2008 KIA PICANTO ESP

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Driving your vehicle
E070500ASA
Electronic stability program (ESP) (If equipped)
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
system is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering maneuvers. ESP checks
where you are steering and where the
vehicle is actually going. ESP applies the
brakes at individual wheels and
intervenes with the engine management
system to stabilize the 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 speed 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 according to
road conditions or too quickly when
cornering. Electronic stability pro-
gram (ESP) will not prevent acci-
dents. Excessive speed in turns,
abrupt maneuvers and hydroplan-ing on wet surfaces can still result
in serious accidents. Only a safe
and attentive driver can prevent
accidents by avoiding maneuvers
that cause the vehicle to lose trac-
tion. Even with ESP installed,
always follow all the normal precau-
tions for driving - including driving
at safe speeds for the conditions.
OSA057008

Driving your vehicle
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5
E070501AUN-EE
ESP operation
ESP ON condition
ON, ESP and ESP OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESP is turned on.
Press the ESP OFF button for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESP off. (ESP OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn theESP on, press the ESP OFF
button (ESP OFF indicatorlight 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,
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 slippery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase. E070502AUN-EE
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.
-
ESP
ESP
OFF

523
Driving your vehicle
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Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned ON,
the indicator light illuminates, then goes
off if ESP system is operating normally.
The ESP indicator light blinks whenever
ESP is operating. The ESP OFF indicator light comes on
when either the ESP is turned off with the
button, or ESP fails to operate when
turned on.E070504AEN-EE
ESP OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESP turned
on for daily driving 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

Driving your vehicle
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5
E070600ASA Good braking practices Check to be sure the parking brake is
not engaged and 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 assis-
tance.
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.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or park your vehicle, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the park position. If the park-
ing brake is not fully engaged, the
vehicle may move inadvertently
and injure yourself and others.
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.

Driving your vehicle
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E100000ASA
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a liter
(gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-tion. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at leastonce a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your carin accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
Keep your car clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

529
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
The ESP system (if equipped) should be
turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
E110300AUN 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. E110400AUN 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.
OUN056051OCM053010
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.

Driving your vehicle
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Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
Keep your headlights clean and prop- erly aimed on vehicles not equipped with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-cult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blind, and it will take sever-
al seconds for your eyes to readjust to
the darkness.
E110500AUN Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder tosee and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
Keep your windshield wiping equip- ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missingareas on the windshield. If your tires are not in good condition,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it eas- ier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking oper-
ation returns.
E110600AUN 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.
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Driving your vehicle
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Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not
drop to the road if it becomes separatedfrom the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be
provided by the hitch manufacturer or by
the trailer manufacturer. Follow the man-
ufacturer’s recommendation for attaching
safety chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trailer.
And, never allow safety chains drag on
the ground. E140300AUN
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to your
country’s regulations and that it is prop-
erly installed and operating correctly.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
loaded, then it needs its own brakes and
they must be adequate. Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes so you’ll be able to install, adjust
and maintain them properly.
Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake sys-
tem. E140400ASA Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you must get to know
your trailer. Acquaint yourself with the
feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not
nearly so responsive as your vehicle is
by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector(s), lights, tires and mirror
adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-
ing and then apply the trailer brake con-
troller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets you check your electri-
cal connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and trailer brakes are still working.
WARNING
- Trailer brakes
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolutely
certain that you have properly set
up the brake system. This is not a
task for amateurs. Use an experi-
enced, competent trailer shop for
this work.