2012 KIA Optima tow

439
Features of your vehicle
Inside rearview mirror
Adjust the rearview mirror so that the
center view through the rear window is
seen. Make this adjustment before you
start driving.
Day/night rearview mirror
Make this adjustment before you start
driving and while the day/night lever is in
the day position.
Pull the day/night lever toward you to
reduce glare from the headlights of the
vehicles behind you during night driving.
Remember that you lose some rearviewclarity in the night position. Electric chromic mirror (ECM) with
HomeLink
®system and compass
(if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
Gentex Automatic-Dimming Mirror with a
Z-Nav™ Electronic Compass Display
and an Integrated HomeLink
®Wireless
Control System. During nighttime driving,
this feature will automatically detect and
reduce rearview mirror glare while the
compass indicates the direction the vehi-
cle is pointed. The HomeLink
®Universal
Transceiver allows you to activate your
garage door(s), electric gate, home light-
ing, etc.
MIRRORS
WARNING - Rear visibility
Do not place objects in the rear
seat or cargo area which would
interfere with your vision through
the rear window.
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Day
Night
WARNING
Do not adjust the rearview mirror
while the vehicle is moving. This
could result in loss of control, and
an accident which could cause
death, serious injury or property
damage.
WARNING
Do not modify the inside mirror and
do not install a wide mirror. It could
result in injury, during an accident
or deployment of the air bag.

447
Features of your vehicle
Remote control
Electric type (if equipped)
The electric remote control mirror switch
allows you to adjust the position of the
left and right outside rearview mirrors. To
adjust the position of either mirror the
ignition switch should be in the ACC or
ON position, or engine is running. Move
the lever (1) to R or L to select the right
side mirror or the left side mirror, then
press a corresponding point on the mirror
adjustment control to position the select-
ed mirror up, down, left or right.
After the adjustment, put the lever into
neutral (center) position to prevent inad-
vertent adjustment.
Folding the outside rearview mirror
To fold the outside rearview mirror, grasp
the housing of the mirror and then fold it
toward the rear of the vehicle.
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CAUTION
The mirrors stop moving whenthey reach the maximum adjust-ing angles, but the motor contin-ues to operate while the switch ispressed. Do not press the switch longer than necessary, the motormay be damaged.
Do not attempt to adjust the out- side rearview mirror by hand.Doing so may damage the relatedparts.

451
Features of your vehicle
Engine temperature gauge
This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “If the engine overheats” in section 6.
Trip computer
The trip computer is a microcomputer-
controlled driver information system that
displays information related to driving on
the display when the ignition switch is in
the ON position. All stored driving infor-
mation (except odometer) is reset if the
battery is disconnected.■ ■
Type A
TRIP A
TRIP B
Average speed
Elapsed time
Outside
Distance to empty
Average fuel consumption
Instant fuel consumption
* if equipped
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CAUTION
If the gauge pointer moves beyondthe normal range area toward the“H” position, it indicates overheat-ing that may damage the engine.
■Type A■Type B

Features of your vehicle
62
4
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 dual-diago-
nal braking systems. This means you still
have braking on two wheels even if one
of the dual systems should fail. With only
one of the dual systems working, more
than normal pedal travel and greater
pedal pressure are required to stop the
vehicle. Also, the vehicle 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 vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so. To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switch
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 (if equipped)
The indicator displays which automatic
transaxle shift position is selected.
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.

