2008 KIA PICANTO maintenance

Maintenance
24
7
3. Turn the engine off and wait for a few
minutes (about 5 minutes) for the oil to
return to the oil pan.
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and re-insert it fully.
5. Pull the dipstick out again and check the level. The level should be betweenF and L. If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring
the level to F.
Do not overfill.
Use a funnel to help prevent oil frombeing spilled on engine components.
Use only the specified engine oil. (Refer to “Recommended lubricants and capaci-
ties” in section 9.)
G060200ASA Changing the engine oil and filter
Have the engine oil and filter changed by
an authorized KIA dealer according tothe Maintenance Schedule at the begin-ning of this section.
WARNING - Radiator hose
Be very careful not to touch the
radiator hose when checking or
adding the engine oil as it may be
hot enough to burn you.
OSA077004
WARNING
Used engine oil may cause skin irri- tation or cancer if left in contact
with the skin for prolonged periods
of time. Used engine oil contains
chemicals that have caused cancer
in laboratory animals. Always pro-
tect your skin by washing your
hands thoroughly with soap and
warm water as soon as possibleafter handling used oil.

725
Maintenance
ENGINE COOLANT
G070000AUN The high-pressure cooling system has a
reservoir filled with year-round antifreeze
coolant. The reservoir is filled at the fac-
tory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at thebeginning of the winter season, and
before traveling to a colder climate. G070100ASA
Checking the coolant level Check the condition and connections of all cooling system hoses and heater
hoses. Replace any swollen or deterio-
rated hoses.
The coolant level should be filled
between F and L marks on the side of the
coolant reservoir when the engine iscool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
specified coolant to provide protection
against freezing and corrosion. Bring the
level to F, but do not overfill. If frequent
additions are required, see an authorized
KIA dealer for a cooling system inspec-tion.
WARNING- Removing
radiator cap
Never attempt to remove the radi- ator cap while the engine is oper-
ating or hot. Doing so might leadto cooling system and engine
damage and hot coolant or steam
could cause serious personal
injury.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Turn the engine off and wait untilit cools down. Use extreme care
when removing the radiator cap.
Wrap a thick towel around it, and
turn it counterclockwise slowly to
the first stop. Step back while the
pressure is released from the
cooling system. When you aresure all the pressure has been
released, press down on the cap,
using a thick towel, and continue
turning counterclockwise to
remove it.
Even if the engine is not operat- ing, do not remove the radiatorcap or the drain plug while the
engine and radiator are hot. Hot
coolant and steam may still blow
out under pressure, causing seri-
ous injury.
OSA077005

Maintenance
26
7
G070101AUN
Recommended engine coolant
Use only soft (de-mineralized) water in
the coolant mixture.
The engine in your vehicle has alu- minum engine parts and must be pro-
tected by an ethylene-glycol-based
coolant to prevent corrosion and freez-ing.
DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol coolant or mix them with the specifiedcoolant.
Do not use a solution that contains more than 60% antifreeze or less than
35% antifreeze, which would reduce
the effectiveness of the solution. For mixture percentage, refer to the fol-
lowing table.
-15°C (5°F) 35 65
-25°C (-13°F) 40 60
-35°C (-31°F) 50 50
-45°C (-49°F) 60 40
Ambient
Temperature Mixture Percentage (volume)
Antifreeze Water
WARNING -
Radiator cap
Do not remove the radiator cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Scalding hot coolant and
steam may blow out under pres-
sure causing serious injury.
OSA077006

727
Maintenance
G070200AUN Changing the coolant
Have coolant changed by an authorized KIA dealer according to the MaintenanceSchedule at the beginning of this section.G080100ASA
Checking the brake/clutch fluid
level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX and MIN marks on the
side of the reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake/clutch fluid, clean the area
around the reservoir cap thoroughly to
prevent brake/clutch fluid contamination.If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
level. The level will fall with accumulated
mileage. This is a normal condition asso-
ciated with the wear of the brake linings.
If the fluid level is excessively low, have
the brake system checked by an author-
ized KIA dealer.
Use only the specified brake/clutch fluid.
(Refer to “Recommended lubricants or
capacities” in section 9.)
Never mix different types of fluid.CAUTION
Put a thick cloth around the radiatorcap before refilling the coolant inorder to prevent the coolant from
overflowing into engine parts such as the generator.
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to paint and body trim.
BRAKE/CLUTCH FLUID (IF EQUIPPED)
OSA077007
WARNING - Loss of brake fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorized KIA dealer.

