2012 KIA Optima Hybrid check engine light

463
Features of your vehicle
Electronic brake
force distribution
(EBD) system
warning light
If these two warning lights illuminate at
the same time while driving, your vehi-
cle’s ABS and EBD system may have
malfunctioned.
In this case, your ABS and regular brake
system may not work normally. Have the
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.✽ ✽NOTICE
If the ABS warning light or EBD warn-
ing light is on and stays on, the
speedometer or odometer/tripmeter
may not work. In this case, have your
vehicle checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
Seat belt warning
As a reminder to the driver, the seat belt
warning light will blink for approximately
6 seconds each time you turn the engine
start/stop button ON, regardless of belt
fastening.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened
when the engine start/stop button is
turned on, the seat belt warning light and
the seat belt warning chime will operate
for approximately 6 seconds. But if it is
refastened within the 6 seconds, the
warning light will blink till the 6 seconds
and the warning chime will turn off imme-
diately.
If the driver's seat belt is disconnected
after the engine start/stop button is
turned to the ON position, the seat belt
warning light will blink for approximately
6 seconds. But if it is fastened within the
6 seconds the warning light will turn off
immediately. If the driver's seat belt is not
fastened when the vehicle speed
exceeds 10 km/h (6 mph), the seat belt
warning light and chime will operate
approximately 11 times with a pattern of
6 seconds on and 24 seconds off until
the belt is fastened or the vehicle speed
decreases below 5 km/h (3 mph).
WARNING
If both ABS and Brake warning
lights are on and stay on, your vehi-
cle’s brake system will not work
normally during sudden braking.
Have your vehicle checked by an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as
possible.

Features of your vehicle
64
4
Turn signal indicator
The blinking green arrows on the instru-
ment panel show the direction indicated
by the turn signals. If the arrow comes on
but does not blink, blinks more rapidly
than normal, or does not illuminate at all,
it indicates a malfunction in the turn sig-
nal system. You should consult your deal-
er for repairs.
This indicator also blinks when the haz-
ard warning switch is turned on.
High beam indicator
This indicator illuminates when the head-
lights are on and in the high beam posi-
tion or when the turn signal lever is pulled
into the Flash-to-Pass position.
Engine oil pressure
warning light
This warning light indicates the engine oil
pressure is low.
If the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and stop.
2. With the engine off, check the engine oil level. If the level is low, add oil as
required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available, call an
authorized Kia dealer.
CAUTION
If the engine is not stopped imme- diately after the engine oil pressurewarning light is illuminated, severe damage could result.

465
Features of your vehicle
Brake system & Parking brake & Brake fluid warning light
The brake warning light will illuminate
when the Regenerative Brake System is
not operating properly.
Have the system checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possible.
When the brake function is not well or the
regenerative brake system is not operat-
ed with brake system malfunction, the
brake warning light turned on and 'check
brake' is displayed on the LCD. Have the
system checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
Parking brake warning
This light illuminated when the parking
brake is applied with engine start/stop
button in the START or ON position. The
warning light should go off when the
parking brake is released. Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required. Then check all brake
components for fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are found, the warning light remains on or
the brakes do not operate properly.
Have the vehicle towed to any author-
ized Kia dealer for a brake system
inspection and necessary repairs.
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual-
diagonal braking system. This means you
still have braking on two wheels even if
one of the brake circuits is damaged or
malfunctions. With only one of the circuits
working, more than normal pedal travel
and greater pedal pressure are required
to stop the car. Also, the car will not stop
in as short a distance with only a portion
of the brake system working. If the
brakes fail while you are driving, shift to a
lower gear for additional engine braking
and stop the car as soon as it is safe to
do so.
CAUTION
If the oil pressure warning light stays on while the engine is run-ning, serious engine damage mayresult. The oil pressure warninglight comes on whenever there is insufficient oil pressure. In normaloperation, it should come on whenthe engine start/stop button isturned on, then go out when theengine is started. If the oil pressurewarning light stays on while theengine is running, there is a seriousmalfunction.
If this happens, stop the vehicle assoon as it is safe to do so, turn off the engine and check the oil level. Ifthe oil level is low, fill the engine oilto the proper level and start theengine again. If the light stays onwith the engine running, turn theengine off immediately. In anyinstance where the oil light stays onwhen the engine is running, theengine should be checked by an authorized Kia dealer before the caris driven again.

Features of your vehicle
66
4
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the engine
start/stop button is in the ON position.Front fog light indicator
(if equipped)
This indicator comes on when the front
fog lights are ON.
Shift pattern indicator
The indicator displays which automatic
transaxle shift position is selected.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
If the engine coolant temperature warn-
ing light illuminates, it indicates over-
heating that may damage the engine.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light on is dangerous. If the brake
warning light remains on, have the
brakes checked and repaired imme-
diately by an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING
When the brake function is not well
and the regenerative brake system
is not operated with brake system
malfunction, the brake warning
light turned on with 'check brake' is
displayed on the LCD and warning
chime will sound. In this condition
you can stop your vehicle by apply-
ing greater force to the brake pedal
than normal and the stopping dis-
tance will be longer. Have the sys-
tem checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.

