Get Driving your vehicle -> Automatic transaxle (if equipped) Guide for Kia Picanto 4 Door First Generation (2004-2010)

Driving your vehicle

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)

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Automatic transaxle operation

The automatic transaxle has 4 forward

speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-

vidual speeds are selected automatically,

depending on the position of the shift

lever.

To move the shift lever from the P (Park)

position, the brake pedal must be

depressed.

✽

NOTICE

The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if

the battery has been disconnected, may

be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal

condition, and the shifting sequence will

adjust after shifts are cycled a few times

by the TCM (Transaxle Control

Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control

Module).

Depress the brake pedal.

The shift lever can be shifted freely.

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Driving your vehicle

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For smooth operation, depress the brake

pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a

forward or reverse gear.

CAUTION

Transaxle ranges

P (Park)

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into P (Park). This position locks

the transaxle and prevents the front

wheels from rotating.

• To avoid damage to your

transaxle, do not accelerate the

engine in R (Reverse) or any for-

ward gear position with the

brakes on.

WARNING - Automatic

transaxle

• Always check the surrounding

areas near your vehicle for peo-

ple, especially children, before

shifting a car into D (Drive) or R

(Reverse).

• When stopped on an incline, do

not hold the vehicle stationary

with engine power. Use the serv-

ice brake or the parking brake.

WARNING

• Shifting into P (Park) while the

vehicle is in motion will cause the

drive wheels to lock which will

cause you to lose control of the

vehicle.

• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P

(Park) into

• Before leaving the driver’s seat,

always make sure the shift lever

is in the P (Park) position; then

set the parking brake fully and

shut the engine off. Unexpected

and sudden vehicle movement

can occur if these precautions

are not followed in the order iden-

tified.

D

(Drive), or

R

(Reverse) when the engine is

above idle speed.

• Do not use the P (Park) position

in place of the parking brake.

Always make sure the shift lever

is latched in the P (Park) position

and set the parking brake fully.

• Never leave a child unattended in

a vehicle.

CAUTION

The transaxle may be damaged if

you shift into P (Park) while the

vehicle is in motion.

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Driving your vehicle

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle

backward.

D (Drive)

1 (First gear)

This is the normal forward driving posi-

tion. The transaxle will automatically shift

through a 4-gear sequence, providing the

best fuel economy and power.

Move the shift lever to this position in

hard pulling situations and for climbing

steep grades.

CAUTION

Always come to a complete stop

before shifting into or out of R

(Reverse); you may damage the

transaxle if you shift into R while

the vehicle is in motion, except

when "Rocking the vehicle"

explained in this section.

For extra power when passing another

vehicle or climbing grades, depress the

accelerator fully, at which time the

transaxle will automatically downshift to

the next lower gear.

Do not exceed the recommended

maximum speed in 2 (Second gear)

or 1 (First gear). Operating the vehi-

cle above the maximum speed rec-

ommended for 2 (Second gear) or 1

(First gear) may cause excessive

heat which could damage the auto-

matic transaxle.

✽

NOTICE

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into D (Drive).

N (Neutral)

The wheels and transaxle are not

engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even

on the slightest incline unless the parking

brake or service brakes are applied.

2 (Second gear)

Use 2 (Second gear) for more power

when climbing hills and for increased

braking when going down hills. This posi-

tion also helps reduce wheel spin on slip-

pery surfaces. When the shift lever is

placed in 2 (Second gear), the transaxle

will automatically shift from first to sec-

ond gear.

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Shift lock system (if equipped)

Ignition key interlock system

(if equipped)

WARNING

For your safety, the automatic transaxle

has a shift lock system which prevents

shifting the transaxle from P (Park) into R

(Reverse) unless the brake pedal is

depressed.

Always fully depress the brake

pedal before and while shifting out

of the P (Park) position into anoth-

er position to avoid inadvertent

motion of the vehicle which could

injure persons in or around the car.

The ignition key cannot be removed

unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)

position. If the ignition switch is in any

other position, the key cannot be

removed.

To shift the transaxle from P (Park) into R

(Reverse):

1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.

2. Move the shift lever.

If the brake pedal is repeatedly

depressed and released with the shift

lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering

noise near the shift lever may be heard.

This is a normal condition.

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Driving your vehicle

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• Always use the parking brake. Do not

depend on placing the transaxle in P

(Park) to keep the car from moving.

Good driving practices

WARNING

• Always buckle-up! In a collision,

an unbelted occupant is signifi-

cantly more likely to be seriously

injured or killed than a properly

belted occupant.

• Never move the gear shift lever from P

(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-

tion with the accelerator pedal

depressed.

• Exercise extreme caution when driving

on a slippery surface. Be especially

careful when braking, accelerating or

shifting gears. On a slippery surface,

an abrupt change in vehicle speed can

cause the drive wheels to lose traction

and the vehicle to go out of control.

• Never move the gear shift lever into P

(Park) when the vehicle is in motion.

• Avoid high speeds when corner-

ing or turning.

• Be sure the car is completely stopped

before you attempt to shift into R

(Reverse).

• Do not make quick steering

wheel movements, such as sharp

lane changes or fast, sharp turns.

• Optimum vehicle performance and

economy is obtained by smoothly

depressing and releasing the accelera-

tor pedal.

• Never take the car out of gear and

coast down a hill. This may be

extremely hazardous. Always leave the

car in gear when moving.

• The risk of a rollover is greatly

increased if you lose control of

your vehicle at highway speed.

• Loss of control often occurs if

two or more wheels drop off the

roadway and the driver over-

steers to reenter the roadway.

• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can

cause them to overheat and malfunc-

tion. Instead, when you are driving

down a long hill, slow down and shift to

a lower gear. When you do this, engine

braking will help slow the car.

• In the event your vehicle leaves

the roadway, do not steer sharply.

Instead, slow down before pulling

back into the travel lanes.

• Slow down before shifting to a lower

gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may

not be engaged.

• Never exceed posted speed lim-

its.

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Driving your vehicle

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Moving up a steep grade from a stand-

ing start

WARNING

If your vehicle becomes stuck in

snow, mud, sand, etc., then you

may attempt to rock the vehicle free

by moving it forward and backward.

Do not attempt this procedure if

people or objects are anywhere

near the vehicle. During the rocking

operation the vehicle may suddenly

move forward of backward as it

becomes unstuck, causing injury

or damage to nearby people or

objects.

To move up a steep grade from a stand-

ing start, depress the brake pedal and

shift the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the

appropriate gear depending on load

weight and steepness of the grade, and

release the parking brake. Depress the

accelerator gradually while releasing the

service brakes.

When accelerating from a stop on a

steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-

dency to roll backwards. Shifting the

shift lever into 2 (Second gear) will

help prevent the vehicle from rolling

backwards.

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Driving your vehicle -> Automatic transaxle (if equipped) for Your Kia Picanto 4 Door First Generation (2004-2010)

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