check engine light KIA NIRO PLUG-IN HYBRID 2018 User Guide

489
Features of your vehicle
Press START button again
(for smart key system)
This warning message illuminatesif you can not operate the Engine
Start/Stop Button when there is a
problem with the Engine Start/Stop
Button system.
It means that you could start the engine by pressing the Engine
Start/ Stop Button once more.
If the warning illuminates each time you press the Engine
Start/Stop Button, have your vehi-
cle inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Press START button with smart key
(for smart key system)
This warning message illuminates if you press the Engine Start/Stop
Button while the warning message
“Key not detected” is illuminating.
At this time, the immobilizer indica- tor light blinks. Check fuse “BRAKE SWITCH”
(for smart key system)
This warning message illuminates
if the brake switch fuse is discon-
nected.
It means that you should replace the fuse with a new one. If that is
not possible, you can start the
engine by pressing the Engine
Start/Stop Button for 10 seconds in
the ACC position.
Shift to P or N to start engine
(for smart key system)
This warning message illuminates if you try to start the engine with
the shift lever not in the P (Park) or
N (Neutral) position.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
You can start the engine with the
shift lever in the N (Neutral) posi-
tion. But, for your safety, we recom-
mend that you start the engine with
the shift lever in the P (Park) posi-
tion.
Low Washer Fluid
This warning message illuminates
on the service reminder mode if
the washer fluid level in the reser-
voir is nearly empty.
It means that you should refill the washer fluid.
Low Fuel
This warning message illuminates if the fuel tank is nearly empty.
- When the low fuel level warning
light is illuminates.
Add fuel as soon as possible.

495
Features of your vehicle
Parking Brake & BrakeFluid Warning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON posi-
tion.
- It illuminates for approximately 3seconds
- It remains on if the parking brake is applied.
When the parking brake is applied.
When the brake fluid level in the reservoir is low.
- If the warning light illuminateswith the parking brake released, it
indicates the brake fluid level in
reservoir is low. If the brake fluid level in the reservoir
is low:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately
and add fluid as required (For
more details, refer to “Brake Fluid”
in chapter 8).
Then check all brake components
for fluid leaks. If any leaks in the
brake system are still found, the
warning light remains on, or the
brakes do not operate properly, do
not drive the vehicle.
In this case, have your vehicle
towed to an authorized Kia dealer
and inspected. Dual-diagonal braking system
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-
diagonal braking systems. This
means you still have braking on two
wheels even if one of the dual sys-
tems should fail.
With only one of the dual systems
working, more than normal pedal
travel and greater pedal pressure are
required to stop the vehicle.
Also, the vehicle will not stop in as
short a distance with only a portion
of the brake system working.
If the brakes fail while you are driv-
ing, shift to a lower gear for addition-
al engine braking and stop the vehi-
cle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light ON is dangerous. If the Parking
Brake & Brake Fluid Warning Light
illuminate with the parking brake
released, it indicates that the brake
fluid level is low.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia deal-
er.

Features of your vehicle
98
4
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL)
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON posi-
tion.
- It remains on until the engine isstarted.
When there is a malfunction with the emission control system.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Charging System
Warning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON posi-
tion.
- It remains on until the engine isstarted.
When there is a malfunction with either the alternator or electrical
charging system.
If there is a malfunction with either
the alternator or electrical charging
system:
1.Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2.Turn the engine off and check the alternator drive belt for looseness
or breakage.
If the belt is adjusted properly,
there may be a problem in the elec-
trical charging system.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION - Catalytic
Converter Damage
If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminates, poten-tial catalytic converter damageis possible which could result inloss of engine power.
In this case, have your vehicleinspected by an authorized Kiadealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION - Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (MIL)
Driving with the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) on maycause damage to the emissioncontrol systems which couldaffect drivability and/or fueleconomy.

