coolant reservoir KIA PICANTO 2012 User Guide

67
What to do in an emergency
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power,
or hear loud pinging or knocking, the
engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the shift lever in P (Park) and set the parking brake. If the air condition-
ing is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out from
the bonnet, stop the engine. Do notopen the bonnet until the coolant has
stopped running or the steaming has
stopped. If there is no visible loss of
engine coolant and no steam, leave
the engine running and check to be
sure the engine cooling fan is operat-
ing. If the fan is not running, turn the
engine off. 4. Check to see if the water pump drive
belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the car. (If the air con-
ditioning had been in use, it is normal
for cold water to be draining from it
when you stop).
5. If the water pump drive belt is broken or engine coolant is leaking out, stop the engine immediately and call the
nearest authorised KIA dealer for
assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-heating happens again, call an autho-
rised KIA dealer for assistance.
WARNING
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates there is a leak in the cooling systemand this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorised KIA dealer.

Maintenance
2
7
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OTA010003R/OTA010004R
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Radiator cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Air cleaner
5. Engine oil dipstick
6. Engine oil filler cap
7. Windscreen washer fluid reservoir
8. Fuse box
9. Positive battery terminal
10. Negative battery terminal
11. Automatic transaxle fluid dipstick*
* : if equipped
■
■
1.0 Petrol
❈The actual engine compartment in the
vehicle may differ from the illustration.
■■ 1.25 Petrol

75
Maintenance
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of theexhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-aheadposition.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
elling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check manual transaxle operation, including clutch operation.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-mal).
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tyres including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air condi- tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check windscreen washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper blades
with clean cloth dampened with wash-er fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tyres and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks, andbonnet hinges.
Lubricate door and bonnet locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weatherstrips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.

719
Maintenance
Spark plugs
Make sure to install new spark plugs of
the correct heat range.
Valve clearance
Inspect excessive valve noise and/or
engine vibration and adjust if necessary.
An authorised KIA dealer should perform
the operation. Cooling system
Check cooling system components, such
as radiator, coolant reservoir, hoses and
connections for leakage and damage.
Replace any damaged parts.Coolant The coolant should be changed at the
intervals specified in the maintenance
schedule.
Manual transaxle fluid (if equipped)
Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance schedule.
Automatic transaxle fluid (if equipped)
The fluid level should be in the "HOT"
range of the dipstick, after the engine
and transaxle are at normal operating
temperature. Check the automatic
transaxle fluid level with the engine run-
ning and the transaxle in neutral, with the
parking brake properly applied.

723
Maintenance
ENGINE COOLANT
The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year-round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at thebeginning of the winter season, and
before travelling to a colder climate. Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiatorcap
Never attempt to remove the radi- ator cap whilst the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so mightlead to cooling system and
engine damage and could result
in serious personal injury fromescaping hot coolant or steam.
Turn the engine off and wait until it cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back whilst
the pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you aresure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Even if the engine is not operat-ing, do not remove the radiator cap or the drain plug whilst the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.
WARNING
The electric motor (cool-
ing fan) is controlled byengine coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed.
It may sometimes operate evenwhen the engine is not running.
Use extreme caution when working
near the blades of the cooling fan
so that you are not injured by a
rotating fan blades. As the engine
coolant temperature decreases, the
electric motor will automatically
shut off. This is a normal condition.

Maintenance
24
7
Check the condition and connections of all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F (Full) and L (Low) marks on
the side of the coolant reservoir when theengine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
distilled (deionized) or soft water to pro-vide protection against freezing and cor-
rosion. Bring the level to F (Full) , but do
not overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorised KIA dealer
for a cooling system inspection.
Recommended engine coolant
When adding coolant, use only deion-
ized water or soft water for your vehicle
and never mix hard water in the
coolant filled at the factory. An improp-
er coolant mixture can result in serious
malfunction or engine damage.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be pro-
tected by an ethylene-glycol-based
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-ing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the specifiedcoolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution. For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
-15°C (5°F) 35 65
-25°C (-13°F) 40 60
-35°C (-31°F) 50 50
-45°C (-49°F) 60 40
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
OTA070004L

725
Maintenance
Changing the coolant
Have coolant changed by an authorised KIA dealer according to the MaintenanceSchedule at the beginning of this section.
WARNING Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and
steam may blow out under pres-
sure causing serious injury.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth around the radiator cap before refilling the coolant in order to prevent the coolant from
overflowing into engine parts such as the generator.
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windscreen and may
cause loss of vehicle control or
damage to paint and body trim.
OTA070005
OTA070005L
■Type A
■Type B

729
Maintenance
WASHER FLUID
Checking the washer fluid level
The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visualinspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing. Checking the parking brake
Check the stroke of the parking brake by
counting the number of “clicks’’ heardwhilst fully applying it from the released
position. Also, the parking brake alone
should securely hold the vehicle on a fair-
ly steep grade.
If the stroke is more or less than speci-
fied, have the parking brake adjusted by
an authorised KIA dealer.
Stroke : 6~8 “clicks’’ at a force of 20 kg
(44 lbs, 196 N).
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windscreen and may
cause loss of vehicle control or
damage to paint and body trim.
Windscreen Washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allowsparks or flame to contact thewasher fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or occupants could occur.
Windscreen washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contacting
windscreen washer fluid. Serious
injury or death could occur.
OTA070009 PARKING BRAKE OTA050012/H