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

Driving your vehicle

BRAKE SYSTEM

Power brakes

In the event of brake failure

(Continued)

If service brakes fail to operate while the

vehicle is in motion, you can make an

emergency stop with the parking brake.

The stopping distance, however, will be

much greater than normal.

Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes

that adjust automatically through normal

usage.

• When descending a long or steep

hill, shift to a lower gear and

avoid continuous application of

the brakes. Continuous brake

application will cause the brakes

to overheat and could result in a

temporary loss of braking per-

formance.

In the event that the power-assisted

brakes lose power because of a stalled

engine or some other reason, you can

still stop your vehicle by applying greater

force to the brake pedal than you nor-

mally would. The stopping distance, how-

ever, will be longer.

WARNING - Parking brake

Applying the parking brake while

the vehicle is moving at normal

speeds can cause a sudden loss of

control of the vehicle. If you must

use the parking brake to stop the

vehicle, use great caution in apply-

ing the brake.

• Wet brakes may impair the vehi-

cle’s ability to safely slow down;

the vehicle may also pull to one

side when the brakes are applied.

Applying the brakes lightly will

indicate whether they have been

affected in this way. Always test

your brakes in this fashion after

driving through deep water. To

dry the brakes, apply them lightly

while maintaining a safe forward

speed until brake performance

returns to normal.

When the engine is not running, the

reserve brake power is partially depleted

each time the brake pedal is applied. Do

not pump the brake pedal when the

power assist has been interrupted.

Pump the brake pedal only when neces-

sary to maintain steering control on slip-

pery surfaces.

WARNING - Brakes

• Do not drive with your foot rest-

ing on the brake pedal. This will

create abnormal high brake tem-

peratures, excessive brake lining

and pad wear, and increased

stopping distances.

• Always, confirm the position of

the brake and accelerator pedal

before driving. If you don't check

the position of the accelerator

and brake pedal before driving,

you may depress the accelerator

instead of the brake pedal. It may

cause a serious accident.

(Continued)

5 26

Driving your vehicle

Disc brakes wear indicator

Your vehicle has disc brakes.

Rear drum brakes (if equipped)

Your rear drum brakes do not have wear

indicators.Therefore, have the rear brake

linings inspected if you hear a rear brake

rubbing noise. Also have your rear

brakes inspected each time you change

or rotate your tires and when you have

the front brakes replaced.

When your brake pads are worn and new

pads are required, you will hear a high-

pitched warning sound from your front

brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this

sound come and go or it may occur

whenever you depress the brake pedal.

Please remember that some driving con-

ditions or climates may cause a brake

squeal when you first apply (or lightly

apply) the brakes. This is normal and

does not indicate a problem with your

brakes.

OTA050012

Parking brake

Applying the parking brake

CAUTION

To engage the parking brake, first apply

the foot brake and then pull up the park-

ing brake lever as far as possible.

• To avoid costly brake repairs, do

not continue to drive with worn

brake pads.

• Always replace the front or rear

brake pads as pairs.

In addition it is recommended that when

parking the vehicle on a incline, the shift

lever should be in a low gear on manual

transaxle vehicles or in the P (Park) posi-

tion on automatic transaxle vehicles.

WARNING - Brake wear

This brake wear warning sound

means your vehicle needs service.

If you ignore this audible warning,

you will eventually lose braking

performance, which could lead to a

serious accident.

5 27

Driving your vehicle

CAUTION

WARNING

• Driving with the parking brake

applied will cause excessive brake

pad and brake rotor wear.

• To prevent unintentional move-

ment when stopped and leaving

the vehicle, do not use the

gearshift lever in place of the

parking brake. Set the parking

brake AND make sure the

gearshift lever is securely posi-

tioned in P (Park) for automatic

transaxle equipped vehicles.

• Do not operate the parking brake

while the vehicle is moving except

in an emergency situation. It could

damage the vehicle system and

make endanger driving safety.

• Never allow anyone who is unfa-

miliar with the vehicle to touch

the parking brake. If the parking

brake is released unintentionally,

serious injury may occur.

OTA050013

Releasing the parking brake

To release the parking brake, first apply

the foot brake and pull up the parking

brake lever slightly. Secondly depress the

• All vehicles should always have

the parking brake fully engaged

when parking to avoid inadver-

tent movement of the vehicle

which can injure occupants or

pedestrians.

release button (1) and lower the parking

brake lever (2) while holding the button.

If the parking brake does not release or

does not release all the way, we recom-

mend that the system be checked by an

authorized Kia dealer.

5 28

Driving your vehicle

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)

(if equipped)

(Continued)

• On roads where the road surface

is pitted or has different surface

height.

