gear KIA PICANTO 2012 Owner's Guide

721
Maintenance
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately. Brake fluid
Check brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir. The level should be between
“MIN” and “MAX” marks on the side of
the reservoir. Use only hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4specification.
Parking brake
Inspect the parking brake system includ-
ing the parking brake lever and cables. Rear brake drums and linings (if equipped)
Check the rear brake drums and linings
for scoring, burning, leaking fluid, broken
parts, and excessive wear.Brake discs, pads, calipers and
rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear, discs
for run out and wear, and calipers for fluid
leakage. Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections for
looseness or damage. Retighten to the
specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or damage.
Check the dust boots and ball joints for
deterioration, cracks, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and clamps
for cracks, deterioration, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts and, if nec-
essary, repack the grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant (if equipped)
Check the air conditioning lines and con-
nections for leakage and damage.

Do not operate the engine in confinedor closed areas (such as garages) any
more than what is necessary to move
the vehicle in or out of the area.
When the vehicle is stopped in an open area for more than a short time
with the engine running, adjust the
ventilation system (as needed) to draw
outside air into the vehicle.
Never sit in a parked or stopped vehi- cle for any extended time with the
engine running.
When the engine stalls or fails to start, excessive attempts to restart the
engine may cause damage to theemission control system.Operating precautions for catalytic
converters (if equipped)Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic
converter emission control device.
Therefore, the following precautions
must be observed:
Make sure to refuel your vehicle according to the "Fuel requirements" suggested in section 1.
Do not operate the vehicle when there are signs of engine malfunction, such
as misfire or a noticeable loss of per-
formance.
Do not misuse or abuse the engine. Examples of misuse are coasting withthe ignition off and descending steep
grades in gear with the ignition off.
Do not operate the engine at high idle speed for extended periods (5 minutesor more).
Do not modify or tamper with any part of the engine or emission control sys-
tem. All inspections and adjustments
must be made by an authorized KIA
dealer.
Avoid driving with a extremly low fuel level. Running out of fuel could cause
the engine to misfire, damaging the
catalytic converter.
Failure to observe these precautionscould result in damage to the catalytic
converter and to your vehicle. Additionally,
such actions could void your warranties.
WARNING - Fire
A hot exhaust system can ignite flammable items under your vehi-
cle. Do not park, idle, or drive the
vehicle over or near flammable
objects, such as grass, vegeta-
tion, paper, leaves, etc.
The exhaust system and catalytic system are very hot while the
engine is running or immediately
after the engine is turned off.
Keep away from the exhaust sys-
tem and catalytic, you may get
burned.
Also, do not remove the heat sink
around the exhaust system, do
not seal the bottom of the vehicle
or do not coat the vehicle for cor-
rosion control. It may present a
fire risk under certain conditions.
778
Maintenance

425
Features of your vehicle
Opening the bonnet
1. Pull the release lever to unlatch thebonnet. The bonnet should pop open
slightly. 2. Go to the front of the vehicle, raise the
bonnet slightly, pull the secondarylatch (1) inside of the bonnet centreand lift the bonnet (2). 3. Pull the support rod from the bonnet.
4. Hold the bonnet open with the support
rod.
BONNET
OTA040017ROTA040018OTA040019
WARNING
- Hot parts
Grasp the support rod in the area
wrapped in rubber. The rubber will
help prevent you from being burned
by hot metal when the engine ishot.
WARNING
Open the bonnet after turning off
the engine on a flat surface, shift-
ing the shift lever to the P(Park)
position for automatic transaxle
and to the 1st(First) gear or
R(Reverse) for manual transaxle,
and setting the parking brake.

Features of your vehicle
56
4
WARNING
Driving the vehicle with a warning
light on is dangerous. If the brake
warning light remains on, have the
brakes checked and repaired imme-
diately by an authorised KIA dealer.
Parking brake & brake fluid warning light
Parking brake warning
This warning light is illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the ignition
switch in the START or ON position. The
warning light should go off when the
parking brake is released whilst the
engine is running.
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 the vehicle towed to any autho-
rised KIA dealer for a brake system
inspection and necessary repairs. Your vehicle is equipped with dual-diago-
nal braking systems. This means you still
have braking on two wheels even if one
of the dual systems should fail. With only
one of the dual systems working, more
than normal pedal travel and greaterpedal pressure are required to stop the
car. Also, the car will not stop in as short
a distance with only a portion of the
brake system working. If the brakes fail
whilst you are driving, shift to a lower
gear for additional engine braking and
stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so.
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switchis in the ON position.
Seat belt warning and
chime (if equipped)
Seat belt warning light
As a reminder to the driver, the seat belt
warning light will blink or illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds each time you
turn the ignition switch ON regardless of
belt fastening.
For details, refer to the seat belt on chap- ter 3.
Turn signal indicator
The blinking green arrows on the instru-
ment panel show the direction indicated
by the turn signals. If the arrow comes on
but does not blink, blinks more rapidly
than normal, or does not illuminate at all,
a malfunction in the turn signal system is
indicated. Your dealer should be consult-
ed for repairs.

