2012 KIA Optima Hybrid fuel cap

13
Introduction
Your new Kia vehicle is designed to use
only unleaded fuel having a pump octane
number ((R+M)/2) of 87 (Research
Octane Number 91) or higher.
Your new vehicle is designed to obtain
maximum performance with UNLEADED
FUEL, as well as minimize exhaust emis-
sions and spark plug fouling.
Never add any fuel system cleaning
agents to the fuel tank other than what
has been specified. (Consult an author-
ized Kia dealer for details.)✽ ✽NOTICE
Tighten the cap until it clicks one time,
otherwise the fuel cap open warning
indicator light will illuminate.
Gasoline containing alcohol and
methanol
Gasohol, a mixture of gasoline and
ethanol (also known as grain alcohol),
and gasoline or gasohol containing
methanol (also known as wood alcohol)
are being marketed along with or instead
of leaded or unleaded gasoline.
Do not use gasohol containing more than
10% ethanol, and do not use gasoline or
gasohol containing any methanol. Either
of these fuels may cause drivability prob-
lems and damage to the fuel system.
Discontinue using gasohol of any kind if
drivability problems occur.
Vehicle damage or drivability problems
may not be covered by the manufactur-
er’s warranty if they result from the use
of:
1. Gasohol containing more than 10% ethanol.
2. Gasoline or gasohol containing methanol.
3. Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol. "E85" fuel is an alternative fuel com-
prised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 per-
cent gasoline, and is manufactured
exclusively for use in Flexible Fuel
Vehicles. “E85” is not compatible with
your vehicle. Use of “E85” may result in
poor engine performance and damage to
your vehicle's engine and fuel system.
Kia recommends that customers do not
use fuel with an ethanol content exceed-
ing 10 percent.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Your New Vehicle Limited Warranty
does not cover damage to the fuel system
or any performance problems caused by
the use of “E85” fuel.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
WARNING - Refueling
• Do not "top off" after the nozzle
automatically shuts off. Attempts
to force more fuel into the tank
can cause fuel overflow onto you
and the ground causing a risk of
fire.
Always check that the fuel cap is installed securely to prevent fuel
spillage in the event of an acci-
dent.

425
Features of your vehicle
Opening the fuel filler lid
The fuel filler lid must be opened from
inside the vehicle by pushing up the fuel
filler lid opener.
If the fuel filler lid does not open because
ice has formed around it, tap lightly or
push on the lid to break the ice and
release the lid. Do not pry on the lid. If
necessary, spray around the lid with an
approved de-icer fluid (do not use radia-
tor anti-freeze) or move the vehicle to a
warm place and allow the ice to melt.1. Stop the engine.
2. To open the fuel filler lid, push the fuel
filler lid opener button.
3. Pull open the fuel filler lid (1).
4. To remove the cap (2), turn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise.
5. Refuel as needed.
Closing the fuel filler lid
1. To install the cap, turn it clockwise until it “clicks” one time. This indicates that
the cap is securely one time tightened.
2. Close the fuel filler lid and push it in lightly and make sure that it is secure-
ly closed.
FUEL FILLER LID
WARNING - Refueling
Always remove the fuel cap careful-
ly and slowly. If the cap is venting
fuel or if you hear a hissing sound,
wait until the condition stops
before completely removing the
cap.
If pressurized fuel sprays out, it can
cover your clothes or skin and sub-
ject you to the risk of fire and
burns.OTF040026OTF040027

Features of your vehicle
26
4
Always check that the fuel cap is installed
securely to prevent fuel spillage in the
event of an accident.✽ ✽
NOTICE
When using an approved portable fuel
container, be sure to place the container
on the ground prior to refueling. Static
electricity discharge from the container
can ignite fuel vapors causing a fire.
Once refueling has begun, contact with
the vehicle should be maintained until
the filling is complete. Use only
approved portable plastic fuel contain-
ers designed to carry and store gasoline.
WARNING - Fire/explosion
risk
Read and follow all warnings post-
ed at the gas station facility. Failure
to follow all warnings will result in
severe personal injury, severe
burns or death due to fire or explo-
sion.
WARNING - Cell phonefires
Do not use cellular phones while
refueling. Electric current and/or
electronic interference from cellu-
lar phones can potentially ignite
fuel vapors causing a fire.
WARNING - Static electricity
Before touching the fuel nozzle,
you should eliminate potentially
dangerous static electricity dis-
charge by touching another metal
part of the vehicle, a safe dis-
tance away from the fuel filler
neck, nozzle, or other gas source.
Do not get back into a vehicle once you have begun refueling
since you can generate static
electricity by touching, rubbing
or sliding against any item or fab-
ric (polyester, satin, nylon, etc.)
capable of producing static elec-
tricity. Static electricity discharge
can ignite fuel vapors resulting in
rapid burning. If you must re-
enter the vehicle, you should
once again eliminate potentially
dangerous static electricity dis-
charge by touching a metal part
of the vehicle, away from the fuel
filler neck, nozzle or other gaso-
line source.

