2012 KIA PICANTO engine coolant

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*
Immobilizer indicator
Low fuel level warning light* : if equipped
Charging system warning light
Overspeed warning light*
120km/h
Tail light indicator
Tailgate open ajar 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
Gasoline fuel indicator*
❈ For more detailed explanations, refer to “Instrument cluster” in section 4.

Your vehicle at a glance
4
2
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
OTA010004L/OTA010003L/OTA010005L
1. Engine coolant reservoir .........................................7-25
2. Radiator cap ............................................................7-26
3. Brake fluid reservoir ................................................7-27
4. Air cleaner ...............................................................7-31
5. Engine oil dipstick ...................................................7-22
6. Engine oil filler cap ..................................................7-22
7. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ...........................7-30
8. Fuse box .................................................................7-52
9. Positive battery terminal ..........................................7-38
10. Negative battery terminal ......................................7-38
11. Automatic transaxle fluid dipstick*.........................7-28
* : if equipped ❈ The actual engine compartment in the vehicle may differ
from the illustration.
■
■
1.25 Gasoline
■
■ 1.0 Gasoline ■
■
1.0 LPG

463
Features of your vehicle
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.
ESP indicator (Electronic Stability Program) (if equipped)
The ESP indicator will illuminate when
the ignition switch is turned ON, but
should go off after approximately 3 sec-
onds. When the ESP is on, it monitors the
driving conditions. Under normal driving
conditions, the ESP indicator will remain
off. When a slippery or low traction con-dition is encountered, the ESP will oper-
ate, and the ESP indicator will blink to
indicate the ESP is operating. But, if the ESP system malfunctions the
indicator illuminates and stays on. Take
your vehicle to an authorized KIA dealer
and have the system checked.
ESP OFF indicator
(if equipped)
The ESP OFF indicator will illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned ON,
but should go off after approximately 3
seconds. To switch to ESP OFF mode,
press the ESP OFF button. The ESPOFF indicator will illuminate indicating
the ESP is deactivated.
CAUTION
Prolonged driving with theMalfunction 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 authorized KIA dealer.

53
Driving your vehicle
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.
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”. 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,
do not drive. Do not ride with a driv-er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driveror call a cab.
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result in
a loss of vehicle control, that may
lead to an accident, severe personal
injury, and death. The driver’s pri-
mary responsibility is in the safe and
legal operation of a vehicle, and use
of any handheld devices, other
equipment, or vehicle systems which
take the driver’s eyes, attention and
focus away from the safe operation
of a vehicle or which are not permis-
sible by law should never be used
during operation of the vehicle.

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
OTA050018L
OTA052026L

Driving your vehicle
50
5
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allowadequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pressures
will result in overheating and possible
failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires which
may result in reduced traction or tire fail-
ure.
✽✽NOTICE
Never exceed the maximum tire inflation
pressure shown on the tires.Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more fuel
than urban motoring. Do not forget to
check both engine coolant and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may result
in overheating of the engine.
WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling, loss of
vehicle control, and sudden tirefailure leading to accidents,
injuries, and even death. Always
check tires for proper inflation
before driving. For proper tire
pressures, refer to “Tires and
wheels” in section 8.
Driving on tires with no or insuffi- cient tread is dangerous. Worn-out tires can result in loss of vehi-
cle control, collisions, injury, and
even death. Worn-out tires should
be replaced as soon as possible
and should never be used for driv-
ing. Always check the tire tread
before driving your car. For further
information and tread limits, refer
to “Tires and wheels” in section 7.
OSA028008

Driving your vehicle
54
5
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.
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. 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 shift lever in P (Park)
and block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
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.Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the weath-
er where you drive your car, you should
carry appropriate emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or chains,
flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a
shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper,
gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket,etc.

559
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 curb (right if headed down hill,left 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.