2009 KIA Optima parking brake

Driving your vehicle16
5E070100ABHPower 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.
E070101AUNIn 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
- 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 impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
WARNING
- Parking brake
Applying 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 apply-
ing the brake.

517
Driving your vehicle
E070102AUNDisc brakes wear indicator Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
Parking brake E070201AFDApplying the parking brakeTo engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then without pressing
the release button in, pull the parking
brake lever up as far as possible. In addi-
tion it is recommended that when parking
the vehicle on a gradient, the shift lever
should be positioned in the appropriate
low gear on manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position on automatic
transaxle vehicles.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, donot continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
Always replace brake pads as complete front or rear axle sets.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brake pad and brake rotor wear.
OMG059014

Driving your vehicle18
5E070202AFDReleasing the parking brakeTo release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull up the parking
brake lever slightly. Secondly depress the
release button (1) and lower the parking
brake lever (2) 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 while
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function in the brake system. 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
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 anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car which
can injure occupants or pedestri-
ans.
OMG059015
W-75

Driving your vehicle24
5E070600AMGGood braking practices
After parking the vehicle, check to be
sure the parking brake is not engaged
and that the parking brake indicator
light is out before driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the car is washed. Wet brakes
can be dangerous! Your car will not
stop as quickly if the brakes are wet.
Wet brakes may cause the car to pull
to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the car
under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and call
an authorized KIA dealer for assis-
tance. Don't coast down hills with the car out
of gear. This is extremely hazardous.
Keep the car in gear at all times, use
the brakes to slow down, then shift to a
lower gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driv-
ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
car pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place.
WARNING
Whenever leaving vehicle orparking, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the park position. Vehicles
not fully engaged in park with the
parking brake set are at risk for
moving inadvertently and injur-
ing yourself or others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car which
can injure occupants or pedestri-
ans.

525
Driving your vehicle
If your car is equipped with an auto-matic transaxle, don't let your car
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the car is stopped.
Use caution when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the gear selector lever in P
(Park). If your car is facing downhill,
turn the front wheels into the curb to
help keep the car from rolling. If your
car is facing uphill, turn the front
wheels away from the curb to help
keep the car from rolling. If there is no
curb or if it is required by other condi-
tions to keep the car from rolling, block
the wheels. Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the gear
selector lever in P (Park) (automatic
transaxle) and block the rear wheels so
the car cannot roll. Then release the
parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.

Driving your vehicle38
5E120800AMGDon't let your parking brake
freezeUnder some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
This is most likely to happen when there
is an accumulation of snow or ice around
or near the rear brakes or if the brakes
are wet. If there is a risk the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily while you put the gear selector lever in
P (automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the car cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.E120900AUNDon't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneathUnder some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the car to be sure the move-
ment of the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
E121000AUN-ECCarry emergency equipmentDepending on the severity of the weath-
er where you drive your car, you should
carry appropriate emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to carry
include tow straps or chains, flashlight,
emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper
cables, a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.

Driving your vehicle42
5An authorized KIA dealer can assist you
in installing the wiring harness.E140406AUNDriving 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 engine
and transaxle overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transaxle,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transaxle.
E140407BUN-EUParking on hills Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down hill. However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.
Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the curb (right if headed down hill,
left if headed up hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual transaxle, place the car in neutral. If the vehicle
has an automatic transaxle, place the
car in P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels.
5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle or P
(Park) automatic transaxle.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not over- heat. If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge moves across the dial towards “H” (HOT), pullover and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, and allow the engine toidle until it cools down. You may proceed once the engine hascooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailer weight anduphill grade to reduce the possi-bility of engine and transaxle overheating.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer
wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.
WARNING
- Parking on a hill.
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause seri-
ous injury or death, should the trail-
er break loose.

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Driving your vehicle
7. Shut off the vehicle and release thevehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
When you are ready to leave after park-
ing on a hill
1. With the automatic transaxle in P (Park), apply your brakes and hold the
brake pedal down while you:

and

2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
E140500AUNMaintenance when trailer towing Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-
tion to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts
and bolts should be tight.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer usage, overheating might occurin hot days or during uphill driv-ing. If the coolant gauge indicates over-heating, switch off the A/Cand stop the vehicle in a safe area to cool down the engine.
When towing check transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fan toimprove engine performancewhen towing a trailer.