2007 KIA Optima warning light

Driving your vehicle16
4Power steering (if equipped)Power steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the vehi-
cle. If the engine is off or if the power
steering system becomes inoperative,
the vehicle may still be steered, but it will
require increased steering effort.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power steer-
ing checked by an authorized Kia dealer.✽ ✽
NOTICE• Never hold the steering wheel against
a stop (extreme right or left turn) for
more than 5 seconds with the engine
running. Holding the steering wheel
for more than 5 seconds in either posi-
tion may cause damage to the power
steering pump.
• If the power steering drive belt breaks or if the power steering pump mal-
functions, the steering effort will
greatly increase.
✽ ✽ NOTICEIf the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather (below -
10 °C/14 °F), the power steering may
require increased effort when the engine
is first started. This is caused by
increased fluid viscosity due to the cold
weather and does not indicate a mal-
function.
When this happens, increase the engine
RPM by depressing the accelerator until
the RPM reaches 1,500 rpm then release
or let the engine idle for two or three
minutes to warm up the fluid.
Tilt and telescopic steering
(if equipped)A tilt and telescopic steering wheel
allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can also raise it to
the highest level to give your legs more
room when you exit and enter the vehi-
cle.
The steering wheel should be positioned
so that it is comfortable for you to drive,
while permitting you to see the instru-
ment panel warning lights and gauges.
STEERING WHEEL
WARNING -
Steering wheel
Never adjust the angle of steering
wheel while driving. You may lose
your steering control and cause
severe personal injury or acci-
dents.
 After adjusting, push the steering
wheel both up and down to be
certain it is locked in position.

Driving your vehicle18
4The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
With cruise control, you can set and
automatically maintain any speed of
between 40 km/h (24 mph) and
160 km/h (96 mph).
To set cruise control speed:1. Pull the CRUISE ON/OFF button on
the steering wheel, to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h (24 mph)
and less than 160 km/h (96 mph). 3. Press the COAST/SET switch, located
on the steering wheel, and release it at
the speed you want. Release the accel-
erator at the same time. The desired
speed will automatically be maintained.
The SET function cannot be activateduntil approximately 2 seconds after theCRUISE ON/OFF button has been engaged.
On a steep grade, the vehicle maymomentarily slow down while goingdownhill.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Cruise control
Do not use the cruise control fea-
ture under the following conditions:
 Heavy or unsteady traffic
 Slippery or winding roads
 Situations that involve varying
speeds
WARNING
- Cruise control
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated) the
cruise control can be switched on
accidentally. Keep the cruise con-
trol system off (CRUISE indicator
light OFF) when cruise control is
not in use.
WARNING
- Cruise control
Do not exceed posted speed limits.
Do not set the cruise control at a
speed that is unsafe for the current
driving conditions.
OMG045010N
OMG045011

Driving your vehicle22
4ESC operation offESC OFF state
 To cancel ESC operation,
press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).
 If the ignition switch is turned to LOCK position when ESC is
off, ESC remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the ESC
will automatically turn on
again.
Indicator lightWhen ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating.
ESC OFF indicator light comes on when
either the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton, or ESC fails to operate when turned
on.
ESC
ESCOFF
 ESC indicator light (blinks)
 ESC OFF indicator light (comes on)
WARNING
- ESC
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads.
ESC
OFF

423
Driving your vehicle
ESC OFF usageWhen driving It’s a good idea to keep the ESC turnedon for daily driving whenever possible.
 To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press ESC OFF button while ESC
is operating (ESC indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.✽ ✽ NOTICE• When measuring the vehicle speed
with a Chassis dynamo-meter, make
sure the ESC is turned off (ESC OFF
light illuminated). If the ESC is left
on, it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and cause a false
diagnosis of a faulty speedometer.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
• When attempting to free an ESC- equipped vehicle that is stuck in snow,
sand, or mud, use the ESC OFF but-
ton to temporarily deactivate the ESC
system.
WARNING
- ESC
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC may be operating, such
as on slippery or winding roads. If
the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip out
of control. To turn ESC off while
driving, press the ESC OFF button
while driving on a flat, straight, dry
road surface.

