Get Maintenance -> Tires and wheels Guide for Kia Picanto 4 Door First Generation (2004-2010)

Maintenance

TIRES AND WHEELS

G200100AUN

CAUTION

Tire care

• Underinflation also results in

excessive wear, poor handling

and reduced fuel economy.

Wheel deformation also is

possible. Keep your tire pres-

sures at proper levels. If a tire

frequently needs refilling,

have it checked by an author-

ized KIA dealer.

For proper maintenance, safety, and

maximum fuel economy, you must

always maintain the recommended

tire inflation pressures and stay with-

in the load limits and weight distribu-

tion recommended for your vehicle.

G200200AUN

Recommended cold tire inflation

pressures

• Overinflation produces

a

OSA087005

harsh ride, excessive wear at

the center of the tire tread, and

greater possibility of damage

from road hazards.

All specifications (sizes and pres-

sures) can be found on a label

attached to the vehicle.

All tire pressures (including the

spare) should be checked when the

tires are cold. “Cold Tires” means the

vehicle has not been driven for at

least three hours or driven less than

1.6 km (one mile).

WARNING - Tire underin-

flation

Recommended pressures must be

maintained for the best ride, top vehi-

cle handling, and minimum tire wear.

Severe underinflation can lead

to severe heat build-up, causing

blowouts, tread separation and

other tire failures that can result

in the loss of vehicle control

leading to severe injury or

death. This risk is much higher

on hot days and when driving

for long periods at high speed.

For recommended inflation pressure,

refer to “Tire and wheels” in section 8.

7 41

Maintenance

G200300AUN

CAUTION

CAUTION - Tire pressure

Always observe the following:

Checking tire inflation pressure

• Warm tires normally exceed

recommended cold tire pres-

sures by 28 to 41 kPa (4 to 6

psi). Do not release air from

warm tires to adjust the pres-

sure or the tires will be under-

inflated.

Check your tires once a month or

more.

• Check tire pressure when the

tires are cold. (After vehicle

has been parked for at least

three hours or hasn't been

driven more than 1.6 km (one

mile) since startup.)

Also, check the tire pressure of the

spare tire.

G200301AUN

How to check

• Be sure to reinstall the tire

inflation valve caps. Without

the valve cap, dirt or moisture

could get into the valve core

and cause air leakage. If a

valve cap is missing, install a

new one as soon as possible.

• Check the pressure of your

spare tire each time you check

the pressure of other tires.

Use a good quality gage to check tire

pressure.You can not tell if your tires

are properly inflated simply by look-

ing at them. Radial tires may look

properly inflated even when they're

underinflated.

• Never overload your vehicle.

Be careful not to overload a

vehicle luggage rack if your

vehicle is equipped with one.

Check the tire's inflation pressure

when the tires are cold. - "Cold"

means your vehicle has been sitting

for at least three hours or driven no

more than 1.6 km (1 mile).

• Worn, old tires can cause acci-

dents. If your tread is badly

worn, or if your tires have

been damaged, replace them.

WARNING - Tire Inflation

Overinflation or underinflation

can reduce tire life, adversely

affect vehicle handling, and

lead to sudden tire failure. This

could result in loss of vehicle

control and potential injury.

7 42

Maintenance

G200400AUN

Remove the valve cap from the tire

valve stem. Press the tire gage firm-

ly onto the valve to get a pressure

measurement. If the cold tire inflation

pressure matches the recommended

pressure on the tire and loading

information label, no further adjust-

ment is necessary. If the pressure is

low, add air until you reach the rec-

ommended amount.

Tire rotation

WARNING

• Inspect your tires frequently

for proper inflation as well as

wear and damage. Always use

a tire pressure gauge.

To equalize tread wear, it is recom-

mended that the tires be rotated

every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or

sooner if irregular wear develops.

• Tires with too much or too lit-

tle pressure wear unevenly

causing poor handling, loss of

vehicle control, and sudden

tire failure leading to acci-

dents, injuries, and even

death.The recommended cold

tire pressure for your vehicle

can be found in this manual

and on the tire label located

on the driver's side center pil-

lar.

During rotation, check the tires for

correct balance.

When rotating tires, check for uneven

wear and damage. Abnormal wear is

usually caused by incorrect tire pres-

sure, improper wheel alignment, out-

of-balance wheels, severe braking or

severe cornering. Look for bumps or

bulges in the tread or side of the tire.

Replace the tire if you find either of

these conditions. Replace the tire if

fabric or cord is visible. After rotation,

be sure to bring the front and rear tire

pressures to specification and check

lug nut tightness.

If you overfill the tire, release air by

pushing on the metal stem in the

center of the tire valve. Recheck the

tire pressure with the tire gage. Be

sure to put the valve caps back on

the valve stems. They help prevent

leaks by keeping out dirt and mois-

ture.

• Worn tires can cause acci-

dents. Replace tires that are

worn, show uneven wear, or

are damaged.

Refer to “Tire and wheels” in section 8.

• Remember to check the pres-

sure of your spare tire. KIA

recommends that you check

the spare every time you

check the pressure of the

other tires on your vehicle.

