coolant level KIA NIRO 2018 Owners Manual

H28
Check Hybrid system
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the hybrid
control system.
Refrain from driving when the warn-
ing message is displayed.
In this case, have your vehicle inspect-
ed by an authorized Kia dealer.
Check Hybrid system.Turn off engine
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the hybrid
system. The " " indicator will blink
and a warning chime will sound until
the problem is solved.
In this case, have your vehicle inspect-
ed by an authorized Kia dealer.
Check Hybrid system.Do not start engine.
This message is displayed when the
hybrid battery power (SOC) level is
low. A warning chime will sound until
the problem is solved.
In this case, park the vehicle in a safe
location and have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.
Stop vehicle and check powerSupply
This message is displayed when a
failure occurs in the power supply
system.
In this case, park the vehicle in a safe
location and have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.
Refill inverter coolant
This message is displayed when the
inverter coolant is nearly empty.
You should refill the inverter coolant.
In this case, have your vehicle inspect-
ed by an authorized Kia dealer.
Stop vehicle and check brakes
This message is displayed when a
failure occurs in the brake system.
In this case, park the vehicle in a safe
location and have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.
Check brakes
This message is displayed when the
brake performance is low or the
regenerative brake does not work
properly due to a failure in the brake
system.
In this case, it may take longer for the
brake pedal to operate and the brak-
ing distance may become longer.
DRIVING THE HYBRID/PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLE (CONT.)

491
Features of your vehicle
Stop vehicle to charge battery
This warning message illuminates
when the hybrid battery power
(SOC) level is low.
In this case, park the vehicle in a
safe location and wait until the hybrid
battery is charged.
Refuel to prevent Hybrid battery dam-
age
This warning message illuminates
when the fuel tank is nearly empty.
You should refill the fuel tank to pre-
vent hybrid battery damage.
Refill inverter coolant
This warning message illuminates
when the inverter coolant is nearly
empty.
You should refill the inverter coolant.Check brakes
This warning message illuminates
when the brake performance is low
or the regenerative brake does not
work properly due to a failure in the
brake system.
In this case, it may take longer for the
brake pedal to operate and the brak-
ing distance may become longer.
Stop vehicle and check brakes
This warning message is displayed
when a failure occurs in the brake
system.
In this case, park the vehicle in a
safe location and tow your vehicle to
the nearest professional workshop
and have the vehicle inspected. Kia
recommends to visit an authorized
Kia dealer/service partner.
Unplug vehicle to start (Plug-in hybrid)
The message is displayed when you
start the engine without unplugging
the charging cable. Unplug the
charging cable, and then start the
vehicle.
Remaining charge time
(Plug-in hybrid)
The message is displayed to notify
the remaining time to fully charge the
battery.
Shift to P to charge (Plug-in hybrid)
The message is displayed when the
charging connector is plugged with
the shift lever in R (Reverse), N
(Neutral) or D (Drive). Move the shift
lever to P (Park) and re-start the
charging process.

Driving your vehicle
46
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 8,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the engine start/stop
button is turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the drive should
not be used during vehicle
operation.

Driving your vehicle
96
6
The use of chains may adversely
affect vehicle handling.
Do not exceed 20 mph (30 km/h) or the chain manufacturer’s recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and other road
hazards, which may cause the
vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel braking.Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
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 cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolant
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in chapter 8. Before winter,
have your coolant tested to assure
that its freezing point is sufficient for
the temperatures anticipated during
the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in chapter 8. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer or a service
station.
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
chapter 9 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition
system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in chapter 8 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.CAUTION- Snow chains
Chains that are the wrong size or improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.

What to do in an emergency
10
7
IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you will experience a
loss of power, or hear loud pinging or
knocking, the engine is probably too
hot. If this happens, you should:
1. Turn on the emergency warning
flasher and stop in a safe place.
Move the shift lever to P (Park)
and engage the parking brake.
2. If hot steam does not come out from the engine room, carefully
open the engine room and check
whether the water pump connec-
tor is properly engaged. If the con-
nector is not properly engaged,
stop the engine immediately and
properly engage the connector.
Then, turn the engine on.
3. Turn on the air conditioner. 4. If the “HEV Warning” light turns on
in the driver instrument cluster, or
engine coolant or hot steam emits
from the engine coolant filler, stop
the engine immediately. Then, call
the nearest authorized Kia dealer
for assistance. If the “Engine
Warning” light remains illuminated
or the engine coolant is not flowing
out, keep the engine running.
Open the engine hood for ventila-
tion to help cool down the engine. 5. Check whether the engine coolant
temperature is low enough by
checking its temperature. If the
engine coolant level is low, please
check the connecting parts
between the radiator hose, heater
hose, and water pump for any
signs of leakage. When there is no
sign of leakage, please refill the
engine coolant. If causes and
signs of engine overheating such
as warning light illumination,
engine coolant leakage, or cooling
fan malfunction are found, stop the
vehicle the earliest. Then, call the
nearest authorized Kia dealer for
assistance.
WARNING- Under the
Hood
While the engine is running,
keep hair, hands and clothing
away from moving parts such
as the fan and drive belts to pre-
vent injury.

