2015 KIA Optima Light

551
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extradistance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped. Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transaxle. Do not
race the engine, and spin the wheels
as little as possible. If you are still
stuck after a few tries, have the vehi-
cle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transaxle.
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING - Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transaxle while driving on
slippery surfaces. The sudden
change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid and
result in an accident.
CAUTION - Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may causeengine overheating, transaxledamage or failure, and tire dam-age.

Driving your vehicle
52
5
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
OBH058035LOMC035004
WARNING- Sudden
vehicle movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehi-
cle if people or objects are near-
by. The vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backwards as
it becomes unstuck.
CAUTION - Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe- cially at speeds more than 56km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when thevehicle is stationary couldcause a tire to overheat whichcould result in tire damage.

553
Driving your vehicle
Adjust your mirrors to reduce theglare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed on vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
Avoid staring directly at the head- lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harderto see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield. If your tires are not in good condi-
tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud- dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
1JBB3303

557
Driving your vehicle
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 tow straps or chains, flash-
light, emergency flares, sand, a
shovel, jumper cables, a window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, a blanket, etc.
TRAILER TOWING
We do not recommend using this
vehicle for trailer towing.

What to do in an emergency
26
ROAD WARNING
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher serves
as a warning to other drivers to exer-
cise extreme caution when
approaching, overtaking, or passing
your vehicle.It should be used whenever emer-
gency repairs are being made or
when the vehicle is stopped near the
edge of a roadway.
Depress the flasher switch with the
ignition switch in any position. The
flasher switch is located in the center
console switch panel. All turn signal
lights will flash simultaneously.
• The hazard warning flasher oper-
ates whether your vehicle is run-
ning or not.
The turn signals do not work when the hazard flasher is on.
Care must be taken when using the hazard warning flasher while
the vehicle is being towed.
OTF064017

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.

What to do in an emergency
12
6
8.Insert the jack handle into the jack
and turn it clockwise, raising the
vehicle until the tire just clears the
ground. This measurement is
approximately 30 mm (1 in). Before
removing the wheel lug nuts, make
sure the vehicle is stable and that
there is no chance for movement
or slippage. 9.Loosen the wheel nuts and remove
them with your fingers. Slide the
wheel off the studs and lay it flat so
it cannot roll away. To put the
wheel on the hub, pick up the
spare tire, line up the holes with
the studs and slide the wheel onto
them. If this is difficult, tip the wheel
slightly and get the top hole in the
wheel lined up with the top stud.
Then jiggle the wheel back and
forth until the wheel can be slid
over the other studs.
Wheels and wheel covers may have
sharp edges. Handle them carefully
to avoid possible injury. Before put-
ting the wheel into place, be sure
that there is nothing on the hub or
wheel (such as mud, tar, gravel, etc.)
that prevents the wheel from fitting
solidly against the hub. 10. To install the wheel, hold it on the
studs, put the wheel nuts on the
studs and tighten them finger
tight. Jiggle the tire to be sure it is
completely seated, then tighten
the nuts as much as possible
with your fingers again.
11. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the wheel nut wrench
counterclockwise.
OTF064008
WARNING- Installing a
wheel
Make sure the wheel makes
good contact with the hub when
installed. If the contact of the
mounting surface between the
wheel and hub is not good, the
wheel nuts could come loose
and cause the loss of a wheel.
Loss of a wheel may result in
loss of control of the vehicle.

Maintenance
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 7-25
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36

Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-\
44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-47
. . . . . . . 7-47

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
7-61

Light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-79
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-79
. . . . . . . . . . . . 7-83
. . . . . . . . 7-85
7