2015 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID tire type

ii
We want to help you get the greatest
possible driving pleasure from your
vehicle. Your Owner's Manual can
assist you in many ways. We strong-
ly recommend that you read the
entire manual. In order to minimize
the chance of death or injury, you
must read the WARNING and CAU-
TION sections in the manual.
Illustrations complement the words
in this manual to best explain how to
enjoy your vehicle. By reading your
manual, you will learn about fea-
tures, important safety information,
and driving tips under various road
conditions.
The general layout of the manual is
provided in the Table of Contents.
Use the index when looking for a
specific area or subject; it has an
alphabetical listing of all located in
the back of this manual.
Sections: This manual has eight sec-
tions plus an index. Each section
begins with a brief list of contents so
you can tell at a glance if that section
has the information you want.You will find various types of safety
instructions in this manual. These
instructions were prepared to
enhance your personal safety.
Carefully read and follow ALL proce-
dures and recommendations provid-
ed in these instructions.
✽ ✽


NOTICE
A NOTICE indicates interesting or
helpful information is being provided.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation
in which harm, serious bodily
injury or death could result if the
warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation
in which damage to your vehiclecould result if the caution isignored.

557
Driving your vehicle
Severe weather conditions in the
winter result in greater wear and
other problems. To minimize the
problems of winter driving, you
should follow these suggestions:
Snowy or Icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
If snow tires are needed, it is neces-
sary to select tires equivalent in size
and type of the original equipment
tires. Failure to do so may adversely
affect the safety and handling of your
car. Furthermore, speeding, rapid
acceleration, sudden brake applica-
tions, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids. You need to
keep sufficient distance between the
vehicle in operation in front and your
vehicle. Also, apply the brake gently.
It should be noted that installing tire
chains on the tire will provide greater
driving force, but will not prevent side
skids.
Tire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before installing tire
chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure they are radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
Keep in mind that the traction provid-
ed by snow tires on dry roads may
not be as high as your vehicle's orig-
inal equipment tires. You should drive
cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires withoutfirst checking local, state and munic-ipal regulations for possible restric-tions against their use.
WINTER DRIVING
1JBB3305

Driving your vehicle
58
5
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by
mounting some types of snow chains
on them. Therefore, the use of snow
tires is recommended instead of
snow chains. Do not mount tire
chains on vehicles equipped with
aluminum wheels; snow chains may
cause damage to the wheels. If snow
chains must be used, use wire-type
chains with a thickness of less than
0.47 in (12 mm). Damage to your
vehicle caused by improper snow
chain use is not covered by your
vehicle manufacturers warranty. Install tire chains only on the front
tires.
The snow chain connecting hooks
may be damaged from contacting
vehicle components causing the
snow chains to come loose from the
tire. Make sure the snow chains are
SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installation for
proper mounting after driving
approximately 0.3 to 0.6 miles (0.5 to
1 km) to ensure safe mounting.
Retighten or remount the chains if
they are loose.
Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the
manufacturer's instructions and
mount them as tightly as you can.
Drive slowly with chains installed. If
you hear the chains contacting the
body or chassis, stop and tighten
them. If they still make contact, slow
down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving
on cleared roads.
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place a
triangular emergency warning device
behind the vehicle if available.
CAUTION - Snow chains
Make sure the snow chains are
the correct size and type foryour tires. Incorrect snowchains can cause damage to thevehicle body and suspensionand may not be covered by yourvehicle manufacturer's warran-ty.
1JBA4068

Driving your vehicle
60
5
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint fin-
ish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
If there is a risk the parking brake
may freeze, apply it only temporarily
while you put the shift lever in P
(automatic transaxle) and block the
rear wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
Don't let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
car to be sure the movement of the
front wheels and the steering com-
ponents is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, a shovel, jumper cables, a win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth,
coveralls, a blanket, etc.
TRAILER TOWING
We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.

