2008 KIA Optima power steering

Your vehicle at a glance2 2INTERIOR OVERVIEW
1. Door lock/unlock button.....................3-11
2. Outside rearview mirror control
switch* ...............................................3-76
3. Power window switches* ...................3-14
4. Master power door lock control* .......3-12
5. Master power window control lock*...3-17
6. Steering wheel ..................................4-16
7. Hood release lever ...........................3-71
8. Trunk release lever* ..........................3-70
9. Fuel filler lid release button ...............3-72
* : if equipped
OMG025001

Your vehicle at a glance4 2ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OMG077002
1. Engine coolant reservoir ...................7-12
2. Engine oil filler cap............................7-11
3. Brake fluid reservoir ..........................7-14
4. Air cleaner .........................................7-18
5. Fuse box ...........................................6- 8
6. Negative battery terminal ...........6-4/7-21
7. Positive battery terminal .............6-4/7-21
8. Auto transaxle oil dipstick* ................7-16
9. Radiator cap......................................7-13
10. Engine oil dipstick ...........................7-11
11. Power steering fluid reservoir .........7-15
12. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ...7-17
* : if equipped

Knowing your vehicle50 3
Air bag system components The main components of your SRS are:
To indicate that your vehicle is
equipped with air bags, the correspon-
ding air bag covers are marked with
“SRS AIR BAG”.
- Driver’s air bag
- Front passenger’s air bag
- Side air bag (if equipped)
- Curtain air bag (if equipped)
A diagnostic system that continually
monitors the system operation.
Air bag warning light to warn you of a
possible problem with the system.
Emergency power backup in case your
car’s electrical system is disconnected
in a crash.The SRS uses a collection of sensors to
gather information about the driver’s and
front passenger’s seat position, the dri-
ver’s and front passenger’s safety belt
usage and impact severity.
The driver's and front passenger's seat
position sensors, which are installed on
the seat track let the air bag control mod-
ule know where the seats are positioned.
Similarly, the safety belt usage sensors
measure if the driver and front passen-
ger’s safety belts are fastened. These
sensors provide the ability to control the
SRS deployment based on how close the
driver’s seat is to the steering wheel, how
close the passenger’s seat is to the
instrument panel, whether or not the
safety belts are fastened, and the severi-
ty of the impact.
The advanced SRS offers the ability to
control the air bag inflation with two lev-
els. A first stage level is provided for mod-
erate-severity impacts. A second stage
level is provided for more severe impacts.
According to the impact severity, seating
position and safety belt usage, the SRS
Control Module controls the air bag infla-
tion.
Failure to properly wear safety belts
can increase the risk or severity of
injury in an accident.
(Continued)
Driver’s and front passenger’s air
bag are designed to inflate only in
certain frontal collisions, and side
and curtain air bags are designed
to inflate in certain side impacts.
Frontal air bags are not designed
to provide protection in side
impacts, rear impacts, rollovers,
or less severe frontal collisions.
They will not provide protection
from later impacts in a multi-
impact collision.
If your vehicle has been subject-
ed to flood conditions (e.g.
soaked carpeting/standing water
on the floor of the vehicle, etc.) or
if your vehicle has become flood
damaged in any way, do not
attempt to start the vehicle or put
the key in the ignition. Have the
vehicle towed to an authorized
Kia dealer for inspection and nec-
essary repairs.
Disregarding this precaution may
cause an unexpected air bag
deployment, which could result in
serious personal injury or death.

Driving your vehicle10 4Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Pulling the parking brake while the
vehicle is moving at normal speeds
can cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use the
parking brake to stop the vehicle,
use great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING -
Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may result in the vehi-
cle not slowing down at the usual
rate and pulling to one side when
the brakes are applied. After
going through water, apply the
brakes lightly to regain smooth
braking performance.

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.

