check engine light KIA NIRO PHEV 2021 Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
36 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).
Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly when the following condi-
tions are satisfied:
1. Start the engine.
2. Fasten the driver's seat belt.
3. Close the driver's door, engine
hood and liftgate.
4. The shift lever is in R (Rear), D
(Drive) or manual 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 START/STOP
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.
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 Auto Hold is operating (Green
light), EPB is applied automatical-
ly when the hybrid system is
turned off.
• If Auto Hold is in ready position
(White light), EPB is applied auto-
matically after 1 second from the
hybrid system off timing. In this
case, if the EPB switch is pressed
within 1 second, the EPB will not
be applied.
CAUTION
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.
Do not drive your vehicle with
the EPB applied. It may cause
excessive brake pad and
brake rotor wear.

539
Driving your vehicle
EPB malfunction indicator
(if equipped)
This warning light illuminates if the
ignition switch or ENGINE START/
STOP button is changed to the ON
position and goes off in approximately
3 seconds if the system 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 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.
ODEP059286
CAUTION
The EPB warning light may
illuminate if the EPB switch
operates abnormally. Shut the
engine off and turn it on again
after a few minutes. The warn-
ing light will go off and the
EPB switch will operate nor-
mally. 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
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 origi-
nal position and pull it back
up. If the EPB warning does
not go off, have the system
checked by an authorized Kia
dealer.

543
Driving your vehicle
(Continued)
In these cases, the brake warning
light comes on, the AUTO HOLD
indicator changes from green to
white, and a warning sounds and a
message will appear to inform you
that EPB has been automatically
engaged. Before driving off again,
press foot brake pedal, check the
surrounding area near your vehi-
cle and release parking brake
manually with the EPB switch.
• If the AUTO HOLD indicator
lights up yellow, the Auto Hold is
not working properly. Take your
vehicle to an authorized Kia deal-
er and have the system checked.
• While operating Auto Hold, you
may hear mechanical noise.
However, it is normal operation
noise.Warning messages
Parking brake automatically
engaged
When the EPB is applied from Auto
Hold, a warning will sound and a
message will appear.
WARNING
Press the accelerator pedal
slowly when you start the
vehicle.
For your safety, cancel the
Auto Hold when you drive
downhill or back up or park
the vehicle.
CAUTION
If there is a malfunction with the
driver’s door, engine hood open
detection system, the Auto Hold
may not work properly.
Take your vehicle to an author-
ized Kia dealer and have the sys-
tem checked.
OJF058377L

547
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on at
the same time. This happens because
of low battery voltage. It does not
mean your ABS has malfunctioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes on individual wheels and
intervenes with the engine manage-
ment system to stabilize the vehicle.
Electronic stability control (ESC) will
not prevent accidents. Excessive
speed in turns, abrupt maneuvers
and hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious accidents.Only a safe and attentive driver can
prevent accidents by avoiding
maneuvers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the normal
precautions for driving - including
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions.
ODEP059016
WARNING
For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system,
no matter how advanced, can
compensate for all driver error
and/or driving conditions.
Always drive responsibly.

Driving your vehicle
48 5
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse condi-
tions. It is not a substitute for safe driv-
ing practices. Factors including speed,
road conditions and driver steering
input can all affect whether ESC will be
effective in preventing a loss of control.
It is still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensa-
tion in the brake pedal. This is normal
and it means your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the Electronic
Stability Control System is function-
ing properly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the ignition switch or
the ENGINE START/STOP
button 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 switch or the ENGINE
START/STOP button 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.
-

553
Driving your vehicle
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. 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 a
dual clutch 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 (Dual
clutch transmission). If your vehicle
is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep
the vehicle from rolling.If your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels.
Under some conditions your park-
ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if
the brakes are wet. If there is a risk
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (Dual clutch
transmission) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on an
incline with the accelerator pedal.
This can cause the transaxle to
overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.