623
What to do in an emergency
It is possible that some tires, espe-
cially with larger punctures or dam-
age to the sidewall, cannot be sealed
completely.
Air pressure loss in the tire may
adversely affect tire performance.
For this reason, you should avoid
abrupt steering or other driving
maneuvers, especially if the vehicle
is heavily loaded or if a trailer is in
use.
The Tire Mobility Kit is not designed
or intended as a permanent tire
repair method and is to be used for
one tire only.
This instruction shows you step by
step procedure to temporarily seal
the puncture.
Read the section "Notes on the safe
use of the Tire Mobility Kit".Notes on the safe use of the
Tire Mobility Kit
Park your car at the side of theroad so that you can work with the
Tire Mobility Kit away from moving
traffic.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your park-
ing brake.
Only use the Tire Mobility Kit for sealing/inflation passenger car
tires. Only punctured areas located
within the tread region of the tire
can be sealed using the tire mobil-
ity kit.
Do not use on motorcycles, bicy- cles or any other type of tires.
When the tire and wheel are dam- aged, do not use Tire Mobility Kit
for your safety.
Use of the Tire Mobility Kit may not be effective for tire damage larger
than approximately 0.24 in (6 mm).
Please contact the nearest Kia
dealership if the tire cannot be
made roadworthy with the Tire
Mobility Kit. Do not use the Tire Mobility Kit if a
tire is severely damaged by driving
run flat or with insufficient air pres-
sure.
Do not remove any foreign objects such as nails or screws that have
penetrated the tire.
Provided the car is outdoors, leave the engine running. Otherwise
operating the compressor may
eventually drain the car battery.
Never leave the Tire Mobility Kit unattended while it is being used.
Do not leave the compressor run- ning for more than 10 min. at a time
or it may overheat.
Do not use the Tire Mobility Kit if the ambient temperature is below -
22°F (-30°C).

751
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to left.
Do not use the compact spare tire for
tire rotation.Wheel alignment and tire bal-
ance
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.
WARNING- Mixing tire
types
Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause unusu-
al handling characteristics.
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)
CAUTION - Wheel weight
Improper wheel weights can damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.

Maintenance
54
7
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
P205/55R16 89H
P - Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’ are
intended for use on passenger
vehicles or light trucks; however,
not all tires have this marking).
205 - Tire width in millimeters.
55 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches. 89 - Load Index, a numerical code
associated with the maximum
load the tire can carry.
H - Speed Rating Symbol. See the speed rating chart in this section
for additional information.
Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
6.0JX16
6.0 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
16 - Rim diameter in inches. Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger vehicles. The
speed rating is part of the tire size
designation on the sidewall of the
tire. This symbol corresponds to that
tire's designed maximum safe oper-
ating speed.
S 112 mph (180 km/h)
T 118 mph (190 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h) V 149 mph (240 km/h)Z Above 149 mph (240 km/h)
Maximum Speed
Speed
Rating
Symbol

Maintenance
60
7
Tire chains
Tire chains, if necessary, should be
installed on the front wheels.
Be sure that the chains are installed
in accordance with the manufactur-
er's instructions.
To minimize tire and chain wear, do
not continue to use tire chains when
they are no longer needed.
When driving on roads covered
with snow or ice, drive at less than
20 mph (30 km/h).
Use the SAE “S” class or wire chains.
If you hear noise caused by chains contacting the body, retighten the
chain to avoid contact with the
vehicle body.
To prevent body damage, retighten the chains after driving 0.3~0.6
miles (0.5~1.0 km).
Do not use tire chains on vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels.
In unavoidable circumstances, use
a wire type chain.
Use wire chains less than 0.59 inches (15 mm) to prevent damage
to the chain’s connection.
Radial-ply tires
Radial-ply tires provide improved
tread life, road hazard resistance and
smoother high speed ride. The radi-
al-ply tires used on this vehicle are
of belted construction and are select-
ed to complement the ride and han-
dling characteristics of your vehicle.
Radial-ply tires have the same load
carrying capacity as bias-ply or bias
belted tires of the same size and use
the same recommended inflation
pressure. Mixing of radial-ply tires
with bias-ply or bias belted tires is
not recommended. Any combina-
tions of radial-ply and bias-ply or bias
belted tires when used on the same
vehicle will seriously deteriorate
vehicle handling. The best rule to fol-
low is: identical radial-ply tires should
always be used as a set of four. Longer wearing tires can be more
susceptible to irregular tread wear. It
is very important to follow the tire
rotation interval shown in this section
to achieve the tread life potential of
these tires. Cuts and punctures in
radial-ply tires are repairable only in
the tread area, because of sidewall
flexing. Consult your tire dealer for
radial-ply tire repairs.