WARNING

The safety features of an ABS (or

ESC) equipped vehicle should not

be tested by high speed driving or

cornering. This could endanger the

safety of yourself or others.

ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-

dents due to improper or danger-

ous driving maneuvers. Even

though vehicle control is improved

during emergency braking, always

maintain a safe distance between

you and objects ahead. Vehicle

speeds should always be reduced

during extreme road conditions.

W-75

Check the brake warning light by turning

the ignition switch ON (do not start the

engine). This light will be illuminated when

the parking brake is applied with the igni-

tion switch in the START or ON position.

The braking distance for cars

equipped with an anti-lock braking

system (or Electronic Stability

Control system) may be longer than

for those without it in the following

road conditions.

Before driving, be sure the parking brake

is fully released and the brake warning

light is off.

During these conditions the vehicle

should be driven at reduced

speeds:

If the brake warning light remains on

after the parking brake is released while

engine is running, there may be a mal-

function in the brake system. Immediate

attention is necessary.

• Rough, gravel or snow-covered

roads.

• With tire chains installed.

(Continued)

If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-

cle immediately. If that is not possible,

use extreme caution while operating the

vehicle and only continue to drive the

vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-

tion or repair shop.

5 29

Driving your vehicle

The ABS continuously senses the speed

of the wheels. If the wheels are going to

lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-

lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the

wheels.

✽

NOTICE

A click sound may be heard in the

engine compartment when the vehicle

begins to move after the engine is start-

ed. These conditions are normal and

indicate that the anti-lock brake system

is functioning properly.

When you apply your brakes under con-

ditions which may lock the wheels, you

may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the

brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation

in the brake pedal. This is normal and it

means your ABS is active.

• Even with the anti-lock brake system,

your vehicle still requires sufficient

stopping distance. Always maintain a

safe distance from the vehicle in front

of you.

In order to obtain the maximum benefit

from your ABS in an emergency situation,

do not attempt to modulate your brake

pressure and do not try to pump your

brakes. Press your brake pedal as hard

as possible or as hard as the situation

warrants and allow the ABS to control the

force being delivered to the brakes.

W-78

• Always slow down when cornering.

The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-

vent accidents resulting from exces-

sive speeds.

CAUTION

• If the ABS warning light is on and

stays on, you may have a problem

with the ABS. In this case, howev-

er, your regular brakes will work

normally.

• On loose or uneven road surfaces,

operation of the anti-lock brake system

may result in a longer stopping dis-

tance than for vehicles equipped with a

conventional brake system.

• The ABS warning light will stay on

for approximately 3 seconds after

the ignition switch is ON. During

that time, the ABS will go through

self-diagnosis and the light will go

off if everything is normal. If the

light stays on, you may have a

problem with your ABS.We recom-

mend that you contact an author-

ized Kia dealer.

5 30

Driving your vehicle

✽

NOTICE

CAUTION

When you jump start your vehicle

because of a drained battery, the engine

may not run as smoothly and the ABS

warning light may turn on at the same

time. This happens because of the low

battery voltage. It does not mean your

ABS is malfunctioning.

• Do not pump your brakes!

• Have the battery recharged before

driving the vehicle.

• When you drive on a road having

poor traction, such as an icy road,

and operate your brakes continu-

ously, the ABS will be active con-

tinuously and the ABS warning

light may illuminate. Pull your car

over to a safe place and stop the

engine.

• Restart the engine. If the ABS

warning light is off, then your ABS

system is normal. Otherwise, you

may have a problem with the ABS.

We recommend that you contact

an authorized Kia dealer.

OTA050014

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

(if equipped)

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

system is designed to stabilize the vehicle

during cornering maneuvers. ESC checks

where you are steering and where the

vehicle is actually going.

ESC applies the brakes at individual

wheels and intervenes in the engine

management system to stabilize the

vehicle.

5 31

Driving your vehicle

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

system is an electronic system designed

to help the driver maintain vehicle control

under adverse conditions. It is not a

substitute for safe driving practices.

Factors including speed, road conditions

and driver steering input can all affect

whether ESC will be effective in

preventing a loss of control. It is still your

responsibility to drive and corner at

reasonable speeds and to leave a

sufficient margin of safety.

✽

NOTICE

WARNING

A click sound may be heard in the

engine compartment when the vehicle

begins to move after the engine is start-

ed. These conditions are normal and

indicate that the Electronic Stability

Control System is functioning properly.

Never drive too fast for the road

conditions or too quickly when cor-

nering. Electronic Stability Control

(ESC) will not prevent accidents.

Excessive speed in turns, abrupt

maneuvers and hydroplaning on

wet surfaces can still result in seri-

ous accidents. Only a safe and

attentive driver can prevent acci-

dents by avoiding maneuvers that

cause the vehicle to lose traction.