7 43

Maintenance

G200500AUN

With a full-size spare tire

Disc brake pads should be inspected

for wear whenever tires are rotated.

Wheel alignment and tire balance

The wheels on your vehicle were

aligned and balanced carefully at the

factory to give you the longest tire life

and best overall performance.

✽

NOTICE

Rotate radial tires that have an

asymmetric tread pattern only from

front to rear and not from right to

left.

In most cases, you will not need to

have your wheels aligned again.

However, if you notice unusual tire

wear or your vehicle pulling one way

or the other, the alignment may need

to be reset.

CBGQ0706

Without a spare tire

WARNING

• Do not use the compact spare

tire for tire rotation.

If you notice your vehicle vibrating

when driving on a smooth road, your

wheels may need to be rebalanced.

• Do not mix bias ply and radial

ply tires under any circum-

stances. This may cause

unusual handling characteris-

tics that could cause death,

severe injury, or property

damage.

CAUTION

S2BLA790A

Improper wheel weights can

damage your vehicle's alu-

minum wheels. Use only

approved wheel weights.

Directional tires (if equipped)

CBGQ0707A

7 44

Maintenance

(Continued)

Tread wear indicator

WARNING - Replacing

tires

To reduce the chance of serious

or fatal injuries from an acci-

dent caused by tire failure or

loss of vehicle control:

• Using tires and wheel other

than the recommended sizes

could cause unusual handling

characteristics and poor vehi-

cle control, resulting in a seri-

ous accident.

• Replace tires that are worn,

show uneven wear, or are

damaged. Worn tires can

cause loss of braking effec-

tiveness, steering control, and

traction.

• Wheels that do not meet KIA’s

specifications may fit poorly

and cause in damage to the

vehicle or unusual handling

and poor vehicle control.

OEN076053

G200600AUN

• The ABS works by comparing

the speed of the wheels. Tire

size can affect wheel speed.

Tire replacement

• Do not drive your vehicle with

too little or too much pressure

in your tires. This can lead to

uneven wear and tire failure.

If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear

indicator will appear as a solid band

across the tread. This shows there is

less than 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) of tread

left on the tire. Replace the tire when

this happens.

When replacing tires, all 4

tires must use the same size

originally supplied with the

vehicle. Using tires of a differ-

ent size can cause the ABS

(Anti-lock Brake System) and

ESP (Electronic Stability

Program) to work irregularly.

(if equipped)

• When replacing tires, never

mix radial and bias-ply tires

on the same car. You must

replace all tires (including the

spare) if moving from radial to

bias-ply tires.

Do not wait for the band to appear

across the entire tread before replac-

ing the tire.

(Continued)

7 45

Maintenance

G200601AUN

G200700BUN

G200800AUN

Compact spare tire replacement (if

equipped)

Wheel replacement

Tire traction

When replacing the metal wheels for Tire traction can be reduced if you

any reason, make sure the new drive on worn tires, tires that are

wheels are equivalent to the original improperly inflated or on slippery

factory units in diameter, rim width road surfaces. Tires should be

A compact spare tire has a shorter

tread life than a regular size tire.

Replace it when you can see the

tread wear indicator bars on the tire.

The replacement compact spare tire

should be the same size and design

tire as the one provided with your

new vehicle and should be mounted

on the same compact spare tire

wheel. The compact spare tire is not

designed to be mounted on a regular

size wheel, and the compact spare

tire wheel is not designed for mount-

ing a regular size tire.

and offset.

replaced when tread wear indicators

appear. To reduce the possibility of

losing control, slow down whenever

there is rain, snow or ice on the road.

WARNING

A wheel that is not the correct

size may adversely affect wheel

and bearing life, braking and

stopping abilities, handling

characteristics, ground clear-

ance, body-to-tire clearance,

G200900ASA

Tire maintenance

In addition to proper inflation, correct

wheel alignment helps decrease tire

wear. If you find a tire worn unevenly,

have your dealer check the wheel

alignment.

snow

chain

clearance,

speedometer and odometer cal-

ibration, headlight aim and

bumper height.

When you have new tires installed,

make sure they are balanced. This

will increase vehicle ride comfort and

tire life. Additionally, a tire should

always be rebalanced if it is removed

from the wheel.

7 46

Maintenance

G201002ASA

T - Speed Rating Symbol. See the

speed rating chart in this section

for additional information.

1

2. Tire size designation

5,6

A tire’s sidewall is marked with a tire

size designation. You will need this

information when selecting replace-

ment tires for your car. The following

explains what the letters and num-

bers in the tire size designation

mean.

7

Wheel size designation

4

Wheels are also marked with impor-

tant information that you need if you

ever have to replace one. The follow-

ing explains what the letters and

numbers in the wheel size designa-

tion mean.

2

3

Example tire size designation:

1

I030B04JM

155/70 R13 75T

G201000AUN

(These numbers are provided as an

example only; your tire size designa-

tor could vary depending on your

vehicle.)

Example wheel size designation:

4.0 B x 13

Tire sidewall labeling

This information identifies and

describes the fundamental charac-

teristics of the tire and also provides

the tire identification number (TIN)

for safety standard certification. The

TIN can be used to identify the tire in

case of a recall.

