Engine temperature KIA Optima 2008 2.G User Guide

57
Driving tips
Driving at night Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight, here
are some important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
Keep your headlights clean and prop-
erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the headlights
of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder to
see and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
Keep your windshield wiping equip-
ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condition,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it eas-
ier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large puddles
can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten
your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking oper-
ation returns.
Winter driving We recommend that you carry emer-
gency equipment, including a window
scraper, windshield de-icer, a bag of
sand or salt, flares, a small shovel and
jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient ethyl-
ene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce the
output capability of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to pro-
vide enough winter starting power.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for cold weather.
Check the ignition system for loose
connections and damage.
Use antifreeze-formulated windshield
washer fluid. (Do not use engine
coolant antifreeze.)
Do not use the parking brake if it might
freeze. When parking, shift to 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) with a manual transaxle
or P (Park) with an automatic transaxle
and block the rear wheels.

Driving tips12 5✽
✽
NOTICEFailure to sue a trailer wiring harness
can damage your vehicle’s electrical sys-
tem.Driving on grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45
mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transaxle overheating.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transaxle.
Parking on hills Generally, you should not park your vehi-
cle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
People can be seriously or fatally injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged if they begin a downhill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here’s how to do it:1. Apply your brakes, but don’t shift into
gear.
2. Have someone place chocks (blocks
of wood or metal intended for this pur-
pose) under the downhill sides of the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brakes. Apply your park-
ing brake, and then shift to P (Park) for
an automatic transaxle.
5. Release the brakes.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep
grades (in excess of 6%) pay close
attention to the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge to ensure the
engine does not overheat. If the
needle of the coolant temperature
gauge moves across the dial
towards “H” (HOT), pull over and
stop as soon as it is safe to do so,
and allow the engine to idle until it
cools down. You may proceed once
the engine has cooled sufficiently.
WARNING
- Parking on a
hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached is dangerous. It
could cause serious injury or death,
should the trailer break lose, or
should the trailer drag the vehicle
downhill.
WARNING
- Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set or if the engine is still
running.
In either case the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
seriously or fatally injured.

In case of an emergency2 6ROAD WARNING Hazard warning flasher The hazard warning flasher serves as a
warning to other drivers to exercise
extreme caution when approaching,
overtaking, or passing your vehicle. It
should be used whenever emergency
repairs are being made or when the vehi-
cle is stopped near the edge of a road-
way.
Depress the flasher switch with the igni-
tion switch in any position. The flasher
switch is located in the center console
switch panel. All turn signal lights will
flash simultaneously.• The hazard warning flasher operates
whether your vehicle is running or not.
 The turn signals do not work when the
hazard flasher is on.
 Care must be taken when using the
hazard warning flasher while the vehi-
cle is being towed.If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, if you experience a loss of
power, or if you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine has probably
overheated. Should any of these symp-
toms occur, use the following procedure:
1. Turn on the hazard warning flasher,
then drive to the nearest safe location
and stop your vehicle; set the automat-
ic transaxle in P (Park), or shift the
manual transaxle to N (Neutral) and
apply the parking brake.
2. Make sure the air conditioner is off.
3. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator, stop the engine and call an
authorized Kia dealer for assistance.
If coolant is not boiling out, allow the
engine to idle and open the hood to
permit the engine to cool gradually.
If the temperature does not go down
with the engine idling, stop the engine
and allow sufficient time for it to cool.
OVERHEATING
OMG065001

711
Maintenance
ENGINE OILChecking the engine oil level 1. Be sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reachnormal operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few minutes (about 5 minutes) for the oil to
return to the oil pan.
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and re-insert it fully.
5. Pull the dipstick out again and check the level. The level should be between
F and L. If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring
the level to F.
Do not overfill.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer
to “Recommended Lubricants” later in this section.)
✽ ✽ NOTICEAlthough oil filters may have the same
external appearance, their internal
designs differ significantly. These filters
are not interchangeable. To avoid poten-
tial engine damage, use only the speci-
fied filter. Consult an authorized Kia
dealer.
WARNING -
Radiator hose
Be very careful not to touch the
radiator hose when checking or
adding the engine oil as it may be
hot enough to burn you.
WARNING
Used engine oil may cause irritation
or cancer of the skin if left in con-
tact with the skin for prolonged
periods of time. Used engine oil
contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory ani-
mals. Always protect your skin by
washing your hands thoroughly
with soap and warm water as soon
as possible after handling used oil.
OMG077003
OMG077004

713
Maintenance
Engine coolant Use only soft (de-mineralized) water in
the coolant mixture.
The engine in your vehicle has alu-
minum engine parts and must be pro-
tected by an ethylene-glycol-based
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-
ing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol
coolant or mix them with the specified
coolant.
Do not use a solution that contains
more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution.For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
WARNING -
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and steam
may blow out under pressure caus-
ing serious injury.
5°F (-15°C) 35 65
-13°F (-25°C) 40 60
-31°F (-35°C) 50 50
-49°F (-45°C) 60 40Ambient
TemperatureMixture Percentage (volume)
Coolant
SolutionWater
OMG075006

Maintenance16 7AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)Checking the automatic transaxle
fluid level The automatic transaxle fluid level
should be checked regularly.
Keep the vehicle on the level ground with
the parking brake applied and check the
fluid level according to the following pro-
cedure.
1. Place the selector lever in N (Neutral)
position and confirm the engine is run-
ning at normal idle speed.
2. After the transaxle is warmed up suffi-
ciently (fluid temperature 158~176°F
(70~80°C)), for example by 10 minutes
usual driving, shift the selector lever
through all positions then place the
selector lever in N (Neutral) or P (Park)
position.3. Confirm that the fluid level is in “HOT”
range on the level gauge. If the fluid
level is lower, add the specified fluid
from the fill hole. If the fluid level is
higher, drain the fluid from the drain
hole.
4. If the fluid level is checked in cold con-
dition (fluid temperature 68~86°F
(20~30°C) add the fluid to “COLD” line
and then recheck the fluid level
according to the above step 2.
“COLD” scale is for reference only
and should NOT be used to determine
transaxle fluid level.
OMG075009
OMG075010
WARNING -
Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should be
checked when the engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during this
procedure.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply parking brake and
depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle
slippage. Overfilling can cause
foaming, loss of fluid and
transaxle malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid
could result in transaxle malfunc-
tion and failure.

723
Maintenance
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Before performing maintenance or
recharging the battery, turn off all
accessories and stop the engine.
• The negative battery cable must be
removed first and installed last when
the battery is disconnected.
WARNING
- Recharging
battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precautions:
The battery must be removed
from the vehicle and placed in an
area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes, sparks, or
flame near the battery.
Watch the battery during charg-
ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
Wear eye protection when check-
ing the battery during charging.
Disconnect the battery charger in
the following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger main
switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from
the negative battery terminal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from
the positive battery terminal.

735
Maintenance
LUBRICANT SPECIFICATIONSRecommended lubricants To help achieve proper engine and powertrain performance and
durability, use only lubricants of the proper quality. The correct
lubricants also help promote engine efficiency that results in
improved fuel economy.
Engine oils labeled Energy Conserving Oil are now available.
Along with other additional benefits, they contribute to fuel
economy by reducing the amount of fuel necessary to over-
come engine friction. Often, these improvements are difficult to
measure in everyday driving, but in a year’s time, they can offer
significant cost and energy savings.
Recommended SAE viscosity number ✽ ✽
NOTICEAlways be sure to clean the area around any filler plug, drain
plug, or dipstick before checking or draining any lubricant.
This is especially important in dusty or sandy areas and when
the vehicle is used on unpaved roads. Cleaning the plug and
dipstick areas will prevent dirt and grit from entering the
engine and other mechanisms that could be damaged. Engine oil viscosity (thickness) has an effect on fuel economy
and cold weather operating (starting and oil flow). Lower vis-
cosity engine oils can provide better fuel economy and cold
weather performance, however, higher viscosity engine oils are
required for satisfactory lubrication in hot weather. Using oils of
any viscosity other than those recommended could result in
engine damage.
When choosing an oil, consider the range of temperature your
vehicle will be operated in before the next oil change. Proceed
to select the recommended oil viscosity from the chart.
*¹ Refer to the recommended SAE viscosity numbers.These lubricants and fluids are recommended for use in your
vehicle.
Lubricant Classification
API Service SJ, SL or above,
ILSAC GF-3 or above
Manual transaxle fluidAPI Service GL-4
(SAE 75W-85, fill-for-life)
DIAMOND ATF SP-III, SK ATF SP-III
Power steering fluid PSF-IV
Brake/Clutch fluid FMVSS116 DOT-3 or DOT-4
Engine oil
*¹
Automatic transaxle fluid
Temperature Range for SAE Viscosity Numbers
Temperature
Engine Oil *
1°C
(°F)
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50
-10 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
1. For better fuel economy, it is recommended to use the engine oil of a viscosity
grade SAE 5W-20, 5W-30 (API SJ, SL / ILSAC GF-3).
20W-5015W-4010W-30
5W-20, 5W-30