499
Features of your vehicle
Engine Oil PressureWarning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON posi-
tion.
- It remains on until the engine isstarted.
When the engine oil pressure is low.
If the engine oil pressure is low:
1.Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2.Turn the engine off and check the engine oil level (For more details,
refer to “Engine Oil” in chapter 8). If
the level is low, add oil as required.
If the warning light remains on after
adding oil or if oil is not available,
have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as
possible. If the warning light stays on while the
engine is running, it indicates that
there may be serious engine dam-
age or malfunction. In this case,
1. Stop the vehicle as soon as it is
safe to do so.
2. Turn off the engine and check the oil level. If the oil level is low, fill the
engine oil to the proper level.
3. Start the engine again. If the warn- ing light stays on after the engine
is started, turn the engine off
immediately. In this case, have
your vehicle inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Low Tire Pressure
Warning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you set the Engine Start/Stop Button to the ON posi-
tion.
- It illuminates for approximately 3seconds and then goes off.
When one or more of your tires are significantly underinflated.
❈ For more details, refer to “Tire
Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” in chapter 7.
CAUTION - Engine
damage
If the engine is not stopped
immediately after the engine oilpressure warning light is illumi-nated and stays on while theengine is running, seriousengine damage may result.

Driving your vehicle
46
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 8,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the engine start/stop
button is turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the drive should
not be used during vehicle
operation.

Driving your vehicle
66
Illuminated ignition switch
(if equipped)
Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will illuminate for your
convenience, provided the ignition
switch is not in the ON position. The
light will go off immediately when the
ignition switch is turned on. It will
also go off after about 30 seconds
when the door is closed.
Ignition switch position
LOCK
From the left dot, dot sequence is
LOCK-ACC-ON-START.
The ignition key can be removed only
in the LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)
The electrical accessories are opera-
tive. If difficulty is experienced turn-
ing the ignition switch to the ACC
position, turn the key while turning
the steering wheel right and left to
release the tension.
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 ifthe engine is not running to preventbattery discharge.
START
Turn the ignition switch 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 light can
be checked in this position.
The anti-theft steering column lock (if
equipped) is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving the dri-
ver’s seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) for dual
clutch transmission, set the parking
brake fully and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these pre-
cautions are not taken.
KEY POSITIONS (IF EQUIPPED)
OQLE055065OQLE055066

Driving your vehicle
10
6
ACC(Accessory)
Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while it is in the OFF position
without depressing the brake pedal.
If the ENGINE START/STOP button
is in the ACC position for more than
1 hour, the button is turned off auto-
matically to prevent battery dis-
charge.
ON
Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while it is in the ACC position
without depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not
leave the ENGINE START/STOP
button in the ON position for a long
time. The battery may discharge,
because the engine is not running.
START/RUN
To start the engine, depress the
brake pedal and press the ENGINE
START/ STOP button with the shift
lever in the P (Park) or the N
(Neutral) position. For your safety,
start the engine with the shift lever in
the P (Park) position.
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button without depressing the brake
pedal for dual clutch transmission vehi-
cles, the engine will not start and the
ENGINE START/STOP button
changes as follow:
OFF ➔ACC ➔ON ➔OFF or ACC
Not illuminated AmberRed

Driving your vehicle
26
6
Check the brake warning light by
pressing engine start/stop button ON
(do not start the engine). This light will
be illuminated when the parking brake
is applied with the engine start/stop
button 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 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 contin-
ue to drive the vehicle until you can
reach a safe location or repair shop.
WARNING - Parking brake
use
Never allow a passenger to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully
engaged when parked to avoid
inadvertent movement of the
vehicles which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.
W-75

Driving your vehicle
30
6
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the engine start/stopbutton is turned ON, ESC
and ESC OFF indicator
lights illuminate for approxi-
mately 3 seconds, then
ESC is turned on.
ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion ON to turn ESC off.
(ESC OFF indicator will
illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC
OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).
you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem. When operating
When the ESC is in opera-
tion, the ESC indicator light
blinks.
Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
mud or driving on a slip-
pery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm
(revolutions per minute) to
increase.
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
This car has 2 kinds of ESC
off states.
If the engine stops when
ESC is off, ESC remains off.
Upon restarting the engine,
the ESC will automatically
turn on again.
-

Driving your vehicle
34
6
The Vehicle Stability Management
system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the responsi-
bility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions – including driving in clement
weather and on a slippery road.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system, no
matter how advanced, can compen-
sate for all driver error and/or driv-
ing conditions. Always drive respon-
sibly.
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake
is 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.
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.