5111
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Driver Attention Warning utilizes
the front view camera sensor on the
front windshield for its operation.
To keep the front view camera
sensor in the best condition, you
should observe the followings:
- Do not disassemble camera tem-
porarily for tinted window or
attaching any types of coatings and
accessories. If you disassemble a
camera and assemble it again, take
your vehicle to an authorized Kia
dealer and have the system
checked.
- Do not locate any reflective
objects (i.e. white paper, mirror)
over the dashboard. Any light
reflection may cause a mal-func-
tion of Driver Attention Warning.
(Continued)(Continued)
- Pay extreme caution to keep the
front view camera out of water.
- Do not arbitrarily disassemble the
camera assembly, nor apply any
impact on the camera assembly.
• Playing the vehicle audio system
at high volume may offset Driver
Attention Warning warning
sounds.
For more information of front
view camera, refer to “Lane
Keeping Assist (LKA)”.CAUTION
Driver Attention Warning may
not properly operate with limit-
ed alerting in the following situ-
ations:
The function will not operate
for about 15 seconds when
restarting the engine or initial-
izing the front view camera
such as rebooting, etc.
The lane detection perform-
ance is limited. (For more
information, refer to "Lane
Keeping Assist (LKA)" in this
chapter.)
The vehicle is violently driven
or is abruptly turned for obsta-
cle avoidance (e.g. construc-
tion area, other vehicles, fallen
objects, bumpy road).
Intentionally frequent lane
cut-in
(Continued)

5115
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• During normal Cruise Control
operation, when the SET switch is
activated or reactivated after apply-
ing the brakes, Cruise Control will
energize after approximately 3 sec-
onds. This delay is normal.
• To activate Cruise Control, depress
the brake pedal at least once after
placing the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button to
the ON position or starting the
engine. This is to check if the brake
switch which is important part to
cancel Cruise Control is in normal
condition.
Driving Assist button
CRUISE : Turns Cruise Control on or
off.
RES+ :Resumes or increases
Cruise Control speed.
SET- : Sets or decreases Cruise
Control speed.
CANCEL :Cancels Cruise Control
operation.
To set Cruise Control speed:
1. Press the Driving Assist button on
the steering wheel, to turn the
function on. The cruise indicator
light will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed,
which must be more than approxi-
mately 20 mph (30 km/h).
ODE056019ODE056019

Driving your vehicle
150 5
LFA operation
To use Lane Following Assist two
steps are necessary:
(1) LFA has to be enabled, and
(2) SCC has to be activated
With the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button in the [ON],
select or release the setting from
“User setting Driver Assistance 
Driving Assist Lane Following
Assist”.
Select LFA in the user setting of the
instrument panel.
LFA status is remembered by the
function and therefore does not need
to be enabled again for each new
journey.
(Continued)
- Depending on your surround-
ings and road conditions, LFA
could fail to recognize the
lane and stop working. In turn,
extra caution is required
while driving with LFA on.
- Be sure to check the non-
operating conditions and cau-
tions for the driver before
using LFA.
- Do not place reflective materi-
als such as white paper or
mirror on the crash pad.
Sunlight reflections can cause
a malfunction in LFA.
- Too big sound from the sound
function can interrupt the
alarming sound from LFA.
(Continued)(Continued)
- Keeping your hands off the
wheel while driving will trigger
the hands-off warning and
deactivate the steering-assist
function. Put your hands back
on the wheel, then the steer-
ing-assist system will be re-
activated.
- When driving at a high speed,
the steering assist force can
become weak and the vehicle
can drive out of its lane. Extra
caution is required, and com-
ply with the speed limit.
- Attaching an object to the
steering wheel could deter
steering assistance.
- Attaching an object to the
steering wheel could deter the
hands-off alarming system.

Driving your vehicle
182 5
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The
faster you drive, the more fuel your
vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
chapter 8. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see
chapter 8 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi-
mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces-
sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer
than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION