2011 KIA Soul light

517
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear (or gears, as appro-
priate).
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
2 (Second Gear)
Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This posi-
tion also helps reduce wheel spin on slip-
pery surfaces. When the shift lever is
placed in 2 (Second Gear), the transaxle
will automatically shift from first to sec-
ond gear.
L (Low)
Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climbing
steep grades.CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while thevehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage the transaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except when “Rocking thevehicle” explained in this section.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommendedmaximum speed in 2 (Second Gear)or L (Low). Operating the vehicleabove the maximum speed recom- mended for 2 (Second Gear) or L(Low) may cause excessive heat which could damage the automatictransaxle.

Driving your vehicle
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5
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O/D (Over Drive) system (if equipped)
Pressing the O/D system button cancels
and engages the overdrive system.
When the O/D system is cancelled, the
O/D OFF indicator illuminates and the
transaxle gear range is limited to 1st
through 3rd. The transaxle will not shift to
4th gear until the O/D system button is
pressed again to release the switch.
When driving down a sloping road with
the transaxle in O/D (4th), you can
decrease the vehicle speed without using
the brakes by pressing the O/D button.
When the ignition is switched OFF, O/D
OFF mode is automatically cancelled. O/D OFF Indicator
This indicator light illuminates in the
instrument panel when the O/D mode is
cancelled.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If the O/D OFF indicator flashes, it indi-
cates an electrical problem with the
transaxle. Should this occur, have the
vehicle checked by an authorized KIA
dealer as soon as possible.
Sports mode (if equipped)
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to D
(Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a
manual transaxle, the sports mode
allows gearshifts with the accelerator
pedal depressed.
Using the shift lever
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear (1).
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+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode

Driving your vehicle
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5
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Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
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In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Always, confirm the position ofthe brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't check
the position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It may
cause a serious accident.
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.

523
Driving your vehicle
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Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes (if equipped). You
may hear this sound come and go or it
may occur whenever you depress the
brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions 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.
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Rear drum brakes (if equipped)
Your rear drum brakes do not have wear
indicators. Therefore, have the rear brake
linings inspected if you hear a rubbing
noise. Also have your rear brakes
inspected each time you change or
rotate your tires and when you have the
front brakes replaced.
Parking brake
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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 addi-
tion it is recommended that when parking
the vehicle on an incline, the shift lever
should be in the P (Park) position for
Automatic transaxle, or Reverse for man-
ual transaxle.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, donot continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brake pad (or lining) and brake rotor wear.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
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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. Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated when
the parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on after
the parking brake is released while the
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function in the brake system. Immediate
attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
W-75
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the shift
lever instead of the parking
brake. Set the parking brake AND
make sure the shift lever is
securely positioned in 1st (First)
gear or R (Reverse) for manual
transaxle equipped vehicles and
in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
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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CAUTION
Do not operate the parking brakewhile the vehicle is moving exceptin an emergency situation. It coulddamage the vehicle system andmake endanger driving safety.

Driving your vehicle
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5
✽
✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system,
your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of low bat-
tery voltage. It does not mean your ABS
has malfunctioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
W-78
CAUTION
If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problemwith the ABS. In this case, howev-er, your regular brakes will worknormally.
The ABS warning light will stay on for approximately 3 seconds afterthe ignition switch is ON. Duringthat time, the ABS will go throughself-diagnosis and the light will gooff if everything is normal. If thelight stays on, you may have aproblem with your ABS. Contactan authorized KIA dealer as soonas possible.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having poor traction, such as an icy road,and have operated your brakes continuously, the ABS will beactive continuously and the ABSwarning light may illuminate. Pull your car over to a safe place andstop the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light goes off, then yourABS system is normal. Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact an authorized KIA dealer as soon aspossible.

Driving your vehicle
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ESC operation
ESC ON condition
ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem. When operating
When the ESC is in operation,
the ESC indicator light blinks.
Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and
indicates nothing unusual.
or driving on a slippery road,
pressing the accelerator
pedal may not cause the
engine rpm (revolutions per
minute) to increase.
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ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).
to LOCK position when ESC
is off, ESC remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the
ESC will automatically turn
on again.
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Driving your vehicle
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Indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned ON,
the indicator light illuminates, then goes
off if ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating and illuminates when
ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton.
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ESC OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESC turnedon for daily driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminat-
ed). If the ESC is left on, it may pre-
vent the vehicle speed from increas-
ing, and result in false diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system tomalfunction. When replacing tires,make sure they are the same size asyour original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESC indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating (ESC indica-
tor light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip out
of control.
■ ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light