recommended KIA SOUL 2017 Owners Manual

i
Thank you for choosing a Kia vehicle.
When you require service, remember that your Kia dealer
knows your vehicle best. Your dealer has factory-trained tech-
nicians, recommended special tools and genuine Kia replace-
ment parts. It is dedicated to your complete customer satisfac-
tion.
Because subsequent owners require this important information
as well, this publication should remain with the vehicle if it is
sold.
This manual will familiarize you with operational, mainte-
nance and safety information about your new vehicle. It is sup-
plemented by a Warranty and Consumer Information manual
that provides important information on all warranties regarding
your vehicle.
We urge you to read these publications carefully and follow the
recommendations to help assure enjoyable and safe operation
of your new vehicle.
Kia offers a great variety of options, components and features
for its various models. Therefore, some of the equipment
described in this manual, along with the various illustrations,
may not be applicable to your particular vehicle.
The information and specifications provided in this manual
were accurate at the time of printing. Kia reserves the right to
discontinue or change specifications or design at any time
without notice and without incurring any obligation. If you
have questions, always check with your Kia dealer.
We assure you of our continuing interest in your motoring
pleasure and satisfaction in your Kia vehicle.
© 2016 Kia MOTORS AMERICA, Inc.
All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or translated in
whole or in part without the written consent of Kia Motors
America, Inc.
Printed in Korea
Foreword

35
Safety features of your vehicle
WARNING- Uprightingseat
Do not press the release lever
on a manual seatback without
holding and controlling the
seatback. The seatback will
spring upright possibly impact-
ing you or other passengers.
WARNING- Loose objects
Do not place anything in the dri-
ver's foot well or under the front
seats. Loose objects in the dri-
ver's foot area could interfere with
the operation of the foot pedals.WARNING- Driver respon-
sibility for passengers
The driver must advise the pas-
senger to keep the seatback in
an upright position whenever
the vehicle is in motion. If a seat
is reclined during an accident,
the restraint system's ability to
restrain will be greatly reduced.
1KMN3662
WARNING - Seat cushion
Occupants should never sit on
aftermarket seat cushions or sit-
ting cushions. The passenger's
hips may slide under the lap por-
tion of the seat belt during an
accident or a sudden stop.
WARNING- Driver’s seat
Never attempt to adjust the seat while the vehicle is mov-
ing. This could result in loss
of control of your vehicle.
Do not allow anything to inter- fere with the normal position
of the seatback. Storing items
against the seatback could
result in serious or fatal injury
in a sudden stop or collision.
Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel while still
maintaining comfortable con-
trol of the your vehicle. A dis-
tance of at least 10" from your
chest to the steering wheel is
recommended. Failure to do so
can result in airbag inflation
injuries to the driver.

Safety features of your vehicle
10
3
Headrest (for front seat)
The driver's and front passenger's
seats are equipped with a headrest
for the occupant's safety and comfort.
The headrest not only provides com-
fort for the driver and front passenger,
but also helps protect the head and
neck in the event of a rear collision.
For maximum effectiveness in case of
an accident, the headrest should be
adjusted so the middle of the headrest
is at the same height of the center of
gravity of an occupant's head. Generally, the center of gravity of most
people's head is similar with the height
of the top of their eyes. Also, adjust the
headrest as close to your head as pos-
sible. For this reason, the use of a
cushion that holds the body away from
the seatback is not recommended.
Adjusting the height up and down
To raise the headrest, pull it up to the
desired position (1). To lower the
headrest, push and hold the release
button (2) on the headrest support
and lower the headrest to the desired
position (3).
OPS034058N
OPS033010
WARNING- Headrest
removal/adjustment
Do not operate the vehicle with the headrests removed.
Headrests can provide critical
neck and head support in a
crash.
Do not adjust the headrest height while the vehicle is in
motion. Driver may lose con-
trol of the vehicle.
CAUTION
Excessive pulling or pushingmay damage the headrest.

