warning light KIA PICANTO 2011 Service Manual

Driving your vehicle
4
5
Ignition switch position
E030201AUN
LOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at
the ACC position and turn the key towardthe LOCK position. E030202AUN
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.
✽✽
NOTICE
If difficulty is experienced turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn
the key while turning the steering wheel
right and left to release the tension.
E030203AUN
ON
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is the
normal running position after the engine
is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if the engine is not running to prevent battery
discharge.
E030204AUN
START
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The engine
will crank until you release the key; then
it returns to the ON position. The brake
warning lamp can be checked in thisposition. E030205ASA
KEY POSITIONS
OSA057001WARNING
- Ignition
switch
Never turn the ignition switch to LOCK or ACC while the vehicle is
moving. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause anaccident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the parking
brake. Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in the 1st gear for
manual transaxle or P (Park) for
the automatic transaxle, set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occurif these precautions are not taken.
(Continued)

Driving your vehicle
8
5
During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant has
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R(Reverse),
put the shift lever in N(Neutral) position
and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position. E050101AUNUsing the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be
fully released while driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal while driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or park-
ing brake to hold the car on an incline. Do
not operate the clutch pedal rapidly and
repeatedly.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutchpedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on an uphill grade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe transaxle shift forks.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Thenmake sure the transaxle is shifted
into 1st gear when the vehicle is
parked on a level or uphill grade,
and shifted into R (Reverse) on a
downhill grade. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement canoccur if these precautions are not
followed in the order identified.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may moveand cause a serious accident
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal whilethe parking brake is released and
the shift lever not in theN(Neutral) position.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
E070100AUN
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event the power-assisted brakes
lose power because of a stalled engine
or some other reason, you can still stop
your vehicle by applying greater force to
the brake pedal than you normally would.
The stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces. E070101AUN
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This will create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increasedstopping distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brakeapplication will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may impair the vehi- cle’s ability to sefely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to oneside when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performancereturns to normal.
WARNING - Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speed can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you mustuse the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.

517
Driving your vehicle
E070102AUN
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 E070201AFD-SA
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then without pressing
the release button in, pull the parking
brake lever up as far as possible. In addi-
tion it is recommended that when parking
the vehicle on a gradient, the shift lever
should be positioned in the appropriate
low gear on manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position for automatic
transaxle vehicles.
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.
OSA057021

Driving your vehicle
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5
E070202AFD-U1
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull up the parking
brake lever slightly. Secondly press the
release button (1) and lower the parking
brake lever (2) while holding the button. Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated when
the parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on after
the parking brake is released, there may
be a malfunction in the brake system.
Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move- ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the shift
lever in place of the parking
brake. Set the parking brake AND
make sure the shift lever is
securely positioned in 1st (First)
gear or R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle equipped vehicles and
in P (Park) for automatic transaxle
equipped vehicles.
Never allow anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car whichcan injure occupants or pedestri-ans.
OSA057022W-75

Driving your vehicle
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5
✽✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system, your vehicle still requires sufficient
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 pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
✽✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of low bat-
tery voltage. It does not mean your ABS
is malfunctioning.
 Do not pump your brakes!
 Have the battery recharged before driving the vehicle.
W-78
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problemwith the ABS. In this case, howev-er, your regular brakes will work
normally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 secondsafter the ignition switch is ON.During that time, the ABS will go
through self-diagnosis and thelight will go off if everything is normal. If the light stays on, you
may have a problem with yourABS. Contact an authorized KIAdealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having poor traction, such as an icy road,
and have to operate your brakes continuously, the ABS will beactive continuously and the ABSwarning light may illuminate. Pull
your car over to a safe place andstop the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your
ABS system is normal. Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact an authorized KIA dealer as soon as
possible.

523
Driving your vehicle
E070503AEN-EE
Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned ON,
the indicator light illuminates, then goes
off if ESP system is operating normally.
The ESP indicator light blinks whenever
ESP is operating. The ESP OFF indicator light comes on
when either the ESP is turned off with the
button, or ESP fails to operate when
turned on.E070504AEN-EE
ESP OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESP turned
on for daily driving whenever possible.
To turn ESP off while driving, press the ESP OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
✽✽ NOTICE
 When operating the vehicle on a dynamometer, ensure that the ESP is
turned off (ESP OFF light illuminat-
ed). If the ESP is left on, it may pre-
vent the vehicle speed from increas-
ing, and result in false diagnosis.
 Turning the ESP off does not affect the ABS or brake system operation.
ESP
ESPOFF
■
ESP indicator light (blinks)
■ ESP OFF indicator light (comes on)
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESP system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,make sure they are the same size asyour original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Program
system is only a driving aid; use
precautions for safe driving by
slowing down on curved, snowy, or
icy roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESP indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.WARNING
Never press the ESP OFF button while ESP is operating (ESP indica-
tor light blinks). If ESP is turned off while ESP is
operating, the vehicle may slip out
of control.

527
Driving your vehicle
Remember, your vehicle does notrequire extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a very
high gear resulting in engine bucking. If
this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommendedspeed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
Open windows at high speed 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 con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized KIA
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury ordeath.

Driving your vehicle
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5
E110100ASA
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
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.