Kia Picanto 2016, Owner'S Manual, Page: 300 / 488

Driving your vehicle
18 5
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 5 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-
plished.
Depress the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an igni-
tion lock switch, the engine will not start
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal. (if equipped)
The shift lever must be returned to the
neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R (Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone. • During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
• If you've come to a complete stop and
it's hard to shift into 1st or R(Reverse),
leave the shift lever at N(Neutral) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OTA050010
CAUTION
• When downshifting from fifth gear
to fourth gear, caution should be
taken not to inadvertently press
the shift lever sideways in such a
manner that the second gear is
engaged. Such a drastic down-
shift may cause the engine speed
to increase to the point that the
tachometer will enter the red-
zone. Such over-revving of the
engine and transaxle may possi-
bly cause engine damage.
• Do not downshift more than 2
gears or downshift the gear when
the engine is running at high
speed (5,000 RPM or higher). Such
a downshifting may damage the
engine, clutch and the transaxle.
CAUTION
• To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutch
to hold the vehicle stopped on an
uphill grade, while waiting for a
traffic light, etc.
• To prevent possible damage to the
clutch system, do not start with
the 2nd (second) gear engaged
except when you start on a slip-
pery road.
• Do not use the shift lever as a
handrest during driving, as this
can result in premature wear of
the transaxle shift forks.