2015 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID battery

Driving your vehicle
85
If you leave the ENGINE START/
STOP button in the ACC or ON posi-
tion for a long time, the battery will
discharge.✽ ✽NOTICE
Before starting the vehicle, if you
depress the brake pedal, you may
feel the stumbling feeling while
depressing the brake pedal.
However, if the warning indicator is
not turned on, it is normal.
WARNING - Start Button
Use in Motion
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
vehicle is in motion except in an
emergency. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.

Driving your vehicle
10
5
If the battery is weak or the smart
key does not work correctly, you
can start the engine by pressing
the engine start/stop button with
the smart key.
The side with the lock button
should contact the engine
start/stop button directly.
When you press the engine
start/stop button directly with the
smart key, the smart key should
contact the button at a right angle.
WARNING - Unintended
vehicle movement
Never leave the smart key in the
vehicle with children or vehicle
occupants who are unfamiliar
with the vehicle operation.
Pushing the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
smart key is in the vehicle may
result in unintended engine
activation and/or unintended
vehicle movement.
CAUTION
If ambient temperature is low, the "READY" symbol may stayilluminated longer than the nor-mal amount of time.
WARNING
The Hybrid system will start
only when the smart key is in
the vehicle. Never allow chil-
dren or any person who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle to touch
the Hybrid system start/stop
button or related parts.
OTF054006

Driving your vehicle
12
5
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 6 for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically, depending on the
position of the shift lever.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle
or if the battery has been discon-
nected, may be somewhat abrupt.
This is a normal condition, and the
shifting sequence will adjust after
shifts are cycled a few times by the
TCM (Transaxle Control Module)
or PCM (Powertrain Control
Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
OTFH054010
+ (UP)
Button
Shift lever
- (DOWN)
To shift, depress the brake pedal and press the button.
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the button when shifting.

517
Driving your vehicle
Power brakes
Your vehicle's brake system is
power-assisted by the electric
hydraulic pump.
In the event the brakes lose power
because of a brake control system
malfunction, unstable power supply
or some other reason, you can still
stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you
normally would. The stopping dis-
tance, however will be longer. Please
have the system checked as soon as
possible.If the brake pedal does not return to
its normal position when released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Kia dealer and have
the system checked.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING - Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of
the brakes when descending a
long or steep hill by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application will cause the
brakes to overheat and could
result in a temporary loss of
braking performance.
WARNING - HEV driving down hill
Do not turn off the Hybrid sys-
tem while going down a hill. The
brake booster may not work
sufficiently and the braking dis-
tance may be longer.
CAUTION - Brake pedal
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This willcreate abnormally high braketemperatures which can causeexcessive brake lining and padwear.
CAUTION
Do not depress the brake pedalcontinuously without READYstatus. The battery may be dis-charged.

531
Driving your vehicle
The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the
ignition switch is ON. During that
time, the ABS will go through self-
diagnosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the light stays
on, you may have a problem with
your ABS but your regular brakes will
work normally. Contact an authorized
Kia dealer as soon as possible. When you drive on a road with
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operated your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your vehi-
cle over to a safe place and stop
the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your ABS
is normal. Otherwise, you may
have a problem with the ABS.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on
at the same time. This happens
because of the low battery voltage. It
does not mean your ABS has mal-
functioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
W-78_ABS_S

559
Driving your vehicle
The use of chains may adverselyaffect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer’s recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel braking.Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type of
coolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in chapter 7. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in section 7. Never attempt to check
the Hybrid High Voltage Battery. The
level of charge in your battery can be
checked by an authorized Kia dealer
or a service station.
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
chapter 8 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni-
tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in chapter 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
CAUTION - Snow chains
Chains that are the wrong size or improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

What to do in an emergency
46
IF THE ENGINE WILL NOT START
If the engine doesn't turn over
or turns over slowly
1.If your vehicle has an automatictransaxle, be sure the shift lever is
in N (Neutral) or P (Park) and the
emergency brake is set.
2.Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
3.Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you operate
the starter, the battery is dis-
charged.
4.Check the starter connections to be sure they are securely tight-
ened.
5.Do not push or pull the vehicle to start it. See instructions for "Jump
starting".
If engine turns over normally
but does not start
1.Check fuel level.
2.With the ignition switch in theLOCK position, check all connec-
tors at the ignition coil and spark
plugs. Reconnect any that may be
disconnected or loose.
3.Check the fuel line in the engine compartment.
4.If the engine still does not start, call an authorized Kia dealer or seek
other qualified assistance.
WARNING - Push/pull
start
Do not push or pull the vehicle
to start it. Push or pull starting
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload and create a
fire hazard.

65
What to do in an emergency
EMERGENCY STARTING
Connect cables in numerical order
and disconnect in reverse order.
Jump starting
Jump starting can be dangerous if
done incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid
harm to yourself or damage to your
vehicle or battery, follow these jump
starting procedures. If in doubt, we
strongly recommend that you have a
competent technician or towing serv-
ice jump start your vehicle.
CAUTION - 12 volt battery
Use only a 12-volt jumper sys-tem. You can damage a 12-voltstarting motor, ignition system,and other electrical partsbeyond repair by use of a 24-volt power supply (either two12-volt batteries in series or a24-volt motor generator set).
WARNING - Battery
Keep all flames or sparks away
from the battery. The battery
produces hydrogen gas which
will explode if exposed to flame
or sparks.
WARNING- Battery
Never attempt to check the elec-
trolyte level of the battery as
this may cause the battery to
rupture or explode.
WARNING- Frozen batteries
Do not attempt to jump start the
vehicle if the discharged battery
is frozen or if the electrolyte
level is low as the battery may
rupture or explode.
WARNING- Sulfuric acid risk
When jump starting your vehi-
cle be careful not to get acid on
yourself, your clothing or on the
vehicle. Automobile batteries
contain sulfuric acid. This is
poisonous and highly corro-
sive.
OTFH050100NDischarged battery Jumper Cables
Booster battery