2015 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID Owners Manual

729
Maintenance
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine
off, check for excessive free-play in
the steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and
clamps for cracks, deterioration, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts and, if necessary, repack the
grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant
Check the air conditioning lines and
connections for leakage and dam-
age.

Maintenance
30
7
ENGINE OIL
Checking the engine oil level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on level
ground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reach normal operating tempera-
ture.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few minutes (about 5 minutes) for
the oil to return to the oil pan.
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully. 5. Pull the dipstick out again and
check the level. The level should
be between F and L.
If it is near or at L, add enough oil to
bring the level to F.Do not overfill.
Use a funnel to help prevent oil
from being spilled on engine com-
ponents.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in chapter 8.)
WARNING - Radiator
hose
Be very careful not to touch the
radiator hose when checking or
adding the engine oil as it may
be hot enough to burn you.
CAUTION - Replace engine oil
Do not overfill with engine oil.Engine damage may result.
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731
Maintenance
Changing the engine oil and
filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by
an authorized Kia dealer according
to the Maintenance Schedule at the
beginning of this chapter.
WARNING - California
proposition 65
Engine oil contains chemicals
known to the State of California
to cause cancer, birth defects
and reproductive harm. Used
engine oil may cause irritation
or cancer of the skin if left in
contact with the skin for pro-
longed periods of time. Always
protect your skin by washing
your hands thoroughly with
soap and warm water as soon
as possible after handling used
oil.

Maintenance
32
7
COOLANT
Inverter coolant
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year-round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level everyday.
If it is near or at MIN, add enough
coolant between MIN and MAX and
check the cooling system for air
bleed at an authorized Kia dealer.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When adding coolant, be careful not
to overfill.
Engine coolant
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with year-round
antifreeze coolant. The reservoir is
filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level per every day, at the
beginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.
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733
Maintenance
Checking the coolant level✽
✽NOTICE
The engine coolant and/or inverter
coolant level is influenced by hybrid
system temperature. Before filling
the engine coolant and/or inverter
coolant, turn the hybrid vehicle off,
fill the engine coolant and/or invert-
er coolant carefully.
Turn the engine off and wait until it
cools down. Use extreme care when
removing the radiator cap. Wrap a
thick towel around it, and turn it
counterclockwise slowly to the first
stop. Step back while the pressure is
released from the cooling system.
When you are sure all the pressure
has been released, press down on
the cap, using a thick towel, and con-
tinue turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
WARNING
Radiator / Inverter
cap
Do not remove the radiator or
the inverter cap when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure.
WARNING
Cooling fan
Use caution when working near
the blade of the cooling fan. The
electric motor (cooling fan) is
controlled by engine coolant
temperature, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed. It will
sometimes operate when the
engine is not running.
CAUTION - Radiator / Inverter cap
Never attempt to remove theradiator or inverter cap whilethe engine is operating or hot.Doing so might lead to coolingsystem and engine damage.

Maintenance
34
7
Check the condition and connections
of all cooling system hoses and
heater hoses. Replace any swollen
or deteriorated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side
of the coolant reservoir when the
engine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
distilled (deionized) water to provide
protection against freezing and cor-
rosion. Bring the level to F, but do not
overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorized Kia deal-
er for a cooling system inspection.
Recommended engine and invert-
er coolant
When adding coolant, use only deionized water or soft water for
your vehicle and never mix hard
water in the coolant filled at the fac-
tory. An improper coolant mixture
can result in serious malfunction or
engine damage.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be
protected by an ethylene-glycol-
based coolant to prevent corrosion
and freezing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the spec-
ified coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less
than 35% antifreeze, which would
reduce the effectiveness of the
solution. For mixture percentage, refer to the
following table.
5°F (-15°C) 35
65
-13°F (-25°C) 40 60
-31°F (-35°C) 50 50
-49°F (-45°C) 60 40
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
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735
Maintenance
Changing the coolant
Have engine and inverter coolant
changed by an authorized Kia dealer
according to the Maintenance
Schedule at the beginning of this
section.
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when
sprayed on the windshield
and may cause loss of vehicle
control or damage to paint
and body trim.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth or fabricaround the radiator cap and/orinverter coolant cap beforerefilling the coolant in order toprevent the coolant from over-flowing into engine parts suchas the generator.
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Radiator cap
Inverter coolant cap
WARNING
Radiator cap &
Inverter coolant cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
and/or inverter coolant cap
when the engine and radiator
are hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure causing serious
injury.

Maintenance
36
7
BRAKE FLUID
Checking the brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir
periodically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap
and adding brake fluid, clean the
area around the reservoir cap thor-
oughly to prevent brake fluid contam-
ination. If the level is low, add fluid to the
MAX level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a nor-
mal condition associated with the
wear of the brake linings.
If the fluid level is excessively low,
have the brake/clutch* system
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid.
(Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in chapter 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. If
brake fluid should come in contact
with your eyes, immediately flush
them with a large quantity of fresh
tap water. Have your eyes examined
by a doctor as soon as possible.
Brake fluid, which has been exposed
to open air for an extended time
should never be used as its quality
cannot be guaranteed. It should be
disposed of properly.
CAUTION - Brake fluid
Do not allow brake fluid to con-tact the vehicle's body paint, aspaint damage will result.
CAUTION - Proper fluid
Only use brake fluid in brakesystem. Small amounts ofimproper fluids (such as engineoil) can cause damage to thebrake system.
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