tires KIA PICANTO 2008 Owners Manual

53
Driving your vehicle
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Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(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.
E020200AUN
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 sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”. E020300AUN
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls 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 light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 for more information on their
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
car into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment. Drivingwhile under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerousthan driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driveror call a cab.

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Driving your vehicle
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Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.E070106APA
Rear drum brakes (if equipped)
Your rear drum brakes do not have wear
indicators. Therefore, have the rear brake
linings inspected if you hear a rear brake
rubbing noise. Also have your rear
brakes inspected each time you change
or rotate your tires and when you have
the front brakes replaced.Parking brake E070201ASA
Applying the parking brake
To apply the parking brake, pull the park-
ing brake handle fully and firmly upward
while applying the service brake.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to aserious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, do not continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
Always replace brake pads as complete front or rear axle sets.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brake pad (or lining) and brake rotor wear.
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Driving your vehicle
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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 possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate 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 unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-tion. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing 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 leastonce 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 align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your carin accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
Keep your car 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 car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. 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.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

Driving your vehicle
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, followthese suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering. When braking with non-ABS brakes
pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle isstopped.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly 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. E110200AEN
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 R (Reverse) and
any forward gear in vehicles equipped
with an automatic transaxle. Do not race
the engine, and spin the wheels as little
as possible. If you are still stuck after a
few tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheating
and possible damage to the transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
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WARNING -
ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slipperysurfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause engine over-heating, transaxle dam-
age or failure, and tire damage.

529
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
The ESP system (if equipped) should be
turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
E110300AUN Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in cor-
ners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration. If you follow
these suggestions, tire wear will be held
to a minimum. E110400AUN Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight, here
are some important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
WARNING - Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat
which could result in tire damage
that may injure bystanders.
OUN056051OCM053010
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle free
by moving it forward and backward.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people orobjects.

Driving your vehicle
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Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-cult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blind, and it will take sever-
al seconds for your eyes to readjust to
the darkness.
E110500AUN Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missingareas on the windshield. If your tires are not in good condition,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it eas- ier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large puddles 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 oper-
ation returns.
E110600AUN Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allowadequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
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Driving your vehicle
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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 result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engineoil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may over-
heat the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
Always check tires for proper
inflation before driving. For prop-
er tire pressures, refer to “Tires
and wheels” in section 9.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-out tires can result in loss of
vehicle control, collisions, injury,
and even death. Worn-out tiresshould be replaced as soon as
possible and should never be
used for driving. Always check
the tire tread before driving your
car. For further information and
tread limits, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 7.
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Driving your vehicle
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Severe weather conditions in the winter
may cause greater wear and other prob-
lems. To minimize the problems of winter
driving, you should follow these sugges-tions: E120100AUN
Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-
cations, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids. You need to keep sufficient dis-
tance between the vehicle in operation in
front and your vehicle. Also, apply the
brake gently. It should be noted thatinstalling tire chains on the tire will pro-
vide greater driving force, but will not pre-
vent side skids.
✽✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all states.
Check state laws before fitting tirechains.
E120101AUN
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING - Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety
and handling of your vehicle may
be adversely affected.
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Driving your vehicle
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Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by mount-
ing some types of snow chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is rec-
ommended instead of snow chains. Do
not mount tire chains on vehicles
equipped with aluminum wheels; snow
chains may cause damage to the wheels.
If snow chains must be used, use wire-
type chains with a thickness of less than
15 mm (0.59 in). Damage to your vehicle
caused by improper snow chain use is
not covered by your vehicle manufactur-
ers warranty.
Install tire chains only on the front tires.Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the manu-
facturer's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains are
the correct size and type for yourtires. Incorrect snow chains cancause damage to the vehicle body
and suspension and may not becovered by your vehicle manufac- turer warranty. Also, the snowchain connecting hooks may be
damaged from contacting vehiclecomponents causing the snowchains to come loose from the tire. Make sure the snow chains
are SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installation for proper mounting after drivingapproximately 0.5 to 1 km (0.3 to
0.6 miles) to ensure safe mount-ing. Retighten or remount the chains if they are loose.
WARNING - Mounting
chains
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place
a triangular emergency warning
device behind the vehicle if avail-
able. Always place the vehicle in P
(Park), apply the parking brake and
turn off the engine before installing
snow chains.1VQA3007

Driving your vehicle
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E140000ASA
If you are considering towing with with
your car, you should first check with your
country’s Department of Motor Vehicles
to determine their legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for tow-
ing trailers, cars, or other types of vehi-
cles or apparatus may differ. Ask an
authorized KIA dealer for further details
before towing.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify
what the vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you should read the infor-
mation in “Weight of the trailer” thatappears later in this section.Remember that trailering is different than
just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling,
durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering requires correct equip-
ment, and it has to be used properly.
This section contains many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your
safety and that of your passengers.
Please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer. Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the load of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads. This
additional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also considerably adds wind
resistance, increasing pulling require-
ments.
TRAILER TOWING (FOR EUROPE)
WARNING
- Towing a trail-
er
If you don't use the correct equip-
ment and drive improperly, you can
lose control when you pull a trailer.
For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well - or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously or
fatally injured. Pull a trailer only if
you have followed all the steps inthis section.
WARNING - Weight limits
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, grossaxle weight and trailer tongue loadare all within the limits.
CAUTION
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,follow the advice in this section.