Get Driving your vehicle -> Trailer towing (for Europe) Guide for Kia Picanto 4 Door First Generation (2004-2010)

Driving your vehicle

TRAILER TOWING (FOR EUROPE)

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Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify

what the vehicle trailering capacity is for

your vehicle, you should read the infor-

mation in “Weight of the trailer” that

appears later in this section.

✽

NOTICE - For Europe

If you are considering towing with with

your car, you should first check with your

country’s Department of Motor Vehicles

to determine their legal requirements.

• The technically permissible maximum

load on the rear axle(s) may be

exceeded by not more than 15 % and

the technically permissible maximum

laden mass of the vehicle may be

exceeded by not more than 10 % or

100 kg (220.4 lbs), whichever value is

lower. In this case, do not exceed 100

km/h (62.1 mph) for vehicle of catego-

ry M1 or 80 km/h (49.7 mph) for vehi-

cle of category N1.

• When a vehicle of category M1 is tow-

ing a trailer, the additional load

imposed at the trailer coupling device

may cause the tire maximum load rat-

ings to be exceeded, but not by more

than 15 %. In this case, do not exceed

100 km/h (62.1 mph) and increase the

tire inflation pressure by at least 0.2

bar.

Since laws vary the requirements for tow-

ing trailers, cars, or other types of vehi-

cles or apparatus may differ. Ask an

authorized KIA dealer for further details

before towing.

Remember that trailering is different than

just driving your vehicle by itself.

Trailering means changes in handling,

durability, and fuel economy. Successful,

safe trailering requires correct equip-

ment, and it has to be used properly.

WARNING - Towing a trail-

er

This section contains many time-tested,

important trailering tips and safety rules.

Many of these are important for your

safety and that of your passengers.

Please read this section carefully before

you pull a trailer.

If you don't use the correct equip-

ment and drive improperly, you can

lose control when you pull a trailer.

For example, if the trailer is too

heavy, the brakes may not work

well - or even at all. You and your

passengers could be seriously or

fatally injured. Pull a trailer only if

you have followed all the steps in

this section.

Load-pulling components such as the

engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and

tires are forced to work harder against

the load of the added weight. The engine

is required to operate at relatively higher

speeds and under greater loads. This

additional burden generates extra heat.

The trailer also considerably adds wind

resistance, increasing pulling require-

ments.

CAUTION

Pulling a trailer improperly can

damage your vehicle and result in

costly repairs not covered by your

warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,

follow the advice in this section.

WARNING - Weight limits

Before towing, make sure the total

trailer weight, gross combination

weight, gross vehicle weight, gross

axle weight and trailer tongue load

are all within the limits.

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Driving your vehicle

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Hitches

It's important to have the correct hitch

equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks

going by, and rough roads are a few rea-

sons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here

are some rules to follow:

• Do you have to make any holes in the

body of your vehicle when you install a

trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to

seal the holes later when you remove

the hitch.

If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon

monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can

get into your vehicle, as well as dirt and

water.

• The bumpers on your vehicle are not

intended for hitches. Do not attach

rental hitches or other bumper-type

hitches. Use only a frame-mounted

hitch that does not attach to the

bumper.

1SAE5001A

• KIA trailer hitch accessory is available

at an authorized KIA dealer.

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Driving your vehicle

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Safety chains

Trailer brakes

Driving with a trailer

You should always attach chains

between your vehicle and your trailer.

Cross the safety chains under the tongue

of the trailer so that the tongue will not

drop to the road if it becomes separated

from the hitch.

If your trailer is equipped with a braking

system, make sure it conforms to your

country’s regulations and that it is prop-

erly installed and operating correctly.

Towing a trailer requires a certain

amount of experience. Before setting out

for the open road, you must get to know

your trailer. Acquaint yourself with the

feel of handling and braking with the

added weight of the trailer. And always

keep in mind that the vehicle you are

driving is now a good deal longer and not

nearly so responsive as your vehicle is

by itself.

If your trailer weighs more than the max-

imum trailer weight without trailer brakes

loaded, then it needs its own brakes and

they must be adequate. Be sure to read

and follow the instructions for the trailer

brakes so you’ll be able to install, adjust

and maintain them properly.

