Get Driving your vehicle -> Automatic transaxle Guide for Kia Picanto 4 Door Second Generation (2011-2017)

Driving your vehicle

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)

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.

✽

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 when shifting.

The shift lever can be shifted freely.

OTA050011

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Driving your vehicle

For smooth operation, depress the brake

pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a

forward or reverse gear.

Transaxle ranges

CAUTION

The indicator in the instrument cluster

displays the shift lever position when the

ignition switch is in the ON position.

• 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).

P (Park)

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into P (Park). This position locks

the transaxle and prevents the drive

wheels from rotating.

• When stopped on an incline, do

not hold the vehicle stationary

with engine power. Use the serv-

ice brake or the parking brake.

• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P

(Park) into

(Reverse) when the engine is

above idle speed.

WARNING

• 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 identified.

D

(Drive), or

R

• 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 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.

• Do not use the engine brake

(shifting from a high gear to

lower gear) rapidly on slippery

roads. The vehicle may slip caus-

ing an accident.

• 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.

N (Neutral)

3 (Third gear)

Use for towing a trailer during hill climb-

ing or to use engine braking downhill.

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.

"3" automatically shifts between 1st, 2nd

and 3rd gears. This means that no shift-

up to 4th gear is performed. However, the

shift-up to 4th gear is done when the car

speed exceeds a certain value to prevent

the engine from over-revving. Manually

move the selector to "D" when returning

to normal driving condition.

CAUTION

Always come to a complete stop

before shifting into or out of R

(Reverse); you may damage the

WARNING

Do not drive with the shift lever in N

(Neutral). The engine brake will not

work and lead to an accident.

transaxle if you shift into

R

(Reverse) while the vehicle is in

motion, except as explained in

“Rocking the vehicle”in this section.

2 (Second gear)

D (Drive)

Use for driving on a slippery road, hill

climbing or engine braking downhill. "2"

automatically shifts between first and

second gears.

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.

This means that no shift-up to 3rd gear is

performed. However, the shift-up to third

gear is done when the car speed

exceeds a certain value to prevent the

engine from over-revving. Manually move

the selector to "D" returning to normal

driving condition.

For extra power when passing another

vehicle or climbing grades, depress the

accelerator fully, at which time the

transaxle will automatically downshift to

the lower gear.

✽

NOTICE

Always come to a complete stop before

shifting into D (Drive).

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Driving your vehicle

1 (First gear)

Shift lock system (if equipped)

CAUTION

Use for driving up a very steep grade or

for engine braking when descending

steep hills. When downshifting to "1", the

transaxle will temporarily remain in sec-

ond gear until the vehicle has slowed

enough for low gear to engage. Do not

exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) in low gear.

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.

• Shift into "R" and "P" position

only when the vehicle has com-

pletely stopped.

• Do not accelerate the engine in

reverse or any of the forward

positions with the brakes applied.

To shift the transaxle from P (Park) into R

(Reverse):

"1" shifts to 1st gear only. However, shift

up to 2nd is performed when the car

exceeds a certain speed and, as speed

increases, the transaxle will shift up to 3rd

gear to prevent over-revving the engine.

• Always apply the footbrake when

shifting from "P" or "N", to "R",

"D","3", "2" or "1" position.

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.

• Check the automatic transaxle

fluid level regularly, and add fluid

as necessary.

✽

NOTICE

See the maintenance schedule for

the proper fluid recommendation.

• For smooth and safe operation,

depress the brake pedal when shifting

from "N" (Neutral) position or "P"

(Park) position to a forward or "R"

(Reverse) gear.

• Fully depress the brake pedal in order

to move the shift lever from the "P"

(Park) position to any of the other

positions.

WARNING

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.

• It is always possible to shift from "R",

"N", "D", "3", "2", "1" position to

"P" position. The vehicle must be fully

stopped to avoid transaxle damage.

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Driving your vehicle

• 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

• Never move the shift lever from P

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

tion with the accelerator pedal

depressed.

• 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.

• 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 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) or D (Drive).

• 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 rollover is greatly

increased if you lose control of

your vehicle at highway speeds.

• 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.

• Loss of control often occurs if

two or more wheels drop off the

roadway and the driver over-

steers to reenter the roadway.

• 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

Moving up a steep grade from a stand-

ing start

WARNING

To move up a steep grade from a stand-

ing start, depress the brake pedal, 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.

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 or backward as it

becomes unstuck, causing injury

or damage to nearby people or

objects.

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Driving your vehicle -> Automatic transaxle for Your Kia Picanto 4 Door Second Generation (2011-2017)

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