Kia Optima 2004 Owner's Manual page 154

WINTER DRIVING
• We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment. Some things
you might include are tire chains, a
window scraper, windshield de-icer,
a bag of sand or salt, flares, a small
shovel and jumper cables.
• Make sure you have sufficient
ethylene glycol coolant in the
radiator.
• Check the battery condition and
cables. Cold temperatures reduce the
capacity of any battery, so it must be
in top shape to provide enough
winter starting power.
• Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for cold weather.
• Check the ignition system for loose
connections and damage.
• Use antifreeze-formulated
windshield washer fluid and make
sure you have sufficient fluid for
your trip. (Do not use engine coolant
antifreeze.)
• Do not use the parking brake if it
might freeze. This is most likely to
happen after driving in slushy or wet
conditions and temperatures drop
into the freezing range. When
parking, shift to P (Park) with
automatic transaxle, or to 1 (First) or
R (Reverse) with a manual transaxle
and block the rear wheels.
SNOW TIRES
When snow tires are used, select the size
and construction specified on the Tire
Pressure Label. It is strongly
recommended that snow tires be used on
all four wheels, or poor handling may
result. Snow tires should not be operated
at speeds exceeding 75 mph (120 km/h).
These tires should be inflated 4 psi (28
kPa, 0.3 kg/cm 2 ) above the recommended
pressures shown on the Tire Specifica-
tion/Pressure Label, but inflation should
never exceed the maximum cold tire
pressure shown on the tire sidewalls.
WARNING - SNOW TIRE SIZE
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affected.
Do not install studded tires without first
checking local, state and municipal
regulations for possible restrictions
against their use.
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