KIA Optima 2016 4.G Owner's Manual
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Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a seven-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill depress
the accelerator pedal further until
you feel the transmission downshift
to a lower gear.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 select the desired range of gears for
the current driving conditions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward onceto shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Only the seven 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.
• Downshifts are made automatical- ly when the vehicle slows down.
When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is
automatically selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches the red zone the transmission will
upshift automatically.
• If the driver presses the lever to + (Up) or - (Down) position, the trans-
mission may not make the request-
ed gear change if the next gear is
outside of the allowable engine rpm
range. The driver must execute
upshifts in accordance with road
conditions, taking care to keep the
engine rpms below the red zone.
OJFA055014
manual
mode
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
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6
Shift lock system
For your safety, the Dual clutch trans-
mission has a shift lock system which
prevents shifting the transaxle from P
(Park) into R (Reverse) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
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 chat-
tering noise & vibration near the shift
lever may be heard. This is a normal
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 ignition switch in the
LOCK/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.
5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock override access hole then install
the cap.
7. We recommend that the system be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
WARNING
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 car.
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Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you
do this, engine braking will help
slow the car.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do
not depend on placing the
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the
car from moving.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
✽ ✽ NOTICE- Kickdown
Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pres-
sure point. The dual clutch trans-
mission will shift to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Moving up a steep grade from astanding start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
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6
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces. Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s
ability to safely slow down; the vehi-
cle may also pull to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this way.
Always test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep water.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of
the brakes when descending a
long or steep hill by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
CAUTION- Brake Pedal
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This willcreate abnormally high braketemperatures which can causeexcessive brake lining and padwear.
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Driving your vehicle
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes. You
may hear this sound come and go or
it may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.
WARNING- Parkingbrake
Avoid applying the parking
brake to stop the vehicle while it
is moving except in an emer-
gency situation. Applying the
parking brake while the vehicle
is moving at normal speeds can
cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use
the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in
applying the brake.
WARNING- Brake wear
Do not ignore high pitched wear
sounds from your brakes. If you
ignore this audible warning, you
will eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION- Replace brake pads
Do not continue to drive withworn brake pads. Continuing todrive with worn brake pads candamage the braking system andresult in costly brake repairs.
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6
Parking brake – Foot type
(if equipped)
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then
depress the parking brake pedal
down as far as possible.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake,
depress the parking brake pedal a
second time while applying the foot
brake. The pedal will automatically
extend to the fully released position.OYP054009K
OYP054010K
CAUTION - Parking brake
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessivebrake pad (or lining) and brakerotor wear.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
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
while the engine is running, there
may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is nec-
essary.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.
Electronic parking brake (EPB)
(if equipped)
Applying the parking brake
To apply the EPB (electronic parking
brake):
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Pull up the EPB switch.
Make sure the warning light comes
on.
W-75
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Also, the EPB is applied automatical-
ly if the Auto Hold button is on when
the engine is turned off. However, if
you press the EPB switch after the
engine is turned off, the EPB will not
be Applied.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
On a steep incline or when pulling a
trailer, if the vehicle does not remain
at a standstill, do as follows:
1. Apply the EPB.
2. Pull up the EPB switch for more
than 3 seconds.
Do not operate the parking brake/
EPB while the vehicle is moving
except in an emergency situation.
✽ ✽NOTICE
A click or electric brake motor
whine sound may be heard while
operating or releasing the EPB, but
these conditions are normal and
indicate that the EPB is functioning
properly.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the EPB (electronic parking
brake), press the EPB switch while
doing the following:
Have the ignition switch or engine
start/stop button in the ON posi-
tion.
Depress the brake pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park).
Make sure the brake warning light
goes off.
OJF055019
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Driving your vehicle
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 Transaxle / Dual clutch transmission vehicle
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 ignition
switch or 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
✽ ✽NOTICE
If the driver turns the engine off by
mistake while Auto Hold is operat-
ing, EPB will be automatically
applied. (Vehicles equipped with
Auto Hold)
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with
the EPB applied. It may causeexcessive brake pad and brakerotor wear.
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System warning
If you try to drive off depressing the
accelerator pedal with the EPB
applied, but the EPB doesn't
release automatically, a warning
will sound and a message will
appear.
If the driver's seat belt is not fas- tened and the engine hood, driver's
door or trunk is opened, a warning
will sound and a message will
appear.
If there is a problem with the vehi- cle, a warning may sound and a
message may appear. If the above situation occurs, depress
the brake pedal and release EPB by
pressing the EPB switch.
A click or electric brake motor
whine sound may be heard while
operating or releasing the EPB, but
these conditions are normal and
indicate that the EPB is functioning
properly.
When leaving your keys with a parking lot attendant or valet, make
sure to inform him/her how to oper-
ate the EPB.
The EPB may malfunction if you drive with the EPB applied.
When you automatically release EPB by depressing the accelerator
pedal, depress it slowly.
OJF055248L
WARNING- Parking
Brake Use
All vehicles should always have
the parking brake fully engaged
when parked to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car which
can injure occupants or pedes-
trians.
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