check engine KIA OPTIMA PHEV 2018 Owner's Manual
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Features of your vehicle
106
4
Check headlight 
This warning message illuminates if
there is a malfunction (burned-out
bulb except LED lamp or circuit mal-
function) with the headlamp. In this
case, have your vehicle inspected by
an authorized Kia dealer.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• When replacing the bulb, use the
same wattage bulb. 
For more information, refer to
“BULB WATTAGE” in chapter 9.
• If the different wattage bulb is equipped with the vehicle, this
warning message is not displayed.
Headlight leveling device 
(if equipped)
Automatic type
To ensure the proper headlight beam
is used under various conditions, the
headlight beam levels are automati-
cally adjusted depending on the
number of passengers, the weight in
the trunk, and other driving condi-
tions.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
If it does not work properly even
though your car is inclined backward
according to passenger's posture, or
the headlight beam is irradiated to
the high or low position, have the sys-
tem be inspected by an authorized
Kia dealer.
Do not attempt to inspect or replace
the wiring yourself.
AFLS (Adaptive Front Lighting
System) (if equipped)
Adaptive front lighting system uses
the steering angle and vehicle
speed, to keep your field of vision
wide by swiveling and leveling the
headlamp.
Change the switch to the AUTO posi-
tion when the engine is running. The
adaptive front lighting system will
operate when the headlamp is ON.
To turn off the AFLS, change the
switch to other positions. After turn-
ing the AFLS off, headlamp swiveling
no longer occurs, but leveling oper-
ates continuously.
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Features of your vehicle
If the AFLS malfunction indicator
comes on, the AFLS is not working
properly. Drive to the nearest safe
location and restart the engine. If the
indicator continuously remains on,
have system be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer. 
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63
Driving your vehicle
Be sure the exhaust system does
not leak.
The exhaust system should be
checked whenever the vehicle is
raised to change the oil or for any
other purpose. If you hear a change in
the sound of the exhaust or if you drive
over something that strikes the under-
neath side of the vehicle, have the
exhaust system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING- Engineexhaust
Do not inhale exhaust fumes or
leave your engine running in a
enclosed area for a prolonged
time. Exhaust fumes contain
carbon monoxide, a colorless,
odorless gas that can cause
unconsciousness and death by
asphyxiation.
WARNING- Open trunk
Do not drive with the trunk open.
Poisonous exhaust gases can
enter the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with the
trunk open proceed as follows:
1. Close all windows.
2. Open side vents.
3. Set the air intake control at "Fresh", the air flow control at
"Floor" or "Face" and the fan
at the highest speed.WARNING - CALIFORNIA
PROPOSITION 65 
Engine exhaust and a wide vari-
ety of automobile components
and parts, including compo-
nents found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or
emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause can-
cer and birth defects and repro-
ductive harm. In addition, cer-
tain fluids contained in vehicles
and certain products of compo-
nent wear contain or emit chem-
icals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproduc-
tive harm. 
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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. 
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65
Driving your vehicle
WARNING- Check sur-roundings
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a vehicle into D (Drive)
or R (Reverse).
WARNING- Fire risk
When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on,
be careful not to depress the
accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. It may overheat
the engine or exhaust system
and cause fire.WARNING- Loose objects
Securely store items in your
vehicle. When you make a sud-
den stop or turn the steering
wheel rapidly, loose objects
may drop on the floor and it
could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals, possibly
causing an accident.WARNING- Driving while intoxicated
Do not drive while intoxicated.
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Even a small amount of
alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
as or more dangerous than driv-
ing drunk. 
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67
Driving your vehicle
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 hybrid system is started.
Do not leave the ENGINE
START/STOP button in the ON posi-
tion for a long time. The battery may
discharge, because the engine is not
running.
START/RUN
To start the hybrid system, 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 hybrid system with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position.
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button without depressing the brake
pedal for automatic transaxle vehicles,
the hybrid system will not start and the
ENGINE START/STOP button
changes as follow:
OFF ➔ACC  ➔ON  ➔OFF or ACC
AmberSuper redNot illuminated  
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Driving your vehicle
86
✽
✽ 
 
NOTICE
If you leave the ENGINE START/
STOP button in the ACC or ON
position for a long time, the battery
will discharge. 
Starting the hybrid system✽ ✽ NOTICE
• The hybrid system will start by
pressing the Engine Start/Stop
button, only when the smart key is
in the vehicle.
• Even when the smart key is in the vehicle, and when it is far away
from the driver, the hybrid system
may not start.
• When the Engine Start/Stop but- ton is in the ACC or ON position,
any door is open, the system
checks for the smart key. When
the smart key is not in the vehicle,
the " " indicator will blink and
the warning "Key not in vehicle"
will come on. When all doors are
closed, the chime will also sound
for about 5 seconds. Keep the
smart key in the vehicle when in
the ACC  position or if the hybrid
system is ON.
WARNING- Starting
vehicle
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
vehicle is in motion except in an
emergency. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.
WARNING
• Always wear appropriate shoes when operating your
vehicle. Unsuitable shoes,
such as high heels, ski boots,
sandals, flip-flops, etc., may
interfere with your ability to
use the brake and accelerator
pedals.
 Do not start the vehicle with the accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle can move and
lead to an accident. 
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Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by
pressing engine start/stop button ON
(do not start the hybrid system). This
light will be illuminated when the park-
ing 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 hybrid system is on, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. 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.
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.
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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   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
If the driver turns the hybrid system
off while Auto Hold is operating,
EPB will be automatically applied.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with
the EPB applied. It may causeexcessive brake pad and brakerotor wear. 
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Driving your vehicle
26
6
EPB malfunction indicator 
(if equipped)
This warning light illuminates if the
engine start/stop button is changed
to the ON position and goes off in
approximately 3 seconds if the sys-
tem is operation normally.
If the EPB malfunction indicator
remains on, comes on while driving,
or does not come on when the igni-
tion switch or the engine start/stop
button is changed to the ON position,
this indicates that the EPB may have
malfunctioned. If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
The EPB malfunction indicator may
illuminate when the ESC indicator
comes on to indicate that the ESC is
not working properly, but it does not
indicate a malfunction of the EPB.
 The EPB warning light may illumi-
nate if the EPB switch operates
abnormally. Shut the engine off
and turn it on again after a few min-
utes. The warning light will go off
and the EPB switch will operate
normally. However, if the EPB
warning light is still on, have the
system checked by an authorized
Kia dealer.
 If the parking brake warning light does not illuminate or blinks even
though the EPB switch was pulled
up, the EPB is not applied.
 If the parking brake warning light blinks when the EPB warning light
is on, press the switch, then pull it
up. Once more press it back to its
original position and pull it back up.
If the EPB warning does not go off,
have the system checked by an
authorized Kia dealer.
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