Features of your vehicle
76
4
Non-operational conditions of
rear parking assist system
The rear parking assist system may
not operate properly when:
1. Moisture is frozen to the sensor. (It will
operate normally when the moisture
has been cleared.)
2. The sensor is covered with foreign matter, such as snow or water, or the
sensor cover is blocked. (It will operate
normally when the material is removed
or the sensor is no longer blocked.)
3. Driving on uneven road surfaces (unpaved roads, gravel, bumps, gradi-
ent).
4. Objects generating excessive noise (vehicle horns, loud motorcycle
engines, or truck air brakes) are within
range of the sensor.
5. Heavy rain or water spray exists.
6. Wireless transmitters or mobile phones are within range of the sensor.
7. The sensor is covered with snow.
8. Trailer towing The detecting range may decrease
when:
1. The sensor is stained with foreign mat-
ter such as snow or water. (The sens-
ing range will return to normal when
removed.)
2. Outside air temperature is extremely hot or cold.
The following objects may not be rec-
ognized by the sensor:
1. Sharp or slim objects such as ropes, chains or small poles.
2. Objects which tend to absorb the sen- sor frequency such as clothes, spongy
material or snow.
3. Undetectable objects smaller than 1 m (40 in.) in height and narrower than 14
cm (6 in.) in diameter.
Rear parking assist system pre-
cautions
The rear parking assist system maynot sound sequentially depending on
the speed and shapes of the objects
detected.
The rear parking assist system may malfunction if the vehicle bumper
height or sensor installation has been
modified or damaged. Any non-factory
installed equipment or accessories
may also interfere with the sensor per-
formance.
The sensor may not recognize objects less than 40 cm (15 in.) from the sen-
sor, or it may sense an incorrect dis-
tance. Use caution.
When the sensor is frozen or stained with snow, dirt, or water, the sensor
may be inoperative until the stains are
removed using a soft cloth.
Do not push, scratch or strike the sen- sor. Sensor damage could occur.

483
Features of your vehicle
High beam operation
To turn on the high beam headlights,
push the lever away from you. Pull it back
for low beams.
The high beam indicator will light when
the headlight high beams are switched
on.
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on for a
prolonged time while the engine is not
running.To flash the headlights, pull the lever
towards you. It will return to the normal
(low beam) position when released. The
headlight switch does not need to be on
to use this flashing feature.
Turn signals and lane change sig-
nals
The ignition switch must be on for the
turn signals to function. To turn on the
turn signals, move the lever up or down
(A). The green arrow indicators on the
instrument panel indicate which turn sig-
nal is operating. They will self-cancel
after a turn is completed. If the indicator
continues to flash after a turn, manually
return the lever to the OFF position.
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WARNING
Do not use high beam when there
are other vehicles. Using high
beam could obstruct the other dri-
ver's vision.

487
Features of your vehicle
Windshield washers
In the OFF position, pull the lever gently
toward you to spray washer fluid on the
windshield and to run the wipers 1-3
cycles.
Use this function when the windshield is
dirty.
The spray and wiper operation will con-
tinue until you release the lever.
If the washer does not work, check the
washer fluid level. If the fluid level is not
sufficient, you will need to add appropri-
ate non-abrasive windshield washer fluid
to the washer reservoir.
The reservoir filler neck is located in the
front of the engine compartment on the
passenger side.
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CAUTION
To prevent possible damage to thewasher pump, do not operate thewasher when the fluid reservoir isempty.
WARNING
Do not use the washer in freezing
temperatures without first warming
the windshield with the defrosters;
the washer solution could freeze on
contact with the windshield and
obscure your vision.
CAUTION
To prevent possible damage to the wipers or windshield, do notoperate the wipers when thewindshield is dry.
To prevent damage to the wiper blades, do not use gasoline,kerosene, paint thinner, or othersolvents on or near them.
To prevent damage to the wiper arms and other components, donot attempt to move the wipersmanually.

Features of your vehicle
94
4
Mode selection
The mode selection button controls the
direction of the air flow through the venti-
lation system.
Face-Level (B, C, D, E, F)
Air flow is directed toward the upper body
and face. Additionally, each outlet can be
controlled to direct the air discharged
from the outlet.
Bi-Level (B, C, D, E, F)
Air flow is directed towards the face and
the floor.
Floor-Level (A, C, D, E)
Most of the air flow is directed to the
floor, with a small amount of the air being
directed to the windshield and side win-
dow defrosters.
Floor/Defrost-Level (A, C, D, E)
Most of the air flow is directed to the floor
and the windshield with a small amount
directed to the side window defrosters.
Defrost-Level (A, D)
Most of the air flow is directed to the
windshield with a small amount of air
directed to the side window defrosters.
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