467
Features of your vehicle
Charging system warninglight
This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electrical
charging system.
If the warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera- tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an authorized
Kia dealer correct the problem as soon
as possible.
Trunk lid open warninglight
This warning light illuminates when the
trunk lid is not closed securely with the
engine start/stop button in any position.
Door ajar warning light
This warning light illuminates when a
door is not closed securely with the
engine start/stop button in any position.
Tail light indicator
This indicator illuminates when the tail
lights are on.
Immobilizer indicator
With smart key system
If any of the following occurs in a vehicle
equipped with the smart key, the immobi-
lizer indicator illuminates, blinks or the
light goes off.
When the smart key is in the vehicle, if the engine start/stop button is turned to
the ON position, the indicator will illumi-
nate until the engine is started. However,
when the smart key is not in the vehicle,
if the engine start/stop button is
depressed, the indicator will blink for a
few minutes to indicate that you will not
be able to start the hybrid system.
When the engine start/stop button is turned to the ON position and the indica-
tor turns off after 2 seconds, the system
may need repair. Have the vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
When the battery is weak, if the engine start/stop button is depressed, the indica-
tor will blink and you will not be able to
start the hybrid system. However, you
may still be able to start the hybrid system
by inserting the smart key in the smart
key holder. If smart key system related
parts need repair, the indi cator blinks.

Features of your vehicle
68
4
Low fuel level warning
light
This warning light indicates the fuel tank
is nearly empty. When it comes on, you
should add fuel as soon as possible.
Driving with the fuel level warning light on
or with the fuel level below “E” can cause
the engine to misfire and damage the
catalytic converter (if equipped).
Malfunction indicator lamp(MIL) (check engine light)
This indicator is part of the Engine
Control System which monitors various
emission control system components. If
this indicator illuminates while driving, it
indicates that a potential malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the emis-
sion control system.
This indicator will also illuminates when
the engine start/stop button is turned to
the ON position, and will go off in a few
seconds after the engine is started. If it
illuminates while driving, or does not illu-
minate when the engine start/stop button
is turned to the ON position, take your
vehicle to the nearest authorized Kia
dealer and have the system checked.
Generally, your vehicle will continue to be
drivable, but have the system checked by
an authorized Kia dealer promptly.
CAUTION
Prolonged driving with the Emission Control SystemMalfunction Indicator Light illumi- nated may cause damage to theemission control systems whichcould effect drivability and/or fuel economy.

If the EmissionControl System
Malfunction Indicator Light illumi- nates, potential catalytic converterdamage. This could result in lossof engine power. Have the EngineControl System inspected as soon as possible by an authorized Kiadealer.

469
Features of your vehicle
ESC indicator (ElectronicStability Control) / ESCmalfunction indicator
The ESC indicator will illuminate when
the engine start/stop button is turned
ON, but should go off after approximate-
ly 3 seconds. When the ESC is on, it
monitors the driving conditions. Under
normal driving conditions, the ESC indi-
cator will remain off. When a slippery or
low traction condition is encountered, the
ESC will operate, and the ESC indicator
will blink to indicate the ESC is operating.
ESC OFF indicator
The ESC OFF indicator will illuminate
when the engine start/stop button is
turned ON, but should go off after
approximately 3 seconds. To switch to
ESC OFF mode, press the ESC OFF
button. The ESC OFF indicator will illumi-
nate indicating the ESC is deactivated.
If this indicator stays on when ESC OFF
is not selected, the ESC may have mal-
functioned. Take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the sys-
tem checked.
Low tire pressure telltale
The low tire pressure telltale comes on
for 3 seconds after the smart key is
turned to the "ON" position.
If the warning light does not come on, or
continuously remains on after coming on
for about 3 seconds when you turned the
smart key to the "ON" position, the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System is not work-
ing properly. If this occurs, have your
vehicle checked by an Kia authorized
dealer as soon as possible.
This warning light will also illuminate if
one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible. If
the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing, reduce vehicle speed immediately
and stop the vehicle.
Avoid hard braking and overcorrecting at
the steering wheel. Inflate the tires to the
proper pressure as indicated on the vehi-
cle’s tire information placard.

473
Features of your vehicle
Remove key
When you turn off the engine with the
smart key in the smart key holder, the
warning illuminates on the LCD display
for about 10 seconds. Also, the smart key
holder light blinks for about 10 seconds.
To remove the smart key push the smart
key once and pull it out from the smart
key holder.Insert key
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while "Key is not detected" illumi-
nates on the LCD
display, the warning
“Insert key” illuminates for about 10 sec-
onds. Also, the immobilizer indicator and
the key holder light blinks for about 10
seconds. Press start button again
If you can not operate the ENGINE
START/STOP button when there is a
problem with the ENGINE START/STOP
button system, the warning illuminates
for 10 seconds and the chime sounds
continuously to
indicate that you could
start the engine by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button once more.
The chime will stop if the ENGINE
START/STOP button system works nor-
mally.
If the warning illuminates each time you
press the ENGINE START/STOP button,
take your vehicle to an authorized Kia
dealer and have the system checked.
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