Even with ESC installed, always fol-

low all the normal precautions for

driving - including driving at safe

speeds for the conditions.

When you apply your brakes under con-

ditions which may lock the wheels, you

may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the

brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation

in the brake pedal. This is normal and it

means your ESC is active.

5 32

Driving your vehicle

When operating

When the ESC is in operation,

the ESC indicator light blinks.

ESC operation

ESC ON condition

ESC operation off

ESC OFF state

• To cancel ESC operation,

• When the ignition is turned

ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-

cator lights illuminate for

• When the Electronic Stability

Control is operating properly,

you can feel a slight pulsation

in the vehicle. This is only the

effect of brake control and

indicates nothing unusual.

press the ESC OFF button

(ESC OFF indicator light illu-

minates).

-

approximately

then ESC is turned on.

3

seconds,

• If the ignition switch is turned

to LOCK position when ESC

is off, ESC remains off. Upon

restarting the engine, the

ESC will automatically turn

on again.

• Press the ESC OFF button

after turning the ignition ON

to turn ESC off. (ESC OFF

indicator will illuminate). To

turn the ESC on, press the

ESC OFF button (ESC OFF

indicator light will go off).

• When moving out of the mud

or driving on a slippery road,

the engine rpm (revolution per

minute) may not be increased

even if you press the acceler-

ator pedal deeply. This is to

maintain the stability and trac-

tion of the vehicle and does

not indicate a problem.

• When starting the engine,

you may hear a slight ticking

sound. This is the ESC per-

forming an automatic system

self-check and does not indi-

cate a problem.

5 33

Driving your vehicle

ESC OFF usage

When driving

■ ESC indicator light

CAUTION

Driving with varying tire or wheel

sizes may cause the ESC system to

malfunction. When replacing tires,

make sure they are the same size as

your original tires.

• ESC should be turned on for daily driv-

ing whenever possible.

• To turn ESC off while driving, press the

ESC OFF button while driving on a flat

road surface.

■ ESC OFF indicator light

Never press the ESC OFF button while

ESC is operating (ESC indicator light

blinks).

WARNING

The Electronic Stability Control sys-

tem is only a driving aid; use pre-

cautions for safe driving by slowing

down on curved, snowy, or icy

roads. Drive slowly and don’t

attempt to accelerate whenever the

ESC indicator light is blinking, or

when the road surface is slippery.

If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-

ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.

Indicator light

When ignition switch is turned to ON, the

indicator light illuminates, then goes off if

the ESC system is operating normally.

✽

NOTICE

• When operating the vehicle on a

dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is

turned off (ESC OFF light illuminated).

• Turning the ESC off does not affect

ABS or brake system operation.

The ESC indicator light blinks whenever

ESC is operating or illuminates when

ESC fails to operate.

ESC OFF indicator light comes on when

the ESC is turned off with the button.

WARNING

Never press the ESC OFF button

while ESC is operating.

If the ESC is turned off while ESC is

operating, the vehicle may go out of

control.

To turn ESC off while driving, press

the ESC OFF button while driving

on a flat road surface.

5 34

Driving your vehicle

Hill-start assist control (HAC)

(if equipped)

Vehicle stability management

(VSM) (if equipped)

✽

NOTICE

• The HAC does not operate when the

transaxle shift lever is in the P (Park)

or N (Neutral) position.

• The HAC activates even though the

ESC is off but it does not activate

when the ESC has malfunctioned.

Hill start Assist Control is a comfort func-

tion. The main intend is to prevent the

vehicle from rolling backwards while driv-

ing off uphill on an inclined surface. HAC

holds the braking pressure builtup by

driver during stopping procedure for 2

seconds after releasing brake pedal.

This system provides further enhance-

ments to vehicle stability and steering

responses when a vehicle is driving on a

slippery road or a vehicle detected

changes in coefficient of friction between

right wheels and left wheels when brak-

ing.

During the pressure-hold period, the

driver has enough time to press the

accelerator pedal to drive off.

VSM operation

When the VSM is in operation, ESC indi-

The braking pressure is reduced as soon

as the system detects the driver’s inten-

tion to drive off.

cator light (

) blinks.

When the vehicle stability management

is operating properly, you can feel a slight

pulsation in the vehicle. This is only the

effect of brake control and indicates noth-

ing unusual.

WARNING

The HAC is usually activated only

for 2 seconds. The driver should be

careful from the rolling backward

causing the accident with behind

objects or human, when the driver

may feel the unintended rolling

backward while driving off on hill

due to insufficient brake hold pres-

sure built-up by driver during stop-

ping procedure.

