2011 KIA Optima Hybrid parking brake

525
Driving your vehicle
The Vehicle Stability Management sys-tem is not a substitute for safe driving
practices but a supplementary function
only. It is the responsibility of the driver
to always check the speed and the dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead. Always
hold the steering wheel firmly while
driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention, even
with installed VSM. Always follow all
the normal precautions for driving at
safe speeds for the conditions – includ-
ing driving inclement weather and on a
slippery road.Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake isnot engaged and that the parking
brake indicator light is out before driv-
ing away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your vehicle
will not stop as quickly if the brakes are
wet. Wet brakes may cause the vehicle
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 vehicle
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 vehicle out of gear. This is extremely haz-
ardous. Keep the vehicle 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 the
brakes might overheat and lose their
effectiveness. It also increases the
wear of the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
vehicle 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.
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transaxle, don't let your vehi-
cle creep forward. To avoid creeping
forward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped.
WARNING - Tire/Wheel
size
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size
as the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying tire
or wheel sizes may diminish any
supplemental safety benefits of the
VSM system.

Driving your vehicle
26
5
Be cautious when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front wheels
into the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If your vehicle is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the vehicle 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 shift lever
in P (automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
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.

539
Driving your vehicle
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under 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 shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accumu-
late underneath
Under 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.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er you should carry appropriate emer-
gency 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.

63
What to do in an emergency
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING
If the engine stalls at a crossroad orcrossing
If the engine stalls at a crossroad or
crossing, set the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position and then push the vehi-
cle to a safe place.
If you have a flat tire while driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and let the vehicle slow down while
driving straight ahead. Do not apply the
brakes immediately or attempt to pull
off the road as this may cause a loss of
control. When the vehicle has slowed
down to such a speed that it is safe to
do so, brake carefully and pull off the
road. Drive off the road as far as possi-
ble and park on a firm level ground. If
you are on a divided highway, do not
park in the median area between the
two traffic lanes.
2. When the vehicle is stopped, turn on your emergency hazard flashers, set
the parking brake and put the transaxle
in P. 3. Have all passengers get out of the
vehicle. Be sure they all get out on the
side of the vehicle that is away from
traffic.
4. When changing a flat tire, follow the instruction provided later in this sec-
tion.
If engine stalls while driving
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keepinga straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try to start the engine again. If your vehicle will not start, contact an author-
ized Kia dealer or seek other qualified
assistance.

67
What to do in an emergency
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you will experience a loss of
power, or hear loud pinging or knocking,
the engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as itis safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (automatic transaxle) or neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking brake. If
the air conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the vehicle or steam is coming out from
underneath the hood, stop the engine.
Do not open the hood until the coolant
has stopped running or the steaming
has stopped. If there is no visible loss
of engine coolant and no steam, leave
the engine running and check to be
sure the engine cooling fan is operat-
ing. If the fan is not running, turn the
engine off.
4. Check to see if the water pump drive belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the vehicle. (If the air
conditioning had been in use, it is nor-
mal for cold water to be draining from it
when you stop). 5. If the water pump drive belt is broken
or engine coolant leaks, stop the
engine immediately and call the near-
est authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,
if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-
heating happens again, call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
Serious loss of coolant indicates there is
a leak in the cooling system and this
should be checked as soon as possible
by an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING - Under the
hood
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts.
WARNING - Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.

What to do in an emergency
14
6
Do not allow anyone to remain in the
vehicle while it is on the jack.
Make sure any children present are
in a secure place away from the road
and from the vehicle to be raised with
the jack.
Removing and storing the spare
tire
Turn the tire hold-down wing bolt
counterclockwise.
Store the tire in the reverse order of
removal.
To prevent the spare tire and tools
from “rattling” while the vehicle is in
motion, store them properly.
Changing tires
1. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Shift the shift lever into R (Reverse) for manual transaxle or
P (Park) for automatic transaxle.
3. Activate the hazard warning flash- er.
OED066033
WARNING- Runningvehicle on
jack
Do not start or run the engine of
the vehicle while the vehicle is
on the jack as this may cause
the vehicle to fall off the jack.ONF068004

7
Engine compartment / 7-2
Maintenance services / 7-3
Owner maintenance / 7-5
Scheduled maintenance service / 7-7
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-19
Engine oil / 7-22
Coolant / 7-24
Brake fluid / 7-28
Washer fluid / 7-29
Parking brake / 7-29
Air cleaner / 7-30
Climate control air filter / 7-31
Wiper blades / 7-32
Battery / 7-35
Tires and wheels / 7-38
Fuses / 7-51
Appearance care / 7-61
Emission control system / 7-68
Maintenance

75
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized Kia dealer at
the frequencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
Check inverter coolant.
WARNING - Hot coolant
Be careful when checking your
engine or inverter coolant level
when the engine is hot. Scalding
hot coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure.