a hill with a trailer attached could cause serious injury or death, should the trailer break lose. However, if you ever have to park your trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it: 1. Apply your KIA Sedona brakes, but don’t shift into gear. 2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels. 3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the KIA Sedona brakes until the chocks absorb the load. 4. Reapply the KIA Sedona brakes. Apply your parking brake, and then shift to P (Park) for an KIA Sedona automatic transaxle. 5. Release the brakes. When you are ready to leave after parking on a hill 1. With the KIA Sedona automatic transaxle in P (Park), apply your brakes and hold the brake pedal down while you: Start your KIA Sedona engine; Shift into gear; and Release the parking brake. 2. Slowly remove your foot from the KIA Sedona brake pedal. 3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks. 4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks. Maintenance when trailer towing Your KIA Sedona will need service more often when you regularly pull a trailer. Important items to pay particular attention to include KIA Sedona engine oil, KIA Sedona automatic transaxle fluid, KIA Sedona axle lubricant and KIA Sedona cooling system fluid. Brake condition is another important item to frequently check.  If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver. Don’t forget to also maintain your KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver trailer and hitch. Follow the maintenance schedule that accompanied your trailer and check it periodically. Preferably, conduct the check at the start of each day’s driving. Most importantly, all KIA Sedona hitch nuts and bolts KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver should be tight. CAUTION Due to higher load during  trailer usage, overheating might occur in hot days or during uphill driving. If the KIA Sedona coolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/C and stop the KIA Sedona in a safe area to cool down the KIA Sedona engine. When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently. KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver If your KIA Sedona is not equipped with the air conditioner, you should install a condenser fan to improve KIA Sedona engine performance when towing a trailer. If you do decide to pull a trailer Here are some important points if you decide to pull a trailer: State, provincial, county and municipal government have varying trailering laws. Make sure your hitch, mirrors, lights and wiring arrangements are legal, not only where you live, but also where you’ll be driving. A good source for this information is provincial or local law enforcement agencies. Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch dealer about sway control. After your odometer indicates 800 km (500 miles) or more, you can tow a trailer. For the first 800 km (500 miles) that you tow a trailer, don’t drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your KIA Sedona engine and other parts of your KIA Sedona “wear” in at the heavier loads. Always drive your KIA Sedona at a moderate speed (less than 100 km/h (60 mph)). On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing speed limit, whichever is lower. The important considerations have to do with weight: Hitches Weight of the trailer How heavy can a trailer safely be? It should never weigh more than the maximum trailer weight with trailer brakes. But even that can be too heavy. It depends on how you plan to use your trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your KIA Sedona is used to pull a trailer are all important. The ideal trailer weight can also depend on any special equipment that you have on your KIA Sedona. Weight of the trailer tongue WARNING - KIA Sedona weight The gross axle weight rating (GAWR) and the gross KIA Sedona weight rating (GVWR) for your KIA Sedona are on the manufacturer's label attached to the driver's door. Exceeding these ratings can cause an accident or KIA Sedona damage. You can calculate the weight of your load by weighing the items (and people) before putting them in the KIA Sedona. Be careful not to overload your KIA Sedona. The tongue load of any trailer is an important weight to measure because it affects the total gross KIA Sedona weight (GVW) of your KIA Sedona. This weight includes the curb weight of the KIA Sedona, any cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the KIA Sedona. And if you will tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the GVW because your KIA Sedona will also be carrying that weight. KIA Sedona Hitch Receiver The trailer tongue should weigh a maximum of 10% of the total loaded trailer weight. After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to correct them simply by moving some items around in the trailer. WARNING - Trailer Never load a trailer with more weight in the rear than in the front. The front should be loaded with approximately 60% of the total trailer load; the rear should be loaded with approximately 40% of the total trailer load. Never exceed the maximum weight limits of the trailer or trailer towing equipment. Improper loading can result in damage to your KIA Sedona and/or personal injury. Check weights and loading at a commercial scale or highway patrol office equipped with scales. • An improperly loaded trailer can cause loss of KIA Sedona control. It's important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are a few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are some rules to follow: • Will you have to make any holes in the body of your KIA Sedona when you install a trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your KIA Sedona, as well as dirt and water. The bumpers on your KIA Sedona are not intended for hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a frame mounted hitch that does not attach to the bumper. Safety chains You should always attach chains between your KIA Sedona and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack so you can turn with your trailer. And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground. Trailer brakes If your trailer weighs more than the maximum trailer weight without trailer brakes loaded, then it needs its own brakes and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain them properly. Don’t tap into your KIA Sedona's brake system. WARNING - Trailer brakes Do not use a trailer with its own brakes unless you are absolutely certain that you have properly set up the brake system. This is not a task for amateurs. Use an experienced, competent trailer shop for this work. Maximum trailer Without trailer brakes 453 (1000) weight With trailer brakes 1587 (3500) Maximum permissible static vertical load on the coupling device 158 (350) CAUTION Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your KIA Sedona and result in costly repairs not covered by your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow the advice in this section. Your KIA Sedona can tow a trailer. To identify what the KIA Sedona trailering capacity is for your KIA Sedona, you should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears later in this section. Remember that trailering is different than just driving your KIA Sedona by itself. Trailering means changes in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering requires correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.