check engine light KIA CERATO 2005 Owners Manual
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Airbag warning light 
The purpose of airbag warning light 
in your instrument panel is to alert
you of a potential problem with your
airbag - Supplemental RestraintSystem (SRS). When the ignition switch is turned
ON, the indicator light should blink or
illuminate for approximately 6 sec-
onds, then go off. 
Have the system checked if:
 The light does not turn on briefly
when you turn the ignition ON.
 The light stays on after the engine starts.
 The light comes on while the vehi- cle is in motion. Airbag (Supplemental 
Restraint System) service  
Your Supplemental Restraint System 
is virtually maintenance-free. There
are no parts which you can service. 
You must have the system serviced 
under the following circumstances: 
 If an airbag ever inflates, the airbag
must be replaced. Do not try to 
remove or discard the airbag by
yourself. This must be done by an
authorized Kia dealer.
 If the airbag warning indicator light alerts you to a problem, have the
airbag system checked as soon as
possible. Otherwise, your airbag
system may be ineffective.
A-BAG-W 
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Illuminated ignition switch  (if equipped) 
Whenever a door is opened, the igni- 
tion switch will be illuminated for your
convenience, provided the ignition
switch is not in the ON position. The
light will go off approximately 10 sec-onds after closing the door or when
the ignition switch is turned on. Ignition switch and anti-theft 
steering column lock     
Ignition switch position
LOCK 
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to
the LOCK position, push the key
inward at the ACC position and turn
the key toward the LOCK position. ACC (Accessory) 
The steering wheel is unlocked and 
electrical accessories are operative.ON 
The warning lights can be checked 
before the engine is started. This is
the normal running position after the
engine is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if
the engine is not running to preventbattery discharge.
START 
Turn the ignition key to the START 
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning lamp
can be checked in this position.
If difficulty is experienced in turning the ignition key to the START posi-tion, turn the steering wheel rightand left to release the tension and then turn the key.
IGNITION SWITCH
RLDN30121GHA3201A   
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Check the brake warning light by 
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated 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,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary. 
If at all possible, cease 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.
Parking on curbed streets   
 When parking your vehicle on an
uphill grade, park as close to the 
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels away from the curb so thatthe front wheels will contact the
curb if the vehicle moves back-
ward.
 When parking your vehicle on a downhill grade, park as close to the
curb as possible and turn the front
wheels toward the curb so that thefront wheels will contact the curb if
the vehicle moves forward.
W-75 
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The Traction Control System (TCS) 
helps the vehicle accelerate on slip-
pery road surfaces by preventing the
drive wheels from spinning exces-
sively. It also provides improved driv-
ing force and steering. TCS operation
TCS ON condition
ON, TCS and TCS OFF 
indicator light illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then TCS  is turned on.
 turn TCS off. (TCS OFF
indicator will illuminate). To
turn the TCS on, press the
TCS button (TCS OFFindicator light will go off).
 you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the TCS
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem.
When operating
When the TCS is in opera- 
tion, TCS indicator light
blinks. 
 system is operating prop- 
erly, you can feel a slight
pulsation in the vehicle.
This is only the effect of
brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
 or driving on a slipperyroad, pressing the accel-
erator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm
(revolutions per minute) to
increase.
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
RLDA2117
-TCS  
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Warning lights / audible indi- 
cators 
Checking operation 
All warning lights are checked by 
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). Any light that does
not illuminate should be checked by
an Authorized Kia Dealer. 
After starting the engine, check to 
make sure that all warning lights are
off. If any are still on, this indicates a
situation that needs attention. When
releasing the parking brake, the
brake system warning light should go
off. The fuel warning light will stay on
if the fuel level is low. Anti-lock brake sys- tem (ABS) warninglight (if equipped)   
This light illuminates if the key is 
turned to ON and goes off in approx-imately 3 seconds if the system is
operating normally. 
If the light stays on, you may have a 
problem with your ABS system.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer as
soon as possible. 
Electronic brake force 
distribution (EBD)system warning light (if equipped) 
If two warning lights illumi- nate at the same time
while driving, your vehicle
has a problem with ABSand EBD system.In this case, your ABS system and
regular brake system may not work
normally. Have the vehicle checked
by an Authorized Kia Dealer as soon
as possible.
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
ABS
ABS
WARNING
If the both ABS and Brake warn- 
ing lights are ON and stay ON,
your vehicle’s brake system will
not work normally. So you may
experience an unexpected and
dangerous situation during sud-
den braking. In this case, avoidhigh speed driving and abrupt
braking. Have your vehicle
checked by Authorized Kia
Dealer  as soon as possible. 
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Engine oil pressure warning   
This warning light indicates the 
engine oil pressure is low. 
If the warning light illuminates while 
driving: 
1. Drive safely to the side of the roadand stop.
2. With the engine off, check the engine oil level. If the level is low, add oil as required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available, call
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
✽✽   
NOTICE
If the engine is not stopped immedi- 
ately, severe damage could result.  
