check engine light KIA Optima Hybrid 2011 3.G User Guide

465
Features of your vehicle
Brake system & Parking brake & Brake fluid warning light
The brake warning light will illuminate
when the Regenerative Brake System is
not operating properly.
Have the system checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possible.
When the brake function is not well or the
regenerative brake system is not operat-
ed with brake system malfunction, the
brake warning light turned on and 'check
brake' is displayed on the LCD. Have the
system checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
Parking brake warning
This light illuminated when the parking
brake is applied with engine start/stop
button in the START or ON position. The
warning light should go off when the
parking brake is released. Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required. Then check all brake
components for fluid leaks.
3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks are found, the warning light remains on or
the brakes do not operate properly.
Have the vehicle towed to any author-
ized Kia dealer for a brake system
inspection and necessary repairs.
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual-
diagonal braking system. This means you
still have braking on two wheels even if
one of the brake circuits is damaged or
malfunctions. With only one of the circuits
working, more than normal pedal travel
and greater pedal pressure are required
to stop the car. Also, the car will not stop
in as short a distance with only a portion
of the brake system working. If the
brakes fail while you are driving, shift to a
lower gear for additional engine braking
and stop the car as soon as it is safe to
do so.
CAUTION
If the oil pressure warning light stays on while the engine is run-ning, serious engine damage mayresult. The oil pressure warninglight comes on whenever there is insufficient oil pressure. In normaloperation, it should come on whenthe engine start/stop button isturned on, then go out when theengine is started. If the oil pressurewarning light stays on while theengine is running, there is a seriousmalfunction.
If this happens, stop the vehicle assoon as it is safe to do so, turn off the engine and check the oil level. Ifthe oil level is low, fill the engine oilto the proper level and start theengine again. If the light stays onwith the engine running, turn theengine off immediately. In anyinstance where the oil light stays onwhen the engine is running, theengine should be checked by an authorized Kia dealer before the caris driven again.

Features of your vehicle
66
4
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the engine
start/stop button is in the ON position.Front fog light indicator
(if equipped)
This indicator comes on when the front
fog lights are ON.
Shift pattern indicator
The indicator displays which automatic
transaxle shift position is selected.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
If the engine coolant temperature warn-
ing light illuminates, it indicates over-
heating that may damage the engine.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light on is dangerous. If the brake
warning light remains on, have the
brakes checked and repaired imme-
diately by an authorized Kia dealer.
WARNING
When the brake function is not well
and the regenerative brake system
is not operated with brake system
malfunction, the brake warning
light turned on with 'check brake' is
displayed on the LCD and warning
chime will sound. In this condition
you can stop your vehicle by apply-
ing greater force to the brake pedal
than normal and the stopping dis-
tance will be longer. Have the sys-
tem checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.

467
Features of your vehicle
Charging system warninglight
This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electrical
charging system.
If the warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera- tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an authorized
Kia dealer correct the problem as soon
as possible.
Trunk lid open warninglight
This warning light illuminates when the
trunk lid is not closed securely with the
engine start/stop button in any position.
Door ajar warning light
This warning light illuminates when a
door is not closed securely with the
engine start/stop button in any position.
Tail light indicator
This indicator illuminates when the tail
lights are on.
Immobilizer indicator
With smart key system
If any of the following occurs in a vehicle
equipped with the smart key, the immobi-
lizer indicator illuminates, blinks or the
light goes off.
When the smart key is in the vehicle, if the engine start/stop button is turned to
the ON position, the indicator will illumi-
nate until the engine is started. However,
when the smart key is not in the vehicle,
if the engine start/stop button is
depressed, the indicator will blink for a
few minutes to indicate that you will not
be able to start the hybrid system.
When the engine start/stop button is turned to the ON position and the indica-
tor turns off after 2 seconds, the system
may need repair. Have the vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer.
When the battery is weak, if the engine start/stop button is depressed, the indica-
tor will blink and you will not be able to
start the hybrid system. However, you
may still be able to start the hybrid system
by inserting the smart key in the smart
key holder. If smart key system related
parts need repair, the indi cator blinks.

Features of your vehicle
68
4
Low fuel level warning
light
This warning light indicates the fuel tank
is nearly empty. When it comes on, you
should add fuel as soon as possible.
Driving with the fuel level warning light on
or with the fuel level below “E” can cause
the engine to misfire and damage the
catalytic converter (if equipped).
Malfunction indicator lamp(MIL) (check engine light)
This indicator is part of the Engine
Control System which monitors various
emission control system components. If
this indicator illuminates while driving, it
indicates that a potential malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the emis-
sion control system.
This indicator will also illuminates when
the engine start/stop button is turned to
the ON position, and will go off in a few
seconds after the engine is started. If it
illuminates while driving, or does not illu-
minate when the engine start/stop button
is turned to the ON position, take your
vehicle to the nearest authorized Kia
dealer and have the system checked.
Generally, your vehicle will continue to be
drivable, but have the system checked by
an authorized Kia dealer promptly.
CAUTION
Prolonged driving with the Emission Control SystemMalfunction Indicator Light illumi- nated may cause damage to theemission control systems whichcould effect drivability and/or fuel economy.

