KIA PICANTO 2012 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
24
5
Moving up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start
To move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the
appropriate gear depending on load
weight and steepness of the grade, and
release the parking brake. Depress the
accelerator gradually whilst releasing the
service brakes.
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 or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people orobjects.

525
Driving your vehicle
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that 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 nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, 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.In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate whilst 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 (Continued)
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 safely 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
whilst maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performancereturns to normal.
Always, confirm the position of the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't checkthe position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It maycause a serious accident.
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.
(Continued)
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake whilst
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds 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.

Driving your vehicle
26
5
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.
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 tyres and when you have
the front brakes replaced.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then pull up the park-
ing brake lever as far as possible. In addition it is recommended that when
parking the vehicle on a incline, the shift
lever should be in a low gear on manual
transaxle vehicles or in the P (Park) posi-
tion on 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 the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
OTA050012/H

527
Driving your vehicle
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull up the parking
brake lever slightly. Secondly depress the
release button (1) and lower the parking
brake lever (2) whilst holding the button.
If the parking brake does not release or
does not release all the way, have the
system checked by an authorised KIA
dealer.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move- ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parkingbrake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned 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 vehicle
which can injure occupants orpedestrians.
OTA050013R
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessive brake
pad and brake rotor wear.
Do not operate the parking brake whilst the vehicle is moving exceptin an emergency situation. It could
damage the vehicle system and make endanger driving safety.

Driving your vehicle
28
5
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 ignition switch in the START or ONposition.
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 whilst
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function 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 whilst operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop. Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if equipped)
W-75
WARNING
ABS (or ESP) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving manoeuvres. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Program system) may be longer
than for those without it in the fol-
lowing road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle should be driven at reducedspeeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered roads.
With tyre chains installed. (Continued)
(Continued)
On roads where the road surfaceis pitted or has different surface height.
The safety features of an ABS (or
ESP) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.

529
Driving your vehicle
W-78
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on andstays on, you may have a problemwith the ABS. In this case, howev- er, your regular brakes will worknormally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds afterthe ignition switch is ON. During that time, the ABS will go throughself-diagnosis and the light will gooff if everything is normal. If thelight stays on, you may have aproblem with your ABS. Contactan authorised KIA dealer as soon as possible.
The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, 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 situa-
tion warrants and allow the ABS to con-
trol the force being delivered to the
brakes.✽✽ 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.

Driving your vehicle
30
5
✽✽
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 the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
 Do not pump your brakes!
 Have the battery recharged before driving the vehicle.
Electronic stability program (ESP) (if equipped)
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
system is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering manoeuvres. ESP
checks where you are steering and where
the vehicle is actually going.
ESP applies the brakes at individual
wheels and intervenes in the engine
management system to stabilize the
vehicle.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-ously, the ABS will be active con-tinuously and the ABS warning light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop theengine.
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 anauthorised KIA dealer as soon as
possible.
OTA050014R

531
Driving your vehicle
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESP will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESP is active.✽✽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 Electronic Stability
Program System is functioning proper-
ly. WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability program
(ESP) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
manoeuvres and hydroplaning onwet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding manoeuvres that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESP installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.

Driving your vehicle
32
5
ESP operation
ESP ON condition
ON, ESP and ESP OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESP is turned on.
after turning the ignition ON
to turn ESP off. (ESP OFF
indicator will illuminate). To
turn the ESP on, press the
ESP OFF button (ESP OFFindicator light will go off).
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESP per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem. When operating
When the ESP is in operation,
the ESP indicator light blinks.
Program is operating proper-
ly, you can feel a slight pulsa-
tion in the vehicle. This is only
the effect of brake control and
indicates nothing unusual.
or driving on a slippery road,
the engine rpm (revolution
per minute) may not be
increased even if you press
the accelerator pedal deeply.This is to maintain the stabili-
ty and traction of the vehicleand does not indicate a prob-lem.
ESP operation off
ESP OFF state
press the ESP OFF button (ESP OFF indicator light illu-minates).
to LOCK position when ESP
is off, ESP remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the
ESP will automatically turn onagain.
-

533
Driving your vehicle
Indicator light
When ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
the ESP system is operating normally.
The ESP indicator light blinks whenever
ESP is operating or illuminates when
ESP fails to operate. ESP OFF indicator light comes on when
the ESP is turned off with the button.
ESP OFF usage
When driving
ESP should be turned on for daily driv-ing whenever possible.
To turn ESP off whilst driving, press the ESP OFF button whilst driving on a
flat road surface.
Never press the ESP OFF button whilst
ESP is operating (ESP indicator light
blinks).
If ESP is turned off whilst ESP is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.
✽✽ NOTICE
 When operating the vehicle on a dynamometer, ensure that the ESP is
turned off (ESP OFF light illuminat-
ed).
 Turning the ESP off does not affect
ABS or brake system operation.
■ESP indicator light
■ ESP OFF indicator light CAUTION
Driving with varying tyre or wheel
sizes may cause the ESP system to
malfunction. When replacing tyres,make sure they are the same size asyour original tyres.
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 whilst ESP is operating. If the ESP is turned off whilst ESP
is operating, the vehicle may go out
of control.
To turn ESP off whilst driving,
press the ESP OFF button whilst
driving on a flat road surface.