711
What to do in an emergency
6. If you cannot find the cause of theoverheating, wait until the engine
temperature has returned to nor-
mal. Then, if coolant has been lost,
carefully add coolant to the reser-
voir to bring the fluid level in the
reservoir up to the halfway mark.
7. Proceed with caution, keeping alert for further signs of overheat-
ing. If over heating happens again,
call the nearest authorized Kia
dealer for assistance.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Serious loss of coolant indicates
there is a leak in the cooling system
and should be checked as soon as
possible by an authorized Kia dealer.
CAUTION
When the engine overheats from
low engine coolant, suddenlyadding engine coolant maycause cracks in the engine. Toprevent damage, add enginecoolant slowly in small quantities
WARNING- Radiator Cap
Do not remove the
radiator cap when the
engine is hot. This
can allow coolant to
blow out of the open-
ing and cause seri-
ous burns.

Maintenance
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Maintenance services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
• Owner’s responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
• Owner maintenance precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Owner maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
• Owner maintenance schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Scheduled maintenance service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 8-22
Checking fluid levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-25
Engine oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-26
• Checking the engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-26
• Changing the engine oil and filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-27
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-28\
• Checking the coolant level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-28
• Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
• Inverter coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
• Recommended coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
• Changing the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-32
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
• Checking the brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
Engine clutch actuator fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
• Checking the engine clutch actuator fluid level . . . . 8-34
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-36
• Checking the washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-36
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-37
• Checking the parking brake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-37
Air cleaner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
• Filter replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Climate control air filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
• Filter inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-42
• Blade inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-42
• Blade replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-42
Battery (Plug-in Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-45
• For best battery service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-45
• Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-46
• Reset items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-47\
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-48
• Tire care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
8-48
• Recommended cold tire inflation pressures . . . . . . . 8-48
• Tire pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-49
• Checking tire inflation pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-49
• Tire rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-50
• Wheel alignment and tire balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-51
• Tire replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-52
• Wheel replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-52
• Tire traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-53
• Tire maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-53
• Tire sidewall labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-53
8

87
Maintenance
OWNER MAINTENANCE
The following lists are vehicle checks
and inspections that should be per-
formed by the owner or an author-
ized Kia dealer at the frequencies
indicated to help ensure safe,
dependable operation of your vehi-
cle.
Any adverse conditions should be
brought to the attention of your deal-
er as soon as possible.
These Owner Maintenance Checks
are generally not covered by war-
ranties and you may be charged for
labor, parts and lubricants used.Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check the coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Look for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of
exhaust fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steer-
ing effort or looseness in the steer-
ing wheel, or change in its straight-
ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side
when traveling on smooth, level
road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one
side, increased brake pedal travel
or “hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check the dual clutch transmission P (Park) function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
WARNING- Hot coolant
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. Scalding hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure.
WARNING
When you open the engine
hood, turn the Hybrid system
off. If not, it may result in death
or serious injury because of the
high voltage flow.

Maintenance
88
At least monthly:
Check the coolant level in theengine coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall) :
Check the radiator, heater and air conditioning hoses for leaks or
damage.
Check the windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean
the wiper blades with clean cloth
dampened with washer fluid.
Check the headlight alignment.
Check the muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year :
Clean the body and door drainholes.
Lubricate the door hinges and check the hood hinges.
Lubricate the door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate the door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate dual clutch transmission linkage and controls.
Clean the battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.

825
Maintenance
Exhaust pipe and muffler
Visually inspect the exhaust pipes,
muffler and hangers for cracks, dete-
rioration, or damage. Start the
engine and listen carefully for any
exhaust gas leakage. Tighten con-
nections or replace parts as neces-
sary.
Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections
for looseness or damage. Retighten
to the specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine
off, check for excessive free-play in
the steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or dam-
age. Check the dust boots and ball
joints for deterioration, cracks, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and
clamps for cracks, deterioration, or
damage. Replace any damaged
parts and, if necessary, repack the
grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant
Check the air conditioning lines and
connections for leakage and dam-
age.When checking engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid,
always be sure to clean the area
around any filler plug, drain plug, or
dipstick before checking or draining
any lubricant or fluid. This is espe-
cially important in dusty or sandy
areas and when the vehicle is used
on unpaved roads. Cleaning the plug
and dipstick areas will prevent dirt
and grit from entering the engine and
other mechanisms that could be
damaged.
CHECKING FLUID LEVELS