engine overheat KIA Optima 2010 3.G Owner's Manual

Features of your vehicle
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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 “If the engine overheats” in section 6.
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Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge indicates the approxi-
mate amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank. The fuel tank capacity is given in
section 8. The fuel gauge is supplement-
ed by a low fuel warning light, which will
illuminate when the fuel tank is nearly
empty.
On inclines or curves, the fuel gauge
pointer may fluctuate or the low fuel
warning light may come on earlier than
usual due to the movement of fuel in the
tank.
Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel
level. Running out of fuel could cause the
engine to misfire, damaging the catalytic
converter.
CAUTION
If the gauge pointer moves beyond
the normal range area toward the“H” position, it indicates overheat-ing that may damage the engine.
WARNING
Never remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. The engine
coolant is under pressure and
could cause severe burns. Wait
until the engine is cool before
adding coolant to the reservoir.
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479
Features of your vehicle
Operation Tips
To keep dust or unpleasant fumes fromentering the car through the ventilation
system, temporarily set the air intake
control to the recirculated air position.
Be sure to return the control to the
fresh air position when the irritation
has passed to keep fresh air in the
vehicle. This will help keep the driver
alert and comfortable.
Air for the heating/cooling system is drawn in through the grilles just ahead
of the windshield. Care should be
taken that these are not blocked by
leaves, snow, ice or other obstructions.
To prevent interior fog on the wind- shield, set the air intake control to the
fresh air position and fan speed to the
desired position, turn on the air condi-
tioning system, and adjust temperature
control to desired temperature.D230503AMG
Air conditioning (if equipped)
All KIA Air Conditioning Systems are
filled with environmentally friendly
R-134a refrigerant which does not dam-
age to the ozone layer.
1. Start the engine. Push the air condi- tioning button.
2. Set the mode to the position.
3. Set the air intake control to the outside air or recirculated air position.
4. Adjust the fan speed control and tem- perature control to maintain maximum
comfort.
When maximum cooling is desired, set the temperature control to the extreme
left position then set the fan speed
control to the highest speed.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When using the air conditioning sys-
tem, monitor the temperature gauge
closely while driving up hills or in
heavy traffic when outside tempera-
tures are high. Air conditioning sys-
tem operation may cause engine over-
heating. Continue to use the blower
fan but turn the air conditioning sys-
tem off if the temperature gauge indi-
cates engine overheating.
• When opening the windows in humid weather air conditioning may create
water droplets inside the vehicle.
Since excessive water droplets may
cause damage to electrical equipment,
air conditioning should only be run
with the windows closed.

Driving your vehicle
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Illuminated ignition switch
Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will be illuminated for your
convenience, provided the ignition switch
is not in the ON position. The light will go
off immediately when the ignition switch
is turned on or go off after about 30 sec-
onds when the door is closed.
Ignition switch position
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LOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect against
theft (if equipped). The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at the
ACC position and turn the key toward the
LOCK position.
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WARNING
When you intend to park or stop the
vehicle with the engine on, be care-
ful not to depress the accelerator
pedal for a long period of time. It
may overheat the engine or exhaust
system and cause fire.
KEY
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Driving your vehicle
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Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be
fully released while driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal while driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or park-
ing brake to hold the car on an incline. Do
not operate the clutch pedal rapidly and
repeatedly.
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Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
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Good driving practices
Never take the car out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the car in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
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. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your car.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into reverse.
The transaxle can be damaged if you
do not. To shift into reverse, depress
the clutch, move the shift lever to neu-
tral, wait three seconds, then shift to
the reverse position.
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.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision,an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim- its.

Driving your vehicle
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Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position with the brake pedal
depressed, continue depressing the
brake, then do the following:
1. Press the shift-lock release button (1).
2. Move the shift lever.
3. Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized KIA dealer immediately.
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Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position. If the ignition switch is in any
other position, the key cannot be
removed.
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Good driving practices
Never move the gear selector leverfrom P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any
other position with the accelerator
pedal depressed.
Never move the gear selector 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 malfunc-
tion. 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.
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Driving your vehicle
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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 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.
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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- 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 impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle 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 fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
WARNING- Parking brake
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 apply-
ing the brake.

Driving your vehicle
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Good braking practices
After parking the vehicle, check to be
sure the parking brake is not engaged
and that 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 car is washed. Wet brakes
can be dangerous! Your car will not
stop as quickly if the brakes are wet.
Wet brakes may cause the car 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 car
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 authorized KIA dealer for assis-
tance. Don't coast down hills with the car out
of gear. This is extremely hazardous.
Keep the car 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 driv-
ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
car 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.
WARNING
Whenever leaving vehicle orparking, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the park position. Vehicles
not fully engaged in park with the
parking brake set are at risk for
moving inadvertently and injur-
ing yourself or others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car which
can injure occupants or pedestri-
ans.

Driving your vehicle
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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
kilometers (miles) you can get from a
liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. 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 car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch 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 consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.
Keep your car in good condition. For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your car
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in Section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see Section
7 for details). Keep your car clean. For maximum
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 car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. 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.
Remember, your vehicle does not require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in too
high a gear resulting in the engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a lower
gear. Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

Driving your vehicle
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-slip material under the drive wheels to pro-
vide traction when stalled in ice, snow,
or mud.
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Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to free
it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the
area around your front wheels. Then, shift
back and forth between R (Reverse) and
any forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transaxle. Do not race
the engine, and spin the wheels as little
as possible. If you are still stuck after a
few tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheating
and possible damage to the transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may causeengine over-heating, transaxle dam-age or failure, and tire damage.

539
Driving your vehicle
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Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine
oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-
out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.
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