Charging system  warning   
This warning light indicates a mal- 
function of either the generator or
electrical charging system. 
If the warning light comes on while 
the vehicle is in motion: 
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the gen- erator drive belt for looseness or 
breakage.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a problem exists somewhere in the
electrical charging system. Have
an Authorized Kia Dealer correct
the problem as soon as possible. Safety belt warning   
As a reminder to the driver and pas- 
senger, safety belt warning light will
blink for approximately 6 seconds
each time you turn the ignition switchON. 
If the driver’s lap/shoulder belt is not 
fastened when the key is turned ON
or if it is unfastened after the key is
ON, the safety belt warning light
blinks for 6 seconds. If the system
does not operate as described, see
an Authorized Kia Dealer for assis-
tance. 
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Rear window defroster indicator (if equipped)   This light comes on when the rear 
defroster switch is depressed to
remove the frost on the rear glass. 
Press the switch again to shut off the 
defroster when the frost is removed. 
The rear window defroster will auto- 
matically turn off after 20 minutes. 
It will also turn off whenever you 
remove the ignition key. Shift pattern indicators (if equipped) The individual indicators illuminate to 
show the automatic transaxle shift
lever selection. O/D OFF Indicator   (if equipped) This indicator comes on when the 
O/D system is deactivated.Immobilizer indicator  (if equipped) This light illuminates when the immo- 
bilizer key is inserted and turned to
the ON position to start the engine. 
If this light turns off or blinks when 
the ignition switch is in the ON posi-
tion before starting the engine, have
the system checked by an authorized
Kia Dealer.
O/D
OFF 
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Parking brake & brake fluid warning 
Parking brake warning 
This light is illuminated when the 
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion. The warning light should go off
when the parking brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may 
indicate that the brake fluid level in
the reservoir is low. 
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safelocation and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately 
and add fluid as required. Then
check all brake components for
fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are found, the warning light
remains on or the brakes do not
operate properly. Have it towed to
any Authorized Kia Dealer for a
brake system inspection and nec-
essary repairs.
To check bulb operation, check
whether the parking brake and brake
fluid warning light illuminates when
the ignition switch is in the ON posi-tion.
Low brake vacuum pressure warn- ing (for diesel, if equipped)
If the brake warning light remains on 
after adding brake fluid and the brake
pedal becomes heavier or harder, it
may indicate that the brake vacuum
pump has any problem. Therefore
you should avoid high speed driving
or sudden stop, and you should
depress the brake pedal deeper and
harder than usual in braking. Make
sure to have the brake system
checked and repaired by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warn- 
ing light on is dangerous. If thebrake warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked and
repaired immediately by an
authorized Kia Dealer. 
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Trunk lid open warning (if equipped) 
This warning light activates when the 
trunk is not closed securely. 
Low fuel level  warning 
This warning light indicates the fuel 
tank is nearly empty. The warning
light will come on when the fuel level
has dropped to about 8.5 litres.
Refuel as soon as possible. Door ajar warning 
This warning light illuminates when a door is not closed securely with the
ignition in any position. Headlight high beam indicator  This indicator illuminates when the headlights are on and in the high
beam position or when the turn sig-
nal lever is pulled into the Flash-to-
Pass position. 
Front fog light indica- tor (if equipped)   This light comes on when the front 
fog lights are ON.
Malfunction indicator  (if equipped) 
This indicator light is part of the Engine Control System which moni-
tors various emission control system
components. If this light illuminates
while driving, it indicates that a
potential problem has been detected
somewhere in the emission controlsystem. 
Generally, your vehicle will continue 
to be drivable and will not need tow-
ing, but have the system checked by
an authorized Kia Dealer as soon as
possible. 
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TCS indicator  
(Traction ControlSystem) (if equipped)  
The TCS indicator will illuminate 
when the ignition switch is turned
ON, but should go off after approxi-
mately 3 seconds. When the TCS is
on, it monitors the driving conditions
and under normal driving conditions,
the TCS light will remain off. When a
slippery or low traction condition is
encountered, the TCS will operate,
and the TCS indicator will blink to
indicate the TCS is operating. TCS OFF indicator (if equipped) 
The TCS OFF indicator will illuminate 
when the ignition switch is turned
ON, but should go off after approxi-
mately 3 seconds. To switch to TCS
OFF mode, press the TCS button.
The TCS OFF indicator will illuminate
indicating the TCS is deactivated. If
this indicator stays on in the TCS ON
mode, the TCS may have a malfunc-
tion. Take your car to the authorized
Kia dealer and have the system
checked.Glow indicator 
(diesel engine only)   
This light is turned on during warm- 
up and turned off after it.
✽✽
NOTICE
If the glow indicator continues to 
illuminate after the engine has
warmed up or while driving, check
the system by an Authorized Kia
Dealer or other competent repairshop as soon as possible.
TCSTCS OFF