4.0 - Rim width in inches.

B - Rim contour designation.

13 - Rim diameter in inches.

155 - Tire width in millimeters.

70 - Aspect ratio. The tire’s section

height as a percentage of its

width.

R - Tire construction code (Radial).

13 - Rim diameter in inches.

G201001AUN

1. Manufacturer or brand name

Manufacturer or Brand name is

shown.

75 - Load Index, a numerical code

associated with the maximum

load the tire can carry.

7 47

Maintenance

G201003APA

Tire speed ratings

3. Checking tire life (TIN :Tire

Identification Number)

WARNING - Tire age

Tires degrade over time, even

when they are not being used.

The chart below lists many of the dif-

ferent speed ratings currently being

used for passenger car tires. The

speed rating is part of the tire size

designation on the sidewall of the

tire. This symbol corresponds to that

tire's designed maximum safe oper-

ating speed.

Any tires that are over 6 years old,

based on the manufacturing date,

(including the spare tire) should be

replaced by new ones. You can find

the manufacturing date on the tire

sidewall (possibly on the inside of the

wheel), displaying the DOT Code.

The DOT Code is a series of num-

bers on a tire consisting of numbers

and English letters. The manufactur-

ing date is designated by the last four

digits (characters) of the DOT code.

Regardless of the remaining

tread, it is recommended that

tires generally be replaced after

six (6) years of normal service.

Heat caused by hot climates or

frequent high loading condi-

tions can accelerate the aging

process. Failure to follow this

warning could cause sudden

tire failure, which could lead to

a loss of control and an acci-

dent involving serious injury or

death.

Speed

Rating

Maximum Speed

Symbol

S

T

H

V

Z

180 km/h (112 mph)

190 km/h (118 mph)

210 km/h (130 mph)

DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO

240 km/h (149 mph)

The front part of the DOT means a

plant code number, tire size and

tread pattern and the last four num-

bers indicate week and year manu-

factured.

Above 240 km/h (149 mph)

G201004AEN

4. Tire ply composition and material

The number of layers or plies of rub-

ber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire

manufacturers also must indicate the

materials in the tire, which include

steel, nylon, polyester, and others.

The letter "R" means radial ply con-

struction; the letter "D" means diago-

nal or bias ply construction; and the

letter "B" means belted-bias ply con-

struction.

For example:

DOT XXXX XXXX 1609 represents

that the tire was produced in the 16th

week of 2009.

7 48

Maintenance

G201005AUN

G2010007AEN

These grades are molded on the

side-walls of passenger vehicle tires.

5. Maximum permissible inflation

pressure

7. Uniform tire quality grading

Quality grades can be found where The tires available as standard or

applicable on the tire sidewall optional equipment on your vehicle

between tread shoulder and maxi- may vary with respect to grade.

mum section width.

This number is the greatest amount

of air pressure that should be put in

the tire. Do not exceed the maximum

permissible inflation pressure. Refer

to the Tire and Loading Information

label for recommended inflation

pressure.

For example: TREAD wear 200

TRACTION AA

Traction - AA, A, B & C

The traction grades, from highest to

lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those

grades represent the tire’s ability to

stop on wet pavement measured

under controlled conditions on spec-

ified government test surfaces of

asphalt and concrete. A tire marked

C may have poor traction perform-

ance.

TEMPERATUE A

Tread wear

G201006AUN

The tread wear grade is a compara-

tive rating based on the wear rate of

the tire when tested under controlled

conditions on a specified govern-

ment test course. For example, a tire

graded 150 would wear one-and-a-

half times (1½) as well on the gov-

ernment course as a tire graded 100.

6. Maximum load rating

This number indicates the maximum

load in kilograms and pounds that

can be carried by the tire. When

replacing the tires on the vehicle,

always use a tire that has the same

load rating as the factory installed

tire.

WARNING

The traction grade assigned to

this tire is based on straight-

ahead braking traction tests,

and does not include accelera-

tion, cornering, hydroplaning,

or peak traction characteristics.

The relative performance of tires

depends upon the actual conditions

of their use, however, and may

depart significantly from the norm

due to variations in driving habits,

service practices and differences in

road characteristics and climate.

7 49

Maintenance

Temperature -A, B & C

WARNING - Tire

temperature

The temperature grades are A (the

highest), B, and C, representing the

tire’s resistance to the generation of

heat and its ability to dissipate heat

when tested under controlled condi-

tions on a specified indoor laboratory

test wheel.

The temperature grade for this

tire is established for a tire that

is properly inflated and not

overloaded. Excessive speed,

underinflation, or excessive

loading, either separately or in

combination, can cause heat

build-up and sudden tire failure.

This can cause loss of vehicle

control and serious injury or

death.

Sustained high temperature can

cause the material of the tire to

degenerate and reduce tire life, and

excessive temperature can lead to

sudden tire failure. Grades B and A

represent higher levels of perform-

ance on the laboratory test wheel

than the minimum required by law.

7 50

Maintenance -> Tires and wheels for Your Kia Picanto 4 Door First Generation (2004-2010)

Related Topics

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals