warning KIA PICANTO 2014 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
34
5
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 while driving, press the ESP OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press the ESP OFF button while
ESP is operating (ESP indicator light
blinks).
If ESP is turned off while 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 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. If the ESP is turned off while ESP is
operating, the vehicle may go out of
control.
To turn ESP off while driving, press
the ESP OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.

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Driving your vehicle
Hill-start assist control (HAC) (if equipped)
Hill start Assist Control is a comfort func-
tion. The main intend is to prevent the
vehicle from rolling backwards while driv-
ing off uphill on an inclined surface. HAC
holds the braking pressure builtup by
driver during stopping procedure for 2
seconds after releasing brake pedal.
During the pressure-hold period, the
driver has enough time to press the
accelerator pedal to drive off.
The braking pressure is reduced as soon
as the system detects the driver’s inten-
tion to drive off.✽✽NOTICE
 The HAC does not operate when the transaxle shift lever is in the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position.
 The HAC activates even though the
ESP is off but it does not activate
when the ESP has malfunctioned. Vehicle stability management (VSM) (if equipped)
This system provides further enhance-
ments to vehicle stability and steering
responses when a vehicle is driving on a
slippery road or a vehicle detected
changes in coefficient of friction between
right wheels and left wheels when brak-ing.
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESP indi-
cator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability management
is operating properly, you can feel a slight
pulsation in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and indicates noth-
ing unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on bank road such as gradientor incline
Driving rearward
ESP OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
WARNING
The HAC is usually activated only
for 2 seconds. The driver should be
careful from the rolling backwardcausing the accident with behind
objects or human, when the driver
may feel the unintended rolling
backward while driving off on hilldue to insufficient brake hold pres-
sure built-up by driver during stop-
ping procedure.

Driving your vehicle
36
5
VSM operation off
If you press the ESP OFF button to turn off
the ESP, the VSM will also cancel and the
ESP OFF indicator light ( ) illuminates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESP OFF indicator light goesout.
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if you
don’t cancel the VSM operation by press-
ing the ESP OFF button. It indicates thata malfunction has been detected some-
where in the Electric Power Steering sys-
tem or VSM system. If the ESP indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light remains
on, we recommend that you contact an
authorized Kia dealer.
✽✽
NOTICE
 The VSM is designed to function above approximately 15 km/h (9 mph)
on curves.
 The VSM is designed to function above approximately 30 km/h (18
mph) when a vehicle is braking on a
split-mu road. The split-mu road is
made of surfaces which have different
friction forces.
ESS : Emergency Stop Signal The Emergency Stop Signal system
alerts the driver behind by blinking the
stop light when the vehicle suddenly
stops or when the ABS activates in a
stop. (The system activates when the
vehicle speed is over 55km/h and the
vehicle deceleration is over 7m/s² or the
ABS activates when the vehicle emer-
gency braking.)
When the vehicle speed is under 40 km/h
and the ABS deactivates or the sudden
stop situation is over, the stop light blink-
ing will stop.
WARNING
The Vehicle Stability Management system is not a substitute for
safe driving practices but a sup-
plementary function only. It is theresponsibility of the driver to
always check the speed and the
distance to the vehicle ahead.
Always hold the steering wheel
firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to acti- vate according to the driver’s
intention, even with installed
VSM. Always follow all the normal
precautions for driving at safe
speeds for the conditions –
including driving inclement
weather and on a slippery road.
Driving with varying tire or wheel sizes may cause the VSM system
to malfunction. When replacing
tires, make sure they are the
same size as your original tires.
CAUTION
The Emergency Stop Signal system
will not work if the hazard warning flasher is already on.

