tires KIA Optima 2012 3.G Owner's Guide

75
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks and
inspections that should be performed by
the owner or an authorized Kia dealer at
the frequencies indicated to help ensure
safe, dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your dealer as
soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks are
generally not covered by warranties and
you may be charged for labor, parts and
lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-ahead
position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
eling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
WARNING
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot coolant
and steam may blow out under
pressure. This could cause burns
or other serious injury.

Maintenance
67
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year (i.e., every Spring and Fall) :
Check the radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean the wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened with
washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year :
Clean the body and door drain holes.
Lubricate the door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Check the power steering fluid level.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake/clutch fluid level.

79
Maintenance
Chassis and body (Continued)
Kilometers 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
Automatic transaxle fluid* (1) R
Chassis & underbody bolts & nuts I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Tire condition & inflation pressure I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Wheel alignment (4)
Tire rotation
Steering operation & linkage I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Driveshaft dust boots I I I I I
Seat belts, buckles & anchors I I I I I I IIIIIII III
Lock, hinges & hood latch L L L L L L LLLLLLL LLL
MAINTENANCE
INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM
Inspect when abnormal condition noted
Rotate the tires every 12,000 km
* if equipped

731
Maintenance
TIRES AND WHEELS
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
Recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold Tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than
1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.
For recommended inflation pressure
refer to “Tire and wheels” in section
8.All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the driver’s side center
pillar.
OMG055004
WARNING - Tire underin-
flation
Severe underinflation can lead
to severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for long periods at high speeds.

Maintenance
32
7
WARNING - Tire inflation
Overinflation or underinflation
can reduce tire life, adversely
affect vehicle handling, and
lead to sudden tire failure. This
could result in loss of vehicle
control and potential injury.
CAUTION - Tire pressure
Always observe the following: Check tire pressure when the tires are cold. (After vehicle hasbeen parked for at least threehours or hasn't been drivenmore than 1.6 km (one mile)since startup.)
Check the pressure of your spare tire each time you checkthe pressure of other tires.
Never overload your vehicle. Be careful not to overload avehicle luggage rack if yourvehicle is equipped with one.
Worn, old tires can cause acci- dents. If your tread is badlyworn, or if your tires havebeen damaged, replace them.
CAUTION
Underinflation also results in excessive wear, poor handlingand reduced fuel economy.Wheel deformation also ispossible. Keep your tire pres-sures at the proper levels. If atire frequently needs refilling,have it checked by an author-ized Kia dealer.
Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear atthe center of the tire tread, anda greater possibility of dam-age from road hazards.
CAUTION
Warm tires normally exceed recommended cold tire pres-sures by 28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6psi). Do not release air fromwarm tires to adjust the pres-sure or the tires will be under-inflated.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation valve caps. Withoutthe valve cap, dirt or moisturecould get into the valve coreand cause air leakage. If avalve cap is missing, install anew one as soon as possible.

733
Maintenance
Checking tire inflation pressure
Check your tires once a month or
more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
How to check
Use a good quality gage to check tire
pressure. You can not tell if your tires
are properly inflated simply by look-
ing at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're
underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation pressure
when the tires are cold. - "Cold"
means your vehicle has been sitting
for at least three hours or driven no
more than 1.6 km (1 mile).Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-
ly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjust-
ment is necessary. If the pressure is
low, add air until you reach the rec-
ommended amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the
center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage. Be
sure to put the valve caps back on
the valve stems. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-
ture.
WARNING
Inspect your tires frequently
for proper inflation as well as
wear and damage. Always use
a tire pressure gauge.
Tires with too much or too lit- tle pressure wear unevenly
causing poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden
tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even
death. The recommended cold
tire pressure for your vehicle
can be found in this manual
and on the tire label located
on the driver's side center pil-
lar.
Worn tires can cause acci- dents. Replace tires that are
worn, show uneven wear, or
are damaged.
Remember to check the pres- sure of your spare tire. Kia
recommends that you check
the spare every time you
check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.

Maintenance
34
7
Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, it is recom-
mended that the tires be rotated
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, check the tires for
correct balance.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper wheel alignment, out-
of-balance wheels, severe braking or
severe cornering. Look for bumps or
bulges in the tread or side of tire.
Replace the tire if you find either of
these conditions. Replace the tire if
fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,
be sure to bring the front and rear tire
pressures to specification and check
lug nut tightness.
Refer to “Tire and wheels” in section
8.
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tires are rotated.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
WARNING
Do not use the compact spare
tire for tire rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)

735
Maintenance
Wheel alignment and tire balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
OEN076053
Tread wear indicatorWARNING - Replacing tires
To reduce the chance or serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
Replace tires that are worn, show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
Do not drive your vehicle with too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
When replacing tires, never mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same car. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)

Maintenance
36
7
Compact spare tire replacement
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.
The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mounted
on the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire. Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.(Continued)
Using tires and wheel other
than the recommended sizes
could cause unusual handling
characteristics and poor vehi-
cle control, resulting in a seri-
ous accident.
Wheels that do not meet Kia’s specifications may fit poorly
and result in damage to the
vehicle or unusual handling
and poor vehicle control.
The ABS works by comparing the speed of the wheels. Tire
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tires, all 4
tires must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tires of a differ-
ent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) (if equipped) to work
irregularly.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling char-
acteristics, ground clearance,
body-to-tire clearance, snow
chain clearance, speedometer
and odometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.

737
Maintenance
Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. Slow down whenever there
is rain, snow or ice on the road, to
reduce the possibility of losing con-
trol of the vehicle.
Tire maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.Tire sidewall labeling
This information identifies and
describes the fundamental charac-
teristics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The
TIN can be used to identify the tire in
case of a recall.
1. Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or Brand name is
shown.
2. Tire size designation
A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire
size designation. You will need this
information when selecting replace-
ment tires for your car. The following
explains what the letters and num-
bers in the tire size designation
mean.
Example tire size designation:
(These numbers are provided as an
example only; your tire size designa-
tor could vary depending on your
vehicle.)
P205/65R16 94H
P - Applicable vehicle type (tires
marked with the prefix “P’’ are
intended for use on passenger
vehicles or light trucks; however,
not all tires have this marking).
205 - Tire width in millimeters.
65 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section height as a percentage of its
width.
R - Tire construction code (Radial).
16 - Rim diameter in inches.
I030B04JM
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