2012 KIA PICANTO engine

723
Maintenance
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 travelling to a colder climate. Checking the coolant level
WARNING
Removing radiatorcap
Never attempt to remove the radi- ator cap whilst the engine is
operating or hot. Doing so mightlead to cooling system and
engine damage and could result
in serious personal injury fromescaping 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 whilst
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 whilst 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.

Maintenance
24
7
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 authorised 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

725
Maintenance
Changing the coolant
Have coolant changed by an authorised KIA dealer according to the MaintenanceSchedule at the beginning of this section.
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.
CAUTION
Put a thick cloth around the radiator cap before refilling the coolant in order 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 windscreen and may
cause loss of vehicle control or
damage to paint and body trim.
OTA070005
OTA070005L
■Type A
■Type B

Maintenance
26
7
BRAKE FLUID
Checking the brake fluid level
Check the fluid level in the reservoir peri-
odically. The fluid level should be
between MAX (Maximum) and MIN
(Minimum) marks on the side of the
reservoir.
Before removing the reservoir cap and
adding brake fluid, clean the area around
the reservoir cap thoroughly to prevent
brake fluid contamination.
If the level is low, add fluid to the MAX
(Maximum) level. The level will fall with
accumulated mileage. This is a normal
condition associated with the wear of the
brake linings. If the fluid level is exces-
sively low, have the brake system
checked by an authorised KIA dealer.
Use only the specified brake fluid. (Refer to “Recommended lubricants or capaci-ties” in section 8.)
Never mix different types of fluid.
WARNING - Brake fluid
When changing and adding brake
fluid, handle it carefully. Do not let it
come in contact with your eyes. Ifbrake 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 doctor as soon as possible.
WARNING - Loss of brake fluid
In the event the brake system
requires frequent additions of fluid,
the vehicle should be inspected by
an authorised KIA dealer.
CAUTION
Do not allow brake fluid to contact the vehicle's body paint, as paintdamage will result. Brake fluid, which has been exposed to open air
for an extended time should never be used as its quality cannot beguaranteed. It should be disposedof properly. Don't put in the wrong
kind of fluid. A few drops of miner- al-based oil, such as engine oil, inyour brake system can damage brake system parts.
OTA070006R

727
Maintenance
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (IF EQUIPPED)
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 condi- tion [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.
OTA070008LOSA077009
HOT
COLD

Maintenance
28
7
✽✽
NOTICE
The “COLD” range is for reference only
and should NOT be used to determine
the 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 is
driven, the automatic transaxle fluid
will begin to look darker. The colour
may eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an authorised KIA
dealer change the automatic transaxle
fluid according to the Scheduled
Maintenance at the beginning of this
section.
Use only the specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to "Recommended
lubricants or capacities" in section 8.) Changing the automatic transaxle fluid
Have the automatic transaxle fluid
changed by an authorised 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 shift slippage. Overfilling cancause foaming, loss of fluid andtransaxle 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
Replace the filter according to the
Maintenance Schedule.
If the vehicle is operated in extremelydusty or sandy areas, replace the element more often than the usual
recommended intervals. (Refer to“Maintenance under severe usage condi-tions” in this section.)
CAUTION
Do not drive with the air cleaner removed; this will result in exces-
sive engine wear.
When removing the air cleaner fil- ter, be careful that dust or dirtdoes not enter the air intake, or
damage may result.
Use a KIA genuine part. Use of non-genuine parts could damagethe air flow sensor.

Maintenance
38
7
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
If the battery becomes discharged in a
short time (because, for example, the
headlights or interior lights were left on
whilst the vehicle was not in use),
recharge it by slow charging (trickle)
for 10 hours.
If the battery gradually discharges because of high electric load whilst the
vehicle is being used, recharge it at 20-
30A for two hours.(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-cased bat-tery, excessive pressure on the
case may cause battery acid to
leak, resulting in personal injury.
Lift with a battery carrier or with
your hands on opposite corners.
Never attempt to recharge the battery when the battery cables are connected.
The electrical ignition system works with high voltage. Never
touch these components with theengine running or the ignition
switched on.
Failure to follow the above warn-
ings can result in serious bodily
injury or death.CAUTION
When you don’t use the vehicle for a long time in the low temper-
ature area, separate the batteryand keep it indoors.
Always charge the battery fully to prevent battery case damage in
low temperature area.
If you connect unauthorised elec- tronic devices to the battery, thebattery may be discharged. Never use unauthorised devices.
WARNING
Separating the battery from the
vehicle should be done in an autho-
rised KIA dealer.