Kia Optima: What to do in an emergency / Emergency starting

Connect cables in numerical order and disconnect in reverse order.

(A) : Jumper Cables
(B) : Booster battery
(C) : Discharged battery

Jump starting

Jump starting can be dangerous if done incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to yourself or damage to your vehicle or battery, follow these jump starting procedures. If in doubt, we strongly recommend that you have a competent technician or towing service jump start your vehicle.

CAUTION - Push/pull start to 12 Volt Battery

Use only a 12-volt jumper system. You can damage a 12-volt starting motor, ignition system, and other electrical parts beyond repair by use of a 24- volt power supply (either two 12-volt batteries in series or a 24-volt motor generator set).

WARNING - Battery

Never attempt to check the electrolyte level of the battery as this may cause the battery to rupture or explode.

WARNING - Frozen batteries

Do not attempt to jump start the vehicle if the discharged battery is frozen or if the electrolyte level is low as the battery may rupture or explode.

WARNING - Battery

Keep all flames or sparks away from the battery. The battery produces hydrogen gas which will explode if exposed to flame or sparks.

WARNING - Sulfuric acid risk

When jump starting your vehicle, be careful not to get acid on yourself, your clothing or on the vehicle. Automobile batteries contain sulfuric acid. This is poisonous and highly corrosive.

Jump starting procedure

1. Make sure the booster battery is 12-volt and that its negative terminal is grounded.

2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not allow the vehicles to come in contact.

3. Turn off all unnecessary electrical loads.

4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence shown in the illustration. First connect one end of a jumper cable to the positive terminal of the discharged battery (1), then connect the other end to the positive terminal of the booster battery (2).

Proceed to connect one end of the other jumper cable to the negative terminal of the booster battery (3), then the other end to a solid, stationary, metallic point (for example, the engine lifting bracket) away from the battery (4). Do not connect it to or near any part that moves when the engine is cranked.

Do not allow the jumper cables to contact anything except the correct battery terminals or the correct ground. Do not lean over the battery when making connections.

WARNING - Battery cables

Do not connect the jumper cable from the negative terminal of the booster battery to the negative terminal of the discharged battery. This can cause the discharged battery to overheat and crack, releasing battery acid.

Make sure to connect one end of the jumper cable to the negative terminal of the booster battery, and the other end to a metallic point, far away from the battery.

5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and let it run at 2,000 rpm, then start the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery.

If the cause of your battery discharging is not apparent, you should have your vehicle checked by an authorized Kia dealer.

Push-starting

Vehicles equipped with automatic transmission lock system cannot be push-started.

Follow the directions in this section for jump-starting.

WARNING - Tow starting vehicle

Never tow a vehicle to start it.

When the engine starts, the vehicle can suddenly surge forward and could cause a collision with the tow vehicle.