2020 KIA OPTIMA PHEV transmission

Driving your vehicle
12
5
Automatic transmission opera-
tion
The automatic transmission has 6
forward speeds and one reverse
speed. The individual speeds are
selected automatically, depending on
the position of the shift lever.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transmission Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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+ +
+ +


( (
( (
U U
U U
P P
P P
) )
) )
- -
- -


( (
( (
D D
D D
O O
O O
W W
W W
N N
N N
) )
) )
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the lock release button when shifting. Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.

513
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal and the lock release but-ton when shifting from N (Neutral) toa forward or reverse gear.
When stopped on an incline, do not
hold the vehicle with the engine
power. Use the service brake or the
parking brake.
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the engine start/stop button is
in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transmission and
prevents the drive wheels from rotat-
ing.
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.
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
If you have done all of the above
and still cannot shift the lever out of
P (Park), see "Shift-lock override" in
this chapter.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the hybrid system off.
WARNING- Leaving
Vehicle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Do not use
the P position in place of the
parking brake. Always make
sure the shift lever is locked in
the P position and set the park-
ing brake fully. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed.
CAUTION- Transmission
To avoid damage to your trans- mission, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on. The transmissionmay be damaged if you shiftinto P (Park) while the vehicle isin motion.

Driving your vehicle
14
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward. N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
- Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow the steps below when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.
1. After parking your vehicle, step on
the brake pedal and move the
transmission shift lever to P (Park)
with the ignition button in ON or
while the engine is running.
2. If the parking brake is applied, unlock the parking brake.
- For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles, push
the brake pedal with the ignition
button in [ON] or while the
engine is running to disengage
the parking brake. If AUTO
HOLD function is used while
driving (If AUTO HOLD indicator
is on in the cluster), press AUTO
HOLD switch and AUTO HOLD
function will turn off. 3. While depressing the brake pedal,
turn the ignition button OFF.
- For smart key equipped vehicles, the ignition switch can be moved
to OFF only when the shift lever
is in P (Park).
4. Change the gear shift lever to N (Neutral) while pressing the brake
pedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting a
tool (e.g. flathead screw-driver)
into the [SHIFT LOCK RELEASE]
access hole at the same time.
Then, the vehicle will move when
external force is applied.
CAUTION- Shifting
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransmission if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except when “Rockingthe vehicle” explained in thischapter.

515
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICE
• After the ignition switch has been
turned off, the electronic parking
brake cannot be disengaged.
• For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with
AUTO HOLD function used while
driving, if the ignition button has
been turned OFF, the electronic
parking brake will be engaged
automatically. Therefore, AUTO
HOLD function should be turned
off before the ignition button is
turned off.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transmission will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear.
WARNING - Parking in
Neutral
With the exception of parking in neutral gear, always park the
vehicle in [P] (Park) for safety
and apply the parking brake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, first make sure the park-
ing ground is level and flat. Do
not park in [N] gear on any
slopes or gradients. If parked
and left in [N], the vehicle may
move and cause serious dam-
age or injury.
CAUTION- Starter
If the engine stalls while thevehicle is in motion, do notattempt to move the shift leverto the P (Park) position. If thetraffic and road conditions per-mit, you may put the shift leverin the N (Neutral) position whilethe vehicle is still moving andpress the ENGINE START/STOPbutton in an attempt to restartthe engine.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
Manual mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, manual mode is selected
by pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.
In manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly. Up (+) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
In manual mode, the driver must execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
In manual mode, only the 6 forward gears can be selected. To reverse
or park the vehicle, move the shift
lever to the R (Reverse) or P (Park)
position as required.
In manual mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected. In manual mode, when the engine
rpm approaches the red zone, shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.
To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transmission to shift into the 2nd
gear which is better for smooth
driving on a slippery road. Push
the shift lever to the -(down) side to
shift back to the 1st gear.
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Manual
mode
+ +
+ +


( (
( (
U U
U U
P P
P P
) )
) )
- -
- -


( (
( (
D D
D D
O O
O O
W W
W W
N N
N N
) )
) )

517
Driving your vehicle
Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the hybrid system or turn theignition 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 & vibration near the
shift lever may be heard. It is a nor-
mal condition. Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1. Place the engine start/stop button
in the OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov- ering the shift-lock release access
hole.
4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw- driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool.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
which could injure persons in
or around the vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
24
5
To release EPB (electronic parking
brake) automatically:
Shift lever in P (Park)
With the engine running depress
the brake pedal and shift out of P
(Park) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Shift lever in N (Neutral) With the engine running depress
the brake pedal and shift out of N
(Neutral) to R (Reverse) or D
(Drive).
Automatic Transmission 1. Start the engine.
2. Fasten the driver's seat belt.
3. Close the driver's door, engine hood and trunk.
4. Depress the accelerator pedal while the shift lever is in R (Rear),
D (Drive) or Sports mode.
Make sure the brake warning light
goes off.✽ ✽ NOTICE
• For your safety, you can engage
the EPB even though the engine
stop/start button is in the OFF
position, but you cannot release it.
• For your safety, depress the brake pedal and release the parking
brake manually with the EPB
switch when you drive downhill or
when backing up the vehicle.
Do not follow the above procedure
when driving on a flat level ground.
The vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
If the parking brake warning light is
still on even though the EPB has
been released, have the system
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
EPB (electronic parking brake) may
be automatically applied when:
The EPB is overheated
Requested by other systems
The hybrid system is turned off
with the EPB applied
✽ ✽ NOTICE
For EPB equipped vehicles with the
AUTO HOLD function used while
driving, if the ignition button has
been turned OFF, the EPB will be
engaged automatically. Therefore,
the AUTO HOLD function should
be turned off before the ignition but-
ton is turned OFF.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with
the EPB applied. It may causeexcessive brake pad and brakerotor wear.

541
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brakeis not engaged and the parking
brake indicator light is out before
driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at all
times. If the braking action does not
return to normal, stop as soon as it
is safe to do so and call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed. Don't "ride" the brake pedal.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving can be danger-
ous because the brakes might
overheat and lose their effective-
ness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv- ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place.
If your vehicle is equipped with an Automatic Transmission, don't let
your vehicle creep forward. To
avoid creeping forward, keep your
foot firmly on the brake pedal when
the vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transmission). If your vehicle
is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep
the vehicle from rolling.WARNING- Maintaining
Brake Pressure on Incline
HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped on
an incline. While stopped, make
sure you maintain brake pres-
sure sufficient to prevent your
vehicle from rolling backward
and causing an accident. Don’t
release the brake pedal until you
are ready to accelerate forward.