Driving your vehicle24
4INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
1. Tachometer
2. Turn signal indicators
3. Speedometer
4. Engine temperature gauge
5. Warning and indicator lights
6. Odometer / Tripmeter
7. Shift position indicator
(Automatic transaxle only)
8. Fuel gauge
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Driving your vehicle26
4Fuel gaugeThe fuel gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 62 liters
(16.38 gallons)
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a low
fuel warning light, which will illuminate
when the fuel level has dropped to about
7~8 liters (1.8~2.1 gallons).
Engine temperature gauge This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “Overheating” in the Index.✽ ✽ NOTICEIf the gauge pointer moves beyond the
normal range area toward the “H” posi-
tion, it indicates overheating that may
damage the engine.
Trip computer (if equipped)Trip computer is a microcomputer-con-
trolled driver information system that dis-
plays information related to driving on the
LCD.
1MGH4920N
Type AType B

Driving your vehicle30
4Warning lights / audible indicators Checking operation All warning lights are checked by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). Any light that does not illuminate
should be checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.
After starting the engine, check to make
sure that all warning lights are off. If any
are still on, this indicates a situation that
needs attention. When releasing the
parking brake, the brake system warning
light should go off. The fuel warning light
will stay on if the fuel level is low.Anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light (if
equipped) This light illuminates if the key is turned
to ON and goes off in approximately 3
seconds if the system is operating nor-
mally.
If the light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS. Contact an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as possi-
ble.
Electronic brake force
distribution (EBD) sys-
tem warning
(if equipped)If ABS and BRAKE warning lights illumi-
nate at the same time while driving, your
vehicle has a problem with the ABS and
EBD system.
In this case, your ABS and regular brake
system may not work normally. Have the
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
Engine oil pressure
warning This warning light indicates the engine oil
pressure is low.
If the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
stop.
2. With the engine off, check the engine oil level. If the level is low, add oil as
required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available, call an
authorized Kia dealer.✽ ✽ NOTICEIf the engine is not stopped immediately,
severe damage could result.
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
ABS
ABS
WARNING
- Brake indica-
tors
If the both ABS and Brake warning
lights are ON and stay ON, your
vehicle’ s brake system will not work
normally. You may experience an
unexpected and dangerous situa-
tion during sudden braking. In this
case, avoid high speed driving and
abrupt braking. Have your vehicle
checked by Authorized Kia Dealer
as soon as possible.

431
Driving your vehicle
Charging system
warning This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electrical
charging system.
If the warning light comes on while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera-tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an authorized
Kia dealer correct the problem as soon
as possible.
Safety belt warning As a reminder to the driver and passen-
ger, safety belt warning light will blink for
approximately 6 seconds each time you
turn the ignition switch ON.
If the driver's lap/shoulder belt is not fas-
tened when the key is turned ON or if it is
disconnected after the key is turned ON,
the safety belt warning light will blink for
approximately 6 seconds.
If the driver’s lap/shoulder belt is not fas-
tened when you drive over 10 km/h, the
safety belt warning light will blink for 6
seconds. This cycle will repeat 11 times
with an interval of 24 seconds between
cycles.
If the system does not operate as
described, see an authorized Kia dealer
for assistance.Shift pattern indicators
(if equipped)The individual indicators illuminate to
show the automatic transaxle shift lever
selection.
Hot temperature
warning (if equipped)This warning light illuminates if the tem-
perature of the engine coolant is hot.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “Overheating” in the Index.✽ ✽NOTICEIf the hot temperature indicator illumi-
nates, it indicates overheating that may
damage the engine.Immobilizer indicator
(if equipped)This light illuminates when the immobiliz-
er key is inserted and turned to the ON
position to start the engine.
At this time, you can start the engine. The
light goes out after the engine is running.
In case this light goes out before you
start the engine, you must turn to the
LOCK position and restart the engine.
If this light blinks when the ignition switch
is in the ON position before starting the
engine, have the system checked by an
authorized Kia dealer.