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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.
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Driving your vehicle
12
5
Starting the engine with a
smart key (if equipped)
1.Carry the smart key or leave it
inside the vehicle.
2.Make sure the parking brake is firmly applied
3.Place the transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
4.Press the ENGINE START/STOP button while depressing the brake
pedal. 5.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.)
It should be started without depress-
ing the accelerator.
Even if the smart key is in the vehi- cle, but is far away from you, the
engine may not start.
When the ENGINE START/STOP button is in the ACC position or
above, if any door is opened, the
system checks for the smart key. If
the smart key is not in the vehicle,
the warning "Key not in vehicle" will
illuminate on the LCD display. And
if all doors are closed, the chime
will sound for 5 seconds. The indi-
cator or warning will turn off while
the vehicle is moving. Always have
the smart key with you.
The engine will start only when the
smart key is in the vehicle.
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.
OTF054007
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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.
Page 296 of 487
![KIA Optima 2015 4.G Owners Manual 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 KIA Optima 2015 4.G Owners Manual 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](/manual-img/2/2963/w960_2963-295.png)
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
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Driving your vehicle
20
5
BRAKE SYSTEM
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces. Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s
ability to safely slow down; the vehi-
cle may also pull to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this way.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
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.
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.
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521
Driving your vehicle
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.
CAUTION - Replace brakepads
Do not continue to drive withworn brake pads. Continuing todrive with worn brake pads candamage the braking system andresult in costly brake repairs.
WARNING - Brake wear
Do not ignore high pitched wear
sounds from your brakes. If you
ignore this audible warning, you
will eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
WARNING - Parking brake
Avoid applying the parking
brake to stop the vehicle while it
is moving except in an emer-
gency situation. Applying the
parking brake while the vehicle
is moving at normal speeds can
cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use
the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in
applying the brake.
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523
Driving your vehicle
Releasing the parking brake
Foot type
To release the parking brake,
depress the parking brake pedal a
second time while applying the foot
brake. The pedal will automatically
extend to the fully released position.Hand type
To release the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and pull up the
parking brake lever slightly.
Secondly, press the release button
(1) and lower the parking brake lever
(2) while holding the button.
OTF050017
OTF050016
WARNING - Parking brake
use
All vehicles should always have
the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.
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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