427
Features of your vehicle
Make sure to refuel your vehicle accord-
ing to the "Fuel requirements" suggested
in section 1.
If the fuel filler cap requires replacement,
use only a genuine Kia cap or the equiv-
alent specified for your vehicle. An incor-
rect fuel filler cap can result in a serious
malfunction of the fuel system or emis-
sion control system.
CAUTION- Exterior paint
Do not spill fuel on the exterior sur-faces of the vehicle. Any type of fuelspilled on painted surfaces maydamage the paint.
WARNING - Refueling& Vehicle fires
When refueling, always shut the
engine off. Sparks produced by
electrical components related to
the engine can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire. Once refueling is
complete, check to make sure the
filler cap and filler door are secure-
ly closed, before starting the
engine.
WARNING - Smoking
DO NOT use matches or a lighter
and DO NOT SMOKE or leave a lit
cigarette in your vehicle while at a
gas station especially during refu-
eling. Automotive fuel is highly
flammable and can, when ignited,
result in fire.

449
Features of your vehicle
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates the approxi-
mate number of engine revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Use the tachometer to select the correct
shift points and to prevent lugging and/or
over-revving the engine.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank. The fuel tank capacity is given in
section 8. The fuel gauge is supplement-
ed by a low fuel warning light, which will
illuminate when the fuel tank is nearly
empty.
On inclines or curves, the fuel gauge
pointer may fluctuate or the low fuel
warning light may come on earlier than
usual due to the movement of fuel in the
tank.
WARNING- Fuel gauge
Running out of fuel can expose
vehicle occupants to danger.
You must stop and obtain addition-
al fuel as soon as possible after the
warning light comes on or when the
gauge indicator comes close to the
E level.
CAUTION
Avoid driving with extremely lowfuel level. Running out of fuel couldcause the engine to misfire, damag- ing the catalytic converter.
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Features of your vehicle
50
4
Engine coolant temperature gauge
This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the engine
start/stop button is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “If the engine overheats” in section 6.
State of charge (SOC)
The state of charge (SOC) gauge indi-
cates the hybrid battery's charge level. If
the SOC is near L level, the vehicle auto-
matically operates the engine to charge
the battery. However, if the service indi-
cator and MIL(Malfunction indicator
lamp) turn on when the State of
Charge(SOC) is near L(Low), the vehicle
should be towed. Refer to the chapter 6.
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CAUTION
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the“H” position, it indicates overheat-ing that may damage the engine.
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WARNING
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The engine
coolant is under pressure and
could cause severe burns. Wait
until the engine is cool before
adding coolant to the reservoir.
WARNING
Never try to start the vehicle if the
fuel tank is empty. The engine is
impossible to charge the high volt-
age battery of hybrid system. If you
try to start the vehicle when the fuel
is empty, the high voltage battery
will become discharged and be
damaged.

543
Driving your vehicle
Certification label
The certification label is located on
the driver's door sill at the center pil-
lar.
This label shows the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle. This is called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The
GVWR includes the weight of the
vehicle, all occupants, fuel and
cargo.
This label also tells you the maxi-
mum weight that can be supported
by the front and rear axles, called
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on your
front and rear axles, you need to go
to a weigh station and weigh your
vehicle. Your dealer can help you with
this. Be sure to spread out your load
equally on both sides of the center-
line.The label will help you decide how
much cargo and installed equipment
your vehicle can carry.
If you carry items inside your vehicle
- like suitcases, tools, packages, or
anything else - they are moving as
fast as the vehicle. If you have to stop
or turn quickly, or if there is a crash,
the items will keep going and can
cause an injury if they strike the driv-
er or a passenger.WARNING - Over
loading
Never exceed the GVWR for
your vehicle, the GAWR for
either the front or rear axle and
vehicle capacity weight.
Exceeding these ratings can
affect your vehicle’s handling
and braking ability.

545
Driving your vehicle
This section will guide you in the proper
loading of your vehicle and/or trailer, to
keep your loaded vehicle weight within its
design rating capability, with or without a
trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of the vehicle
design performance. Before loading your
vehicle, familiarize yourself with the fol-
lowing terms for determining your vehi-
cle's weight ratings, with or without a
trailer, from the vehicle's specifications
and the compliance label:
Base curb weight
This is the weight of the vehicle including
a full tank of fuel and all standard equip-
ment. It does not include passengers,
cargo, or optional equipment.
Vehicle curb weight
This is the weight of your new vehicle
when you picked it up from your dealer
plus any aftermarket equipment.
Cargo weight
This figure includes all weight added to
the Base Curb Weight, including cargo
and optional equipment.GAW (Gross axle weight)
This is the total weight placed on each
axle (front and rear) - including vehicle
curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating)
This is the maximum allowable weight
that can be carried by a single axle (front
or rear). These numbers are shown on
the compliance label.
The total load on each axle must never
exceed its GAWR.
GVW (Gross vehicle weight)
This is the Base Curb Weight plus actual
Cargo Weight plus passengers.
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating)
This is the maximum allowable weight of
the fully loaded vehicle (including all
options, equipment, passengers and
cargo). The GVWR is shown on the cer-
tification label located on the driver’s
door sill.
We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.
VEHICLE WEIGHT
TRAILER TOWING