2011 KIA Optima warning

Maintenance
32
7
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
If the battery becomes discharged in a
short time (because, for example, the
headlights or interior lights were left on
while the vehicle was not in use),
recharge it by slow charging (trickle)
for 10 hours.
If the battery gradually discharges because of high electric load while the
vehicle is being used, recharge it at 20-
30A for two hours.(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-cased bat-tery, excessive pressure on the
case may cause battery acid to
leak, resulting in personal injury.
Lift with a battery carrier or with
your hands on opposite corners.
Never attempt to recharge the battery when the battery cables
are connected.
The electrical ignition system works with high voltage. Never
touch these components with the
engine running or the ignition
switched on.
Failure to follow the above warn-
ings can result in serious bodily
injury or death.WARNING- Recharging battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precautions:
The battery must be removed
from the vehicle and placed in an
area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes, sparks, or flame near the battery.
Watch the battery during charg- ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
Wear eye protection when check- ing the battery during charging.
(Continued)

Maintenance
34
7
TIRES AND WHEELS
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold Tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than
1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.
For recommended inflation pressure
refer to “Tire and wheels” in section
8. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the driver’s side center
pillar.
OMG055004
WARNING - Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation can lead
to severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for long periods at high speeds.

735
Maintenance
WARNING - Tire inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure. This
could result in loss of vehicle
control and potential injury.
CAUTION - Tire pressure
Always observe the following: Check tire pressure when the tires are cold. (After vehicle hasbeen parked for at least threehours or hasn't been drivenmore than 1.6 km (one mile)since startup.)
Check the pressure of your spare tire each time you checkthe pressure of other tires.
Never overload your vehicle. Be careful not to overload avehicle luggage rack if yourvehicle is equipped with one.
Worn, old tires can cause acci- dents. If your tread is badlyworn, or if your tires havebeen damaged, replace them.
CAUTION
Underinflation also results in excessive wear, poor handlingand reduced fuel economy.Wheel deformation also ispossible. Keep your tire pres-sures at the proper levels. If atire frequently needs refilling,have it checked by an author-ized KIA dealer.
Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear atthe center of the tire tread, anda greater possibility of dam-age from road hazards.
CAUTION
Warm tires normally exceed recommended cold tire pres-sures by 28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6psi). Do not release air fromwarm tires to adjust the pres-sure or the tires will be under-inflated.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation valve caps. Withoutthe valve cap, dirt or moisturecould get into the valve coreand cause air leakage. If avalve cap is missing, install anew one as soon as possible.

Maintenance
36
7
Checking tire inflation pressure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to check
Use a good quality gage to check tire
pressure. You can not tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by look-
ing at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're
underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile). Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.
WARNING
Inspect your tires frequently
for proper inflation as well as
wear and damage. Always use
a tire pressure gauge.
Tires with too much or too lit- tle pressure wear unevenly
causing poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden
tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even
death. The recommended cold
tire pressure for your vehicle
can be found in this manual
and on the tire label located
on the driver's side center pil-
lar.
Worn tires can cause acci- dents. Replace tires that are
worn, show uneven wear, or
are damaged.
Remember to check the pres- sure of your spare tire. KIA
recommends that you check
the spare every time you
check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.

737
Maintenance
Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to “Tire and wheels” in section
8.
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tires are rotated.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
WARNING
Do not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)

Maintenance
38
7
Wheel alignment and tire balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced. Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
OEN076053
Tread wear indicatorWARNING - Replacing tires
To reduce the chance or serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
Replace tires that are worn, show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
Do not drive your vehicle with too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
When replacing tires, never mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same car. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)

739
Maintenance
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire.Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.(Continued)
Using tires and wheel other
than the recommended sizes
could cause unusual handling
characteristics and poor vehi-
cle control, resulting in a seri-
ous accident.
Wheels that do not meet KIA’s specifications may fit poorly
and result in damage to the
vehicle or unusual handling
and poor vehicle control.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. Tire
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) (if equipped) to work
irregularly.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling char-
acteristics, ground clearance,
body-to-tire clearance, snow
chain clearance, speedometer
and odometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.

Maintenance
42
7
4. Tire ply composition and material
The number of layers or plies of rub-
ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the
materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
The letter "R" means radial ply con-
struction; the letter "D" means diago-
nal or bias ply construction; and the
letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-
struction.
5. Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure. Refer
to the Tire and Loading Information
label for recommended inflation
pressure.
6. Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When
replacing the tires on the vehicle,
always use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
7. Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width.
For example:
TREADWEAR 400
TRACTION A
TEMPERATURE A
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one-and-a-
half times (1½) as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
WARNING - Tire age
Tires degrade over time, even
when they are not being used.
Regardless of the remaining
tread, we recommend that tires
be replaced after approximately
six (6) years of normal service.
Heat caused by hot climates or
frequent high loading condi-
tions can accelerate the aging
process. Failure to follow this
warning can result in sudden
tire failure, which could lead to
a loss of control and an acci-
dent involving serious injury or
death.