KIA Soul 2011 1.G Owner's Manual

721
Maintenance
✽
✽NOTICE
New automatic transaxle fluid should be
red. The red dye is added so the assem-
bly plant can identify it as automatic
transaxle fluid and distinguish it from
engine oil or antifreeze. The red dye,
which is not an indicator of fluid quali-
ty, is not permanent. As the vehicle is
driven, the automatic transaxle fluid
will begin to look darker. The color may
eventually appear light brown.
Therefore, have an authorized KIA
dealer change the automatic transaxle
fluid according to the Scheduled
Maintenance at the beginning of this
section.
Use only the specified automatic
transaxle fluid. (Refer to "Recommended
lubricants or capacities" in section 8.)
G100200AUN-U1
Changing the automatic transaxle
fluid
Have the automatic transaxle fluid
changed by an authorized KIA dealer
according to the Maintenance Schedule
at the beginning of this section.

Maintenance
22
7
WASHER FLUID
G120100AUN-C1
Checking the washer fluid level
Check the fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain
water may be used if washer fluid is not
available. However, use washer solvent
with antifreeze characteristics in cold cli-
mates to prevent freezing.
G140100AAM
Checking the parking brake
Check the stroke of the parking brake by
counting the number of “clicks’’ heard
while fully applying it from the released
position. Also, the parking brake alone
should securely hold the vehicle on a fair-
ly steep grade. If the stroke is more or
less than specified, have the parking
brake adjusted by an authorized KIA
dealer.
Stroke : 5~7 “clicks’’ at a force of
20 kg (44 lbs, 196 N).
WARNING -Coolant
Do not use radiator coolant or
antifreeze in the washer fluid
reservoir.
Radiator coolant can severely obscure visibility when sprayed
on the windshield and may cause
loss of vehicle control or damage
to paint and body trim.
Windshield washer fluid agents contain some amounts of alcohol
and can be flammable under cer-
tain circumstances. Do not allow
sparks or flame to contact the
washer fluid or the washer fluid
reservoir. Damage to the vehicle
or occupants could occur.
Windshield washer fluid is poi- sonous to humans and animals.
Do not drink and avoid contacting
windshield washer fluid. Serious
injury or death could occur.
PARKING BRAKE
OAM079039NOAM059004

723
Maintenance
AIR CLEANER
G160100AAM-EC
Filter replacement
It must be replaced when necessary, and
should not be washed.
You can clean the filter when inspecting
the air cleaner element.
Clean the filter by using compressed air.Replace the filter according to the
Maintenance Schedule.
If the vehicle is operated in extremely
dusty or sandy areas, replace the ele-ment more often than the usual recom-mended intervals.
OAM079043
CAUTION
Do not drive with the air cleaner removed; this will result in exces-sive engine wear.
When removing the air cleaner fil- ter, be careful that dust or dirtdoes not enter the air intake, ordamage may result.
Use a KIA genuine part. Use of non-genuine parts could damagethe air flow sensor.

Maintenance
24
7
WIPER BLADES
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper
arms or other components, do not attempt to move the wipers manual-ly.
CAUTION
The use of a non-specified wiper blade could result in wiper malfunc-tion and failure.
G180100AUN
Blade inspection
✽
✽ NOTICE
Commercial hot waxes applied by auto-
matic car washes have been known to
make the windshield difficult to clean.
Contamination of either the windshield or
the wiper blades with foreign matter can
reduce the effectiveness of the wind-
shield wipers. Common sources of con-
tamination are insects, tree sap, and hot
wax treatments used by some commer-
cial car washes. If the blades are not wip-
ing properly, clean both the window and
the blades with a good cleaner or mild
detergent, and rinse thoroughly with
clean water.G180200AUN
Blade replacement
When the wipers no longer clean ade-
quately, the blades may be worn or
cracked, and require replacement.
1JBA5122CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper
blades, do not use gasoline,kerosene, paint thinner, or othersolvents on or near them.

725
Maintenance
G180201AUN
Front windshield wiper blade
1. Raise the wiper arm and turn the wiperblade assembly to expose the plastic
locking clip. 2. Compress the clip and slide the blade
assembly downward.
3. Lift it off the arm. 4. Install the blade assembly in the
reverse order of removal.
1LDA50231JBA7037
CAUTION
Do not allow the wiper arm to fallagainst the windshield, since it maychip or crack the windshield.
1JBA7038

Maintenance
26
7
G180202AAM
Rear window wiper blade
1. Raise the wiper arm and pull out the
wiper blade assembly. 2. Install the new blade assembly by
inserting the center part into the slot in
the wiper arm until it clicks into place.
3. Make sure the blade assembly is installed firmly by trying to pull it slight-
ly.
4. Place back the wiper arm to the prop- er position.
To prevent damage to the wiper arms or
other components, have an authorized
KIA dealer replace the wiper blade.
OHM078062OED076041

