2015 KIA Optima Owner's Manual

Features of your vehicle
120
4
Air conditioning system operation tips
If the vehicle has been parked in
direct sunlight during hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to let the hot air inside the vehicle
escape.
To help reduce moisture inside of the windows on rainy or humid
days, decrease the humidity inside
the vehicle by operating the air
conditioning system.
During air conditioning system operation, you may occasionally
notice a slight change in engine
speed as the air conditioning com-
pressor cycles. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.
Use the air conditioning system every month only for a few minutes
to ensure maximum system per-
formance.
When using the air conditioning system, you may notice clear water
dripping (or even puddling) on the
ground under the passenger side
of the vehicle. This is a normal sys-
tem operation characteristic. Operating the air conditioning sys-
tem in the recirculated air position
provides maximum cooling, how-
ever, continual operation in this
mode may cause the air inside the
vehicle to become stale.
During cooling operation, you may occasionally notice a misty air flow
because of rapid cooling and
humid air intake. This is a normal
system operation characteristic.CAUTION - Excessive
AC
While using the air conditioningsystem, monitor the tempera-ture gauge closely while drivingup hills or in heavy traffic whenoutside temperatures are high.
Air conditioning system opera-tion may cause engine over-heating and potential enginedamage. If the temperaturegauge indicates overheating,turn off the a/c, safely stop thevehicle, turn off the engine andcontact your authorized Kiadealer.

4121
Features of your vehicle
Climate control air filter
The climate control air filter installed
behind the glove box filters the dust
and other pollutants that come into
the vehicle from the outside through
the heating and air conditioning sys-
tem. If dust or other pollutants accu-
mulate in the filter over a period of
time, the air flow from the air vents
may decrease, resulting in moisture
accumulation on the inside of the
windshield even when the outside
(fresh) air position is selected. If this
happens, have the climate control air
filter replaced by an authorized Kia
dealer.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• Replace the filter according to the
Maintenance Schedule.
If the vehicle is being driven in
severe conditions such as dusty,
rough roads, more frequent cli-
mate control air filter inspections
and changes are required.
• When the air flow rate suddenly decreases, the system should be
checked at an authorized Kia
dealer.
Checking the amount of air
conditioner refrigerant and
compressor lubricant
When the amount of refrigerant is
low, the performance of the air con-
ditioning is reduced. Overfilling also
has a negative influence on the air
conditioning system.
Therefore, if abnormal operation is
found, have the system inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
The air conditioning system should
be serviced by an authorized Kia
dealer.
CAUTION - Compressor
damage
It is important that the correct
type and amount of oil andrefrigerant is used. Otherwise,damage to the compressor andabnormal system operation mayoccur.
OMG075033
Outside air
Recirculatedair
Climate control
air filter Blower
Evaporator
coreHeater core

Features of your vehicle
122
4
AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OTF044322/OTF044323
1. Driver’s temperature control knob
2. AUTO (automatic control) button
3. Front windshield defroster button
4. Rear window defroster button
5. Fan speed control button
6. OFF button
7. Mode selection button
8. Air conditioning button
9. Air intake control button
10. Passenger's temperature control knob
11. Dual temperature control selection button
12. Climate control display
13. Climate information screen selection button
■
■Type A
■
■Type B

4123
Features of your vehicle
Automatic heating and air con-
ditioning
1. Push the AUTO button. Themodes, fan speeds, air intake and
air-conditioning will be controlled
automatically by temperature set-
ting. 2. Turn the temperature control knob
to set the desired temperature.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• To turn the automatic operation
off, select any button or switch of
the following:
- Mode selection button
- Air conditioning button
- Front windshield defroster button
- Air intake control button
- Fan speed control button
The selected function will be con- trolled manually while other func-
tions operate automatically.
• For your convenience and to improve the effectiveness of the
climate control, use the AUTO
button and set the temperature to
23°C (73°F°).
OTF044324L
OTF044328L

Features of your vehicle
124
4
✽
✽
NOTICE
Never place anything over the sen-
sor located on the instrument panel
to ensure better control of the heat-
ing and cooling system.
Manual heating and air condi-
tioning
The heating and cooling system can
be controlled manually by pushing
buttons other than the AUTO button.
In this case, the system works
sequentially according to the order of
buttons selected.
1. Start the engine.
2. Set the mode to the desired posi-
tion.
To improve the effectiveness ofheating and cooling :
- Heating:
- Cooling:
3. Set the temperature control to the desired position.
4. Set the air intake control to the outside (fresh) air or recirculated
air position.
5. Set the fan speed control to the desired speed.
6. If air conditioning is desired, turn the air conditioning system on.
Press the AUTO button in order to
convert to full automatic control of
the system.
Mode selection
The mode selection button controls
the direction of the air flow through
the ventilation system.
Every time you press the mode
selection button, the mode will
change as follows:
Refer to the illustration in the
“Manual climate control system”.
OTF044325L
OTF040132

4125
Features of your vehicle
Face-Level (B, C, D, E, F)
Air flow is directed toward the upper
body and face. Additionally, each
outlet can be controlled to direct the
air discharged from the outlet.
Bi-Level (B, C, D, E, F)
Air flow is discharged towards the
face and floor. Floor-Level (C, A, D, E)
Most of the air flow is directed to the
floor, with a small amount of the air
being directed to the windshield and
side window defroster.
Floor/Defrost-Level (A, C, D, E)
Most of the air flow is directed to the
floor and the windshield with a small
amount directed to the side window
defrosters. Defrost-level
Most of the air flow is directed to the
windshield with a small amount of air
directed to the side window
defrosters.
OTF044326L

Features of your vehicle
126
4
Instrument panel vents
The outlet vents can be opened or
closed separately using the thumb-
wheel.
Also, you can adjust the direction of
air delivered from these vents using
the vent control lever as shown.
Temperature control
The temperature control knob allows
you to control the temperature of the
air flowing from the ventilation sys-
tem. To change the air temperature in
the passenger compartment, turn
the knob to the right for warm air or
left for cooler air. Adjusting the driver and passenger
side temperature individually
1. Press the DUAL button to operate
the driver and passenger side
temperature individually. Pressing
the right temperature control but-
ton will automatically switch to the
DUAL mode as well.
2. Operate the left temperature con- trol to adjust the driver side tem-
perature. Operate the right tem-
perature control to adjust the pas-
senger side temperature.
OTF044329LOTF044316
OTF044328

4127
Features of your vehicle
Adjusting the driver and passenger
side temperature equally
1. Press the DUAL button again todeactivate DUAL mode. The pas-
senger side temperature will be
set to the same temperature as
the driver side temperature.
2. Operate the driver side tempera- ture control switch. The driver and
passenger side temperature will
be adjusted equally. Temperature conversion
You can switch the temperature
mode between Fahrenheit to
Centigrade as follows:
While pressing the OFF, press the
AUTO button for 3 seconds or more.
The display will change from
Fahrenheit to Centigrade, or from
Centigrade to Fahrenheit.
The temperature unit (from °C to °F
or from °F to °C) can be changed by
using the “User Settings” mode of the
LCD display.
If the battery has been discharged or
disconnected, the temperature mode
display will reset to Fahrenheit.
WARNING- Reduced
Visibility
Continuous use of the climate
control system in the recirculat-
ed air position may allow
humidity to increase inside the
vehicle which may fog the glass
and obscure visibility.
WARNING- Recirculated Air
Continue using the climate con-
trol system in the recirculated
air position can cause drowsi-
ness or sleepiness, and loss of
vehicle control. Set the air
intake control to the outside
(fresh) air position as much as
possible while driving.