Instructions about safety chains may be

provided by the hitch manufacturer or by

the trailer manufacturer. Follow the man-

ufacturer’s recommendation for attaching

safety chains. Always leave just enough

slack so you can turn with your trailer.

And, never allow safety chains drag on

the ground.

Before you start, check the trailer hitch

and platform, safety chains, electrical

connector(s), lights, tires and mirror

adjustment. If the trailer has electric

brakes, start your vehicle and trailer mov-

ing and then apply the trailer brake con-

troller by hand to be sure the brakes are

working. This lets you check your electri-

cal connection at the same time.

• Don’t tap into your vehicle's brake sys-

tem.

WARNING - Trailer brakes

Do not use a trailer with its own

brakes unless you are absolutely

certain that you have properly set

up the brake system. This is not a

task for amateurs. Use an experi-

enced, competent trailer shop for

this work.

During your trip, check occasionally to be

sure that the load is secure, and that the

lights and trailer brakes are still working.

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Driving your vehicle

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An authorized KIA dealer can assist you

in installing the wiring harness.

Following distance

Making turns

Stay at least twice as far behind the vehi-

cle ahead as you would when driving

your vehicle without a trailer. This can

help you avoid situations that require

heavy braking and sudden turns.

When you’re turning with a trailer, make

wider turns than normal. Do this so your

trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,

road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid

jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well

in advance.

WARNING

Failure to use an approved trailer

wiring harness could result in dam-

age to the vehicle electrical system

and/or personal injury.

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Passing

Turn signals when towing a trailer

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You’ll need more passing distance up

ahead when you’re towing a trailer. And,

because of the increased vehicle length,

you’ll need to go much farther beyond the

passed vehicle before you can return to

your lane.

When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has

to have a different turn signal flasher and

extra wiring. The green arrows on your

instrument panel will flash whenever you

signal a turn or lane change. Properly

connected, the trailer lights will also flash

to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,

change lanes, or stop.

Driving on grades

Reduce the speed and shift to a lower

gear before you start down a long or

steep downgrade. If you don’t shift down,

you might have to use your brakes so

much that they would get hot and no

longer operate efficiently.

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On a long uphill grade, shift down and

reduce your speed to around 45 mph (70

km/h) to reduce the possibility of engine

and transaxle overheating.

Backing up

When towing a trailer, the green arrows

on your instrument panel will flash for

turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are

burned out. Thus, you may think drivers

behind you are seeing your signals

when, in fact, they are not. It’s important

to check occasionally to be sure the trail-

er bulbs are still working. You must also

check the lights every time you discon-

nect and then reconnect the wires.

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel

with one hand. Then, to move the trailer

to the left, just move your hand to the left.

To move the trailer to the right, move your

hand to the right. Always back up slowly

and, if possible, have someone guide

you.

If your trailer weighs more than the max-

imum trailer weight without trailer brakes

and you have an automatic transaxle,

you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-

ing a trailer.

Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when

towing a trailer will minimize heat build up

and extend the life of your transaxle.

Do not connect a trailer lighting system

directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.

Use only an approved trailer wiring har-

ness.

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Driving your vehicle

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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.

CAUTION

Parking on hills

• When towing a trailer on steep

grades (in excess of 6%) pay

close attention to the engine

coolant temperature gauge to

ensure the engine does not over-

heat. If the needle of the coolant

temperature gauge moves across

the dial towards “H (or 130°C /

260°F)” (HOT), pull over and stop

as soon as it is safe to do so, and

allow the engine to idle until it

cools down. You may proceed

once the engine has cooled suffi-

ciently.

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.

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 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.

WARNING - Parking brake

It can be dangerous to get out of

your vehicle if the parking brake is

not firmly set.

• You must decide the driving

speed depending on trailer

weight and uphill grade to reduce

the possibility of engine and

transaxle overheating.

However, if you ever have to park your

trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:

If you have left the engine running,

the vehicle can move suddenly.You

or others could be seriously or

fatally injured.

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.