Features of your vehicle
58
4
Automatic transaxle shift
indicator (if equipped)
The indicator displays to show the auto-
matic transaxle shift lever selection.
Manual
transaxle shiftindicator (if equipped)
This indicator informs you which gear is
desired whilst driving to save fuel.
For example
: Indicates that shifting up to the 3rdgear is desired (currently the shift
lever is in the 2nd gear).
: Indicates that shifting down to the 3rd gear is desired (currently the
shift lever is in the 4th gear).
✽✽ NOTICE
 When the system is not working prop- erly, up & down arrow indicator and
Gear are not displayed.
 If you select the ECO OFF in the trip
computer, the manual transaxle shift
indicator will not illuminate.
Charging system warning
light
This warning light indicates a malfunction
of either the generator or electricalcharging system.
If the warning light comes on whilst the
vehicle is in motion:
1. Drive to the nearest safe location.
2. With the engine off, check the genera- tor drive belt for looseness or break-
age.
3. If the belt is adjusted properly, a prob- lem exists somewhere in the electrical
charging system. Have an authorised
KIA dealer correct the problem as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
If the oil pressure warning light
stays on whilst the engine is run-
ning, serious engine damage mayresult. The oil pressure warninglight comes on whenever there is insufficient oil pressure. In normal
operation, it should come on whenthe ignition switch is turned on,then go out when the engine is
started. If the oil pressure warninglight stays on whilst the engine isrunning, there is a serious malfunc-tion.
If this happens, stop the car assoon as it is safe to do so, turn off the engine and check the oil level. Ifthe oil level is low, fill the engine oilto the proper level and start the
engine again. If the light stays onwith the engine running, turn theengine off immediately. In any instance where the oil light stays on
when the engine is running, theengine should be checked by an authorised KIA dealer before thecar is driven again.
■ Type A
■Type B

465
Features of your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
This system can only sense objects with-
in the range and location of the sensors;
It can not detect objects in other areas
where sensors are not installed. Also,
small or slim objects, such as poles or
objects located between sensors may not
be detected by the sensors.
Always visually check behind the vehi-
cle when backing up.
Be sure to inform any drivers of the
vehicle that may be unfamiliar with the
system regarding the systems capabili-
ties and limitations.Self-diagnosis
If you don’t hear an audible warning
sound or if the buzzer sounds intermit-tently when shifting the gear to the R
(Reverse) position, this may indicate a
malfunction in the rear parking assist sys-
tem. If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorised KIA dealer as
soon as possible.
WARNING
Pay close attention when the vehi-
cle is driven close to objects on the
road, particularly pedestrians, and
especially children. Be aware that
some objects may not be detected
by the sensors, due to the object’s
distance, size or material, all of
which can limit the effectiveness of
the sensor. Always perform a visu-al inspection to make sure the vehi-
cle is clear of all obstructions
before moving the vehicle in anydirection.
WARNING
Your new vehicle warranty does not
cover any accidents or damage to
the vehicle or injuries to its occu-pants due to a rear parking assist
system malfunction. Always drive
safely and cautiously.

55
Driving your vehicle
WARNING- Ignition switch
Never turn the ignition switch to LOCK or ACC whilst the vehicle
is moving. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which couldcause an accident.
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 1 st
gear for the
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.
Never reach for the ignition switch, or any other controls
through the steering wheel whilst
the vehicle is in motion. The pres-
ence of your hand or arm in this
area could cause a loss of vehicle
control, an accident and serious
bodily injury or death.
(Continued)(Continued)
Do not place any movable objectsaround the driver’s seat as they
may move whilst driving, inter-
fere with the driver and lead to anaccident.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 5 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-plished.
Depress the clutch pedal down fully
whilst shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an igni-
tion lock switch, the engine will not start
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal. (if equipped)
The shift lever must be returned to the
neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R (Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone. During cold weather, shifting may be difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
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),
leave the shift lever at N(Neutral) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OTA050010
CAUTION
When downshifting from fifth gear
to fourth gear, caution should betaken not to inadvertently pressthe shift lever sideways in such a
manner that the second gear isengaged. Such a drastic down-shift may cause the engine speed to increase to the point that the
tachometer will enter the red-zone. Such over-revving of theengine and transaxle may possi-bly cause engine damage.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear whenthe engine is running at highspeed (5,000 RPM or higher).Such a downshifting may damage
the engine.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on an uphill grade, whilst 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.

517
Driving your vehicle
Using 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 whilst driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal whilst driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the vehicle on an incline. This causes
unnecessary wear. Use the foot brake or
parking brake to hold the vehicle on an
incline. Do not operate the clutch pedal
rapidly and repeatedly.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or whilst driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labour.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is travelling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then makesure 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 can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.
CAUTION
When operating the clutch pedal, press the clutch pedal down fully. If
you don’t press the clutch pedalfully, the clutch may be damaged ornoise may occur.

Driving your vehicle
18
5
Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear and
coast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
Instead, when you are driving down a
long hill, shift to a lower gear. When
you do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your vehicle.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
reverse. The transaxle can be dam-
aged if you do not. To shift into reverse,
depress the clutch, move the shift lever
to neutral, wait three seconds, then
shift to the reverse position.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properlybelted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim- its.