brakes KIA PICANTO 2012 Owners Manual

Introduction
4
1
Use of MTBE
KIA recommends avoiding fuels contain-
ing MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether)
over 15.0% vol. (Oxygen Content 2.7%
weight) in your vehicle.
Fuel containing MTBE over 15.0% vol.
(Oxygen Content 2.7% weight) may
reduce vehicle performance and produce
vapor lock or hard starting.
Do not use methanol
Fuels containing methanol (wood alco-
hol) should not be used in your vehicle.
This type of fuel can reduce vehicle per-
formance and damage components ofthe fuel system.
Fuel Additives
KIA recommends that you use good quality gasolines meet Europe Fuel stan-
dards (EN228) or equivalents.
For customers who do not use good
quality gasolines including fuel additives
regularly, and have problems starting or
the engine does not run smoothly, one
bottle of additives added to the fuel tank
at every 15,000km (For Europe)/
5,000km (Except Europe). Additives are
available from your authorized KIA deal-
er along with information on how to use
them. Do not mix other additives.
Operation in foreign countries
If you are going to drive your vehicle in
another country, be sure to:
Observe all regulations regarding reg-
istration and insurance.
Determine that acceptable fuel is avail- able. No special break-in period is needed. By
following a few simple precautions for the
first 1,000 km (600 miles) you may add to
the performance, economy and life of
your vehicle.
Do not race the engine.
While driving, keep your engine speed
(rpm, or revolutions per minute)
between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm.
Do not maintain a single speed for long
periods of time, either fast or slow.
Varying engine speed is needed to
properly break-in the engine.
Avoid hard stops, except in emergen- cies, to allow the brakes to seat prop-
erly.
Don't let the engine idle longer than 3 minutes at one time.
Don't tow a trailer during the first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) of operation.
VEHICLE BREAK-IN PROCESS
CAUTION
Your New Vehicle Limited Warranty
may not cover damage to the fuelsystem and any performance prob-lems that are caused by the use offuels containing methanol or fuels
containing MTBE (Methyl TertiaryButyl Ether) over 15.0% vol. (Oxygen Content 2.7% weight.)

Features of your vehicle
58
4
Electronic brake
force distribution
(EBD) system
warning light
If both warning lights illuminate at the
same time while driving, your vehicle
may have a malfunction with the ABSand EBD system.
In this case, your ABS and regular brake
system may not work normally. Have the
vehicle checked by an authorized KIA
dealer as soon as possible.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 while 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 author-
ized 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
while 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.
WARNING
If the both ABS and brake warning
lights are on and stay on, your vehi-
cle’s brake system will not work
normally during sudden braking. In
this case, avoid high speed driving
and abrupt braking. Have your vehi-
cle checked by an authorized KIA
dealer as soon as possible.
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 authorized KIA dealer.

467
Features of your vehicle
Non-operational conditions of rear parking assist system
The rear parking assist system may
not operate properly when:
1. Moisture is frozen to the sensor. (It willoperate normally when the moisture has been cleared.)
2. The sensor is covered with foreign matter, such as snow or water, or the
sensor cover is blocked. (It will operate
normally when the material is removed
or the sensor is no longer blocked.)
3. Driving on uneven road surfaces (unpaved roads, gravel, bumps, gradi-ent).
4. Objects generating excessive noise (vehicle horns, loud motorcycle
engines, or truck air brakes) are within
range of the sensor.
5. Heavy rain or water spray exists.
6. Wireless transmitters or mobile phones are within range of the sensor.
7. The sensor is covered with snow.
8. Trailer towing The detecting range may decrease when:
1. The sensor is stained with foreign mat-
ter such as snow or water. (The sens-
ing range will return to normal when
removed.)
2. Outside air temperature is extremely hot or cold.
The following objects may not be rec-
ognized by the sensor:
1. Sharp or slim objects such as ropes, chains or small poles.
2. Objects which tend to absorb the sen- sor frequency such as clothes, spongy
material or snow.
3. Undetectable objects smaller than 1 m (40 in.) in height and narrower than 14
cm (6 in.) in diameter. Rear parking assist system pre- cautions
The rear parking assist system may
not sound sequentially depending on the speed and shapes of the objectsdetected.
The rear parking assist system may malfunction if the vehicle bumperheight or sensor installation has been
modified or damaged. Any non-factory
installed equipment or accessories
may also interfere with the sensor per-
formance.
The sensor may not recognize objects less than 40 cm (15 in.) from the sen-
sor, or it may sense an incorrect dis-
tance. Use caution.
When the sensor is frozen or stained with snow, dirt, or water, the sensor
may be inoperative until the stains are
removed using a soft cloth.
Do not push, scratch or strike the sen- sor. Sensor damage could occur.