727
Maintenance
BATTERY
G190100AAM
For best battery service
Keep the battery securely mounted.
Keep the battery top clean and dry.
Keep the terminals and connectionsclean, tight, and coated with petroleum
jelly or terminal grease.
Rinse any spilled electrolyte from the battery immediately with a solution of
water and baking soda.
If the vehicle is not going to be used for an extended time, disconnect the bat-
tery cables.
WARNING- Battery dangers
Always read the following
instructions carefully when
handling a battery.
Keep lighted cigarettes and all other flames or sparks
away from the battery.
Hydrogen, a highly com- bustible gas, is always
present in battery cells and
may explode if ignited.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children because
batteries contain highly
corrosive SULFURIC ACID.
Do not allow battery acid to
contact your skin, eyes,
clothing or paint finish.
(Continued)
(Continued)If any electrolyte gets intoyour eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water for at least
15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention.
If electrolyte gets on your
skin, thoroughly wash the
contacted area. If you feel
pain or burning sensation,
get medical attention imme-
diately.
Wear eye protection whencharging or working near a
battery. Always provide
ventilation when working in
an enclosed space.
An inappropriately dis- posed battery can be harm-
ful to the environment and
human health. Dispose the
battery according to your
local law(s) or regulation.
(Continued)
OAM079015

Maintenance
28
7
G190200AUN
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
If the battery becomes discharged in a
short time (because, for example, the
headlights or interior lights were left on
while the vehicle was not in use),
recharge it by slow charging (trickle)
for 10 hours.
If the battery gradually discharges because of high electric load while the
vehicle is being used, recharge it at 20-
30A for two hours.
(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-cased bat-tery, excessive pressure on the
case may cause battery acid to
leak, resulting in personal injury.
Lift with a battery carrier or with
your hands on opposite corners.
Never attempt to recharge the battery when the battery cables
are connected.
The electrical ignition system works with high voltage. Never
touch these components with the
engine running or the ignition
switched on.
Failure to follow the above warn-
ings can result in serious bodily
injury or death.WARNING- Recharging battery
When recharging the battery,
observe the following precautions:
The battery must be removed
from the vehicle and placed in an
area with good ventilation.
Do not allow cigarettes, sparks, or flame near the battery.
Watch the battery during charg- ing, and stop or reduce the charg-
ing rate if the battery cells begin
gassing (boiling) violently or if
the temperature of the electrolyte
of any cell exceeds 49°C (120°F).
Wear eye protection when check- ing the battery during charging.
Disconnect the battery charger in the following order.
1. Turn off the battery charger main switch.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from the negative battery terminal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from the positive battery terminal.

729
Maintenance
G190300AAM
Reset items
Items should be reset after the battery
has been discharged or the battery has
been disconnected.
Sunroof (See section 4)
Climate control system (See section 4)
Clock (See section 4, Audio)
Audio (See section 4)
WARNING
Before performing maintenance or recharging the battery, turn off
all accessories and stop the
engine.
The negative battery cable must be removed first and installed
last when the battery is discon-
nected.

Maintenance
30
7
CAUTION
Underinflation also results in
excessive wear, poor handlingand reduced fuel economy.Wheel deformation also ispossible. Keep your tire pres-sures at the proper levels. If atire frequently needs refilling,have it checked by an author-ized KIA dealer.
Overinflation produces a harsh ride, excessive wear atthe center of the tire tread, anda greater possibility of dam-age from road hazards.
TIRES AND WHEELS
G200100AUN
Tire care
For proper maintenance, safety, and
maximum fuel economy, you must
always maintain recommended tire
inflation pressures and stay within
the load limits and weight distribution
recommended for your vehicle.
G200200AUN-EU
Recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
All tire pressures (including the
spare) should be checked when the
tires are cold. “Cold Tires” means the
vehicle has not been driven for at
least three hours or driven less than
1.6 km (one mile).
Recommended pressures must be
maintained for the best ride, top vehi-
cle handling, and minimum tire wear.
For recommended inflation pressure,
refer to “Tire and wheels” in section
8. All specifications (sizes and pres-
sures) can be found on a label
attached to the driver’s side center
pillar.
WARNING - Tire under-
inflation
Severe underinflation can lead
to severe heat build-up, causing
blowouts, tread separation and
other tire failures that can result
in the loss of vehicle control
leading to severe injury or
death. This risk is much higher
on hot days and when driving
for long periods at high speeds.
OUN086005