Kia Optima: Economical operation
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
gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate your vehicle as economically as possible, use
the following driving suggestions to help save money in both fuel and repairs:
- Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate 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 unnecessary 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 consumption.
- Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components. 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
alignment 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 vehicle in accordance with the maintenance
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 placing 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 avoided
by shifting at the recommended speed.
- Use your air conditioning sparingly. The air conditioning system is operated
by engine power so your fuel economy is reduced when you use it.
- Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
- Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some
of this loss, slow down when driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating condition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia dealer perform scheduled inspections and
maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off during motion
Never turn the engine off to coast down hills or anytime the vehicle is in motion.
The power steering and power brakes will not function properly without the engine
running. Instead, keep the engine on and downshift to an appropriate gear for engine
braking effect. In addition, turning off the ignition while driving could engage
the steering wheel lock resulting in loss of vehicle steering which could cause
serious injury or death.
Push the cruise ON/OFF button (the CRUISE indicator light in the instrument
cluster will go off).
Turn the ignition off.
Both of these actions cancel cruise control operation. If you want ...
See also:
Smart key
With a smart key, you can lock or unlock a door and even start the engine without
inserting the key.
The functions of the buttons on a smart key are similar to the remote keyless
entry. (Refer ...
Alternator. Components and Components Location
Components
1. Pulley
2. Front bracket
3. Front bearing
4. Bearing cover
5. Bearing cover bolt
6. Rotor
7. Rear bearing
8. Rear bracket
9. Through bol ...
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 r ...