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Driving your vehicle

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When you are ready to leave after park-

ing on a hill

1. With the manual transaxle in Neutral

or automatic transaxle in P (Park),

apply your brakes and hold the brake

pedal down while you:

CAUTION

Maintenance when trailer towing

Your vehicle will need service more often

when you regularly pull

• Due to higher load during trailer

usage, overheating might occur

in hot days or during uphill driv-

ing. If the coolant gauge indicates

over-heating, switch off the A/C

and stop the vehicle in a safe area

to cool down the engine.

a

trailer.

Important items to pay particular atten-

tion to include engine oil, automatic

transaxle fluid, axle lubricant and cooling

system fluid. Brake condition is another

important item to frequently check. Each

item is covered in this manual, and the

Index will help you find them quickly. If

you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review

these sections before you start your trip.

• Start your engine;

• Shift into gear; and

• Release the parking brake.

2. Slowly remove your foot from the

brake pedal.

• When towing, check the transaxle

fluid more frequently.

• If your vehicle is not equipped

with an air conditioner, you

should install a condenser fan to

improve engine performance

when towing a trailer.

3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of

the chocks.

Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer

and hitch. Follow the maintenance

schedule that accompanied your trailer

and check it periodically. Preferably, con-

duct the check at the start of each day’s

driving. Most importantly, all hitch nuts

and bolts should be tight.

4. Stop and have someone pick up and

store the chocks.

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Driving your vehicle

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Engine

Gasoline Engine

If you do decide to pull a trailer

Diesel Engine

Here are some important points if you

decide to pull a trailer:

Manual

Automatic

transaxle

Item

• Consider using a sway control.You can

ask a hitch dealer about sway control.

Maximum

trailer

Without brake

System

400 (882)

0 (0)

400 (882)

• Do not do any towing with your car dur-

ing its first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) in

order to allow the engine to properly

break in. Failure to heed this caution

may result in serious engine or

transaxle damage.

weight

With brake

System

700 (1543)

28 (62)

400 (882)

700 (1543)

kg (Ibs.)

Maximum permissible

static vertical load on

the coupling device

• When towing a trailer, be sure to con-

sult an authorized KIA dealer for fur-

ther information on additional require-

ments such as a towing kit, etc.

25 (55)

28 (62)

kg (Ibs.)

• Always drive your vehicle at a moder-

ate speed (less than 100 km/h / 60

mph).

Recommended distance

from rear wheel center

to coupling point

565 (22.2)

• On a long uphill grade, do not exceed

70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing

speed limit, whichever is lower.

mm (Inch)

• The chart contains important consider-

ations that have to do with weight:

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Driving your vehicle

The trailer tongue should weigh a maxi-

mum of 10% of the total loaded trailer

weight, within the limits of the maximum

trailer tongue load permissible. After

you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trail-

er and then the tongue, separately, to

see if the weights are proper. If they

aren’t, you may be able to correct them

simply by moving some items around in

the trailer.

Tongue Load

Total Trailer Weight

C190E01JM

Gross Axle Weight Gross Vehicle Weight

WARNING - Trailer

C190E02JM

• Never load a trailer with more

weight in the rear than in the

front. The front should be loaded

with approximately 60% of the

total trailer load; the rear should

be loaded with approximately 40%

of the total trailer load.

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Weight of the trailer

Weight of the trailer tongue

What is the maximum safe weight of a

trailer? It should never weigh more than

the maximum trailer weight with trailer

brakes. But even that can be too heavy.

The tongue load of any trailer is an

important weight to measure because it

affects the total gross vehicle weight

(GVW) of your vehicle. This weight

includes the curb weight of the vehicle,

any cargo you may carry in it, and the

people who will be riding in the vehicle.

And if you tow a trailer, you must add the

tongue load to the GVW because your

vehicle will also be carrying that weight.

It depends on how you plan to use your

trailer. For example, speed, altitude, road

grades, outside temperature and how

often your vehicle is used to pull a trailer

are all important. The ideal trailer weight

can also depend on any special equip-

ment that you have on your vehicle.

• Never exceed the maximum

weight limits of the trailer or trail-

er towing equipment. Improper

loading can result in damage to

your vehicle and/or personal

injury. Check weights and loading

at a commercial scale or highway

patrol office equipped with scales.

• An improperly loaded trailer can

cause loss of vehicle control.

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Driving your vehicle -> Trailer towing (for Europe) for Your Kia Picanto 4 Door First Generation (2004-2010)

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