The VSM does not operate when:

• Driving on bank road such as gradient

or incline

• Driving rearward

• ESC OFF indicator light (

on the instrument cluster

) remains

• EPS indicator light remains on the

instrument cluster

5 35

Driving your vehicle

VSM operation off

If you press the ESC OFF button to turn off

the ESC, the VSM will also cancel and the

ESS : Emergency Stop Signal

WARNING

The Emergency Stop Signal system

alerts the driver behind by blinking the

stop light when the vehicle suddenly

stops or when the ABS activates in a

stop. (The system activates when the

vehicle speed is over 55km/h and the

vehicle deceleration is over 7m/s² or the

ABS activates when the vehicle emer-

gency braking.)

• The Vehicle Stability Management

system is not a substitute for

safe driving practices but a sup-

plementary function only. It is the

responsibility of the driver to

always check the speed and the

distance to the vehicle ahead.

Always hold the steering wheel

firmly while driving.

ESC OFF indicator light (

) illuminates.

To turn on the VSM, press the button

again. The ESC OFF indicator light goes

out.

Malfunction indicator

The VSM can be deactivated even if you

don’t cancel the VSM operation by press-

ing the ESC OFF button. It indicates that

a malfunction has been detected some-

where in the Electric Power Steering sys-

tem or VSM system. If the ESC indicator

When the vehicle speed is under 40 km/h

and the ABS deactivates or the sudden

stop situation is over, the stop light blink-

ing will stop.

• Your vehicle is designed to acti-

vate according to the driver’s

intention, even with installed

VSM. Always follow all the normal

precautions for driving at safe

speeds for the conditions

including driving inclement

weather and on a slippery road.

light (

) or EPS warning light remains

CAUTION

–

on, we recommend that you contact an

authorized Kia dealer.

The Emergency Stop Signal system

will not work if the hazard warning

flasher is already on.

• Driving with varying tire or wheel

sizes may cause the VSM system

to malfunction. When replacing

tires, make sure they are the

same size as your original tires.

✽

NOTICE

• The VSM is designed to function

above approximately 15 km/h (9 mph)

on curves.

• The VSM is designed to function

above approximately 30 km/h (18

mph) when a vehicle is braking on a

split-mu road. The split-mu road is

made of surfaces which have different

friction forces.

5 36

Driving your vehicle

To dry the brakes, apply the brakes

lightly until the braking action returns to

normal, taking care to keep the car

under control at all times. If the braking

action does not return to normal, stop

as soon as it is safe to do so and call an

authorized Kia dealer for assistance.

• Be cautious when parking on a hill.

Firmly engage the parking brake and

place the shift lever in P (Park). If your

car is facing downhill, turn the front

wheels into the curb to help keep the

car from rolling. If your car is facing

uphill, turn the front wheels away from

the curb to help keep the car from

rolling. If there is no curb or if it is

required by other conditions to keep

the car from rolling, block the wheels.

Good braking practices

WARNING

• Whenever leaving vehicle or

parking, always set the parking

brake as far as possible and fully

engage the vehicle's transaxle

into the park position. Vehicles

not fully engaged in park with the

parking brake set are at risk for

moving inadvertently and injur-

ing yourself or others.

• Don't coast down hills with the car out

of gear. This is extremely hazardous.

Keep the car in gear at all times, use

the brakes to slow down, then shift to a

lower gear so that engine braking will

help you maintain a safe speed.

• Under some conditions your parking

brake can freeze in the engaged posi-

tion.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 that the

parking brake may freeze, apply it only

temporarily while you put the shift lever

in P (Park) and block the rear wheels so

the car cannot roll. Then release the

parking brake.

• All vehicles should always have

the parking brake fully engaged

when parking to avoid inadvertent

movement of the car which can

injure occupants or pedestrians.

• Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting

your foot on the brake pedal while driv-

ing can be dangerous because it can

result in the brakes overheating and los-

ing their effectiveness. It also increases

the wear of the brake components.

• If a tire goes flat while you are driving,

apply the brakes gently and keep the

car pointed straight ahead while you

slow down. When you are moving slow-

ly enough for it to be safe to do so, pull

off the road and stop in a safe place.

• After parking the vehicle, check to be

sure the parking brake is not engaged

and that the parking brake indicator

light is out before driving away.

• Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade

with the accelerator pedal. This can

cause the transaxle to overheat. Always

use the brake pedal or parking brake.

• Driving through water may get the

brakes wet.They can also get wet when

the car is washed. Wet brakes can be

dangerous! Your car will not stop as

quickly if the brakes are wet.Wet brakes

may cause the car to pull to one side.

• If your car is equipped with an auto-

matic transaxle, don't let your car

creep forward. To avoid creeping for-

ward, keep your foot firmly on the

brake pedal when the car is stopped.

5 37

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

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