Safety features of your vehicle
16
3
For maximum effectiveness in case of
an accident, the headrest should be
adjusted so the middle of the head-
rest is at the same height as the cen-
ter of gravity of an occupant's head.
Generally, the center of gravity of
most people's head is similar with
the height of the top of their eyes.
Also adjust the headrest as close to
your head as possible. For this rea-
son, the use of a cushion that holds
the body away from the seatback is
not recommended.Adjusting the height up and down
To raise the headrest :
1. Pull it up to the desired position (1).
To lower the headrest :
1. Push and hold the release button
(2) on the headrest support
2. Lower the headrest to the desired position (3).
Removal and installation
To remove the headrest :
1. Raise it as far as it can go thenpress the release button (1) while
pulling the headrest up (2).
To reinstall the headrest :
1. Put the headrest poles (3) into the holes while pressing the release
button (1).
2. Adjust it to the appropriate height.
Make sure the headrest locks in
position after adjusting it to properly
protect the occupants.
OPS033033
WARNING- Headrest
removal/adjustment
Do not operate the vehicle with
the headrests removed.
Headrests can provide critical
neck and head support in a
crash.
OPS033034

Safety features of your vehicle
38
3
✽
✽
NOTICE
The recommended maximum
weight for the LATCH system is 65
lbs. (30 kg). When selecting a proper
child restraint, consider that the
maximum total weight of the child
plus the child restraint should be
less than 65 lbs (30 kg).
As a guide, the MAX child restraint
weight should be determined by the
following calculation:
Child Restraint Weight =
65 - (child's total weight in lbs.)
Securing a child restraint seat
with "Tether Anchor" system
First secure the child restraint with
the LATCH lower anchors or the seat
belt. If the child restraint manufactur-
er recommends that the top tether
strap be attached, attach and tighten
the top tether strap to the top tether
strap anchor.
Child restraint system top tether
anchorages are located on the back
of the rear seatbacks.
OPS033019
WARNING
Take the following precautions
when installing the tether strap:
Read and follow all installation instructions provided with
your child restraint system.
NEVER attach more than one child restraint to a single teth-
er anchor. This could cause
the anchor or attachment to
come loose or break.
Do not attach the tether strap to anything other than the cor-
rect tether anchor. It may not
work properly if attached to
something else.
Do not use the tether anchors for adult seat belts or har-
nesses, or for attaching other
items or equipment to the
vehicle.
Always fasten the seatbelts behind the child restraint seat
when they are not used to
secure the child seat. Failure
to do so may result in child
strangulation.

Safety features of your vehicle
54
3
When an adult is seated in the front
passenger seat, if the PASSENGER
AIR BAG “OFF” indicator is on, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion and ask the passenger to sit
properly (sitting upright with the seat
back in an upright position, centered
on the seat cushion with their seat
belt on, legs comfortably extended
and their feet on the floor). Restart
the engine and have the person
remain in that position. This will allow
the system to detect the person and
to enable the passenger air bag. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is still on, ask the passen-
ger to move to the rear seat.
B990A01O
WARNING - “AIR BAG
OFF” light
Do not allow an adult passenger
to ride in the front seat when the
PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicator is illuminated, because
the air bag will not deploy in the
event of a crash. The driver must
instruct the passenger to reposi-
tion himself in the seat. Failure
to properly position yourself
may lead to air bag deactivation
resulting in air bag non-deploy-
ment in a collision. If the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG “OFF” indica-
tor remains illuminated after the
passenger repositions them-
selves properly and the car is
restarted, it is recommended
that passenger move to the rear
seat because the passenger's
front air bag will not deploy.
Proper position

Driving your vehicle
18
6
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 6 for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically, depending on the
position of the shift lever.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transaxle Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OPS053008
+
+
+
+




(
(
(
(
U
U
U
U
P
P
P
P
)
)
)
)
-
-
-
-




(
(
(
(
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
W
W
W
W
N
N
N
N
)
)
)
)
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the lock release button when shifting. Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.
(If the shift lock system is not equipped, it is not necessary to depress the brake pedal.
However, it is recommended to depress the brake pedal to avoid inadvertent movement
of the vehicle.)

Driving your vehicle
34
6
Parking brake - Hand type
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then without
pressing the release button in, pull
the parking brake lever up as far as
possible.
In addition it is recommended that
when parking the vehicle on a gradi-
ent, the shift lever should be posi-
tioned in the appropriate low gear on
manual transaxle vehicles or in the P
(Park) position for automatic
transaxle vehicles.
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and pull up the
parking brake lever slightly. Secondly
press the release button (1) and
lower the parking brake lever (2)
while holding the button.
CAUTION- Parking brake
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause excessivebrake pad and brake rotor wear.
OPS053011
OPS053012

669
Driving your vehicle
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 miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary 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, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch
pedal. This can increase fuel con-
sumption and also increase wear
on these components. In addition,
driving with your foot resting 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 pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
section 8. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see sec-
tion 8 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum 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 unneces- sary 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

Driving your vehicle
70
6
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing 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 avoided by shifting at
the recommended speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy 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
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING
- Engine off during 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 running. In addition,
turning off the ignition while
driving could engage the steer-
ing wheel lock resulting in loss
of vehicle steering. Keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect.