brake KIA PICANTO 2006 Owner's Manual

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Driving your vehicle
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if equipped)The ABS system continuously sens-
es the speed of the wheels. If the
wheels are going to lock, the ABSsystem repeatedly modulates the
hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a
“tik-tik ’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS system is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS system in anemergency situation, do not attempt
to modulate your brake pressure and
do not try to pump your brakes.
Press your brake pedal as hard as
possible or as hard as the situation
warrants and allow the ABS system
to control the force being delivered to
the brakes.
WARNING - ABS Brakes
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement. You
can still have an accident. In
fact, your ABS system will prob-
ably not be able to prevent an
accident in the following drivingconditions:  Dangerous driving, such as
neglecting safety precautions,
speeding, or driving too close
to the vehicle in front of you.
 Driving at high speed in situa-
tions providing considerably
less traction, such as wet con-
ditions where hydroplaning
could occur.
(Continued)
(Continued) Driving too fast on poor road
surfaces. The ABS is
designed to improve maxi-
mum braking effectiveness on
typical highways and roads in
good condition. On poor roadsurfaces in poor condition,
the ABS may actually reduce
braking effectiveness.

Driving your vehicle
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 Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
 Always slow down when cornering.
The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
 On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.
✽✽
NOTICE

Driving your vehicle
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Warning lights / audible indi-
cators
Checking operation
All warning lights are checked by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). Any light that does
not illuminate should be checked by
an Authorized Kia Dealer.
After starting the engine, check to
make sure that all warning lights are
off. If any are still on, this indicates a
situation that needs attention. When
releasing the parking brake, the
brake system warning light should go
off. The fuel warning light will stay on
if the fuel level is low. Engine temperature indicator
These indicators shows the tempera- ture of the engine coolant when the
ignition switch is ON. Red indicator illuminates if the tem-
perature of the engine coolant is
above 117±3
°C (240±5.5 °F).
Blue indicator Illuminates if the tem-
perature of the engine coolant is
below 60±3 °C (140±5.5 °F).
Do not continue driving with an over-
heated engine. If your vehicle over-
heats, refer to “Overheating ”in the
Index.
✽✽
NOTICE
If the red engine temperature indi-
cator illuminates, it indicates over-heating that may damage theengine.
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
Blue Red

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Driving your vehicle
Anti-lock brake sys- tem (ABS) warninglight (if equipped)
This light illuminates if the key is
turned to ON and goes off in approx-imately 3 seconds if the system is
operating normally.
If the light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS system.
Contact an authorized Kia dealer as
soon as possible.Electronic brake force
distribution (EBD)system warning light (if equipped)
If two warning lights illumi- nate at the same time
while driving, your vehicle
has a problem with ABS and EBDsystem.
In this case, your ABS system and
regular brake system may not work
normally. Have the vehicle checked
by an Authorized Kia Dealer as soon
as possible.
ABSABSWARNING
If the both ABS and Brake warn-
ing lights are ON and stay ON,
your vehicle ’s brake system will
not work normally. So you may
experience an unexpected and
dangerous situation during sud-
den braking. In this case, avoidhigh speed driving and abrupt
braking. Have your vehicle
checked by Authorized Kia
Dealer as soon as possible.

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Driving your vehicle
If the driver's lap/shoulder belt is not
fastened when the key is turned ON
or if it is disconnected after the key is
turn ON, the safety belt warning light
will blink or illuminate until the belt is
fastened.
But, if the driver's lap/shoulder belt is connected and disconnected twice
within 9 seconds after the belt is fas-
tened, the safety belt warning light
will not operate.
If the system does not operate as
described, see an authorized Kia
dealer for assistance.
Type C
If the driver's lap/shoulder belt is not
fastened when the key is turned ON
or if it is disconnected after the key is
turn ON, the safety belt warning light
illuminates until the belt is fastened.
If the system does not operate as
described, see an Authorized Kia
Dealer for assistance.Parking brake & brake fluid warning
Parking brake warning
This light is illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion. The warning light should go off
when the parking brake is released.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake fluid level in
the reservoir is low.
If the warning light remains on:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe
location and stop your vehicle.
2. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately
and add fluid as required. Then
check all brake components for
fluid leaks. 3. Do not drive the vehicle if leaks
are found, the warning light
remains on or the brakes do not
operate properly. Have it towed to
any Authorized Kia Dealer for a
brake system inspection and nec-
essary repairs.
To check bulb operation, check
whether the parking brake and brake
fluid warning light illuminates when
the ignition switch is in the ON posi-tion.
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warn-
ing light on is dangerous. If thebrake warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked and
repaired immediately by an
Authorized Kia Dealer.

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Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
 Be sure that all windows, outside mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
 Check the condition of the tires.
 Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
 Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance. Before starting
 Close and lock all doors.
 Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
 Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
 Be sure that all lights work.
 Check all gauges.
 Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
 Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
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WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even asmall amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ridewith a driver who has beendrinking or taking drugs.Choose a designated driver orcall a cab. Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than drivingdrunk.

Driving tips
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SUGGESTIONS FOR 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 kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
 Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the engine is running
smoothly, begin driving.
Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
 Save fuel by accelerating slowly after stopping.
 Keep the engine in tune and follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule. This will increase
the life of all parts and lower your
operating costs.  Do not use the air conditioner
unnecessarily.
 Slow down when driving on rough roads.
 For longer tire life and better fuel economy, always keep the tiresinflated to the recommended pres-
sures.
 Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden stops.
This will reduce wear on brake lin-
ings and pads. Driving in such a
way will also save fuel because
extra fuel is required to accelerate
back to driving speed.
 Do not carry unnecessary weight in the vehicle.
 Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage
to the brakes, and poor fuel econo-
my.
 Improper wheel alignment results in faster tire wear and lower fuel
economy.  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 econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer performscheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
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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 willnot function without the engine
running. Instead, keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.

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Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
 Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.
 Avoid sudden movements in brak- ing or steering.
 When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down
motion until the vehicle is stopped.
✽✽ NOTICE
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
 If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
 Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud. Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between 1 (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with
a manual transaxle or R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehiclesequipped with an automatic
transaxle. Do not race the engine,and spin the wheels as little as pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.
✽✽
NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
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WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change intire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.

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Driving tips
 Driving too fast through large pud-dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
 If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns. Winter driving
 We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment, including
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 eth- ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
 Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition 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 wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
 Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.
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Driving tips
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Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is nohigher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
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