Driving your vehicle
26
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.

Driving your vehicle
28
5
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear.Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position when the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the drivewheels from rotating.
WARNING - Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, beforeshifting a car into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movementcan occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order iden-tified.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on.
When stopped on an incline, do not hold the vehicle stationarywith engine power. Use the serv-ice brake or the parking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion will cause the
drive wheels to lock which will
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) position
and set the parking brake fully.
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion.

529
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the lower gear.
✽✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
3 (Third gear)
Use for towing a trailer during hill climb-
ing or to use engine braking downhill.
"3" automatically shifts between 1st, 2nd
and 3rd gears. This means that no shift-
up to 4th gear is performed. However, theshift-up to 4th gear is done when the car
speed exceeds a certain value to prevent
the engine from over-revving. Manually
move the selector to "D" when returning
to normal driving condition.
2 (Second gear)
Use for driving on a slippery road, hill
climbing or engine braking downhill. "2"
automatically shifts between first and
second gears. This means that no shift-up to 3rd gear is
performed. However, the shift-up to thirdgear is done when the car speed
exceeds a certain value to prevent the
engine from over-revving. Manually move
the selector to "D" returning to normal
driving condition.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except as explained in“Rocking the vehicle” in this sec- tion.

Driving your vehicle
30
5
1 (First gear)
Use for driving up a very steep grade or
for engine braking when descending
steep hills. When downshifting to "1", the
transaxle will temporarily remain in sec-
ond gear until the vehicle has slowed
enough for low gear to engage. Do not
exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) in low gear.
"1" shifts to 1st gear only. However, shift
up to 2nd is performed when the car
exceeds a certain speed and, as speed
increases, the transaxle will shift up to
3rd gear to prevent over-revving the
engine.
✽✽
NOTICE
 For smooth and safe operation, depress the brake pedal when shifting
from "N" (Neutral) position or "P"
(Park) position to a forward or "R"
(Reverse) gear.
 Fully depress the brake pedal in order to move the shift lever from the "P"
(Park) position to any of the other
positions.
 It is always possible to shift from "R",
"N", "D", "3", "2", "1" position to
"P" position. The vehicle must be
fully stopped to avoid transaxle dam-
age.
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal isdepressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
noise near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.CAUTION
Shift into "R" and "P" position
only when the vehicle has com-
pletely stopped.
Do not accelerate the engine in reverse or any of the forwardpositions with the brakes applied.
Always apply the footbrake when shifting from "P" or "N", to "R","D","3", "2" or "1" position.
Check the automatic transaxle fluid level regularly, and add fluidas necessary.
See the maintenance schedule forthe proper fluid recommendation.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting out
of the P (Park) position into anoth-
er position to avoid inadvertent
motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the car.

531
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into R
(Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, slow down and shift to
a lower gear. When you do this, engine
braking will help slow the car.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear maynot be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in P
(Park) to keep the car from moving.
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.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-tor pedal.
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.

Driving your vehicle
32
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 while 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.

533
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 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 (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
while 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 while
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.