2008 KIA PICANTO brake fluid

Introduction
6
1
INDICATOR SYMBOLS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
Seat belt warning light
High beam indicator
Passenger’s front air bag OFF indicator (if equipped)
Turn signal indicator
ABS warning light (if equipped)
Parking brake & Brake fluid warning light
Engine oil pressure warning light
ESP indicator (if equipped)
ESP OFF indicator (if equipped)
Malfunction indicator (if equipped)
Air bag warning light (if equipped)
Immobilizer indicator (if equipped)
Low fuel level warning light
Glow indicator (Diesel only)
Fuel filter warning light (Diesel only)
* For more detailed explanations, refer to “Instrument cluster” in section 4.
Charging system warning light
A050000ASA
Door ajar warning light
Overspeed warning light (if equipped)
120km/h
Tailgate open warning light O/D OFF indicator (if equipped)
O/D
OFF
Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system warning light (if equipped) EPS
Engine coolant temperature indicator

Your vehicle at a glance
4
2
ENGINE COMPARTMENT B030000ASA
OSA017003
■■
Gasoline Engine
1. Engine coolant reservoir ...................7-25
2. Engine oil filler cap ...........................7-24
3. Brake fluid reservoir ..........................7-27
4. Air cleaner.........................................7-34
5. Fuse box ...........................................7-52
6. Negative battery terminal..................7-39
7. Positive battery terminal ...................7-39
8. Automatic transaxle fluid dipstick* ....7-29
9. Radiator cap .....................................7-25
10. Engine oil dipstick ...........................7-23
11. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ...7-31
* : if equipped

25
Your vehicle at a glance
OSA077002
■
■
Diesel Engine
1. Engine coolant reservoir ..................7-25
2. Engine oil filler cap ...........................7-24
3. Brake fluid reservoir .........................7-27
4. Fuel filter ..........................................7-32
5. Air cleaner ........................................7-34
6. Fuse box ..........................................7-52
7. Negative battery terminal .................7-39
8. Positive battery terminal ...................7-39
9. Radiator cap .....................................7-25
10. Engine oil dipstick ..........................7-23
11. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ..7-31

433
Features of your vehicle
D150308ASA
Parking brake & brake fluidwarning light
Parking brake warning
This 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. 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.
To check bulb operation, check whether
the parking brake and brake fluid warning
light illuminates when the ignition switchis in the ON position. Low brake vacuum pressure warning (diesel engine only)
If the warning light remains on, it may
indicate that the brake vacuum pump has
a problem. Therefore you should avoid
high speed driving or sudden stop, and
you should depress the brake pedaldeeper and harder than usual when
braking. Make sure you have the brake
system checked and repaired by an
authorized KIA dealer.
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.WARNING
Continuous braking while driving on steep or long downhill may
cause to descend the vacuum
level in brake booster for a time
and turn on the warning light. In
this case, shift down the
transaxle. If the warning light illu-
minate continuously, stop the
vehicle in the safe location andwait until the warning light goes
off.
Driving the vehicle with a warn- ing light on is dangerous. If thebrake warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked and
repaired immediately by an
authorized KIA dealer.

53
Driving your vehicle
E020100AUN
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
E020200AUN
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”. E020300AUN
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls are
easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 for more information on their
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
car into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment. Drivingwhile under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerousthan driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driveror call a cab.

535
Driving your vehicle
E120600AUN
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an
approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into
the key opening. If a lock is covered with
ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing
fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is
frozen internally, you may be able to thaw
it out by using a heated key. Handle the
heated key with care to avoid injury.
E120700AUN
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window washer
system from freezing, add an approved
window washer anti-freeze solution in
accordance with instructions on the con-
tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is
available from an authorized KIA dealer
and most auto parts outlets. Do not useengine coolant or other types of anti-
freeze as these may damage the paintfinish.E120800AUN
Don't let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
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 the parking
brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-
ily while you put the gear selector lever in
P (automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the car cannot
roll. Then release the parking brake.
E120900AUN
Don't let ice and snow accumu- late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and ice
can build up under the fenders and inter-
fere with the steering. When driving in
severe winter conditions where this may
happen, you should periodically check
underneath the car to be sure the move-
ment of the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.E121000ASA
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er, you should carry appropriate emer-
gency equipment. Some of the items you
may want to carry include tire chains, tow
straps or chains, flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, shovel, jumper cables, win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.

541
Driving your vehicle
E140500ASA
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-tion to include engine oil, automatic
transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling
system fluid. Brake condition is another
important item to frequently check. Each
item is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nutsand bolts should be tight.
CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailerusage, overheating might occurin hot days or during uphill driv-ing. If the coolant gauge indicates
over-heating, switch off the A/Cand stop the vehicle in a safe area to cool down the engine.
When towing, check the transaxle fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fan to improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.

What to do in an emergency
6
6
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
F050000ASA
If your temperature gauge indicates over-
heating, you experience a loss of power,
or hear loud pinging or knocking, the
engine is probably too hot. If this hap-
pens, you should:
1. Pull off the road and stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
2. Place the gear selector lever in P (auto- matic transaxle) or Neutral (manual
transaxle) and set the parking brake. If
the air conditioning is on, turn it off.
3. If the engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out
from the hood, stop the engine. Do notopen the hood until the coolant has
stopped running or the steaming has
stopped. If there is no visible loss of
engine coolant and no steam, leave
the engine running and check to be
sure the engine cooling fan is operat-
ing. If the fan is not running, turn the
engine off. 4. Check to see if the water pump drive
belt is missing. If it is not missing,
check to see that it is tight. If the drive
belt seems to be satisfactory, check for
coolant leaking from the radiator,
hoses or under the car. (If the air con-
ditioning had been in use, it is normal
for cold water to be draining from it
when you stop).
5. If the water pump drive belt is broken or engine coolant is leaking out, stop the engine immediately and call the
nearest authorized KIA dealer for
assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of over-
heating, wait until the engine tempera-
ture has returned to normal. Then,
check to see if the coolant has beenlost, carefully add coolant to the reser-
voir to bring the fluid level in the reser-
voir up to the halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-heating happens again, call an author-
ized KIA dealer for assistance.
WARNING
While the engine is running, keep
hair, hands and clothing away from
moving parts such as the fan and
drive belts to prevent injury.
WARNING
Do not remove the radiator cap
when the engine is hot. This can
allow coolant to be blown out of the
opening and cause serious burns.
CAUTION
Serious loss of coolant indicates there is a leak in the cooling systemand this should be checked as soonas possible by an authorized KIA dealer.