2011 KIA Optima Hybrid warning light

53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in
Section 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls areeasily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted
driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsibility
is in the safe and legal operation of
the vehicle. Use of any handled
devices, other equipment or vehicle
systems that distract the drive
should not be used during vehicle
operation.
WARNING - Check
surrounding
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
vehicle into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).

Driving your vehicle
65
ON
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
while it is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the ENGINE START/STOP button in the
ON position for a long time. The battery
may discharge, because the engine is
not running.
START/RUN
To start the hybrid system, depress the
brake pedal and press the ENGINE
START/ STOP button with the shift lever
in the P (Park) or the N (Normal) position.
For your safety, start the hybrid system
with the shift lever in the P (Park) posi-
tion.
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button without depressing the brake
pedal, the hybrid system will not start
and the button will change as follow:
OFF ➔ ACC ➔ON ➔OFF If you leave the ENGINE START/ STOP
button in the ACC or ON position for a
long time, the battery will discharge.
Green indicatorNot illuminated WARNING - Starting
vehicle
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the vehi-
cle is in motion. This would result in
loss of directional control and brak-
ing function, which could cause an
accident.

Driving your vehicle
10
5
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not
hold the vehicle with engine power. Use
the service brake or the parking brake.
Transaxle ranges
The indicator light in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position when
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the front
wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is
in motion will cause the drive wheels to
lock which will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
WARNING - Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever is
in the P (Park) position; then set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Do not use the P posi-
tion in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever is
latched in the P position and set the
parking brake fully. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are not
followed.
CAUTION - Transaxle
To avoid damage to your transaxle,do not accelerate the engine in R(Reverse) or any forward gear posi-tion with the brakes on. Thetransaxle may be damaged if you shift into P (Park) while the vehicleis in motion.

Driving your vehicle
14
5
Power 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.
Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s abil-
ity 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.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward speed
until brake performance returns to nor-
mal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING - Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of the
brakes when descending a long or
steep hill by shifting to a lower
gear. Continuous brake application
will cause the brakes to overheat
and could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
WARNING
If the brake pedal does not return to
its normal position when released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Kia dealer and have
the system checked.
WARNING
Do not turn off the Hybrid system
while going down a hill. The brake
booster may not work sufficiently
and the braking distance may be
longer.
CAUTION - Brake pedal
Do not drive with your foot restingon the brake pedal. This will createabnormally high brake tempera- tures which can cause excessivebrake lining and pad wear.
CAUTION
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously without READY sta-tus. The battery may be discharged.

515
Driving your vehicle
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.
Disc brakes wear indicator
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 (if equipped). 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.
Always replace the front or rear brake
pads as pairs.
WARNING - Parking brake
Avoid applying the parking brake to
stop the vehicle while it is moving
except in an emergency situation.
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.
CAUTION
If the driver’s door is not firmlyclosed for a long time, the auxiliarybattery may be discharged becausethe brake controller keeps thestandby operation. To prevent the battery discharge, close the doorcertainly.
CAUTION - Replace brake
pedal
Do not continue to drive with wornbrake pads. Continuing to drive with worn brake pads can damagethe braking system and result in costly brake repairs.

517
Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will illuminate 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
the hybrid system is in READY state,
there may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is neces-
sary.If at all possible, stop driving the vehicle
immediately. If that is not possible, use
extreme caution while operating the vehi-
cle and only continue to drive the vehicle
until you can reach a safe location or
repair shop.
WARNING - Parking brake
use
All vehicles should always have the
parking brake fully engaged when
parking to avoid inadvertent move-
ment of the vehicle which can
injure occupants or pedestrians.
W-75

519
Driving your vehicle
The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the igni-
tion switch is ON. During that time, the
ABS will go through self-diagnosis and
the light will go off if everything is normal.
If the light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS but your regular
brakes will work normally. Contact an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as possi-
ble. When you drive on a road with poor
traction, such as an icy road, and oper-
ated your brakes continuously, the
ABS will be active continuously and the
ABS warning light may illuminate. Pull
your vehicle over to a safe place and
stop the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your ABS is normal.
Otherwise, you may have a problem
with the ABS. Contact an authorized
Kia dealer as soon as possible.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS has malfunctioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
W-78

Driving your vehicle
22
5
Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned ON,
the indicator light illuminates, then goes
off if ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating or illuminates when
ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton.
Driving with varying tire or wheel sizes
may cause the ESC system to malfunc-
tion. When replacing tires, make sure
they are the same size as your original
tires.
ESC OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESC turned
on 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 the 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.■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light
WARNING - Electronic sta-
bility control
Drive carefully even though your
vehicle has Electronic Stability
Control. It can only assist you in
maintaining control under certain
circumstances.