KIA Soul 2011 1.G Owner's Manual

Driving your vehicle
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Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake is
not engaged and the parking brake
indicator light is out before driving
away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your vehicle
will not stop as quickly if the brakes are
wet. Wet brakes may cause the vehicle
to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the vehicle
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 assis-
tance. Don't coast down hills with the vehicle
out of gear. This is extremely haz-
ardous. Keep the vehicle 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.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driv-
ing can be dangerous because the
brakes might overheat and lose 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
vehicle pointed straight ahead while
you slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place.
WARNING
Whenever you leave or park yourvehicle, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and shift
the vehicle to 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle, or
P (Park) for automatic transaxle. If
the parking brake is not fully
engaged, the vehicle may move
inadvertently and injure yourself
and others.
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.

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Driving your vehicle
If your vehicle is equipped with anautomatic transaxle, don't let your vehi-
cle creep forward. To avoid creeping
forward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front wheels
into the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If your vehicle is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the vehicle from rolling, block the
wheels. 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 (automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
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 your vehicle
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The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without pressing the acceler-
ator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).✽ ✽
NOTICE
During normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. The delay is
normal.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated),
the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally. Keep
the cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-
ting a speed.
Use the cruise control system only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Do not use the cruise controlwhen it may not be safe to keep
the vehicle at a constant speed,
for instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
Pay particular attention to the driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
Be careful when driving downhill using the cruise control system,
which may increase the vehicle
speed.
CAUTION
During cruise-speed driving of amanual transaxle vehicle, do notshift into neutral without depress-ing the clutch pedal, since theengine will be overrevved. If thishappens, depress the clutch pedalor release the cruise control ON-OFF switch.

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Driving your vehicle
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To set cruise control speed:
1. Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button onthe steering wheel, to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h (25 mph). 3. Push the SET - switch, and release it
at the desired speed. The SET indica-
tor light in the instrument cluster will
illuminate. Release the accelerator at
the same time. The desired speed will
automatically be maintained.
On a steep grade, the vehicle may slowdown or speed up slightly while goingdownhill.
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To increase cruise control set
speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
Push the RES + switch and hold it. Your vehicle will accelerate. Release the
switch at the speed you want.
Push the RES + switch and release it immediately. The cruising speed will
increase by 1.6 km/h (1.0 mph) each
time the RES + switch is operated in
this manner.
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Driving your vehicle
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To decrease the cruising speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
Push the SET - switch and hold it. Your
vehicle will gradually slow down.
Release the switch at the speed you
want to maintain.
Push the SET - switch and release it immediately. The cruising speed will
decrease by 1.6 km/h (1.0 mph) each
time the SET - switch is operated in
this manner.
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To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:
If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operation
or change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.
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To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following:
Press the brake pedal.
Press the clutch pedal with a manualtransaxle.
Shift into N (Neutral) with an automatic transaxle.
Push the CANCEL switch located on the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by 20 km/h (12
mph).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less than approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
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Driving your vehicle
Each of these actions will cancel cruisecontrol operation (the SET indicator lightin the instrument cluster will go off), but itwill not turn the system off. If you wish toresume cruise control operation, pushthe RES + switch located on your steer-ing wheel. You will return to your previ- ously preset speed.
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To resume cruising speed at
more than approximately 40 km/h
(25 mph):
If any method other than the CRUISE
ON-OFF switch was used to cancel
cruising speed and the system is still
activated, the most recent set speed will
automatically resume when the RES +
switch is pushed.
It will not resume, however, if the vehicle
speed has dropped below approximately
40 km/h (25 mph).
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To turn cruise control off, do one
of the following:
Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button (the CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster will go off).
Turn the ignition off.
Both of these actions will cancel the cruise control operation. If you want toresume the cruise control operation, repeat the steps provided in “To setcruise control speed” on the previous page.
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Driving your vehicle
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Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a liter
(gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed, in
the highest gear appropriate for the
conditions, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal may cause the
brakes to overheat, which reduces
their effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your vehi-
cle in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule in section 7. If you
drive your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required
(see section 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maximum service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the vehicle. This
extra weight can result in increased
fuel consumption and also contribute
to corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Weight reduces
fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

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Driving your vehicle
Remember, your vehicle does notrequire extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a very
high gear resulting in engine bucking. If
this happens, shift to a lower gear.
Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is operat-
ed by engine power so your fuel econ-
omy is reduced when you use it.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized KIA
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
WARNING - Engine off dur- ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.

Driving your vehicle
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Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-slip material under the drive wheels to pro-
vide traction when stalled in ice, snow,
or mud.
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Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Crossover Utility Vehicle
(CUV). CUV’s have higher ground clear-
ance and a narrower track to make them
capable of performing in a wide variety of
road applications. Specific design char-
acteristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance is a
better view of the road, which allows you
to anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger vehi-
cles. Due to this risk, driver and passen-
gers are strongly recommended to buck-
le their seat belts. In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is more likely to die than
a person wearing a seat belt. There are
steps that a driver can make to reduce
the risk of a rollover. If at all possible,
avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers,
do not load your roof rack with heavy
cargo, and never modify your vehicle in
any way.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.

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Driving your vehicle
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Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to free
it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the
area around your front wheels. Then, shift
back and forth between 1st (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with a
manual transaxle or R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped with an
automatic transaxle. Do not race the
engine, and spin the wheels as little as
possible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow
vehicle to avoid engine overheating and
possible damage to the transaxle.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine overheating, transaxle dam- age or failure, and tire damage.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with tires
designed to provide safe ride and
handling capability. Do not use a
size and type of tire and wheel that
is different from the one that is
originally installed on your vehicle.
It can affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle, which could
lead to steering failure or rollover
and serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all four
tires with the tire and wheel of the
same size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you never-
theless decide to equip your vehi-
cle with any tire/wheel combination
not recommended by KIA for off
road driving, you should not use
these tires for highway driving.
WARNING - Rollover
As with other Crossover Utility
Vehicle (CUV), failure to operate
this vehicle correctly may result in
loss of control, an accident or vehi-
cle rollover.
Utility vehicles have a significant- ly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, nar-
rower track, etc.) give this vehicle
a higher center of gravity than
ordinary vehicles.
A CUV is not designed for corner- ing at the same speeds as con-
ventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more like-
ly to die than a person wearing a
seat belt. Make sure everyone in
the vehicle is properly buckled
up.