2015 KIA Optima ignition

511
Driving your vehicle
Starting the engine with an
ignition key (if equipped)
1.Make sure the parking brake isapplied.
2. Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)position.
3.Turn the ignition switch to START and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key.
It should be started withoutdepressing the accelerator.
4.Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.)
If the engine stalls while the vehicle
is in motion, do not attempt to move
the shift lever to the P (Park) posi-
tion. If traffic and road conditions per-
mit, you may put the shift lever in the
N (Neutral) position while the vehicle
is still moving and turn the ignition
switch to the START position in an
attempt to restart the engine.
STARTING THE ENGINE
WARNING - Proper footwear
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels,
ski boots, sandals, etc.) may
interfere with your ability to use
the brake and accelerator ped-
als.CAUTION - Starter
Do not engage the starter for more than 10 seconds. If theengine stalls or fails to start,wait 5 to 10 seconds before re-engaging the starter. Improperuse of the starter may damageit.

515
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reversegear.
When stopped on an incline, do not
hold the vehicle with engine power.
Use the service brake or the parking
brake.
Transaxle ranges
The indicator light in the instrument
cluster displays the shift lever posi-
tion when the ignition switch is in the
ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.CAUTION - Transaxle
To avoid damage to yourtransaxle, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on. The transaxle may bedamaged if you shift into P(Park) while the vehicle is inmotion.
WARNING- Automatic
Transaxle
Before leaving the driver's seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park), set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement may
occur if these precautions are
not followed.

Driving your vehicle
18
5
With the shift lever in the D position
The paddle shifter can operate when
the vehicle speed is more than 10
km/h (6.2 mph).
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic
mode to manual mode.
If the vehicle speed is lower than
10km/h (6.2 mph), if you depress the
accelerator pedal for more than 5
seconds or if you shift the shift lever
from D to sports mode and shift it
from sports mode to D again, the
system change from manual mode to
automatic mode.
With the shift lever in the sports mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle
shifters at the same time, you can't
shift the gear.Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
3.Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-
dition. Shift-lock override (with smart key
system)
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) or N (Neutral) posi-
tion into the R (Reverse) position
with the brake pedal depressed, con-
tinue depressing the brake, then do
the following:
1.Carefully remove the cap (1) cover-
ing the shift-lock access hole.
2.Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.
3.Move the shift lever.
4.Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer immediately.
WARNING - Shifting from
park
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle.
OTF054011N

519
Driving your vehicle
Ignition key interlock system (if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.
Always use the parking brake. Do not depend on placing the
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.

Driving your vehicle
24
5
Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will illumi-
nate when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released
while the engine is running, there
may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is nec-
essary. If at all possible, stop driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or dangerous
driving maneuvers. Even though
vehicle control is improved during
emergency braking, always maintain
a safe distance between you and
objects ahead. Vehicle speeds
should always be reduced during
extreme road conditions.
The vehicle should be driven at
reduced speeds in the following cir-
cumstances:
When driving on rough, gravel or
snow-covered roads
When driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or has differ-
ent surface heights.
Driving in these conditions increases
the stopping distance for your vehi-
cle.
W-75

525
Driving your vehicle
The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure and do not try to
pump your brakes. Press your brake
pedal as hard as possible or as hard
as the situation allows the ABS to
control the force being delivered to
the brakes.✽ ✽NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system. 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.
W-78_ABS_S

529
Driving your vehicle
ESC off state 2
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF ) for
more than 3 seconds. ESC OFF indi-
cator light (ESC OFF ) illuminates
and ESC OFF warning chime will
sound. At this state, the engine con-
trol function and brake control func-
tion do not operate. It means the car
stability control function does not
operate any more.
Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned
ON, the indicator light illuminates,
then goes off if ESC system is oper-
ating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button. Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size as
your original tires.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light
OTF054111L
WARNING - Electronic
stability control
Drive carefully even though
your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control. It can only
assist you in maintaining con-
trol under certain circum-
stances.

Driving your vehicle
34
5
The cruise control system allows you
to program the vehicle to maintain a
constant speed without depressing
the accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25
mph).
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster illuminated) the cruise
control can be switched on acciden-
tally. Keep the cruise control system
off (CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in use,
to avoid inadvertently setting a
speed.
Use the cruise control system only
when traveling on open highways in
good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when
driving in heavy or varying traffic, or
on slippery (rainy, icy or snow-cov-
ered) or winding roads or over 6%
up-hill or down-hill roads.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• During normal cruise control
operation, when the SET switch is
activated or reactivated after
applying the brakes, the cruise
control will energize after approx-
imately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
• To activate cruise control, depress the brake pedal at least once after
turning the ignition switch to the
ON position or starting the engine.
This is to check if the brake switch
which is important part to cancel
cruise control is in normal condi-
tion.
To set cruise control speed:
1.Press the CRUISE button on the
steering wheel to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in
the instrument cluster will illumi-
nate.
2.Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h
(25 mph ).
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING - Misuse of
Cruise Control
Do not use cruise control if the
traffic situation does not allow
you to drive safely at a constant
speed and with sufficient dis-
tance to the vehicle in front.
OTFH054020