2008 KIA Optima check engine light

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Knowing your vehicle
Air bag warning lightThe purpose of air bag warning light in
your instrument panel is to alert you of a
potential problem with your air bag -
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).
When the ignition switch is turned ON,
the indicator light should blink or illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds, then
go off.
Have the system checked if:
The light does not turn on briefly when
you turn the ignition ON.
The light stays on after the engine
starts.
The light comes on while the vehicle is
in motion.
Air bag (Supplemental Restraint
System) service Your Supplemental Restraint System is
virtually maintenance-free. There are no
parts which you can service.
You must have the system serviced
under the following circumstances:
If an air bag ever inflates, the air bag
must be replaced. Do not try to remove
or discard the air bag by yourself. This
must be done by an authorized Kia
dealer.
If the air bag warning indicator light
alerts you to a problem, have the air
bag system checked as soon as possi-
ble. Otherwise, your air bag system
may be ineffective.
WARNING
- Children
Never put a child in the front pas-
senger seat, even if they are in a
child restraint. If the front passen-
ger air bag inflates, it may cause
severe or fatal injuries.
When children are seated in the
rear outboard seats in which cur-
tain air bags are equipped, be
sure to put the child restraint sys-
tem as far away from the door
side as possible, and secure the
child restraint system to be
locked in position.
AIR
BAG
CAUTION
- No modification
Do not modify any part of the air
bag system. Modification could
make the air bag system ineffective
or could cause unnecessary
deployment.

Knowing your vehicle72 3Closing the hood1. Before closing the hood, check the fol-
lowing:

must be correctly installed.

bustible material must be removed
from the engine compartment.
2. Lower the hood halfway and push
down to securely lock in place.
Make sure the hood is properly locked
before driving.
FUEL FILLER LID 1. Stop the engine.
2. To open the fuel filler lid, push the
release button located on the driver’s
lower door.3. Pull the fuel filler lid out to open.
4. To remove the cap, turn the fuel tank
cap counterclockwise.
5. Refuel as needed.
6. To install the cap, turn it clockwise until
it “clicks”. This indicates that the cap is
securely tightened.
7. Close the fuel filler lid and push it light-
ly and make sure that it is securely
closed.
CAUTION
- Hood
Before closing the hood, make
sure that all engine parts and
tools have been removed from
the engine area and that no one’s
hands are near the hood opening.
Do not leave gloves, rags or any
other combustible material in the
engine compartment. Doing so
may cause a heat-induced fire.
CAUTION
To avoid injury from sharp edges, it
is recommended that protective
gloves be worn if there is a need to
open the fuel filler door manually.
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Knowing your vehicle74 3
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✽
NOTICE• Make sure to refuel with unleaded
fuel only.
• Check to make sure the fuel filler cap is
securely closed after refueling. A loose
fuel filler cap may cause the “Check
Engine (Malfuntion indicator, )”
light in the instrument panel to illumi-
nate unnecessarily.
• If the fuel filler cap requires replace-
ment, use only a genuine Kia cap or
the equivalent specified for your vehi-
cle. An incorrect fuel filler cap can
result in a serious malfunction of the
fuel system or emission control sys-
tem.
• Do not spill fuel on the exterior sur-
faces of the vehicle. Any type of fuel
spilled on painted surfaces may dam-
age the paint.
When fuel filler lid does not open
with the release button1. Open the trunk.
2. Pull the emergency hook for fuel filler
lid inside the trunk.
CHECKCHECK
(Continued)
DO NOT use matches or a lighter
and DO NOT SMOKE or leave a lit
cigarette in your vehicle while at a
gas station especially during
refueling. Automotive fuel is high-
ly flammable and can, when ignit-
ed, result in fire.
If a fire breaks out during refuel-
ing, leave the vicinity of the vehi-
cle, and immediately contact the
manager of the gas station and
then contact the local fire depart-
ment or 911.
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Driving your vehicle2 4Illuminated ignition switchWhenever a door is opened, the ignition
switch will be illuminated for your con-
venience, provided the ignition switch is
not in the ON position. The light will go off
approximately 10 seconds after closing
the door or when the ignition switch is
turned on.
Ignition switch and anti-theft
steering column lock Ignition switch positionLOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at
the ACC position and turn the key toward
the LOCK position (manual transaxle).
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.ON
This is the normal running position after
the engine is started. The warning lights
can be checked before the engine is
started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if the
engine is not running to prevent battery
discharge.START
Turn the ignition key to the START posi-
tion to start the engine. The engine will
crank until you release the key; then it
returns to the ON position. The brake
warning lamp can be checked in this
position.✽ ✽
NOTICEIf it is difficult to turn the ignition
key to the START position, turn the
steering wheel right and left to
release resistance and then turn the
key.Automatic transaxleWhen turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, the shift lever must be in
the P (Park) position.
IGNITION SWITCH
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413
Driving your vehicle
To release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull the parking lever
slightly.
Secondly, depress the release button
and lower the parking brake lever while
holding the button.Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switch in the START or ON
position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle
equipped vehicles and in P (Park)
for automatic transaxle equipped
vehicles.
Never allow a person who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle or children
to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released unin-
tentionally, serious injury may
occur.
W-75
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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.

421
Driving your vehicle
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
monitors information from various vehicle
sensors and then compares the driver's
commands with the actual behavior of the
vehicle. If an unstable condition occurs - a
sudden evasive movement for example -
ESC intervenes within fractions of a
second via the engine computer and
brake system and attempts to stabilize
the vehicle.
ESC operationESC ON condition

ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.

for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).

you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.
When operating
When the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.

Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and
indicates nothing unusual.

or slippery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)
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ESC

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.