2012 KIA PICANTO coolant temperature

Maintenance
24
7
ENGINE COOLANT
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. Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiatorcap
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 could result in seri-
ous personal injury from escap-ing hot coolant or steam.
Turn the engine off and wait until it 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Even if the engine is not operat-ing, do not remove the radiator cap 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.
WARNING
The electric motor (cool-
ing fan) is controlled byengine coolant tempera-
ture, refrigerant pres-
sure and vehicle speed.
It may sometimes operate evenwhen the engine is not running.
Use extreme caution when working
near the blades of the cooling fan
so that you are not injured by a
rotating fan blades. As the engine
coolant temperature decreases, the
electric motor will automatically
shut off. This is a normal condition.

725
Maintenance
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 (Full) and L (Low) marks on
the side of the coolant reservoir when theengine is cool.
If the coolant level is low, add enough
distilled (deionized) or soft water to pro-vide protection against freezing and cor-
rosion. Bring the level to F (Full) , but do
not overfill. If frequent additions are
required, see an authorized KIA dealer
for a cooling system inspection.
Recommended engine coolant
When adding coolant, use only deion-ized water or soft water for your vehicle
and never mix hard water in the
coolant filled at the factory. An improp-
er coolant mixture can result in serious
malfunction or engine damage.
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
OTA070004L

15
Introduction
INDICATOR SYMBOLS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
Seat belt warning light
High beam indicator
Turn signal indicator
ABS warning light*
Parking brake & Brake fluid
warning light
Engine oil pressure warning light
ESP indicator*
ESP OFF indicator*
Malfunction indicator lightAir bag warning light*
Immobiliser indicator
Low fuel level warning light* : if equipped
Charging system warning light
Overspeed warning light*
120km/h
Tail light indicator
Tailgate open warning light
Front fog light indicator*
Electric power steering (EPS)
system warning light*
Key low battery indicator*
Rear fog light indicator*
Door ajar warning light
Shift pattern indicator*
Manual transaxle shift indicator*
Key out warning light*
KEY
OUT
ECO indicator*ECO
Auto stop for ISG system indicator*
Low beam indicator Engine coolant temperature
warning light
❈
For more detailed explanations, refer to “Instrument cluster” in section 4.

Features of your vehicle
60
4
Malfunction indicator light
(MIL) (check engine light)
This indicator light is part of the Engine
Control System which monitors various
emission control system components. If
this light illuminates whilst driving, it indi-cates that a potential malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the emis-sion control system. This light will also illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON posi-
tion, and will go out in a few seconds
after the engine is started. If it illuminates
whilst driving, or does not illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position, take your vehicle to your
nearest authorised KIA dealer and have
the system checked.
Generally, your vehicle will continue to be
drivable, but have the system checked by
an authorised KIA dealer promptly.
Engine coolant tempera-ture warning light (if equipped)
The warning light illuminates if the tem-
perature of the engine coolant is above120±3.0°C (248±5.4°F).
Do not continue driving with an overheat-
ed engine. If your vehicle overheats, refer
to “Overheating” in section 6.
✽✽ NOTICE
If the engine coolant temperature warn-
ing light illuminates, it indicates over-
heating that may damage the engine.
CAUTION
Prolonged driving with the Malfunction Indicator Light illumi-
nated may cause damage to theemission control systems whichcould effect drivability and/or fuel economy.
CAUTION
If the Malfunction Indicator Lightilluminates, potential catalytic con-
verter damage is possible whichcould result in loss of enginepower. Have the Engine Control System inspected as soon as pos-
sible by an authorised KIA dealer.

Driving your vehicle
14
5
The green AUTO STOP ( ) indicator
on the instrument cluster will blink for 5
seconds and a message “Auto Start” will
appear on the LCD display. (if equipped) Condition of ISG system opera- tion
The ISG system will operate under
the following condition:
- The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
- The driver’s door and engine hood are closed.
- The brake vaccum pressure is ade- quate.
- The battery is sufficiently charged.
- The outside temperature is between -2°C to 35°C (28.4°F to 95°F).
- The engine coolant temperature is not too low.
✽✽ NOTICE
 If the ISG system does not meet the operation condition, the ISG system is
deactivated. The light on the ISG OFF
button will illuminate and a message
“Auto Stop Deactivated” will appear
on the LCD display.
 If the light or notice comes on contin- uously, please check the operation
condition.
OTA052023L
OTA050018R
OTA052026L

545
Driving your vehicle
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high quality
ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling
system. It is the only type of coolant that
should be used because it helps prevent
corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-
cates the water pump and prevents
freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish
your coolant in accordance with themaintenance schedule in section 7.
Before winter, have your coolant tested to assure that its freezing point is sufficient
for the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on the
battery system. Visually inspect the bat-
tery and cables as described in section
7. The level of charge in your battery can
be checked by an authorised KIA dealer
or a service station.Change to "winter weight" oil if
necessary In some climates it is recommended that
a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be
used during cold weather. See section 8
for recommendations. If you aren't sure
what weight oil you should use, consult
an authorised KIA dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition system
Inspect your spark plugs as described in
section 7 and replace them if necessary.
Also check all ignition wiring and compo-
nents to be sure they are not cracked,
worn or damaged in any way.
WARNING
- tyre chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 30 km/h (20 mph) or the chain manufacturer’s rec-
ommended speed limit, whichev-
er is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other
road hazards, which may cause
the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
CAUTION
Chains that are the wrong size or
improperly installed can damage
your vehicle's brake lines, sus-pension, body and wheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

551
Driving your vehicle
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the kerb (left if headed down hill,
right if headed up hill).
2. If the vehicle has a manual transaxle, place the car in neutral. If the vehicle
has an automatic transaxle, place the
car in P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels. 5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift
to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle or P
(Park) for automatic transaxle.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set.
WARNING - Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not over- heat. If the needle of the coolant
temperature gauge moves acrossthe dial towards “H (or 130°C / 260°F)” (HOT), pull over and stop
as soon as it is safe to do so, andallow the engine to idle until itcools down. You may proceedonce the engine has cooled suffi-
ciently.
You must decide the driving speed depending on trailerweight and uphill grade to reducethe possibility of engine and
transaxle overheating.
WARNING - Parking on a
hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause seri-
ous injury or death, should the trail-
er break loose.

67
What to do in an emergency
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
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 shift lever in P (Park) and set the parking brake. If the air condition-
ing is on, turn it off.
3. If engine coolant is running out under the car or steam is coming out from
the bonnet, stop the engine. Do notopen the bonnet 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 authorised KIA dealer for
assistance. 6. If you cannot find the cause of the
overheating, wait until the engine tem-
perature has returned to normal. Then,if coolant has been lost, carefully add
coolant to the reservoir to bring the
fluid level in the reservoir up to the
halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheating. If over-heating happens again, call an autho-
rised 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 authorised KIA dealer.