cooling KIA Optima 2012 3.G User Guide

Driving your vehicle
48
5
Use high quality ethylene glycol
coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling
system. It is the only type of coolant that
should be used because it helps prevent
corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with the
maintenance schedule in section 7.
Before winter, have your coolant tested to
assure that its freezing point is sufficient
for the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
7. The level of charge in your battery can
be checked by an authorized Kia dealer
or a service station.
Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary
In some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See section 8
for recommendations. If you aren't sure
what weight oil you should use, consult
an authorized Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition
system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in
section 7 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an
approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into
the key opening. If a lock is covered with
ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing
fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is
frozen internally, you may be able to thaw
it out by using a heated key. Handle the
heated key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is
available from an authorized Kia dealer
and most auto parts outlets. Do not use
engine coolant or other types of anti-
freeze as these may damage the paint
finish.
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
This is most likely 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 the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily while you put the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake.

What to do in an emergency
66
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you will experience a loss of
power, or hear loud pinging or knocking,
the engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as itis safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (automatic transaxle) or neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking brake. If
the air conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the vehicle or steam is coming out
from underneath the hood, stop the
engine. Do not open the hood until the
coolant has stopped running or the
steaming has stopped. If there is no
visible loss of engine coolant and no
steam, leave the engine running and
check to be sure the engine cooling
fan is operating. If the fan is not run-
ning, turn the engine off.
4. Check to see if the water pump drive belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the vehicle. (If the air
conditioning had been in use, it is nor-
mal for cold water to be draining from
it when you stop). 5. If the water pump drive belt is broken
or engine coolant is leaking out, stop
the engine immediately and call the
nearest authorized Kia dealer for
assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,
if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-
heating happens again, call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling systemand this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorized Kiadealer.
WARNING
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.

Maintenance
47
Owner maintenance precautions
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for the maintenance
items that are easy to perform.
As explained earlier in this section, sev-
eral procedures can be done only by an
authorized Kia dealer with special tools.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Improper owner maintenance during
the warranty period may affect warran-
ty coverage. For details, read the sepa-
rate Warranty & Consumer Information
manual provided with the vehicle. If
you're unsure about any servicing or
maintenance procedure, have it done by
an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING- Maintenance
work
Performing maintenance work on
a vehicle can be dangerous. You
can be seriously injured while
performing some maintenance
procedures. If you lack sufficient
knowledge and experience or the
proper tools and equipment to do
the work, have it done by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Working under the hood with the engine running is dangerous. It
becomes even more dangerous
when you wear jewelry or loose
clothing. These can become
entangled in moving parts and
result in injury. Therefore, if you
must run the engine while work-
ing under the hood, make certain
that you remove all jewelry (espe-
cially rings, bracelets, watches,
and necklaces) and all neckties,
scarves, and similar loose cloth-
ing before getting near the
engine or cooling fans.

77
Maintenance
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Engine control system
MAINTENANCEINTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEMKilometers or time in months, whichever comes first
× 1,000 km 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96 104 112 120 128
# Months 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64
Engine oil & engine oil filter RRRRR RRRRRRRR RRR
(GDI engine) (1)
Engine oil & engine oil filter
(T-GDI engine) (1)
Drive belts (tension) I I I I
Cooling system hoses & connections I I I I I
Engine coolant (1) I I I I I R IIIIIRI III
Fuel filter R R
Fuel tank cap, lines, EVAP canister and hosesII
Fuel tank air filter (CCV filter) I R I R I
Air cleaner element (2) I I I I I R IIIIIRI III
Spark plugs (iridium coated), GDI engine
Spark plugs (iridium coated), T-GDI engine
Idle speed I I I I I
Valve clearance I
Add fuel Additive (5)
At first, replace at 5,000 km or 6 months,
after that, replace every 8,000 km or 6 months
Replace every 168,000 km or 84 months
Replace every 72,000 km or 36 months
Add every 12,000 km or 12 months

713
Maintenance
Air cleaner filter
A Genuine Kia air cleaner filter is recom-
mended when the filter is replaced.
Spark plugs
Make sure to install new spark plugs of
the correct heat range.
Valve clearance
Inspect excessive valve noise and/or
engine vibration and adjust if necessary.
An authorized Kia dealer should perform
the operation.
Cooling system
Check cooling system components, such
as radiator, coolant reservoir, hoses and
connections for leakage and damage.
Replace any damaged parts.
Coolant
The coolant should be changed at the
intervals specified in the maintenance
schedule.
Manual transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance schedule.
Automatic transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Automatic transaxle fluid should not be
checked under normal usage conditions.
But in severe conditions, the fluid should
be changed at an authorized Kia dealer
in accordance to the scheduled mainte-
nance at the beginning of this chapter.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Automatic transaxle fluid color is basi-
cally red.
As the vehicle is driven, the automatic
transaxle fluid will begin to look darker.
It is normal condition and you should
not judge the need to replace the fluid
based upon the changed color.
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately.
Brake/clutch fluid
Check brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir. The level should be between
“MIN” and “MAX” marks on the side of
the reservoir. Use only hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4
specification.

717
Maintenance
ENGINE COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year-round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at the
beginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate.
Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiator
cap
Never attempt to remove the radi-ator cap while the engine is oper-
ating or hot. Doing so might lead
to cooling system and engine
damage. Also, hot coolant or
steam could cause serious per-
sonal injury.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Turn the engine off and wait untilit cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you are
sure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiator
cap or the drain plug while the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.WARNING
The electric motor (cool-
ing fan) is controlled by
engine coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed.
It may sometimes operate even
when the engine is not running.
Use extreme caution when working
near the blades of the cooling fan
so that you are not injured by a
rotating fan blades. As the engine
coolant temperature decreases, the
electric motor will automatically
shut off. This is a normal condition.
If your vehicle is equipped with
GDI, the electric motor (cooling fan)
may operate untill you disconnect
the negative battery cable.

Maintenance
18
7
Check the condition and connections of
all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F (MAX) and L (MIN) marks on
the side of the coolant reservoir when the
engine is cool. If the coolant level is low, add enough
distilled (deionizer) water to provide pro-
tection against freezing and corrosion.
Bring the level to F (MAX), but do not
overfill. If frequent coolant addition is
required, see an authorized Kia dealer
for a cooling system inspection.
Recommended engine coolant
Use only soft (distilled) 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.-15°C (5°F) 35
65
-25°C (-13°F) 40 60
-35°C (-31°F) 50 50
-45°C (-49°F) 60 40
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
OTF070006