Maintenance
28
7
WARNING - Brake/clutch fluid
When changing and adding
brake/clutch fluid, handle it careful-
ly. Do not let it come in contact with
your eyes. If brake/clutch fluid
should come in contact with your
eyes, immediately flush them with a
large quantity of fresh tap water.
Have your eyes examined by a doc-
tor as soon as possible.CAUTION
Do not allow brake/clutch fluid con- tact the vehicle's body paint, aspaint damage will result.
Brake/clutch fluid, which has been exposed to open air for an extendedtime should never be used as its
quality cannot be guaranteed. It should be disposed of properly.
Don't put in the wrong kind of fluid. A few drops of mineral-based oil,
such as engine oil, in yourbrake/clutch system can damage
brake system parts.

729
Maintenance
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (IF EQUIPPED)
G100100ASA
Checking the automatic transaxle
fluid level
The automatic transaxle fluid level
should be checked regularly.
Keep the vehicle on level ground with the
parking brake applied and check the fluid
level according to the following proce-
dure.
1. Place the shift lever in N (Neutral) posi- tion and confirm if the engine is run-
ning at normal idle speed. 2. After the transaxle is warmed up suffi-
ciently [fluid temperature 70~80°C
(158~176°F)], for example by 10 min-
utes usual driving, move the shift leverthrough all positions then place the
shift lever in N(Neutral) or P(Park)position.
3. Confirm if the fluid level is in the "HOT"range on the level gauge. If the fluid
level is lower, add the specified fluid
from the fill hole. If the fluid level is
higher, drain the fluid from the drain
hole.
4. If the fluid level is checked in cold con- dition [fluid temperature 20~30°C(68~86°F)], add the fluid to the "COLD"
line and then recheck the fluid level
according to the above step 2.
OSA077008OSA077009
HOT
COLD

Maintenance
30
7
✽✽
NOTICE
The “COLD” range is for reference only
and should NOT be used to determinethe transaxle fluid level.
✽
✽ NOTICE
New automatic transaxle fluid should be
red. The red dye is added so the assem-bly plant can identify it as automatic
transaxle fluid and distinguish it from
engine oil or antifreeze. The red dye,
which is not an indicator of fluid quali-
ty, is not permanent. As the vehicle isdriven, the automatic transaxle fluid
will begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an authorized KIA
dealer change the automatic transaxlefluid according to the ScheduledMaintenance at the beginning of thissection.
Use only the specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to "Recommended
lubricants or capacities" in section 9.)
G100200AUN Changing the automatic transaxle fluid
Have the automatic transaxle fluid
changed by an authorized KIA dealeraccording to the Maintenance Scheduleat the beginning of this section.
WARNING - Transaxle fluid
The transaxle fluid level should be
checked when the engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature. This
means that the engine, radiator,
radiator hose and exhaust system
etc., are very hot. Exercise great
care not to burn yourself during
this procedure.
CAUTION
Low fluid level causes transaxle slippage. Overfilling can cause
foaming, loss of fluid and transaxle malfunction.
The use of a non-specified fluid could cause transaxle malfunc-tion and failure.
WARNING - Parking brake
To avoid sudden movement of the
vehicle, apply the parking brake
and depress the brake pedal before
moving the shift lever.

731
Maintenance
WASHER FLUID
G120100ASA
Checking the washer fluid level
The reservoir is translucent so that you
can check the level with a quick visualinspection.
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing. G140100ASA
Checking the parking brake
Check the stroke of the parking brake by
counting the number of “clicks’’ heardwhile fully applying it from the released
position. Also, the parking brake alone
should securely hold the vehicle on a fair-
ly steep grade. If the stroke is more or
less than specified, have the parking
brake adjusted by an authorized KIA
dealer.
Stroke :
6~8 “clicks’’ at a force of
20 kg (44 lbs, 196 N).
WARNING - Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to the paint and body trim.
Windshield Washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allowsparks or flame come in contactwith the washer fluid or the wash-
er fluid reservoir. Damage to the
vehicle or occupants could
occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid coming incontact with the windshield wash-
er fluid. Serious injury or death
could occur.
OSA077010OSA057021
PARKING BRAKE