537
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
After parking the vehicle, check to besure the parking brake is not engaged
and that the parking brake indicator
light is out before driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet when
the car is washed. Wet brakes can be
dangerous! Your car will not stop as
quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet brakes
may cause the car to pull to one side. To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the car
under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and call an
authorized Kia dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the car out of gear. This is extremely hazardous.
Keep the car in gear at all times, use
the brakes to slow down, then shift to a
lower gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driv-ing can be dangerous because it can
result in the brakes overheating and los-
ing their effectiveness. It also increases
the wear of the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
car pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving slow-
ly enough for it to be safe to do so, pull
off the road and stop in a safe place.
If your car is equipped with an auto- matic transaxle, don't let your car
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the car is stopped. Be cautious when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (Park). If your
car is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep the
car from rolling. If your car is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the car from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the car from rolling, block the wheels.
Under some conditions your parking brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while y ou put the shift lever
in P (Park) and block the rear wheels so
the car cannot roll. Then release the
parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat. Always
use the brake pedal or parking brake.
WARNING
Whenever leaving vehicle or parking, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the park position. Vehicles
not fully engaged in park with the
parking brake set are at risk for
moving inadvertently and injur-
ing yourself or others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadvertent
movement of the car which caninjure occupants or pedestrians.

539
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 too high
a gear resulting in the engine bucking. If
this happens, shift to a lower gear. Over-
revving is racing the engine beyond its
safe limit. This can be avoided by shift-
ing at the recommended speeds. 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 speeds 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, we recommend that the
system be serviced by an authorized Kia
dealer.
WARNING - Engine off
during 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 prop-
erly without the engine running.
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 seri-
ous injury or death.

Driving your vehicle
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5
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 movements in 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. 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 dam-
age 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.
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Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
The ESP system (if equipped) should be
turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
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. 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.
OMC035004
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.
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543
Driving your vehicle
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allowadequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are going
to drive before you begin driving.Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽✽
NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden tirefailure leading to accidents,
injuries, and even death. Always
check tires for proper inflation
before driving. For proper tire
pressures, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-out tires can result in loss of vehi-
cle control, collisions, injury, and
even death. Worn-out tires should
be replaced as soon as possible
and should never be used for driv-
ing. Always check the tire tread
before driving your car. For further
information and tread limits, refer
to “Tires and wheels” in section 7.
OSA028008

Driving your vehicle
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More severe weather conditions of winter
result in greater wear and other prob-
lems. To minimize winter driving problem,
you should follow these suggestions: Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-
cations, and sharp turns are potentially
very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-
cient distance between the vehicle in
operation in front and your vehicle. Also,
apply the brake gently. It should be notedthat installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.
✽✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all countries.
Check the country laws before fitting
tire chains.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and municipal regu- lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING - Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety
and handling of your vehicle may
be adversely affected.
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Driving your vehicle
Tire chains
Since the sidewalls of radial tires are
thinner, they can be damaged by mount-
ing some types of snow chains on them.
Therefore, the use of snow tires is rec-
ommended instead of snow chains. Do
not mount tire chains on vehicles
equipped with aluminum wheels; snow
chains may cause damage to the wheels.
If snow chains must be used, use wire-
type chains with a thickness of less than
12 mm (0.47 in). Damage to your vehicle
caused by improper snow chain use is
not covered by your vehicle manufactur-
ers warranty.
Install tire chains only on the front tires.Chain installation
When installing chains, follow the manu-
facturer's instructions and mount them as
tightly as you can. Drive slowly with
chains installed. If you hear the chains
contacting the body or chassis, stop and
tighten them. If they still make contact,
slow down until it stops. Remove the
chains as soon as you begin driving on
cleared roads.
CAUTION
Make sure the snow chains are
the correct size and type for your
tires. Incorrect snow chains cancause damage to the vehicle bodyand suspension and may not be covered by your vehicle manufac-
turer warranty. Also, the snowchain connecting hooks may bedamaged from contacting vehicle
components causing the snow chains to come loose from thetire. Make sure the snow chainsare SAE class “S” certified.
Always check chain installation for proper mounting after drivingapproximately 0.5 to 1 km (0.3 to0.6 miles) to ensure safe mount-ing. Retighten or remount the
chains if they are loose.
WARNING
- Mounting chains
When mounting snow chains, park
the vehicle on level ground away
from traffic. Turn on the vehicle
Hazard Warning flashers and place
a triangular emergency warning
device behind the vehicle if avail-
able. Always place the vehicle in P
(Park), apply the parking brake and
turn off the engine before installing
snow chains.1JBA4068