Brake system
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes, a parking brake, and various braking systems for safe driving.
Power-assisted brakes
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If the power-assisted brakes lose power because of a stalled engine or some other reason, you can still stop your vehicle by engaging the brake pedal with greater force than you normally would. However, the required stopping distance will be greater.
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When the engine is not running, the reserve brake power is partially depleted each time you engage the brake pedal. Do not engage the brake pedal when the power assist has been interrupted.
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Only engage the brake pedal when necessary to maintain steering control on slippery surfaces.
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Wet brakes may impair your vehicle’s ability to slow down safely; your vehicle may drift to one side when you engage the brake pedal. Lightly engaging the brake pedal indicates whether the brakes have been affected in this way. Always test your brakes in this fashion after driving through deep water. To dry the brakes, engage them lightly whilst maintaining a safe forward speed until brake performance returns to normal.
Steep hill braking
To avoid continuous engagement of the brake pedal when descending a long or steep hill, shift the vehicle to a lower gear. Continuous engagement of the brakes can cause them to overheat and could result in a temporary loss of braking performance.
Brake pedal
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. This creates abnormally high brake temperatures, which can cause excessive wear to the brake lining and pad.
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When you engage the brake pedal under certain driving or weather conditions, you may hear noise. This is not a brake malfunction.
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When driving on a road where de-icing chemicals have been applied, you may hear noises from the brake or abnormal abrasion of tyres. Engage the brake pedal under safe traffic conditions to remove the de-icing chemicals from the brake disk and pad.
In the event of brake failure
If the service brakes fail to operate whilst your vehicle is in motion, you can make an emergency stop by applying the parking brake. However, the required stopping distance will be much greater than normal. However, Kia brake systems are designed with redundancy so that brake failure should never happen absent some extraordinary circumstance.
Parking brake
Avoid applying the parking brake to stop your vehicle whilst it is moving except in an emergency. Applying the parking brake whilst your vehicle is moving at normal speeds can cause a sudden loss of control of your vehicle. If you must use the parking brake to stop your vehicle, use great caution.
Brake over accelerator
If the accelerator pedal is stuck or entrapped, engage the brake pedal with steady and firm pressure to slow down your vehicle and reduce engine power. These systems are designed to provide priority to the brake pedal over the accelerator pedal.
If this happens, follow these steps:
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Engage the brake pedal and bring your vehicle to a safe stop.
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Shift to P (Park), turn off the vehicle, and apply the parking brake.
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Inspect the accelerator pedal for any interference.
If you do not find any interference and the accelerator pedal is still stuck, have your vehicle checked by a professional workshop. Kia recommends that you visit an authorised Kia dealer/service partner.
Disc brake wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and new pads are required, you will hear a high-pitched warning sound from your front or rear brakes. You may hear this sound come and go, or it may occur whenever you engage the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving conditions 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.
Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
Brake wear
Do not ignore high pitched sounds from your brakes indicating brake wear. If you ignore this sound, you will eventually lose braking performance, which could lead to a serious accident.
Replace brake pads
Do not continue to drive your vehicle with worn brake pads. Driving with worn brake pads can damage the braking system and result in costly brake repairs.
Brake dust may accumulate on the wheels, even under normal driving conditions. Some dust is inevitable as the brakes wear, which contributes to noise from the brakes.