Kia Optima 2017 Owner's Manual page 546

Driving your vehicle
5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes,
shift to neutral, release the parking
brake and slowly release the brakes
until the trailer chocks absorb the
load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the
parking brake and shift the vehicle
to R (Reverse) for manual transaxle
or P (Park) for automatic transaxle.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the
vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
WARNING
n Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or fatal‐
ly injured.
When you are ready to leave after
parking on a hill
1. With the manual transaxle in Neu‐
tral or Automatic Transaxle/Dual
clutch transmission in P (Park), ap‐
6-136
ply your brakes and hold the brake
pedal down while you:
• Start your engine;
• Shift into gear; and
• Release the parking brake.
2. Slowly remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more of‐
ten when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular at‐
tention to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cool‐
ing system fluid. Brake condition is an‐
other important item to frequently
check. Each item is covered in this man‐
ual, and the Index will help you find
them quickly. If you're trailering, it is a
good idea to review these sections be‐
fore you start your trip.
Do not forget to also maintain your
trailer and hitch. Follow the mainte‐
nance schedule that accompanied your
trailer and check it periodically. Pref‐
erably, conduct the check at the start
of each day's driving. Most importantly,
all hitch nuts and bolts should be tight.
CAUTION
• Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur in
hot days or during uphill driving. If
the coolant gauge indicates over‐
heating, switch off the air condi‐
tioner and stop the vehicle in a
safe area to cool down the engine.
• When towing check transaxle fluid
more frequently.
• If your vehicle is not equipped with
an air conditioner, you should in‐
stall a condenser fan to improve
engine performance when towing
a trailer.
If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
• Consider using a sway control.You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
control.