2015 KIA Optima steering wheel

Driving your vehicle
50
5
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing the vehicle in gear.
In very cold weather, however, give
your engine a slightly longer warm-
up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a
very high gear resulting in engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a
lower gear. Over-revving is racing
the engine beyond its safe limit.
This can be avoided by shifting at
the recommended speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy is reduced when you
use it.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is reduced by cross- winds and headwinds. To help off-
set some of this loss, slow down
when driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING - Engine off during
motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not function properly without
the engine running. In addition,
turning off the ignition while
driving could engage the steer-
ing wheel lock resulting in loss
of vehicle steering. Keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.

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.

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
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6
It is possible that some tires, espe-
cially with larger punctures or dam-
age to the sidewall, cannot be sealed
completely.
Air pressure loss in the tire may
adversely affect tire performance.
For this reason, you should avoid
abrupt steering or other driving
maneuvers, especially if the vehicle
is heavily loaded or if a trailer is in
use.
The Tire Mobility Kit is not designed
or intended as a permanent tire
repair method and is to be used for
one tire only.
This instruction shows you step by
step procedure to temporarily seal
the puncture.
Read the section "Notes on the safe
use of the Tire Mobility Kit".Notes on the safe use of the
Tire Mobility Kit
Park your car at the side of the
road so that you can work with the
Tire Mobility Kit away from moving
traffic.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your park-
ing brake.
Only use the Tire Mobility Kit for sealing/inflation passenger car
tires. Only punctured areas located
within the tread region of the tire
can be sealed using the tire mobil-
ity kit.
Do not use on motorcycles, bicy- cles or any other type of tires.
When the tire and wheel are dam- aged, do not use Tire Mobility Kit
for your safety.
Use of the Tire Mobility Kit may not be effective for tire damage larger
than approximately 6 mm (0.24 in).
Please contact the nearest Kia
dealership if the tire cannot be
made roadworthy with the Tire
Mobility Kit. Do not use the Tire Mobility Kit if a
tire is severely damaged by driving
run flat or with insufficient air pres-
sure.
Do not remove any foreign objects such as nails or screws that have
penetrated the tire.
Provided the car is outdoors, leave the engine running. Otherwise
operating the compressor may
eventually drain the car battery.
Never leave the Tire Mobility Kit unattended while it is being used.
Do not leave the compressor run- ning for more than 10 min. at a time
or it may overheat.
Do not use the Tire Mobility Kit if the ambient temperature is below -
-30°C (22°F).

What to do in an emergency
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6
Using the Tire Mobility Kit
1.Detach the speed restriction label
(0) from the sealant bottle (1), and
place it in a highly visible place
inside the vehicle such as on the
steering wheel to remind the driver
not to drive too fast.
2.Screw connection hose (9) onto the connector of the sealant bottle.
3.Ensure that button (8) on the com- pressor is not pressed.
4.Unscrew the valve cap from the valve of the defective wheel and
screw filling hose (2) of the sealant
bottle onto the valve.
5.Insert the sealant bottle into the housing of the compressor (4)so
that the bottle is upright.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
If a foreign object is seen that has
punctured the tire, do not remove it
before using Tire Mobility Kit.
6.Ensure that the compressor is
switched off, position 0.
7 Connect between compressor and the vehicle power outlet using the
cable and connectors.
8.With the engine start/stop button position on or ignition switch posi-
tion on, switch on the compressor
and let it run for approximately 5~7
minutes to fill the sealant up to
proper pressure. (refer to the Tire
and Wheels, chapter 8). The infla-
tion pressure of the tire after filling
is unimportant and will be
checked/corrected later.
Be careful not to overinflate the tire
and stay away from the tire when
filling it. 9.Switch off the compressor.
10. Detach the hoses from the
sealant bottle connector and
from the tire valve.
Return the Tire Mobility Kit to its stor-
age location in the vehicle.
WARNING
Carbon monoxide poisoning
and suffocation is possible if
the engine is left running in a
poorly ventilated or unventilat-
ed location (such as inside a
building).
WARNING - Tire pressure
Do not attempt to drive your
vehicle if the tire pressure is
below 200kPa (29 psi). This
could result in an accident due
to sudden tire failure.
OTF064023N

What to do in an emergency
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6
Removable towing hook
(if equipped)
1.Open the trunk, and remove the
towing hook from the tool case.
2.Remove the hole cover pressing the lower part of the cover on the
bumper.
3.Install the towing hook by turning it clockwise into the hole until it is
fully secured.
4.Remove the towing hook and install the cover after use.
Emergency towing
If towing is necessary, have it
done by an authorized Kia dealer
or a commercial tow truck service. If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or
chain secured to the emergency tow-
ing hook under the rear of the vehi-
cle. Use extreme caution when tow-
ing the vehicle. A driver must be in
the vehicle to steer it and operate the
brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done
only on hard-surfaced roads for a
short distance and at low speeds.
Also, the wheels, axles, power train,
steering and brakes must all be in
good condition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull a
vehicle out of mud, sand or other
conditions from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than the vehicle doing the towing.
The drivers of both vehicles should communicate with each other fre-
quently.
OTF064009
OTF064010
OTF064011
■Front (if equipped)
■Rear

What to do in an emergency
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6
Emergency towing precautions
Place the ignition switch in ACC so
the steering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than normal since you will
have reduced brake performance.
More steering effort will be required because the power steer-
ing system will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake
performance will be reduced. Stop
often and let the brakes cool off. When towing your vehicle in an
emergency without wheel dollies :
1.Set the ignition switch in the ACC
position.
2.Place the transaxle shift lever in N (Neutral).
3.Release the parking brake.CAUTION - Automatic transaxle
If the car is being towed with all four wheels on the ground,it can be towed only from thefront. Be sure that thetransaxle is in neutral. Be surethe steering is unlocked byplacing the ignition switch inthe ACC position. A drivermust be in the towed vehicleto operate the steering andbrakes.
To avoid serious damage to the automatic transaxle, limitthe vehicle speed to 15 km/h(10 mph) and drive less than1.5 km (1 mile) when towing.
Before towing, check the auto- matic transaxle for fluid leaksunder your vehicle. If the auto-matic transaxle fluid is leak-ing, a flatbed equipment ortowing dolly must be used.
CAUTION - Towing gear
position
Always place the transaxle shiftlever in Neutral (N) when towingyour vehicle. Failure to place thetransaxle shift lever in N(Neutral) may cause internaldamage to the transaxle.

Maintenance
67
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an author-
ized Kia dealer at the frequencies
indicated to help ensure safe,
dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, level
road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
WARNING - Hot coolant
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure.