warning light KIA Optima 2008 2.G Owner's Guide

Driving your vehicle10 4Power 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 nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, 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 neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
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 distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Pulling 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 -
Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may result in the vehi-
cle not slowing down at the usual
rate and pulling to one side when
the brakes are applied. After
going through water, apply the
brakes lightly to regain smooth
braking performance.

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Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and it's
time for new pads, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes (if equipped). 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.
✽ ✽
NOTICETo avoid costly brake repairs, do not
continue to drive with worn brake pads.
Power adjustable pedals
(if equipped)To adjust the position of the accelerator
and brake pedals, turn the ignition key to
the “ON” position with the selector lever
in the "P" position and push the switch.
If you push the “▲” portion of the switch,
the pedals move rearward.
If you push the “▼” portion of the switch,
the pedals move forward.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads as com-
plete front or rear axle sets to
ensure smooth brake performance.
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Driving your vehicle
To release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull the parking lever
slightly.
Secondly, depress the release button
and lower the parking brake lever while
holding the button.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, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
WARNING
- Parking brake
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parking
brake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle
equipped vehicles and in P (Park)
for automatic transaxle equipped
vehicles.
Never allow a person who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle or children
to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released unin-
tentionally, serious injury may
occur.
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Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS. In this case, however,
your regular brakes will work nor-
mally.
• The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the
ignition switch is ON. During that
time, the ABS will go through self-
diagnosis and the light will go off if
everything is normal. If the light stays
on, you may have a problem with your
ABS. Contact an authorized Kia deal-
er as soon as possible.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road, and
operate your brakes continuously, the
ABS will be active continuously and
the ABS warning light may illuminate.
Pull your car over to a safe place and
stop the engine.
• Restart the engine. If the ABS warn-
ing light is off, then your ABS is nor-
mal. Otherwise, you may have a prob-
lem with the ABS. Contact an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possible.✽ ✽
NOTICEWhen 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 the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
ABS
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Driving your vehicle16 4Power steering (if equipped)Power steering uses energy from the
engine to assist you in steering the vehi-
cle. If the engine is off or if the power
steering system becomes inoperative,
the vehicle may still be steered, but it will
require increased steering effort.
Should you notice any change in the
effort required to steer during normal
vehicle operation, have the power steer-
ing checked by an authorized Kia dealer.✽ ✽
NOTICE• Never hold the steering wheel against
a stop (extreme right or left turn) for
more than 5 seconds with the engine
running. Holding the steering wheel
for more than 5 seconds in either posi-
tion may cause damage to the power
steering pump.
• If the power steering drive belt breaks
or if the power steering pump mal-
functions, the steering effort will
greatly increase.
✽ ✽
NOTICEIf the vehicle is parked for extended
periods outside in cold weather (below -
10 °C/14 °F), the power steering may
require increased effort when the engine
is first started. This is caused by
increased fluid viscosity due to the cold
weather and does not indicate a mal-
function.
When this happens, increase the engine
RPM by depressing the accelerator until
the RPM reaches 1,500 rpm then release
or let the engine idle for two or three
minutes to warm up the fluid.
Tilt and telescopic steering
(if equipped)A tilt and telescopic steering wheel
allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can also raise it to
the highest level to give your legs more
room when you exit and enter the vehi-
cle.
The steering wheel should be positioned
so that it is comfortable for you to drive,
while permitting you to see the instru-
ment panel warning lights and gauges.
STEERING WHEEL
WARNING -
Steering wheel
Never adjust the angle of steering
wheel while driving. You may lose
your steering control and cause
severe personal injury or acci-
dents.
After adjusting, push the steering
wheel both up and down to be
certain it is locked in position.

Driving your vehicle18 4The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
With cruise control, you can set and
automatically maintain any speed of
between 40 km/h (24 mph) and
160 km/h (96 mph).
To set cruise control speed:1. Pull the CRUISE ON/OFF button on
the steering wheel, to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which
must be more than 40 km/h (24 mph)
and less than 160 km/h (96 mph).3. Press the COAST/SET switch, located
on the steering wheel, and release it at
the speed you want. Release the accel-
erator at the same time. The desired
speed will automatically be maintained.
The SET function cannot be activated
until approximately 2 seconds after the
CRUISE ON/OFF button has been
engaged.
On a steep grade, the vehicle may
momentarily slow down while going
downhill.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Cruise
control
Do not use the cruise control fea-
ture under the following conditions:
Heavy or unsteady traffic
Slippery or winding roads
Situations that involve varying
speeds
WARNING
- Cruise control
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated) the
cruise control can be switched on
accidentally. Keep the cruise con-
trol system off (CRUISE indicator
light OFF) when cruise control is
not in use.
WARNING
- Cruise control
Do not exceed posted speed limits.
Do not set the cruise control at a
speed that is unsafe for the current
driving conditions.
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Driving your vehicle22 4ESC operation offESC OFF state

press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).

to LOCK position when ESC is
off, ESC remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the ESC
will automatically turn on
again.
Indicator lightWhen ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating.
ESC OFF indicator light comes on when
either the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton, or ESC fails to operate when turned
on.
ESC
ESC
OFF
■ESC indicator light (blinks)
■ ESC OFF indicator light (comes on)
WARNING
- ESC
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads.
ESC
OFF

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Driving your vehicle
ESC OFF usageWhen driving It’s a good idea to keep the ESC turned
on for daily driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press ESC OFF button while ESC
is operating (ESC indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.✽ ✽
NOTICE• When measuring the vehicle speed
with a Chassis dynamo-meter, make
sure the ESC is turned off (ESC OFF
light illuminated). If the ESC is left
on, it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and cause a false
diagnosis of a faulty speedometer.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect
ABS or brake system operation.
• When attempting to free an ESC-
equipped vehicle that is stuck in snow,
sand, or mud, use the ESC OFF but-
ton to temporarily deactivate the ESC
system.
WARNING
- ESC
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC may be operating, such
as on slippery or winding roads. If
the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip out
of control. To turn ESC off while
driving, press the ESC OFF button
while driving on a flat, straight, dry
road surface.

Driving your vehicle24 4INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
1. Tachometer
2. Turn signal indicators
3. Speedometer
4. Engine temperature gauge
5. Warning and indicator lights
6. Odometer / Tripmeter
7. Shift position indicator
(Automatic transaxle only)
8. Fuel gauge
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Driving your vehicle26 4Fuel gaugeThe fuel gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank.
Fuel tank capacity - 62 liters
(16.38 gallons)
The fuel gauge is supplemented by a low
fuel warning light, which will illuminate
when the fuel level has dropped to about
7~8 liters (1.8~2.1 gallons).
Engine temperature gauge This gauge shows the temperature of the
engine coolant when the ignition switch
is ON.
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “Overheating” in the Index.✽ ✽
NOTICEIf the gauge pointer moves beyond the
normal range area toward the “H” posi-
tion, it indicates overheating that may
damage the engine.
Trip computer (if equipped)Trip computer is a microcomputer-con-
trolled driver information system that dis-
plays information related to driving on the
LCD.
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