If the EmissionControl System
Malfunction Indicator Light illumi- nates, potential catalytic converterdamage. This could result in lossof engine power. Have the EngineControl System inspected as soon as possible by an authorized Kiadealer.

469
Features of your vehicle
ESC indicator (ElectronicStability Control) / ESCmalfunction indicator
The ESC indicator will illuminate when
the engine start/stop button is turned
ON, but should go off after approximate-
ly 3 seconds. When the ESC is on, it
monitors the driving conditions. Under
normal driving conditions, the ESC indi-
cator will remain off. When a slippery or
low traction condition is encountered, the
ESC will operate, and the ESC indicator
will blink to indicate the ESC is operating.
ESC OFF indicator
The ESC OFF indicator will illuminate
when the engine start/stop button is
turned ON, but should go off after
approximately 3 seconds. To switch to
ESC OFF mode, press the ESC OFF
button. The ESC OFF indicator will illumi-
nate indicating the ESC is deactivated.
If this indicator stays on when ESC OFF
is not selected, the ESC may have mal-
functioned. Take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the sys-
tem checked.
Low tire pressure telltale
The low tire pressure telltale comes on
for 3 seconds after the smart key is
turned to the "ON" position.
If the warning light does not come on, or
continuously remains on after coming on
for about 3 seconds when you turned the
smart key to the "ON" position, the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System is not work-
ing properly. If this occurs, have your
vehicle checked by an Kia authorized
dealer as soon as possible.
This warning light will also illuminate if
one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible. If
the warning light illuminates while driv-
ing, reduce vehicle speed immediately
and stop the vehicle.
Avoid hard braking and overcorrecting at
the steering wheel. Inflate the tires to the
proper pressure as indicated on the vehi-
cle’s tire information placard.

473
Features of your vehicle
Remove key
When you turn off the engine with the
smart key in the smart key holder, the
warning illuminates on the LCD display
for about 10 seconds. Also, the smart key
holder light blinks for about 10 seconds.
To remove the smart key push the smart
key once and pull it out from the smart
key holder.Insert key
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while "Key is not detected" illumi-
nates on the LCD
display, the warning
“Insert key” illuminates for about 10 sec-
onds. Also, the immobilizer indicator and
the key holder light blinks for about 10
seconds. Press start button again
If you can not operate the ENGINE
START/STOP button when there is a
problem with the ENGINE START/STOP
button system, the warning illuminates
for 10 seconds and the chime sounds
continuously to
indicate that you could
start the engine by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button once more.
The chime will stop if the ENGINE
START/STOP button system works nor-
mally.
If the warning illuminates each time you
press the ENGINE START/STOP button,
take your vehicle to an authorized Kia
dealer and have the system checked.
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53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in
Section 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls areeasily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted
driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsibility
is in the safe and legal operation of
the vehicle. Use of any handled
devices, other equipment or vehicle
systems that distract the drive
should not be used during vehicle
operation.
WARNING - Check
surrounding
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
vehicle into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).

Driving your vehicle
65
ON
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
while it is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the ENGINE START/STOP button in the
ON position for a long time. The battery
may discharge, because the engine is
not running.
START/RUN
To start the hybrid system, depress the
brake pedal and press the ENGINE
START/ STOP button with the shift lever
in the P (Park) or the N (Normal) position.
For your safety, start the hybrid system
with the shift lever in the P (Park) posi-
tion.
If you press the ENGINE START/STOP
button without depressing the brake
pedal, the hybrid system will not start
and the button will change as follow:
OFF ➔ ACC ➔ON ➔OFF If you leave the ENGINE START/ STOP
button in the ACC or ON position for a
long time, the battery will discharge.
Green indicatorNot illuminated WARNING - Starting
vehicle
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the vehi-
cle is in motion. This would result in
loss of directional control and brak-
ing function, which could cause an
accident.

Driving your vehicle
14
5
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.
Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s abil-
ity 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.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward speed
until brake performance returns to nor-
mal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING - Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of the
brakes when descending a long or
steep hill by shifting to a lower
gear. Continuous brake application
will cause the brakes to overheat
and could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
WARNING
If the brake pedal does not return to
its normal position when released,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Take your vehicle to
an authorized Kia dealer and have
the system checked.
WARNING
Do not turn off the Hybrid system
while going down a hill. The brake
booster may not work sufficiently
and the braking distance may be
longer.
CAUTION - Brake pedal
Do not drive with your foot restingon the brake pedal. This will createabnormally high brake tempera- tures which can cause excessivebrake lining and pad wear.
CAUTION
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously without READY sta-tus. The battery may be discharged.

517
Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will illuminate 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 while
the hybrid system is in READY state,
there may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is neces-
sary.If at all possible, stop driving the vehicle
immediately. If that is not possible, use
extreme caution while operating the vehi-
cle and only continue to drive the vehicle
until you can reach a safe location or
repair shop.
WARNING - Parking brake
use
All vehicles should always have the
parking brake fully engaged when
parking to avoid inadvertent move-
ment of the vehicle which can
injure occupants or pedestrians.
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