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

Driving your vehicle

WINTER DRIVING

Snow tires

Snowy or icy conditions

If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,

make sure they are radial tires of the

same size and load range as the original

tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels

to balance your vehicle’s handling in all

weather conditions. Keep in mind that the

traction provided by snow tires on dry

roads may not be as high as your vehi-

cle's original equipment tires. You should

drive cautiously even when the roads are

clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-

imum speed recommendations.

To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may

be necessary to use snow tires or to

install tire chains on your tires. If snow

tires are needed, it is necessary to select

tires equivalent in size and type of the

original equipment tires. Failure to do so

may adversely affect the safety and han-

dling of your car. Furthermore, speeding,

rapid acceleration, sudden brake appli-

cations, and sharp turns are potentially

very hazardous practices.

During deceleration, use engine braking

to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-

cations on snowy or icy roads may cause

skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-

cient distance between the vehicle in

operation in front and your vehicle. Also,

apply the brake gently. It should be noted

that installing tire chains on the tire will

provide a greater driving force, but will

not prevent side skids.

OBH058040

More severe weather conditions of winter

result in greater wear and other prob-

lems. To minimize winter driving problem,

you should follow these suggestions:

WARNING - Snow tire size

Snow tires should be equivalent in

size and type to the vehicle's stan-

dard tires. Otherwise, the safety

and handling of your vehicle may

be adversely affected.

Do not install studded tires without first

checking local, state and municipal regu-

lations for possible restrictions against

their use.

✽

NOTICE

Tire chains are not legal in all countries.

Check the country laws before fitting

tire chains.

5 44

Driving your vehicle

Chain installation

CAUTION

When installing chains, follow the manu-

facturer's instructions and mount them as

tightly as you can. Drive slowly with

chains installed. If you hear the chains

contacting the body or chassis, stop and

tighten them. If they still make contact,

slow down until it stops. Remove the

chains as soon as you begin driving on

cleared roads.

• Make sure the snow chains are

the correct size and type for your

tires. Incorrect snow chains can

cause damage to the vehicle body

and suspension and may not be

covered by your vehicle manufac-

turer warranty. Also, the snow

chain connecting hooks may be

damaged from contacting vehicle

components causing the snow

chains to come loose from the

tire. Make sure the snow chains

are SAE class “S” certified.

WARNING

- Mounting chains

1JBA4068

Tire chains

When mounting snow chains, park

the vehicle on level ground away

from traffic. Turn on the vehicle

Hazard Warning flashers and place

a triangular emergency warning

device behind the vehicle if avail-

able. Always place the vehicle in P

(Park), apply the parking brake and

turn off the engine before installing

snow chains.

Since the sidewalls of radial tires are

thinner, they can be damaged by mount-

ing some types of snow chains on them.

Therefore, the use of snow tires is rec-

ommended instead of snow chains. Do

not mount tire chains on vehicles

equipped with aluminum wheels; snow

chains may cause damage to the wheels.

If snow chains must be used, use wire-

type chains with a thickness of less than

12 mm (0.47 in). Damage to your vehicle

caused by improper snow chain use is

not covered by your vehicle manufactur-

ers warranty.

• Always check chain installation

for proper mounting after driving

approximately 0.5 to 1 km (0.3 to

0.6 miles) to ensure safe mount-

ing. Retighten or remount the

chains if they are loose.

Install tire chains only on the front tires.

5 45

Driving your vehicle

Use high quality ethylene glycol

coolant

Change to "winter weight" oil if

necessary

WARNING - Tire chains

• The use of chains may adversely

affect vehicle handling.

Your vehicle is delivered with high quality

ethylene glycol coolant in the cooling

system. It is the only type of coolant that

should be used because it helps prevent

corrosion in the cooling system, lubri-

cates the water pump and prevents

freezing. Be sure to replace or replenish

your coolant in accordance with the

maintenance schedule in section 7.

In some climates it is recommended that

a lower viscosity "winter weight" oil be

used during cold weather. See section 8

for recommendations. If you aren't sure

what weight oil you should use, we rec-

ommend that you consult an authorized

Kia dealer.

• Do not exceed 30 km/h (20 mph)

or the chain manufacturer’s rec-

ommended speed limit, whichev-

er is lower.

• Drive carefully and avoid bumps,

holes, sharp turns, and other

road hazards, which may cause

the vehicle to bounce.

Check spark plugs and ignition

system

Before winter, have your coolant tested to

assure that its freezing point is sufficient

for the temperatures anticipated during

the winter.

• Avoid sharp turns or locked-

wheel braking.

Inspect your spark plugs as described in

section 7 and replace them if necessary.

Also check all ignition wiring and compo-

nents to be sure they are not cracked,

worn or damaged in any way.

Check battery and cables

CAUTION

Winter puts additional burdens on the

battery system. Visually inspect the bat-

tery and cables as described in section 7.

We recommend that the level of charge in

your battery be checked by an authorized

Kia dealer.

• Chains that are the wrong size or

improperly installed can damage

your vehicle's brake lines, sus-

pension, body and wheels.

• Stop driving and retighten the

chains any time you hear them

hitting the vehicle.

5 46

Driving your vehicle

To keep locks from freezing

Don't let your parking brake

freeze

Carry emergency equipment

To keep the locks from freezing, squirt an

approved de-icer fluid or glycerine into

the key opening. If a lock is covered with

ice, squirt it with an approved de-icing

fluid to remove the ice. If the lock is

frozen internally, you may be able to thaw

it out by using a heated key. Handle the

heated key with care to avoid injury.

Depending on the severity of the weath-

er where you drive your car, you should

carry appropriate emergency equipment.

Some of the items you may want to carry

include tire chains, tow straps or chains,

flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a

shovel, jumper cables, a window scraper,

gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket,

etc.

Under some conditions your parking

brake can freeze in the engaged position.

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 the parking

brake may freeze, apply it only temporar-

ily while you put the shift lever in P (Park)

and block the rear wheels so the vehicle

cannot roll. Then release the parking

brake.

Use approved window washer

anti-freeze in system

To keep the water in the window washer

system from freezing, add an approved

window washer anti-freeze solution in

accordance with instructions on the con-

tainer. Window washer anti-freeze is

available from an authorized Kia dealer

and most auto parts outlets. Do not use

engine coolant or other types of anti-

freeze as these may damage the paint

finish.

Don't let ice and snow accumu-

late underneath

Under some conditions, snow and ice

can build up under the fenders and inter-

fere with the steering. When driving in

severe winter conditions where this may

happen, you should periodically check

underneath the car to be sure the move-

ment of the front wheels and the steering

components is not obstructed.

5 47

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

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