2012 KIA PICANTO Owners Manual

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Driving your vehicle
W-78
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on andstays on, you may have a problemwith the ABS. In this case, howev- er, your regular brakes will worknormally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds afterthe ignition switch is ON. During that time, the ABS will go throughself-diagnosis and the light will gooff if everything is normal. If thelight stays on, you may have aproblem with your ABS. Contactan authorized KIA dealer as soon as possible.
The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
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 ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the situa-
tion warrants and allow the ABS to con-
trol the force being delivered to the
brakes.✽✽ 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 anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system, your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.

Driving your vehicle
38
5
✽✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
 Do not pump your brakes!
 Have the battery recharged before driving the vehicle.
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 in the engine
management system to stabilize the
vehicle.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-ously, the ABS will be active con-tinuously and the ABS warning light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop theengine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light is off, then your
ABS system is normal.Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact anauthorized KIA dealer as soon as
possible.
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Driving your 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 speeds 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 for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability program
(ESP) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers and hydroplaning onwet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding maneuvers that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESP installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.

Driving your vehicle
40
5
ESP operation
ESP ON condition
ON, ESP and ESP OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESP is turned on.
after turning the ignition ON
to turn ESP off. (ESP OFF
indicator will illuminate). To
turn the ESP on, press the
ESP OFF button (ESP OFFindicator light 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,
the 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 driving on a slippery road,
the engine rpm (revolution
per minute) may not be
increased even if you press
the accelerator pedal deeply.This is to maintain the stabili-
ty and traction of the vehicleand does not indicate a prob-lem.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
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.

Driving your vehicle
42
5
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.

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Driving your vehicle
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 ( ) illumi-
nates.
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, take your vehicle to an authorized
KIA dealer and have the system
checked.
✽✽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 will
not blink.
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.

Driving your vehicle
44
5
Good braking practices
After parking the vehicle, check to be
sure 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 assis-
tance.
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
losing their effectiveness. It also
increases the wear of the brake com-
ponents.
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
slowly 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 inadver-
tent movement of the car whichcan injure occupants or pedestri-ans.