55
Driving tips
SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL OPERATIONYour vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a liter
(gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the
engine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing. Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
Save fuel by accelerating slowly after
stopping.
Keep the engine in tune and follow the
recommended periodic maintenance
schedule. This will increase the life of
all parts and lower your operating
costs.
Do not use the air conditioner unnec-
essarily.
Slow down when driving on rough
roads.
For longer tire life and better fuel econ-
omy, always keep the tires inflated to
the recommended pressures. Maintain a safe distance from other
vehicles to avoid sudden stops. This
will reduce wear on brake linings and
pads. Driving in such a way will also
save fuel because extra fuel is required
to accelerate back to driving speed.
Do not carry unnecessary weight in the
vehicle.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage to the
brakes, and poor fuel economy.
Improper wheel alignment results in
faster tire wear and lower fuel econo-
my.
Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING
- Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect.

611
In case of an emergency
Driver-side knee bolster
Description Fuse rating Protected component
H/LP 10A Headlight
A/CON SW 10A Air conditioner
START 10A Start motor
P/SEAT RH 30A Power seat (right)
P/WDW RH 25A Power window (right)
WIPER 25A Front wiper
MIRR HTD 10A Outside rearview mirror defroster
RR FOG 15A Rear fog light
P/SEAT LH 30A Power seat (left)
P/WDW LH 25A Power window (left)
SPARE 10A Spare fuse
MODULE-2 10A Cluster
W/DEICER 15A Deicer
TAIL RH 10A Taillight (right)
TAIL LH 10A Taillight (left)
EPS 10A Power steering wheel
A/CON 10A Air conditioner
SAFETY PWR 20A Safety power window
A/BAG IND 10A Airbag warning
A/BAG 15A Airbag
DR LOCK 25A Central door lock
SPARE 10A Spare fuse
CLUSTER 10A Cluster
MODULE-1 10A BWS buzzer, ESP switch
Description Fuse rating Protected component
HAZARD 15A Hazard warning light
STOP LP 15A Stop light
SPARE 15A Spare fuse
TELL TALE 10A Clock
T/LID OPEN 15A Trunk lid opener
ADJ PEDAL 10A Adjust pedal relay
SPARE 15A Spare fuse
T/SIG 10A Turn signal light
TPMS 10A TPMS
BLOWER MTR 10A Blower, Air conditioner
MEMORY 15A Cluster, ETACS, A/C, Clock,
Room lamp
AUDIO 15A Audio
C/LIGHTER 25A Cigar lighter
D/CLOCK 10A Clock

In case of an emergency16 6If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing hook
under the front or rear of the vehicle. Use
extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
 Do not use the tow hooks to pull a vehi-
cle out of mud, sand or other condi-
tions from which the vehicle cannot be
driven out under its own power.
 Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the
vehicle doing the towing.
 The drivers of both vehicles should com-
municate with each other frequently.✽ ✽
NOTICE• Attach a towing strap to the tow hook.
• Using a portion of the vehicle other
than the tow hooks for towing may
damage the body of your vehicle.
• Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.
Securely fasten the cable or chain to
the towing hook provided.
 Before emergency towing, check that
the hook is not broken or damaged.
 Fasten the towing cable or chain
securely to the hook.
 Do not jerk the hook. Apply steady and
even force.
 To avoid damaging the hook, do not
pull from the side or at a vertical angle.
Always pull straight ahead.
 Use a towing strap less than 5 m (16
feet) long. Attach a white or red cloth
(about 30 cm (12 inches) wide) in the
middle of the strap for easy visibility.
 Drive carefully so that the towing strap
is not loosened during towing.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing
the vehicle.
 Avoid sudden starts or erratic
driving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and tow-
ing cable or chain. The hook and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
 If the towing vehicle does not move
easily, do not forcibly continue the
towing. Contact an authorized Kia
dealer or a commercial tow truck
service for assistance.
 Tow the vehicle as straight ahead
as possible.
 Keep away from the vehicle dur-
ing towing.
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