wheel alignment KIA Optima Hybrid 2012 3.G Owner's Manual

531
Driving your vehicle
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
miles (kilometers) you can get from a gal-
lon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing 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 the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed,
especially on the highway, is one of the
most effective ways to reduce fuel con-
sumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing 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 vehicle in good condition. For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your vehi-
cle in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule in section 7. If you
drive your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required
(see section 7 for details). Keep your vehicle 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 vehicle. This
extra weight can result in increased
fuel consumption and also contribute
to corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. 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 a very
high gear resulting in 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
speed.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

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 fluid level.
Check the drive belt.

Maintenance
40
7
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. Inspect your tires frequently for
proper inflation as well as wear and
damage. Always use a tire pres-
sure gauge.
Tires with too much or too little pressure wear unevenly causing
poor handling, loss of vehicle con-
trol, and sudden tire failure leading
to accidents, 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 pillar.
Remember to check the pressure of your spare tire. Kia recommends
that you check the spare every
time you check the pressure of the
other tires on your vehicle.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.

741
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tires are rotated.
Rotate radial tires that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to left.
Do not use the compact spare tire for
tire rotation.Wheel alignment and tire bal-
ance
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.
WARNING - Mixing tire
types
Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tires under any circum-
stances. This may cause unusu-
al handling characteristics.S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tire
Directional tires (if equipped)
CAUTION - Wheel
weight
Improper wheel weights candamage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.

743
Maintenance
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.
A wheel that is not the correct size
may adversely affect wheel and
bearing life, braking and stopping
abilities, handling characteristics,
ground clearance, body-to-tire clear-
ance, snow chain clearance,
speedometer and odometer calibra-
tion, headlight aim and bumper
height.
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.
CAUTION - Wheel
Wheels that do not meet Kia'sspecifications may fit poorlyand result in damage to thevehicle or unusual handling andpoor vehicle control.
I030B04JM
1
1
23
4
5,6
7

I9
Index
Wheel alignment and tire balance ··················\
·············7-41
Wheel replacement ··················\
··················\
··················\
7-43
Tires and wheels ··················\
··················\
··················\
········8-4
Towing ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
···6-27
Trailer towing··················\
··················\
··················\
···········5-45
Transaxle Automatic transaxle ··················\
··················\
··················\
·5-9
Trip computer ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········4-52
Trunk ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
······4-17
Trunk overview ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········2-5
Vehicle certification label ··················\
··················\
············8-7
Vehicle identification number (VIN) ··················\
·············8-7
Vehicle load limit··················\
··················\
··················\
···· 5-40 Certification ················\
··················\
··················\
············5-43
Vehicle weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········5-45 Base curb weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
···5-45
Cargo weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········5-45
GAW (Gross axle weight) ··················\
··················\
·······5-45
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ··················\
············5-45
GVW (Gross vehicle weight) ··················\
··················\
··5-45
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ··················\
·······5-45
Vehicle will not start ··················\
··················\
··················\
··6-4 Warning and indicators ··················\
··················\
··············4-61
Washer fluid ··················\
··················\
··················\
·············7-29
Weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
····5-45
Base curb weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
···5-45
Cargo weight ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········5-45
GAW (Gross axle weight) ··················\
··················\
·······5-45
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ··················\
············5-45
GVW (Gross vehicle weight) ··················\
··················\
··5-45
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ··················\
·······5-45
Wheel alignment and tire balance ··················\
···············7-41
Wheel replacement ··················\
··················\
··················\
··7-43
Windows ··················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
4-20 Auto down window ··················\
··················\
·················4-22\
Auto up/down window ··················\
··················\
············4-22
Power window lock button ··················\
··················\
······4-23
Windshield defrosting and defogging··················\
········4-108 Defogging logic ··················\
··················\
··················\
···4-109
Winter driving ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········5-37 Snow tires ··················\
··················\
··················\
··············5-37
Wiper blades ··················\
··················\
··················\
············7-32
Wipers and washers ··················\
··················\
··················\
·4-90W
V